Volume 96, Issue 6, 2018
July 2018
- Identifier:
- nela.2018_096_06
- Title:
- Volume 96, Issue 6, 2018
- Issue Name:
- July 2018
- Date Issued:
- 2018-07-01
- year:
- 2018
- month:
- July
- Season:
- Summer
- PDF filename:
- NL_96.06_2018_Jul_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 096
- issue:
- 06
- number:
- 096.06
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Publis hed by the Nebr a s k a Ga m e a nd Pa r k s C o m m is s io n si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
July 2018
In this issue
Walgren Lake
State Recreation Area
PLUS
The Danish Alps
Sandhills Wildflowers
The Nebraska Table
Travel to Northwestern Nebraska
Purple coneflower adorns a roadside at Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area near
Crawford. Photo by Justin Haag.
Time Well Spent
Fish Ladders
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 96
●
No. 6
●
July 2018
F EAT U R ES . . .
20 Our Own Danish Alps
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
26 Time Well Spent – What to Do in July
BY RENAE BLUM
28 Summer Wildflowers of the Sandhills
PHOTOS AND STORY BY GERRY STEINAUER
34 The Nebraska Table – Part 2 – Summer
BY RYAN SPARKS
40 Walgren Lake
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
42 Fish Ladders
Spalding Dam Fishway opens Cedar River to catfish
and other species
28
●
STORY AND PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E ...
From Our Readers – Letters, Comments, Etc. ........... 4
Mixed Bag – The Meadow Jumping Mouse, Travel to
Northwestern Nebraska, A Brief History of the Dragon
Boat, Upcoming Events and more ...................................... 6
Page 49 – Fourth of July for Dogs............................... 49
Outdoor Education – Handling Summer Fish ........ 52
Portraits from the Past – Readers' Photos ............. 54
Wilderness Workshop – Knife Sharpening ............ 56
The Last Stop – Sparkling Enthusiasm .................... 58
34
●
42
●
O N TH E W EB . . .
To see additional content including photos,
videos and additional articles, visit
Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/digital.
Cover: The Milky Way hangs over the boat dock and calm waters
of Walgren Lake State Recreation Area in Sheridan County.
Story on page 40. Photo by Justin Haag.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 96 / NO. 6 ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except
for the combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, 2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln,
Nebraska, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
NEBRASKAland, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
2 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
20
●
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 3
Instagram Featured Photo
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Joshua Redwine (@jwine05) posted this
photo, "Guided by Light," with this caption:
In your darkest hour hold on to what little
light you can find. Shot at Pawnee State
Recreation Area. Follow us (@nebraskaland)
and tag us in your photos to be featured in
upcoming issues.
Visitor Letters
The “visitor” is on page 2, the inside
cover. It is a ten-lined June beetle.
Initially, I thought it was a Colorado
potato beetle, but something about
the shape of the beetle and the stripes
continuing onto the head didn’t quite fit.
So, with a little research, I was able to
identify it. What a great way to encourage
people to read the whole wonderful
magazine! Keep up the good work!
Kim Horne
Red Cloud, Nebraska
Storm chaser Dale
Kaminski of Kearney
photographed this tornado
as it crossed Highway 77
southwest of Wymore on
May 2, 2018.
Starr Lehl of Minatare took this photo
on horseback at Buffalo Creek Wildlife
Management Area in Scotts Bluff County.
ADMINISTRATION
CONSERVATION OFFICERS
Director Jim Douglas
Deputy Director Tim McCoy
Commissioners
Chairman - Dick Bell, Omaha
Vice Chairman - Robert Allen, Eustis
2nd Vice Chairman - Dan Kreitman, Wahoo
Rick Brandt, Roca
Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
Jim Ernst, Columbus
Norris Marshall, Kearney
Doug Zingula, Sidney
Scott Cassels, Omaha
ADMINISTRATION (Lincoln)
Craig Stover (Administrator)
Duane Arp (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
MAGAZINE STAFF
Joyce Voigt from Holdrege spotted this
swallowtail butterfly in early spring at
Methodist Cove in Harlan County.
Communications Director Christy Firestone
Editor Jeff Kurrus
Art Director Tim Reigert
Associate Editor Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Regional Editors Eric Fowler, Julie Geiser,
Justin Haag
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Renae Blum,
Chris Helzer, Chris Masada, Gerry Steinauer
Photo Librarian Jaclyn Cruikshank Vogt
Circulation Donna Robinson
For address changes and questions about
your subscription, e-mail donna.robinson@
nebraska.gov or call 800-632-5263
Advertising Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
NEBRASKAland Magazine Copyright 2018, all rights reserved.
NEBRASKAland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, Suite 120, 1200 N St.,
Lincoln, NE 68508. 800-742-7691. NEBRASKAland Magazine and the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
1-800-NEBLAND (632-5263), or go online to: NebraskalandMagazine.
com.
COMMISSION
C
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OM
MMIS
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SSIO
S N OFFICES
OFFI
FF CES
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Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Julie Hudson of Ralston took this photo
of a pelican at Riverside Lakes, Waterloo.
Send your comments to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
NEBRASKAland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or e-mail Jeff.Kurrus@Nebraska.gov
Please include your postal address
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condensed and edited. Photographs are also
welcome.
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Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
4 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
NORTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Jim Zimmerman (District Supt.)
308-641-6138
Sean McKeehan
(Cheyenne, Morrill, Box Butte)
308-279-9133
Scott Brandt
(Kimball, Banner, Scotts Bluff)
308-631-0663
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
308-430-0572
Kyler Prochaska
(E 1/2 Dawes, N 1/2 Sheridan, W 1/2 Cherry) 308-430-3984
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant) 308-458-7650
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
NORTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Tom Zimmer (District Supt.)
402-649-8053
402-760-0712
Dale Davis (Keya Paha, Brown, Rock)
402-340-3981
Jonathan Andreasen (Holt, Boyd)
402-719-6226
Kyle Gaston (Dodge, Colfax)
Greg Hesse
(Greeley, Wheeler, Boone, S 1/2 Antelope)
402-843-6567
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce) 402-613-8612
402-762-5022
Jeff Jones (Knox, Cedar)
Jon Reeves
(S 1/2 Thurston, Burt, Washington)
402-889-8508
Andrew Heyer (Pierce, Madison, Stanton) 402-613-2241
Cory Krause
(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton, Dodge)
402-380-6410
Steve Oberg
(Colfax, Platte, Madison, Stanton, Nance)
402-910-3366
Owen Johnson
(Dixon, Dakota, N 1/2 Thurston)
402-266-1759
308-730-7050
Doug Pollard (Loup, Garfield, Valley)
SOUTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Roger Thompson (District Supt.)
308-530-3097
308-202-0819
Matt Brandt (Sherman, Howard)
308-380-7331
Tim Williams (Hall, Hamilton, Merrick)
Pat George
(Harlan, Franklin, Phelps)
308-920-2762
Matt Andrews
(Gosper, Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow)
308-746-2418
Brian Piernicky
(Red Willow, Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock)
308-340-6627
John Lee (Hitchcock, Dundy, Chase, Hayes) 308-414-1432
308-289-0427
Nicholas Fix (Keith, Perkins)
308-289-1169
Bryce Streger (Keith, Arthur)
308-760-0145
Sean Schultz (Keith)
Brandon O’Neal
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
308-530-3157
Alex Hasenauer
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
308-660-4671
Dale Johnson (Kearney, Buffalo)
308-440-3847
308-529-8146
Mike Thome (Dawson)
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine) 308-870-0322
Taylor Dixon
(Dawson, N 1/2 Gosper, N 1/2 Phelps)
308-217-2108
SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Levi Krause (District Supt.)
402-949-0593
402-619-1355
Rich Berggren (Douglas)
402-616-5961
Dan Evasco (Sarpy)
402-210-0888
Heath Packett (Cass)
402-209-1506
Russell Mort (Otoe, Johnson)
William Krause
(Nemaha, Richardson, Pawnee)
402-274-8063
Matt Taylor (Thayer, Fillmore, Jefferson) 402-200-9597
402-806-9084
Dan Zuehlke (Gage, Saline)
402-890-6463
Dina Barta (Lancaster)
402-937-3422
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster, York)
402-613-2312
Travis Shepler (Lancaster)
402-314-9641
Trevor Stahlecker (Lancaster)
402-890-7140
Stacey Lewton (Lancaster, Seward)
402-443-6392
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler, Polk)
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 5
A Mammal
Brief
Meadow Jumping
Mouse
By Lindsay Rogers
PHOTO BY GARY MEZAROS
As one might suspect, the
meadow jumping mouse is easily
characterized by its unusually large
hind feet used for hopping and
leaping. It is also identified by its long
tail which is over half of its total body
length (180-235 millimeters).
Meadow jumping mice are mainly nocturnal,
although they can also be somewhat crepuscular – active at dawn and dusk. They feed on mainly insects in the
spring months and seeds, berries and grasses in the summer and fall. In September, adults enter hibernation,
with juveniles entering hibernation later in October. Hibernation ends in April or May.
Reproduction quickly follows emergence from hibernation. Gestation is only about 18 days, which means the
first of up to three annual litters are born in May to early June. Although born blind, deaf, hairless and claw-less,
the young are weaned and fully independent at about four weeks.
Its ability to jump up to one meter in the air is important when trying to escape predators. Weasels, foxes,
hawks and owls all prey on jumping mice. ■
Lindsay Rogers is an outdoor education specialist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
6 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 7
Travelogue
Travelogue Sponsor
Dawes County
Sioux County
Discover Northwestern Nebraska
By Erin Lenz, Nebraska Tourism Commission
Do
Discover the rich history of
northwestern Nebraska. View fossils
from an internationally recognized
fossil site at Agate Fossil Beds
National Monument. Walk trails,
view animal skeletons and fossils
and see what life was like 20 million
years ago. The North American fur
trade was one of our nation's first
business enterprises, and the Museum
of the Fur Trade gives you a glimpse
of that past. There you can even
see items from the Oscar-winning
movie The Revenant. Then explore
Chadron State College and learn
more about one of Nebraska’s most
important female authors at the Mari
Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center
or see Nebraska’s
largest collection of
ethnobotanical medicinal
plants and historical
pharmaceuticals at High
Plains Herbarium.
Lastly, don’t forget to
stop at the HudsonMeng Education and
Research Center and
see the excavation site
that is believed to be the
bone bed of nearly 600
ancient bison.
