Volume 96, Issue 7, 2018
August-September 2018
- Identifier:
- nela.2018_096_07
- Title:
- Volume 96, Issue 7, 2018
- Issue Name:
- August-September 2018
- Date Issued:
- 2018-08-01
- year:
- 2018
- Season:
- Summer
- PDF filename:
- NL_96.07_2018_Aug_Sep_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 096
- issue:
- 07
- number:
- 096.07
- Decade:
- 2010s
- edition:
- Liftout
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 96
●
No. 7
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August-September 2018
F EAT U R ES . . .
18 The Eclipse
through the eyes of citizen scientists
BY RENAE BLUM
20 Oldies but Goodies
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
24 Time Well Spent
What to Do in August and September
BY RENAE BLUM
26 Success in the Salt Marsh
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MICHAEL FORSBERG
40 Prickly Poppy
Nebraska's Only Prairie Poppy
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GERRY STEINAUER
42 Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area
20
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STORY AND PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
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 American Beaver, Travel to Keith
County, A Brief History of Racing Stock Cars .................. 6
Outdoor Education – College Wildlife Degrees ..... 50
Page 49 – Swarms of Locusts and Other Plagues ....... 53
In the Field – A Bucket of Turtles.............................. 56
Portraits from the Past – Readers' Photos ............. 58
Outdoor Business – Frank & Mabel Ehlers ............ 60
The Last Stop – Here's Your Sign ............................ 62
40
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18
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O N TH E W EB . . .
To see additional content including photos,
videos and additional articles, visit
Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/digital.
Cover: A sedge wren sings its heart out from its territorial perch
at Little Salt Fork Preserve. Story on page 26. Photo by Michael
Forsberg.
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 96 / NO. 7 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 • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
24
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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 3
Instagram Featured Photo
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Zack Knudsen (@zack_knudsen) of
Tennessee, originally from Grand Island,
Nebraska, shared this photo: "I was recently
home and took a morning trip over to Platte
River State Park. What a gem!" Follow us
(@nebraskaland) and tag us in your photos
to be featured in an upcoming issue.
Visitor Letters
The visitor is on page 49. I usually don