Eat
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NEBRASKA TOURISM COMMISSION
P
lan a trip to Nebraska’s outdoor
playground: northwestern
Nebraska. Spanning Dawes and
Sioux counties, northwestern
Nebraska has a lot for you to
explore. Jump on the Bridges to Buttes
or Gold Rush byways and take time to
see all the beauty. Go camping at one of
the state parks, learn about history from
fossils to fur traders or simply surround
yourself with the great outdoors.
Whatever you want to do, northwestern
Nebraska is ready for you.
Agate Fossil Beds in Sioux County.
If you’re looking for
a unique dining experience, look no
further than High Plains Homestead
Drifter Cookshack. This Old West
cowboy town offers old-fashioned
cooking and delicious homemade pies.
Eat cowboy-sized meals of ribeye
steaks, pork ribs or their famous coffee
burger. In Chadron, listen to live music
while enjoying your choice of soup,
salads and sandwiches at the Bean
Broker Coffee House. Stay a while and
finish your meal off with a sweet treat
and cocktail. A summer staple since
1981, Staab’s Drive Inn in Crawford
serves broasted chicken, burgers and ice
cream in a fresh-baked waffle cone.
Stay
Toadstool Geologic Park in Dawes County.
8 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
While you’re out exploring,
stay a night or two in one of many
unique accommodations offered in
the northwest. Relax in a peaceful,
natural setting located in the heart of
the beautiful Pine Ridge in Crawford
at Foster’s School House Bed and
Breakfast. Or stay at an 1890s bed and
breakfast, the historic Olde Main Street
Inn, listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. If you’re looking for
an authentic ranch experience, checkin at Our Heritage Guest Ranch in
Crawford; ride horses, hike, bike, fish,
stargaze or accompany the ranchers as
they carry out their daily tasks for a
pioneer family experience. Sheepwagon
Hideouts at RuJoDen Ranch is another
unique lodging option where you stay
in a sheepwagon, the ideal home for a
herder in the 1900s.
Explore
With 150,000 acres of public land
and 200 miles of trails equipped
for hiking, biking and equestrian
exploration, northwestern Nebraska has
an abundance of outdoor adventures.
Toadstool Geologic Park is a sight to
behold with its unique rock formations.
Described as having a “moonscape”
appearance, this park has fun scenery
to view while you walk through the
one-mile loop hiking trail. Chadron
State Park is the state’s oldest state
park. Fish, paddleboat, go on a
horseback trail ride, rent a mountain
bike or stay in one of their 22 semifurnished cabins. While Chadron State
Park is the oldest state park, Fort
Robinson State Park is the largest.
Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and
history buffs, Fort Robinson is located
on a formerly active military post and
offers horse-drawn wagon rides, hiking,
biking, jeep tours and much more.
Other nearby outdoor destinations
ideal for hiking and wildlife viewing
include Nebraska National Forest, Pine
Ridge National Recreation Area, Oglala
National Grassland and Ponderosa
Wildlife Area. ■
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 9
A Brief History
When a Dragon Boat
Came to Nebraska
By David Bristow, History Nebraska
(Nebraska State Historical Society)
V
enting steam from its nostrils, the serpent-headed
white boat moved mysteriously up the Missouri River
without sails or oarsmen. The boat’s source of power
may have been unknown to the people on shore, but
some things about it were instantly recognizable: the stars
and stripes of the U.S. flag, and the artillery pieces on
deck. Here was a warship unlike anything the people of the
Missouri River had ever seen.
The year was 1819, the place was the future states of
Nebraska and Iowa, and the boat was the Western Engineer,
the first steamboat to travel this far up the Missouri. It
transported the Stephen Long Expedition team of scientists
to their winter camp north of present-day Omaha, a place
they named Engineer Cantonment (a “cantonment” is a
long-term camp). The following year, the army built Fort
Atkinson – now a state historical park – atop a bluff north of
that site.
Steamboats were the latest technology in the early 19th
century – nothing quaint or old-timey about them in those
days. Built in Pittsburgh, Western Engineer was also one of
the first sternwheelers, having a single paddlewheel at the back
of the boat instead of two paddlewheels on either side. This was
better for narrow channels in the often shallow Missouri. When
empty, the boat could float in only 19 inches of water.
Western Engineer was special in other ways. It was
designed to awe and frighten the native peoples with whom
the U.S. military sought to make treaties. That was the
purpose of the steam-venting serpent’s head at the prow, and
the deliberate effort to hide the boat’s machinery and display
its weapons. Its designers wanted to create the illusion of a
giant black serpent carrying a gunboat on its back.
Threatening violence with one hand, the U.S. offered
peace and trade with the other. They hoped to lure the tribes
into exclusive fur trade agreements with the U.S. and forsake
the British traders operating out of Canada.
Native peoples apparently did find the strange boat
disturbing, but they didn’t forget their own economic
interests. British traders offered trade goods that were
consistently superior to what the Americans offered, and
there was an advantage to keeping one’s trade options open.
In the end, Native leaders were a lot savvier than the U.S.
hoped they would be. The politics of the fur trade were far
from over.
But the Missouri River steamboat era was just beginning. ■
Search “Engineer Cantonment” at history.nebraska.gov to
learn more about the expedition and the rediscovery of the
cantonment.
Bachelor Groups
By Matt Ross
During the summer you’ve probably seen what are known
as “bachelor groups.” These are groups of bucks that travel
together during the spring and summer and generally follow
the same movement schedule of bedding and feeding.
Bachelor groups may contain bucks of many different ages,
including yearlings, and are usually not related to each other.
Bachelor groups form outside of the breeding season,
when antlers are absent or growing, and when buck
testosterone levels are at their annual low point. Bucks in
bachelor groups get along well and even groom each other,
but they still establish a basic “pecking order” within the
group using aggressive physical displays, vocalizations or
sometimes hoof-flailing. As day-length begins to shorten,
testosterone levels begin to rise, triggering the hardening
of antlers and shedding of velvet. At this point, aggression
within the group rises, and bucks begin to spar using their
new antlers. Sparring is usually not serious and often
involves bucks of widely differing age. As the rut approaches
and testosterone continues to rise, bucks gradually become
less tolerant of each other, and the bachelor groups break
apart. Research has shown that the average buck begins
using a larger percentage of its established home range as the
rut approaches. Thus, patterning a bachelor group may be
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Matt Ross is a biologist and the Assistant Director of
Conservation for Quality Deer Management Association.
"Long's Dragon" The Western Engineer Accending the Missouri River, 1819. Painted by Gary R. Lucy.
10 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 11
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Above: Mule deer bachelor group in Dawes County.
Below: White-tailed bucks in South Dakota.
useful where archery or firearms seasons open early enough,
but the pattern will fade quickly in the pre-rut period.
Forming bachelor groups may aid in predator avoidance at
a time when bucks are relatively defenseless because they do
not have antlers, or when antlers are growing and vulnerable
to damage. Also, bachelor groups may allow local bucks to
establish a basic dominance hierarchy through mild forms of
aggression, which may reduce the amount of serious fighting
necessary later – when bucks can be injured critically or
killed.
Of course, bachelor groups aren’t likely to be seen in areas
where few bucks survive beyond 1½ or 2½ years of age.
When harvest pressure is reduced on yearling bucks through
quality deer management, numbers of older bucks will
increase over time, increasing your likelihood of spotting a
bachelor group where you hunt. ■
12 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 13
Tuning
Buzzbaits and
Spinnerbaits
By Larry Kurrus
14 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
or one of the newer “creature baits”
that have become so popular lately.
But, if you like the creature bait idea,
you will probably have to remove the
trailer hook.
If those ideas fail and your lure is
still not running straight, you will
probably have
to change
Changing the blade type is also an option
for a spinnerbait not running straight.
If it continues to swim astray, you might
add a trailer to it, such as a creature bait.
the blades on your baits. For your
spinnerbaits, for example, if you have
a No. 5 blade, change it to a No. 4
Lastly, if nothing seems to help, slow
down your retrieve a little. Some of
the gear ratios on the newer reels may
be too fast for some baits. Watch your
baits closely. They will tell you when
the speed is right.
Then, if absolutely nothing works, it
may be time for some new baits. ■
PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits can be
two of the most exciting and versatile
lures in your tacklebox. But when one
of these lures start to run crooked, or
turns sideways completely, they can
become extremely annoying to say the
least.
To get the most out of these lures,
they may need to be tuned so that
they run properly. Maybe one of the
following tricks may help.
First, the blade arm on both baits
should line up with the hook so that
when you look down the arm it should
be straight or in line with the point of
the hook. If not, bend the arm until it
lines up with the hook.
If that does not work, change your
skirt to a larger one, and add a trailer
hook if you like. If your bait is still not
acceptable, you can even add a worm
If a spinnerbait
runs crooked,
first make sure
the blade arm lines
up with the hook.
or even a No. 3. You can also change
blade type. For instance, switch a
Colorado for a willowleaf because the
latter will have less resistance due to its
design.
For your buzzbaits, you can, with
some difficulty, change your blades to a
smaller size.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 15
Presented by
Bug Banter
By Julie Van Meter
State Entomologist,
Nebraska
Department
of Agriculture
T
he velvet longhorned beetle
(Trichoferus campestris) is an
exotic, invasive insect native to parts
of Asia and eastern Russia. It was
first found in the United States around
2000, likely introduced on solid wood
packing material. Since that time, it
has been trapped in a number of states,
including New York, Ohio, Colorado
and Minnesota, and it is established in
Utah and Illinois.
In April 2018, a velvet longhorned
beetle (VLB) emerged from furniture
built from black walnut (Juglans
nigra) harvested in southeastern South
Dakota near the Nebraska border. Due
to this find, the Nebraska Department
of Agriculture will be setting and
monitoring traps for VLB in 2018.
VLB can be a serious pest of trees,
and has a wide host range. It is most
commonly found in apple and mulberry
trees, but is also known to infest honey
16 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Chinese Longhorned Beetle.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER PIERCE,
USDA APHIS PPQ, BUGWOOD.ORG.
locust, maple, birch, spruce, pine,
willow, elm, cherry and peach trees.
The borer infests both healthy and
declining trees, and can complete its
development in dead trees.
Adult VLBs are ½ to ¾ inch in
length, with antennae nearly as long
as their bodies. Adults are brown with
scattered, light colored hairs on their
thorax and wing covers, and they
are very difficult to distinguish from
some of our native beetles, including
pine sawyers. Adult VLBs emerge
April through August. After emerging,
adults mate, and females lay eggs on
tree bark. Larvae hatch and bore into
the tree, where they feed under the
bark. Late in the season, larvae bore
deeper into the wood to overwinter, and
pupate, before emerging in the spring.
VLBs take one to two years to
complete their life cycle, depending
on the quality of wood on which they
feed. Dead, dry wood may increase
the length of time to reach maturity.
Adult beetles have emerged from wood
furniture more than 18 months after the
furniture was purchased.
Pests like VLB can be transported
on firewood. Leave your firewood
at home, and instead obtain it where
you plan to burn it. Nearly 20
states regulate firewood movement
through laws and quarantines, and
several federal quarantines also
regulate firewood movement. Visit
dontmovefirewood.org for more
information on state and federal
firewood rules. ■
To report a possible VLB, contact the
Nebraska Department of Agriculture at
402-471-2351 or agr.plant@nebraska.
gov.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 17
by Jerry Kane
June 30-July 1
Living History Fort Atkinson State
July 8
Family Fishing Event Riverside
July 14
Bighorn Sheep Hike
Historical Park (SHP), Fort Calhoun
Discovery Center Pond, Scottsbluff
Wildcat Hills SRA, Gering
July 1
Archery Fishing Archery fishing of
July 9
Big Game Permits Remaining big
July 14
Youth Shoreline Fishing Tournament
game fish is allowed statewide through
Dec. 31
game hunting permits may be purchased, Louisville SRA, Louisville
beginning at 1 p.m. Central Time through
July 14
the close of the seasons
July 1
Spearfishing Underwater spearfishing
of game fish allowed in specific waters
through Dec. 31
July 1
Sidewalk Chalk Art with Pollinator
Program Niobrara State Park (SP),
July 9-30
Deer Hunting Application
Application period for Gifford Point WMA
special access permits for deer hunting
July 10
Family Fishing Event
Niobrara
Oak Lake, Lincoln
July 1-14
Paddlefish Paddlefish snagging permit
application period
July 11
Growing Up WILD Educator
Workshop Kearney
July 4
Pollinator Program and Ice Cream
Social Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 11
Project WILD and Aquatic WILD
Educator Workshop Kearney
July 5, 12, 19, 21
Mentored Bowfishing Program
July 12
Family Fishing Event
Ponca SP, Ponca
Lake Halleck, Papillion
July 6
Lottery Permits
July 13
Growing Up WILD educator
Final day to apply for Nebraska Super Tag workshop Norfolk
and Combo lottery permits
July 7
Cosmic Fireworks – Astronomy
Night Indian Cave SP, Shubert
July 7
Hooked for Life Red Willow Reservoir
State Recreation Area (SRA), McCook
106 Degrees?
No Problem
Contact the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at 402-471-0641 or visit
OutdoorNebraska.org for more information.
Visit HuntSafeNebraska.org for a list of hunter education classes and
BoatSafeNebraska.org for a list of boating safety classes.
July 13
Project WILD and Aquatic WILD
educator workshop Norfolk
July 13
Family Fishing Event
City Park, Holdrege
July 13
S’mores with the Doerrs
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 14
Carp-O-Rama
Night Sky Program
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 14
Buffalo Cookout Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 14, 21
Geocaching Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 15
Republican Valley Archery 3-D Shoot
Red Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
July 17
Family Fishing Event
Lake Zorinsky, Omaha
July 17-19
Archery Academy Camp
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center
July 18
Family Fishing Event
Bowling Lake, Lincoln
July 20
Veterans’ Cookout
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 20
Desperado Days Pool Party
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 20
Stargazing
Eugene T. Mahoney SP, Ashland
July 20
Family Fishing Event
Melham Park Lake, Broken Bow
Lake Maloney SRA, North Platte
Families fish at
the annual CarpO-Rama event
at Lake Maloney
State Recreation
Area in North
Platte.
July 20-21
Beyond BOW Niobrara and Missouri
River Kayaking Trip
The wranglers of Fort Robinson
State Park make their way along
the parade route during the annual
Crawford Fourth of July celebration
July 24-26
Archery Academy Camp
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
July 25
Family Fishing Event
Benson Park, Omaha; Red Willow
Reservoir, McCook
July 27-28
Campfire Christmas in July
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
July 28
Jingle Bell Junk and Craft Market
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
July 28
TBF SAF State High School
Fishing Tournament
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Joan Christen of Tecumseh,
Nebraska, who found the
ten-lined June beetle on page 2.
Readers are encouraged to contact
NEBRASKAland within 10 days after
this issue’s publication with the
correct page number and name of
this issue’s “Visitor” – a critter found
in Nebraska. We will then gather the
correct entries and draw one to win a
NEBRASKAland mug.
To enter each month, write:
NEBRASKAland Visitor
2200 North 33rd Street
Lincoln, NE 68503
Or e-mail: Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.
gov with “Visitor” in the subject line
of the message.
HINT: This issue’s visitor is not on
page 5, 16, 17, or 19.
By Jeff Kurrus
It was 106 degrees when my fishing
partner, Brad Feeken, and I got back
to the truck last July, and we just had
one of our most successful fishing days
of the season at the Valentine National
Wildlife Refuge.
We had caught trophy bass and
northern pike on a series of lures
including spinnerbaits, buzzbaits,
topwater scum frogs and creature baits.
We targeted the thickest cover we could
find, including bulrushes and cattails,
and made repeated casts to areas in an
attempt to entice fish into striking.
But we were completely alone on
the lake. I’ve heard numerous anglers
talk about the morning and evening
“bites” on triple-digit days when the
temperature and sun lower. Yet I have
had just as much success at this time
of the year during the hottest parts of
the day.
As long as you don’t mind sweating,
use the same strategies you’re using
during other parts of the day – making
sure to also add targeting thick cover
to your to-do list – and you’ll find
success.
You'll likely also have the lake to
yourself. ■
Missouri River, Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 31-August 2
Learn to Hunt Camp
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center
July 31
Family Fishing Event
Prairie Queen Lake, La Vista
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 21
Youth Shoreline Fishing Tournament
Memphis SRA, Memphis
July 21
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
Beginning Kayaking
Lake Wanahoo SRA, Wahoo
Lake Wanahoo SRA, Wahoo
18 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Beyond BOW kayakers prepare
to paddle under the Chief
Standing Bear Memorial Bridge
on the Missouri River.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
July 22
Kite Day Niobrara SP, Niobrara
July 22
Family Fishing Event
Brad Feeken of Gretna holds a largemouth
bass caught on a 106-degree day.
The ten-lined June beetle
(Polyphylla decemlineata) is a
large, beautiful scarab beetle,
native to Nebraska. It can be
found over much of the state, and
prefers light, sandy soils. Adult
beetles are approximately 3⁄4" to
11⁄2" in length and brown, with
distinct white stripes running the
length of the elytra.
Adult beetles emerge in June
and can be found throughout the
summer. They are active at night;
look for them in the morning
around outdoor lights. Males have
much larger antennae than the
females, which they can spread to
resemble a fan, or appear feathery.
When threatened, the
beetles make a loud
hissing noise. The
larvae are typical
C-shaped grubs,
feeding underground
d on
plant roots, and can grow
to 2" in length before pupating.
ti
Adults feed on plant
foliage, but cause little
damage.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 19
Our Own Danish Alps
Dakota County’s Budding State
Recreation Area
Story and photos
by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Danish Alps State Recreation Area near Hubbard is owned by the
Papio-Missouri NRD and managed by Nebraska Game and Parks.
Other project partners include the Natural Resource Conservation
Service, Nebraska Environmental Trust, Nebraska Department of
Environmental Quality and Dakota County.
20 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21
Danish Alps SRA features an equestrian campground complete with corrals, hitching
posts and easy access to water. These horses belong to Randy and Lisa Gallup of
Crescent, Iowa, who love to horse camp.
T
ucked away among the rolling
hills of Dakota County, Danish
Alps State Recreation Area
(SRA) derives its name from the early
Danish pioneers who first settled in the
area. Its creation was part of a two-fold
plan by the Papio-Missouri Natural
Resource District (NRD): to stabilize
the Pigeon/Jones Creek Watershed and
to build the most thoughtfully planned
recreation area possible.
Plans for the SRA were drawn
up in the fall of 2009, and the park
officially opened its gates on Aug. 1,
2015. Three years later, this outdoor
recreation oasis is becoming a jewel of
the northeast. Its 219-acre lake and 520
acres of parkland offer something for
everyone. The discerning fisherman,
the adventurous kayaker, the overnight
horse rider or the hunter looking for a
mixed-bag opportunity – all will find
sanctuary here.
Hubbard resident Vince Kramper, a
longtime board member of the PapioMissouri NRD and the Nebraska
Environmental Trust, was the project’s
22 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
greatest champion. The SRA’s
Kramper Lake was naturally named
after him, and it now offers excellent
opportunities for anglers to catch
eating-size black crappies, bluegills
and largemouth bass. Other stocked
fish include channel catfish and
walleyes.
Rock breakwaters and a wetlands
complex provide habitat to both fish
and fowl, while Kramper Lake’s
diverse underwater structures and
varying depths benefit both fish and
fisherman. The lake reaches 45 feet
deep in some areas and was designed
for both the shoreline and boat angler
in mind. The 40-foot boat launch
ramp and large fishing pier are ADA
accessible, and a fish cleaning station
was built this year. Roads are also
maintained throughout the winter for
the dedicated hard water angler.
Located far away enough from
the big city, but close enough for the
spontaneous day tripper or weekend
warrior, Danish Alps draws in people
from all directions. Both modern and
All from surrounding cities, the Emmons, Engle, Keyes and Behnke families fish at the ADA-accessible dock.
primitive campers will find comfort
here, while the traveling equestrian will
appreciate the amenities for man and
beast. With 14 horse corrals, hitching
posts and convenient access to water,
the equestrian campground is becoming
more popular every year. Modern
restrooms and showers are bonuses for
all.
For those looking for a more remote
experience, all it takes is a short paddle
from the boat ramp. Six recently
added kayak-in campsites offer a
quiet, secluded haven for kayakers and
canoers. But pack light – the only way
to get to these campsites is by water or
backpacking.
Kramper Lake is stocked with black crappies, bluegills, largemouth bass, walleyes and channel catfish.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 23
Outdoor recreation opportunities
abound at Danish Alps. A scenic
9.5-mile horseback riding trail winds
around most of the lake, and a separate
hiking and biking limestone trail covers
more than 15 miles.
Danish Alps is also a great place
to have a picnic, birthday party or
family reunion, with three-day use
areas featuring ample shade, seating
and beautiful views of the water. Wellmanicured lawns are plentiful for play.
After the campers have left for
the summer, the SRA becomes a
playground for hunters. Beginning the
first Tuesday after Labor Day through
the end of spring turkey season,
hunting is allowed in the 250 acres
south of 203rd Street. These wellmanaged grasslands hold pheasants,
turkey and quail. Deer also wander
in, as well as waterfowl that use the
SRA’s water quality basins. Special
regulations apply, so refer to the
Greg Conroy, left, and Kellen Conroy of Pender RV camping at Danish Alps SRA, which offers 44 RV campsites, three of which are
ADA accessible, and 29 equestrian campsites, three of which are also ADA accessible.
Nebraska hunting guides for details.
Jeff Fields, the Commission’s northeastern regional park superintendent,
has helped oversee the SRA’s
development since its beginnings.
“Year by year as this area grows
and matures, it will only get better and
better,” Fields said. ■
To see a contour map of Kramper Lake,
pick up a copy of the Danish Alps SRA
guide at a Game and Parks office near
you or visit Maps.OutdoorNebraska.gov/
lakemaps.
Lanny Gentry from Hubbard kayaks at Kramper Lake on the SRA’s opening
Day, Aug. 1, 2015.
24 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Waterfowl take off from one of the SRA’s
water quality basins in December.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 25
Time Well Spent
What to Do in July
By Renae Blum
T
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
hose willing to brave the heat will reap the sweet rewards summer has to offer,
which could include foraging for fresh wild fruit, fishing as a new hobby, and
adventures on a water trail. Learn more below, and check out various state park events
on our website at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. ■
Pick Wild Fruits and Berries
Mid- to late July
Statewide
Float a Water Trail
Now is the season when many wild fruits and berries are ripening,
such as currants, sand cherry (pictured), chokecherry, gooseberry
and ground cherry. Game and Parks’ Greg Wagner offered these
tips for foraging: know what you’re going to pick; look out for
thorns; sample as you go; keep your fruit in the shade and get it
into the fridge as soon as possible; and, as always, get permission
if you are foraging on private property or public land.
Throughout the month
Statewide
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
Attend a Melodrama
Throughout the month
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
PHOTO BY JOHN BURKHART
For 24 years, Eugene T. Mahoney State Park has provided lighthearted
family entertainment with its summer melodrama program. This year’s
lineup features the tales of a grown-up Little Red Riding Hood, a
wedding jeopardized by a scheming bank embezzler, and a damsel
in distress. A schedule is available at melodrama.net. Present your
theater ticket at Caddy’s Parkside Grill, Mahoney’s new restaurant, on
the day of the show and receive 10 percent off the cost of your entrée.
For more information, call the park at 402-944-2523.
26 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Nebraska’s rivers flow gently, making them ideal for family outings. This summer, get out your kayak, canoe, inner tube or stock tank
for a leisurely trip down one of Nebraska’s water trails. Find maps and more information at OutdoorNebraska.gov/watertrails.
Family Fishing Nights
Throughout the month
Statewide
Family Fishing Nights, sponsored by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, provide a relaxed environment to learn the basics
for families who are new to fishing, or haven’t fished in years. Free loaner equipment such as rods, reels and bait is available. A
schedule and more information can be found at OutdoorNebraska.gov/familyfishing.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 27
Summer Wildflowers
of the Sandhills
Blooms on the Dunes
Photos and story by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
F
rom many Sandhills dune tops, one can see prairie stretching
to the horizons. North America’s largest sand dune field, the
wind-whipped Sandhills, covers more than 20,000 square miles of
north-central Nebraska, ranging from low and rolling to steep and
towering. The Sandhills is also our nation’s most intact grassland
ecosystem – the wildflower-rich prairie, a vestige of times past.
LEFT: A member of the
aster family, nippleweed
(Thelesperma filifolium) is
common on dry, sandy and
gravelly soils on the Sandhills
periphery. The name refers to
the nipple-like shape of the
joined bracts found below the
petals.
RIGHT: In late spring and
early summer, colonies
of shell-leaf penstemon
(Penstemon grandiflorus)
can tint the dunes pink to
lavender. This species is
found in prairies nearly
statewide, preferring sandy
soils.
28 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 29
I
n 1795, James Mackay, working for the Upper Missouri
Company, led the first European expedition into the heart
of the Sandhills. He was not impressed, describing “a great
desert of drifting sand, without trees, soil, rock, water,
or animals of any kind.” He and other explorers, whose
negative attitudes were possibly shaped by the difficult
travel on loose sands or the impacts of drought, branded the
region a “no-man’s land.”
30 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
ABOVE: Yucca (Yucca glauca) adorns a sand
dune in Cherry County. Also called soapweed,
the plant’s crushed roots, when agitated in
water, produce a lather used as a shampoo
by Great Plains tribes. They ate the flowers,
flower stalks and young seedpods raw or
cooked.
UPPER RIGHT: Showy milkweed (Asclepias
speciosa) is common on sandy soils throughout
the western two-thirds of Nebraska, inhabiting
prairies, roadsides and crop fields.
LOWER RIGHT: Early morning sunlight
illuminates the petals of bigroot pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa). This large-padded
cactus is found on dry dunes throughout the
Sandhills.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 31
H
aving suffered little from farming,
judiciously grazed, and growing on
droughty soils resistant to non-native plants,
the region’s flora has remained near pristine.
The Sandhills is home to nearly 700 native
plant species. This includes wildflowers
whose blooms dapple the grassy dunes in
varied colors from mid-April into October,
but summer is the peak of floral display. ■
D
eterred, it was not until about 1880 that cattlemen
and their herds began drifting into the Sandhills
and, to their surprise, found plentiful water and grass to
fatten their cattle. Ranching has remained the region’s
predominant land use; the rugged dunes, for the most
part, have kept farmers at bay.
32 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
ABOVE: A prairie rose (Rosa
arkansana) flowers near a
lichen-encrusted bison skull in
the bison pasture on The Nature
Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley
Preserve in Brown County. This rose
graces prairies statewide.
RIGHT: The sun sets on a patch
of plains sunflower (Helianthus
petiolaris) on the Niobrara Valley
Preserve. This sand-loving annual
can be prolific on dunes recently
disturbed by fire or heavy grazing.
Sharp-tailed grouse, rodents and
other wildlife cherish its seeds.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 33
The
Nebraska
Table
Part 2 – Summer
By Ryan Sparks
34 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
amount of table cream
over the top. Between
bites, I ask how long
she has been gardening
and she smiles.
“As long as I can
remember,” she says
with a laugh.
As you might have
guessed, Jane is also an
excellent cook, and the
fruits and vegetables
from her garden are
used to their full
potential. The things
she and my grandfather
can’t eat immediately
are frozen or canned
for use throughout the year. Opening a jar of her homecanned peaches in winter is a small reprieve from the cold
and snow – she seems to can the essence of summer in each
jar along with the peaches. Her cellar is a library of mason
jars containing the tomatoes, sweet corn, beans, beets, pears,
peaches, apples, rhubarb and a list of other produce too long
to mention that she grows in her garden.
Jane and my grandfather, Stanley, moved to a farm near
Cedar Creek in Cass County from Big Springs in 1953.
Their new home had an orchard with 16 fruit trees, and it
wasn’t long before they put in a large garden.
“I appreciated the longer growing season,” she says,
recalling their first few seasons at the new home.
“I remember flipping through seed catalogs and seeing all
the new things I could plant.”
At its height, her garden comprised a quarter acre with an
additional stand of sweet corn and a strawberry patch larger
than the entire gardens of most people. One year, when
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
S
ummer gives full credence to Nebraska’s state
slogan “the good life.” Long days of sunshine and an
explosion of green are proof that muddling through
winter was worth it. Wild plums adorn field edges, summer
breezes stir the corn into a swaying dance and sun tea steeps
on porches across the state. At no other time do the flavors
of Nebraska present themselves more readily, and nowhere
are they more abundant than a Nebraska garden. These
gardens are magical places and the dishes of the Nebraska
table reflect their bounty.
Nebraska has a long-standing gardening heritage. Seed
catalogs from Lincoln dating back to the 1880s advertise
radishes, peas and “early red perfection” tomatoes.
Nebraska gardeners persevered through the Dust Bowl,
famines and stock market crashes. During World War II,
“Victory Gardens” grew bumper crops for the war effort,
and gardeners from Omaha to Scottsbluff helped ease the
food shortage. Today, many Nebraskans continue this
tradition, planting the same varieties enjoyed throughout the
state for more than a century. Across Nebraska, gardeners
work to bring their harvest to the table. They prepare the
soil, pluck stubborn weeds and nurture tender green shoots
into delicious fruits and vegetables. While each gardener
has their own reason for cultivating plant life – pleasure,
nourishment, mental calm – the results are nearly the same:
fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes, succulently ripe berries, crisp
and tender asparagus.
In the southeastern corner of the state, Jane Sparks tends
her garden under the hot summer sun. Protected by the
shade of her wide straw hat, she plucks small, brilliantly
red strawberries and drops them into her basket. A lifelong
Nebraskan, Jane has been gardening for more than 70
years. Full disclosure, she is also my grandmother, and the
strawberries she is picking are the taste of summer I grew
up with. Back in her kitchen, she sprinkles a scant pinch
of sugar over the just-picked berries and pours a generous
an early snow fell before Thanksgiving, I drove her to the
grocery store and was confused when she put only a few
things in her cart. I thought she had forgotten her shopping
list, but when I asked, she shrugged, “No, I think I have
everything else I need.” Two days later, we sat down to a
Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings, many of which
came from her garden.
While my grandmother’s garden is one to aspire to,
not everyone has the space, time or energy for such an
undertaking. However, with Nebraska’s rich soil and
ample sunshine it’s easy for new gardeners to find success.
Gardening is a great way to spend time outside and the
rewards are measured in smiles at the dinner table. Another
option for aspiring green thumbs are community gardens.
For a modest fee, you receive an allotment of land to plant
whatever you like alongside other gardeners. It’s also a
way for new gardeners to glean knowledge from their more
experienced neighbors. If you are unsure of yourself or want
to limit the investment of money and time to start a larger
garden, community gardens are a great place to start.
Maybe you just don’t have time for gardening. If so,
consider visiting one of Nebraska’s numerous farmers
markets. The Omaha Farmers Market is the largest and
oldest in the state with more than one hundred vendors.
Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket Farmers Market offers
produce, meats, plants, baked goods, fresh cheese, crafts
and more. Kearney, Grand Island and North Platte also have
excellent farmers markets that host activities and events in
addition to letting you enjoy seasonal produce without the
work of a garden. Additionally, think about subscribing to
a Community Supported Agriculture program. Subscribers
receive a weekly box of seasonal produce, and the amount
of fruit and vegetables you get is usually worth much more
than the CSA subscription. As a bonus, you will create
relationships with local farmers and support Nebraska
agriculture.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 35
Whether you grow a personal garden or buy the
ingredients at a farmers market, summer is the time
to enjoy the best of what Nebraska has to offer.
Growing something from seed to stalk or even
talking with local growers changes your outlook
on food. It creates a sense of ownership and pride
in both yourself and the state. I hope you find that
special connection in the following recipes. They run
the gamut from my grandmother’s fresh strawberry
pie to Clayton Chapman’s milk ricotta gnocchi.
What they have in common is a simple treatment of
ingredients that highlights the taste of a Nebraska
summer.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Yield: 8-10 pieces
1 heaping cup of flour
½ cup butter
3½ tablespoons powdered sugar
1 quart Nebraska strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Whipped cream to cover (recipe below)
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
•
•
•
In a large bowl or stand mixer, whip
cream until stiff peaks begin to form. Beat
in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Do
not overbeat or the mixture will become
butter-like. Chilling the bowl speeds up
the process.
– Jane Sparks, author’s grandmother
Green Walnut Liqueur (Nocino)
Yield: 1 liter
25 green walnuts, whole in-the-shell, the size of
apricots, quartered
2½ cups sugar
4 cloves
•
•
•
36 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Burbach’s Dairy Milk Ricotta
Gnocchi
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cut the butter into the flour and
powdered sugar. Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie
pan. Bake until slightly brown, about 20 minutes.
Place half the strawberries in the crust. Add sugar
and cornstarch to the remaining strawberries. Simmer
the mixture in a saucepan until it thickens and
becomes clear. Let the mixture cool slightly and then
pour it over the fresh strawberries in the crust.
Place the pie in the refrigerator and allow it to cool
completely. Once the pie has cooled, cover it with
whipped cream and serve.
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
sticks
• 21 cinnamon
star
anise
pod
• Zest of one medium lemon, in ½-inch strips
• 1 liter vodka or Everclear
•
Wearing latex gloves to avoid semi-permanently staining
your hands, quarter walnuts and pack them into a sterile
1-gallon glass jar with lid.
Add sugar, spices, lemon zest and alcohol. Ensure jar’s lid
is tight and shake to dissolve the sugar.
Allow liqueur to steep for 40 days in a dark cabinet,
periodically shaking the jar to disperse any sugar that has
settled. Strain liquid, disposing of solids,
and decant into a clean jar. Nocino is
drinkable immediately but does mellow
with a couple more months of aging. Use
as an ingredient in cocktails, by itself as
a digestif or, my favorite, drizzled over
vanilla ice cream.
– Abigael Birrell
To me, summer is full of heirloom tomatoes. The window
to use the tomato is so short once they are off the vine, and
the tomato season as a whole only lasts so long in Nebraska.
Rhizosphere Farm is in Bennington, and they grow amazing
produce. We use their tomatoes any way we can. Burbach’s
Dairy is in Hartington and produces incredible naturally
sweet and creamy milk. We culture their cream here at the
restaurant and churn our own butter. The buttermilk that is
left after churning is what we use as our milk for ricotta,
but please feel free to use their traditional whole milk. The
ricotta is then turned into a small dumpling, traditionally
made with potatoes. Using the ricotta results in a very supple
dumpling. ShadowBrook Farm is just east of Lincoln. Kevin
and Charuth grow a variety of produce, specializing in
greens and a diverse line of cheeses. Farmstead First is the
collaboration between ShadowBrook Farm and Branched
Oak Farm. ShadowBrook produces the goat milk and
Branched Oak produces the cow milk. The result is a silkycreamy aged wash rind cheese. The flavor is like nothing
I have worked with before. Krista and Doug Dittman own
Branched Oak in Raymond.
The recipe serves up to four. It is difficult to reduce the
quantity in which you make the gnocchi, but they do freeze
well and may be saved for later.
Homemade Ricotta
Yield: 1 pound ricotta cheese – the recipe should yield 1
pound of cheese per gallon of milk, but use whatever cheese
you yield from the gallon.
1 gallon whole milk
6 ounces white wine vinegar or lemon juice
•
•
Place vinegar or lemon juice in the milk and put on
medium-heat. The milk will start to slowly form curds over
the course of an hour and a half. Be patient and don’t turn
up the heat! The curds are much creamier when formed
slowly. Once all of the curds have risen to the top of the
milk and the rest of the milk looks like yellow water, pull
the ricotta off stove and skim the cheese off the top. Let the
cheese drain in a pasta strainer or something similar in the
refrigerator overnight with a small amount of weight on top
until the following day.
Ricotta Gnocchi
pound ricotta cheese
• 11farm
egg (we use Double K Farm’s in
• Clarinda,fresh
Iowa)
egg yolk
• 1Zestfarmof fresh
1
whole
• All-purpose flourlemon
or hard white flour, as needed to form
• dough
ounce olive oil – just a splash!
• .25
kosher salt or to taste
• 11 teaspoon
whole, unsalted butter
• 3 ounce
• ounces crème fraiche or sour cream
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, olive oil,
lemon zest and salt. Slowly incorporate flour with a rubber
spatula until the dough is firm enough to handle, but still
very soft. You will likely add about 1½-2 cups of flour to
this cheese ratio. Once dough is formed, make tiny balls the
size of a nickel (or quarter if you prefer). Place the dough
balls on a fork and indent with your thumb like you would
if you were giving a thumbprint. Roll the dough over itself
to form a little football shaped dumpling. There will be the
lines of the fork tines on one side and where the pasta came
together on the other.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 37
Heirloom Tomatoes
The tomatoes in this recipe are served two different ways.
They are served in both a marmalade and raw to showcase
the tomatoes in cooked form as well as in their natural raw
state.
Tomato Marmalade
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, any variety
2 shallots or white onion, minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
3 whole sprigs of fresh thyme
Kosher salt, to taste
1 ounce granulated or raw sugar (we use Grain Place
Foods in Marquette, Nebraska)
1 ounce olive oil
¼ cup Lancaster Duet cheese, shaved or micoplaned
.5 ounce fresh basil or chives, minced
Cut an “x” in tomatoes and blanch in boiling water for
about 10 seconds. Peel the skin off the tomatoes and dice
the tomato flesh into about a ¼-inch dice. Save the inner
part of the tomato and skins for a later use. Combine the
diced tomatoes, salt, sugar, shallot or onion, garlic, thyme
and oil in a pot. Bring to a boil on the stove and place in a
250-degree oven for a couple of hours. If you want to speed
up the process, you can cook the tomatoes on top of the
stove in half of the time: Cook the tomatoes on medium until
most of the moisture has evaporated and the tomatoes have
absorbed the oil. They will be soft, but shiny from absorbing
the olive oil. Fold in the cheese and herbs and set aside until
ready to serve.
Raw Tomatoes
1 raw heirloom tomato
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
•
•
•
Slice the tomato into 8 equal slices (pretty thin) and place
on the base of the plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and
put remaining ingredients on top of tomatoes.
To Assemble
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the gnocchi to the
pot, roughly 12 per person and cook them until they float
for about a minute. Add the butter and sour cream that you
were saving from the gnocchi recipe to a sauté pan and bring
to a boil. Once gnocchi are cooked, add
them to the sauce as well as the tomato
marmalade. Heat until everything is hot
throughout. Place a pile of gnocchi and
the marmalade on top of the raw tomatoes
and garnish with shaved lancaster cheese.
Enjoy!
– Clayton Chapman
38 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vietnamese Catfish Braised in
Clay Pot
“Cá Kho Tộ,” meaning fish braised in a clay pot, is
a recipe that I grew up eating. Like most home-cooked
Vietnamese meat dishes, it is heavily spiced and salted,
meant to be served with a lot of white rice to stretch the
meat further when feeding a large family.
The channel catfish I used for this recipe came from a
5-pounder my husband caught out of the Niobrara River
near Spencer Dam in early summer. Look for catfish in
cold, flowing water for the most tender, clean-tasting meat.
Instead of filleting the fish for this recipe, cut it into 1 to
1½-inch steaks, bone-in and skin on. This helps the fish stay
intact when cooking. You may need a cleaver or kitchen
shears to cut through the spine. When braised, the catfish
and its skin absorb the sweet and spicy sauce, which turns
gooey and delicious.
If you don’t have a clay pot, use a small Dutch oven or a
thick pan with a cover. We bought our clay pot for $7 at the
Vietnamese grocery store on 27th Street in Lincoln.
Yield: 2 servings
1 pound of bone-in catfish steaks, skin on
4 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
1 large shallot, minced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
3 tablespoons caramel sauce (or ¼ cup of water and 2
tablespoons table sugar)
1 green onion, sliced
1 can of Coco Rico Soda (coconut soda)
1 Thai chili, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 servings of cooked jasmine white rice
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
In a medium-size bowl, combine fish sauce, brown sugar,
garlic, shallot, ginger and black pepper. Add catfish steaks
and marinate for 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.
To make the caramel sauce, heat ¼ cup of water and 2
tablespoons of sugar to a rolling simmer. Mix frequently and
wait until it turns dark brown, but do not burn. As it cools,
the sauce will harden. To soften, add a little bit of water and
slowly reheat. If you can find it, use pre-made caramel sauce
sold in Asian grocery stores for convenience.
Heat olive oil in the clay pot over medium-high heat. Remove
fish from marinade and sear to brown for 2 minutes on each side
in the oil. Sear in batches if pot is not big enough. (Clay pots
seem to heat better over gas stoves.) Place all the seared fish
back into the pot. Pour caramel sauce over the fish, then pour in
coconut soda to slightly halfway up the fish. Scoop out some of
the ginger, garlic and shallot from the leftover marinade and add
it to the pot. Discard remaining used marinade.
Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Check to make
sure sauce does not reduce too much to avoid burning. Add a
splash of soda if necessary. Once cooked, adjust seasonings
with more fish sauce and/or sugar. Garnish with sliced green
onion and Thai chili. Serve salty fish with
lots of white rice.
– Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
See Ryan’s additional creamed corn recipe
by visiting magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/
digital.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 39
Walgren Lake
Story and photos by Justin Haag
No monsters are visible
in this nighttime scene
from Walgren Lake’s
boat ramp.
OPPOSITE: Kayakers
enjoy a ride across the
calm waters of Walgren
Lake.
40 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
J
ust a few miles off the pavement near the edge of the
Sandhills lies a prime opportunity for those seeking a
quiet getaway. Walgren Lake State Recreation Area near
Hay Springs is among the state’s best bets for providing both
an enjoyable time during the day and a good sleep at night.
Walgren features 40 campsites, almost all under the shade
of mature deciduous trees and within a stone’s throw of the
100-acre lake. Moreover, largely because it is more than
three miles from pavement, it is usually among the state’s
most quiet recreation areas. That does not mean the lake is
not popular, however.
Gregg Galbraith, who oversees Walgren as superintendent
at Chadron State Park, said the area gets its heaviest usage
from locals, but that he is noticing increased visitation from
farther away.
“I’ve never seen so many campers and boaters over there
as what I saw Memorial Day weekend this year,” Galbraith
said. “They were catching fish and having a good time.”
Some of the earliest issues of this magazine tell about
visions to make Walgren Lake one of the state’s premier
attractions. In fact, in 1926 the first issue of Outdoor
Nebraska – the predecessor of NEBRASKAland Magazine
– had news of the “important holding” of the 130-acre area
of Walgren Lake being secured by the state fish and game
agency for recreation. Those early articles also discuss the
digging of a ditch from Hay Springs Creek to control water
in the lake, and cooperation among the Hay Springs Izaak
Walton League Chapter, county and state officials to grade
a road from the “new state highway” and plant trees. Back
then, many called it “Alkali Lake.”
Today, Walgren attracts campers who like a quiet place
with a blend of “roughing it” and not. Today’s visitors surely
enjoy the shade from the trees planted by the visionaries of
the 1920s. It has vault toilets, but no shower houses, trash
services or hook-ups for electricity and water.
While the lake may be popular now, it is not making
headlines as it did in the early 20th century. In 1921-1922,
the Hay Springs News carried a series of accounts from local
landowners and visitors reporting a dark gray creature at
least 10, and maybe more than 20,
feet long and two to three feet wide.
The first person to report it said his
horses became excited as the creature
surfaced and “emitted a spout of
water 15 to 20 feet straight up”
before going back under. The reports
caused fodder for discussion. Was
it a big catfish? An oversized “mud
pup”? Or perhaps a gray whale that
somehow made its way inland?
The story may have been confined
to the Panhandle had it not been for
John G. Maher, an employee of the
Hay Springs News, who used his
flair for writing with a story of the
creature he submitted to the New
York Herald – a publication that
often paid for sensational tales from
the West to boost its circulation.
The big paper printed the story and
several other publications from afar followed suit, even the
London Times.
The real identity of the “monster” remains a mystery as
there have been no recent reports of it and a group’s scheme
in 1923 to drag the lake and capture the monster – and
charge admission to do so – did not come to fruition.
Even though today’s visitors probably will not see a
monster, the lake has plenty of other reasons for excitement
beneath the water’s surface. It is a popular place to wet a
line and the fishery has been doing well with the high water
levels of recent years.
While Walgren may not technically be a Sandhills lake
(the Sandhills begins in earnest about five miles east of the
SRA), Commission district fisheries supervisor Al Hanson
said it looks, fishes and acts like one.
Anglers can expect to catch bluegills exceeding eight
inches and crappies in the 8- to 10-inch range. The lake also
has a sizable population of channel catfish worth targeting,
as well as yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike,
walleyes and black bullhead.
A handicapped-accessible 1,000-square-foot fishing
pier is conveniently located near a stone picnic shelter,
playground and toilets, making it worthy of its familyfriendly designation. The lake also has a concrete boat ramp.
At less than one-half mile across at its widest point and with
a 5-mph speed limit, Walgren is ideal for kayaks, canoes,
jon boats and other small watercraft. Heavy vegetation late
in the summer can pose challenges for anglers, but provide
an ample forage base for the fish.
The area also is open to hunting, providing opportunities
for ducks, rabbits, dove and pheasants. The lake experiences
occasional heavy use by waterfowl and other species,
especially during migration periods. Visitors should note that
access is allowed on only the western half of the lake, as the
east half is privately owned.
Travelers looking for a quiet getaway should try Walgren
Lake. The only thing keeping them from getting a good
night’s sleep might be thoughts of that monster. ■
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 41
Fish Ladders
Spalding Dam
Spalding Dam fishway opens Cedar River to catfish and other species.
Story and photos by Eric Fowler
The Cedar River flows through gates opened to flush sediment through Spalding Dam in December 2016. A fish bypass, visible at
center, was completed that year allowing fish to pass during the spring and summer months when many species swim upstream to
spawn and feed.
W
hat did the fish say when it
swam into a wall?
Dam.
All jokes aside, there are more than
2,800 dams in Nebraska, ranging
from stock dams that capture water
for cattle in remote pastures to the
massive Kingsley Dam that forms
Lake McConaughy for irrigation
and hydropower. In between are
hydroelectric and flood control dams
big and small and low-head diversions
for irrigation. No matter the size or
42 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
shape, the dams all have one thing
in common: they prevent fish from
swimming upstream. As a result,
there are fewer native fish swimming
in thousands of miles of streams and
rivers than there were historically.
Thanks to a Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission Aquatic Habitat
Program project, however, fish now
have a way around Spalding Dam on
the Cedar River. Completed in 2016, a
fishway, sometimes referred to as a fish
ladder, allows fish upstream passage
during the spring and summer months.
That is good news for anglers, who can
now catch catfish in the 30-acre lake
and 26 miles of river above the dam
that previously were nearly void of the
game fish.
Spalding Dam dates to 1889, when
work began to build a dam of logs,
brush and dirt to power Spalding
Mill, a flourmill. The mill was sold
in 1901, and soon after the owners
began generating power at the site for
Spalding Dam, located on Cedar River on
the edge of the village of Spalding, has
been harnessing the river’s flow to create
hydropower since the early 1900s. The
dam forms a 30-acre lake open to fishing
and no-wake boating.
their own use. In 1910, they reached
an agreement with the village of
Spalding to expand generation and
supply electricity to the town. On Feb.
1, 1911, electricity began lighting the
homes and businesses there from 6-8
a.m and 6-10 p.m., except on dance
night, when the lights stayed on until
midnight. A concrete dam and new
wheelhouse, which continues to supply
13 percent of the electricity used by
the 452 villagers, were built in 1913.
A power plant that contained dieselpowered generators was built in 1919
to provide electricity 24 hours a day.
It was expanded in 1924 and again in
1949 and today can provide emergency
power to the town. The current dam,
165 feet long and 10 feet high, was
built in 1923. Together, the structures
that make up the Spalding Power Plant
and Dam, owned by the village since
1954, were included in the National
Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Mother Nature and age have
interrupted operations at the dam
many times in its history. A major
flood in 1966 damaged the operation.
Through the years, sediment filled the
lake behind the dam, rendering the
hydroplant inoperable and forcing its
shutdown in 1993. A 1994 Nebraska
Environmental Trust grant helped
rebuild the dam and remove sediment,
a project that was slowed by a 1995
flood and completed in 1998, bringing
the hydroplant back online.
The dam is the first a fish will
encounter on the river above its
confluence with the Loup River at
Fullerton. Below the dam, catfish are
Joe Bloom of Spalding reels in a catfish caught from the lake behind Spalding Dam, a
body of water many locals called “the Dead Sea” before a fishway was built to allow
fish a way to swim upriver past the dam.
plentiful. But they have been found to
be abundant above the dam on other
occasions as well.
A 1969 netting survey by
Commission biologists found numerous
channel catfish in the Cedar River
both above and below the dam. That
survey and the fish it found above the
dam may have been related to damage
caused by flooding in 1966, but village
officials aren’t certain as to the timeline
of the repairs and whether the fish were
swimming through open flood gates at
the time.
Regardless, reading that 1969 survey
report piqued the interest of Steve
Schainost, the Commission’s Rivers
and Streams Program manager based in
Alliance, and got him thinking about the
possibilities of creating a fish bypass.
In 2002, Schainost set nets above
and below the dam. In the reach above
it, he caught only three catfish. Below
it, with fewer nets, he caught 208. By
happenstance, high water damaged the
wheel house in September 2002 and
forced a shutdown. With the gates open
and the river flowing freely through
the dam, catfish once again found their
way upstream. Biologists captured 46
catfish in netting surveys in 2003. With
operations back to normal, surveys
found zero catfish above the dam in
2006 and 2007. “That just provided
confirmation that it looked like the dam
was blocking fish movement,” he said.
Schainost had already proposed
building a fishway around the dam.
With help from both Jim Kleffner
– who has served as mayor and
councilman – and the village board,
Schainost requested a grant from the
Nebraska Environmental Trust in 2001
to help construct it. The grant was
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 43
Engineering drawings detail the site plan for the fishway at Spalding Dam. Fish enter
the fishway from the Cedar River and navigate three 21- to 26-foot long, baffle-filled
chutes built on a 13.5 percent slope, three resting pools and a culvert to reach the lake
above the dam.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Fisheries Biologists Brett Roberg of Kearney, Tony Barada of Lincoln and Mark Porath
of Lincoln shock and net fish from a resting pool in the fishway in May of 2017 for a tagging study designed to measure the
effectiveness of the fishway.
denied, so to bolster the idea, Schainost
obtained a grant from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service’s National Fish
Passage Program to fund a University
of Nebraska-Lincoln study to identify
the best type of fishway to build.
There are more than 6 million known
barriers to fish passage in the United
States, including dams, road culverts
blocking rivers and streams and even
levees blocking access to wetlands.
These barriers prevent the natural,
instinctive movement of fish, which
swim upstream for two reasons: “To
spawn and to feed, to look for new
groceries,” said Schainost. “In fall they
go back downstream looking for winter
habitat. They go downstream over the
dam and they can’t get back.”
In some cases, blocking this
upstream movement to historic
spawning areas has led to dramatic
declines in fish populations, most
notably migratory salmon populations
in the Pacific northwest and
Northeastern Atlantic states, where
44 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
segments of those populations are
listed as threatened or endangered. But
many other species of fish, big and
small, including the Topeka shiner,
pallid sturgeon and channel catfish in
Nebraska’s rivers, also migrate and
have been affected by dams.
The National Fish Passage Program
looks to remove barriers, including
dams, when possible, but helps build
fishways where it isn’t. But much of
the research into fish bypasses, and
the construction of those bypasses
themselves, have been designed to
benefit cold-water species such as
salmon and trout. “Salmon are strong
swimmers and strong jumpers,”
Schainost said. “Our native Great
Plains fishes aren’t.”
The UNL study tested two options
they believed would work for fish in
the Cedar River. One would create a
long channel with a series of pools and
riffles to connect the lake to the river
below. The other, a Denil fishway, first
developed by a Belgian researcher in
1909 for salmon, would build a series
of pools connected by chutes filled
with baffles to slow the flow. Both
were designed taking into account
the cruising, sustained swimming and
darting speed of catfish and other
warmwater fish species found in the
Cedar, insuring the slope and flows
would be low enough that the fish
could navigate the ascent, which varies
from 9 to 12 feet depending on river
and reservoir levels. With a smaller
footprint, the village opted for the
Denil fishway.
A second grant from the Fish
Passage Program in 2009 funded the
design and engineering of the fishway.
Now “shovel ready,” the idea received
a $400,000 grant from the Nebraska
Environmental Trust on its fourth
application in 2014. With another
$101,000 from the Commission’s
Aquatic Habitat Program and cash and
in-kind assistance from the village, the
project was built in 2015 and began
operating in 2016.
The fish bypass at Spalding Dam is
not the first in the state. That honor
goes to one built in 1993 at Belmont
Dam on the North Platte River near
Bridgeport. Fish tagging studies there,
however, have not yielded returns,
leaving biologists unsure as to whether
it is working as intended. In 2005,
another built at Milburn Dam, a
diversion on the Middle Loup River,
showed promising results early, with
catfish being caught upriver in places
they hadn’t for years. That fishway
hasn’t been operated recently, however,
due to sediment loading above the dam.
Commission biologists wanted to
make sure the fishway at Spalding was
allowing fish to move upstream, and
also wanted to know what species, how
many, how often and when they were
using it. In 2016 and 2017, they caught
and tagged fish by deploying hoop nets
and electrofishing barges in the river
and the tailrace of the wheelhouse, as
well as cutting flows to the fishway,
trapping fish in it. The study used
PIT tags, tiny transponders injected
under the skin of the fish just like the
“microchips” used to identify dogs and
cats. Tag readers were installed at the
upper and lower ends of the fishway
to record when fish passed, allowing
biologists to determine the direction
they were traveling and the time it took
them to ascend or descend the fishway.
In 2016, 321 fish of 10 species
were tagged, including 141 channel
catfish, and only 31 passed through
the fishway. Things improved in
2017, with 52 of those fish making it
through. Things were even better for
fish tagged in 2017, with 382 of the
620 fish, 61 percent, making it upriver.
That included 242 of the 305 catfish,
79 percent, making the trip.
“You really have no expectations,”
Schainost said of his thoughts going
into the study, “but my feeling is if you
get over 40 or 50 percent [of the fish
passing through the fishway] you’re
doing well. So the fishway is working
great.”
Flathead chub, river carpsucker,
shorthead redhorse, largemouth bass,
walleye, white sucker, quillback and
common carp all made it through the
fishway. The only tagged species that
didn’t was northern pike.
“So it was very interesting to find
out that a lot of our native fishes
can handle a fishway designed for a
salmon,” Schainost said.
The study also resulted in other
interesting observations. Some species
took much longer than others to make
it through the fishway, with most
taking less than an hour but one taking
nearly 8 hours. With the tag readers
located on a baffle next to one of the
resting pools the first year, biologists
could see that fish often circled in the
pool for some time before moving on.
One circled 33 times in 90 minutes.
One river carpsucker tried one day and
failed, but was successful three days
later. One catfish has made four round
trips through the fishway. Five catfish,
five shorthead redhorse, four river
Commission Fisheries Biologist Steve Schainost of Alliance passes a young channel
catfish netted in the Cedar River below Spalding Dam in front of a PIT tag reader as
Brett Roberg records the tag number, length and weight of the fish.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 45
there.”
“We never would have fished over
here,” said Dave Bloom, another
Spalding resident.
Bloom, Molt and others occasionally
fish into the wee hours. Molt brings
his children, Jack, age 11, Lilly, 7
and Kinsley, 6, to the lake to fish
on evenings, with plenty of green
sunfish and crappies to entertain them.
Bloom’s kids are among others from
town who fish the lake. Kayakers that
ply the waters now carry fishing poles.
And all the way up to Ericson Dam,
located 15 miles upriver as the crow
flies, 26 as the fish swims, anglers can
now wet a line and have a reasonable
expectation to catch a catfish.
Part of Molt’s job is to maintain the
fishway, one he’s happy to do. He and
other local anglers even assisted in
the tagging study by keeping fish they
caught on a weekend in a tank they
bought and mounted at the base of the
dam for Schainost to tag on Mondays.
That tagging study is what Molt
throws at the skeptics of the project.
“All you really have to do is mention
Steve’s numbers and tell them that
79 percent of the catfish he tagged
went through,” Molt said. “Isn’t that
something?”
“I never would have thought in a
thousand years there would be that
many catfish around,” Bloom said. ■
Anglers watch their lines for a bite while fishing the lake behind Spalding Dam last summer.
carpsuckers, two carp and one bass and
quillback have made the trip twice.
The data also shows that during
periods of high flows in the river, when
the lake level is lowered to allow more
room for the excess water coming
downstream, more fish pass. Schainost
said the likely reason is because higher
flows also mean a higher river level
below the dam, leaving less elevation
to cover and improving flow conditions
in the fishway.
There are many more untagged fish
going through the fishway as well. In a
netting survey on the river last August,
biologists caught 78 channel catfish,
46 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
only four of which were tagged. Using
standard sampling formulas, Schainost
estimated 5,000 catfish passed through
the fishway. “That’s a rough estimate,
with the emphasis on rough,” he said,
noting that he’s not concerned about
the exact number. “I’m just interested
that the fish are getting though.”
Water started flowing through the
fishway again in April this year and
it will continue through September
or October. “There’s really no point
in running it through the winter,”
Schainost said. “Most of the movement
is done by mid-July. The fish are still
using it through the summer, but when
the weather starts turning cold the fish
start moving back downriver.”
Another 640 fish were tagged this
spring, but this is likely the last year
they will be. The tag readers will
continue to operate as long as there are
tagged fish remaining to monitor. That
will allow managers to continue to
experiment with volume and timing of
flows through the fishway to determine
which combination allows the most
fish to pass. While there are numerous
dams where fish bypasses could prove
beneficial, the cost may preclude
construction of more. But if the
opportunity does arise, the information
gleaned from the tagging study at
Spalding Dam could be invaluable.
Biologists aren’t the only ones happy
with the results. Anglers are too. One
of them, B.J. Molt, was born and raised
in Spalding and operates the dam for
the village.
For all of his 37 years, he has only
known people to fish in the river below
the dam and in the channel below the
hydro plant. While they caught fish,
steep banks made access difficult for
most. The lake above the dam? “This
was the dead sea,” Molt said. “We
didn’t expect to catch any fish over
Water flows through the baffles in one of three chutes of a Denil fish bypass at
Spalding Dam. The baffles slow the flows to roughly 1 foot per second in the 13.5
percent slope of the chutes during normal operations.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 47
Fourth of July Fun for Dogs – Maybe?
Are hunting dogs different than other dogs when it comes to noise?
By Tim Reigert
“L
ook out – it’s going to hit her
in the face!” my older brother
would say.
“No, no, no – she’s a hunting
dog, she wants to hear it pop,”
my father would reply.
The Brittany spaniel’s name was
Tammy, and she was my dad’s dog, his
hunting dog. Her favorite time of year
was late June and early July when they
started selling fireworks in Lincoln.
Smoking cap sticks, ladyfingers, Black
Cats, and her favorite – exploding popbottle rockets.
She would stand over the bottle
waiting for us to light the fuse – you
would swear her nose was going to be
hit when the rocket shot up out of the
bottle. Then she would look up into
the air, jumping and barking as she
anticipated the report. She did not like
duds.
That was a long time ago, when we
were young and my dad was hunting
with her. But since then I’ve always
wondered if other hunting dogs acted
like that?
Hunting dogs back then were, well,
hunting dogs. We were not allowed to
bring her into the house, especially in
the winter. “It’s not good for them,”
48 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
Dad would say. “She’ll warm up and
then have to go back outside in the
cold.”
During those same years, my
grandfather, who lived in Fairbury,
had a neighbor down the alley whose
hunting dogs were kept in a kennel.
One day, we went to pet them and the
owner came out and yelled, “Hey, don’t
pet those dogs – you’ll spoil them!”
Spoil them?
I guess there are some differences
between having a dog primarily for
utility verses for pets.
I have had two Brittanys since then:
the first was a stray and she already
knew how to hunt – not afraid of
fireworks. The second, I had as a
puppy, she never took to hunting – gun
shy (probably my fault) – afraid of
fireworks and loud noises.
Today, our family has two dogs, both
terriers: a Westie and a Cairn.
Like most terriers, they are barkers
(they emit 80 to 90 decibels every
time a squirrel so much as farts in our
backyard).
And they hate fireworks.
It seems they didn’t mind them some
years back as much. I remember my
wife and I would take them for a walk
in the neighborhood toward evening
during this time of year and they would
look around, but not seem so scared.
What changed?
Could it have been my neighbor up
the street that puts on his own private
$5,000 display each year that shakes
our windows and sounds like artillery
shells exploding over our house?
Now I have to get tranquilizers from
the vet each year for them and we have
the great pleasure of seeing their third
eyelid, the nictitating membrane come
out of the corner of their eyes (see
“The Third Eyelid” page 47, October
2007 NEBRASKAland).
Oh, and their bladders must get
super-sized because they are too
scared to even go outside to relieve
themselves. One year we even drove
them out to Pioneer’s Park thinking
they would “go” as there would not be
as much noise. There was less popping,
and we saw others with their dogs there
doing the same thing.
So is there a fundamental difference
between dogs that are accustomed to
loud popping noises – like the sound of
shotguns their owners shoot over their
heads – and regular house dogs?
As I sit here giving my dogs a dollop
of cream cheese with a tranquilizer
hidden inside, I look out and wonder
how many hunting dogs are enjoying
this evening like Tammy did. ■
See the NEBRASKAland article “The
Third Eyelid” from 2007 – by visiting
magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/digital.
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 49
50 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 51
Presented by
Nebraskans are Well Represented
MUSKELLUNGE (Esox masquinongy)
Handling Summer Fish
N
NORTHERN PIKE (Esox lucius)
By Daryl Bauer
and releasing big fish on light lines
might prove your prowess as an angler,
but I would consider it to be very poor
form during the heat of the summer.
The longer they are played, the more
likely the stress will be too much.
That goes double after those fish are
landed. If they are going to be released,
then they need to be released as soon
as possible – no time out of the water,
no time fooling around removing hooks
and no time for pictures. A few years
ago, I caught one of the biggest wipers
of my life. Because it absolutely ate the
bait, I immediately unhooked the fish
and released it without a photograph.
I knew it couldn’t withstand more
handling. In fact, I will go even further
to suggest that you avoid fishing for
pike, muskies or big wipers on some
Nebraska waters this time of year.
WIPER (Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis)
If you intend to catch and release
these fish, wait until the water cools
down to at least the low 70s to fish.
The fish will be just as catchable, if
not more so then, and they will be a lot
less stressed. Until then, be prepared to
immediately handle and release a big
toothy fish with gear such as an oversized landing net, gloves, pliers, jaw
spreaders and hook cutters, so these
trophies can be released as quickly as
they were caught. ■
The SCI regional
representative is
Nebraskan Cal Campbell.
Cal represents Safari
Club in our region, which
includes Nebraska, South
Dakota and Iowa. He has
also served as our chapter
president.
Another member is
Greg Middleton. Greg is
currently the chair of the
AWLS committee, which
GREG MIDDLETON
oversees the American
Wilderness Leadership School near Jackson, Wyoming.
He is also the chair of the Sables/Education Dream Hunt
committee which helps provide crucial funding for education
through auction at the annual convention in Reno. Greg also
serves as a co-chair of the SCI convention committee.
Under their leadership, the SCI strives to serve its
members via education, conservation and hunters’ rights.
To join us at the SCI, a truly First for Hunters
organization, or for additional information, call (402) 2148270 or email nebraska.safariclubint@gmail.com.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
During the dog days of summer,
be prepared to handle and release
coolwater fish quickly with an oversized landing net, gloves, pliers, jaw
spreaders and hook cutters.
52 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
FISH ART BY JOE TOMELLERI
W
ater temperatures on some
of our Nebraska waters
can rise as high as in the
80s during the peak of
our summer heat waves.
Depending on the waterbody, these
high water temperatures can be
stressful to some fish, including cool
water species such as northern pike,
muskellunge and wipers – especially
large wipers. Additional stress from
being hooked, fought, and landed by an
angler – especially if the fish is played
too long and not handled correctly –
can be enough to kill the fish.
If you are fishing any Nebraska
waters right now for pike, muskies or
wipers, be careful about handling those
fish if you plan on releasing them. First
of all, these fish need to be played and
landed as quickly as possible. Catching
ebraska has a history of solid representation in Safari
Club International on a local and national level. We can
proudly include names of leaders such as Jim Ernst, Gloria
Erickson, John Kohl and many others who have served the
Nebraska chapter of Safari Club International as well the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Operation Game
Thief, and a host of other organizations that have received
the benefit of their leadership.
Dozens of others have served our chapter in this capacity
to ensure that the thousands of other outdoor enthusiasts in
Nebraska, as well the rest of the country, have opportunities
available to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoors.
Our current leadership is just as dedicated. Mary
Middleton is the current Nebraska Chapter president. She
serves as a member of the Safari Club International board
of directors and also as a director on the board of SCI
Education/Sables,
which guides the
organization’s
education efforts.
Education is near
and dear to her
heart, and Mary
works for your
voices to be heard
and represented.
MARY MIDDLETON
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 53
PHOTOS
PHOT
OS COURTESY
C
COURT
OURTESY
OURT
ESY OF SAFARI
S
SAFAR
AFARII CLUB
AFAR
CLUB INTERNATIONAL
IINTER
NTERNATI
NTER
NATIONAL
NATI
ONAL
Coolwater fish species take a special level of care when caught
and released during the dog days.
NEBRASKA SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
▲
Enclosed is a picture of my father Paul “Bus” Gaver
on the left and his best friend Ralph “Ducky” Drake on
the right. This hunt took place on Nov. 18, 1953 and was
unique because of the Canada geese taken. They were
very rare where we hunted in those days.
My dad and Ducky hunted this same spot for 35 years.
It was the Paul Donogue farm just northwest of Duncan.
I and my brothers all have great memories of growing up
on the Loup River.
Keep up the good work on your magazine, I have been
a fan since the 1960s.
– Steve Gaver, Columbus
▲
A pheasant hunt four miles west of Schuyler in 1961 with:
Everett Poohe – Schuyler farmer, deputy sheriff.
Larry Bohaty – USDA, Lincoln;
Dan Schmidt – science teacher, Clarkson;
John Schmidt – 30-year Nebraska highway patrol, David City;
Bob Schmidt – teacher and school administrator (myself), Jefferson, Iowa;
Jim Schmidt – sales manager, Georgia;
Harvey Schmidt – farmer (my father), Colfax County.
We had a great hunt and still love Nebraska!
– Bob Schmidt, Jefferson, Iowa
▲
Pictured is George Weiss (myself) with dog
Lady; Tim Weiss; and Red Kallhoff with dog
Old Joe. A limit of pheasants taken in the early
1960s in Elgin, Nebraska.
– George Weiss, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, NEBRASKAland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos should
show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have been taken before 1980. We will give priority to unusual photos or
activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Text may be edited and photos adjusted
for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
54 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 55
Sharpen Your Knife Like a Butcher
Just as you ready your firearms for hunting season, you should also ready your knife.
By Ryan Sparks
W
hether you are hunting, fishing, camping or
simply cooking a meal for your family, a sharp
knife is an essential tool. Yet, most people let
their knives fall into disrepair. After working as
a butcher for several years, I can assure you this
is unnecessary. It doesn’t take an inordinate amount of skill
or technique to sharpen a knife, and the entire process takes
less than 10 minutes. I learned how to sharpen knives from
a veteran butcher of 20 plus years and a former sushi chef.
The two had a never-ending competition to see whose knives
were sharper. A hair-splitting blade like theirs is unnecessary
for the average person, but their technique is easy for anyone
to learn and works on anything from a pocketknife to a meat
cleaver.
Start by purchasing a tri-stone, which is a series of three
stone plates that use abrasive particles, called grit, to create
an edge on a blade. Hold the knife in your dominant hand
and evenly spread the fingers of your other hand across the
knife blade. Angle and pressure are very important. Most
people don’t use enough pressure when they start. The wider
the angle between the knife and the stone, the more durable,
but less sharp the knife will be. Conversely, a narrow
angle will create a very sharp blade, but requires continual
maintenance. It is better to strike a balance between the two
and hold an angle of 12-15 degrees. If you are unsure of
your angle, place a book of matches under your blade. This
will give you a good starting point.
Begin with the coarsest stone, usually around 400 grit, and
apply a small amount of honing oil or water to wet the stone.
Then make a series of even strokes with the knife, utilizing
the entire length of the stone. Be sure the blade is pointing
away from you in case you slip. Then do the same on the
other side of the blade. The course stone establishes the
geometry of the edge, and eventually you should be able to
feel a small burr on one side of the blade. That’s ok, and lets
you know you have an edge to work with. Now, repeat the
process on the medium (around 1,000 grit) and fine (around
5,000 grit) stones.
If the knife was very dull at the beginning, you will have
removed a fair amount on material from the knife. You will
see this slurry, or mixture of liquid and tiny metal particles
on your knife and on the stone. Wipe it away if you want,
but I suggest leaving it because the added abrasion helps
polish the blade. Lastly, using the same angle as on the tristone, use a honing-steel to take any imperfections out of
your edge. A honing steel doesn’t remove any material from
the blade, but aligns the edge on a microscopic level. If you
did everything right, your knife should easily slice through
the edge of a piece of paper.
Now that you have a sharp and durable edge on your
knife, it will only take half the time the next time you need
to sharpen it. Depending on use, this could be a week or
several months. I recommend honing your knife before and
after each use. Make sharpening and honing your knives
part of your hunting, fishing, or cooking process. Just as
you keep your rifle sighted in or fresh line on your reel, you
should keep your knife sharp and ready for use. ■
To see a video of Ryan sharpening a knife, visit magazine.
outdoornebraska.gov/digital.
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
Properly sharpening a knife takes less than 10 minutes to accomplish.
56 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 57
Sparkling
Enthusiasm
A
t some point, I lost
my enthusiasm for
fireworks. Admittedly,
for a period of
childhood, I was
something of an addict. After
raiding the parents’ coin jar,
I would join a friend to be
first in line when the Danbury
fireworks stand opened each
day leading up to the Fourth
of July.
Tanks, Black Cats, Roman
candles, grenades, parachutes.
The options blew my mind
– just as the firecrackers
sometimes numbed my fingers.
I suppose the disappearance
of the coin jar and the whole
“using my own money to buy
them” thing had something
to do with my waning
enthusiasm.
As a photographer, however,
the opportunity to capture
images of bursting spectacles
of light in the sky is hard to
resist on this holiday. While
my kids have lobbied to shoot
off fireworks of their own,
coincidentally purchased
with their parents’ money, the
bigger displays have attracted
the camera and me.
Last Fourth, after
photographing others’ pricy
fireworks over our hometown
of Chadron with the landmark
C-Hill as a backdrop, I
returned to our front yard to
find my 10-year-old daughter
working through an assortment
I grudgingly purchased earlier
that day – yes, a real bargain
that even had some snakes and
sparklers.
Having burned through the few larger pieces in the box
while surely wishing her dad were not such a cheapskate,
she resorted to that box of sparklers. My mind again turned
to photography, and those sparklers brought fun back to the
scene.
The camera captured pretty photos of the “big fireworks”
over our picturesque city that night, but this patriotic
58 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2018
long exposure created in our front
yard with a cheap sparkler, the
“penmanship” of my daughter and
directing from my wife is the favorite
image of the bunch. Money well
spent. Enthusiasm restored … at least
briefly.
Justin Haag,
May 25, 2018
JULY 2018 • NEBRASKAland 59
Position: 825 (20 views)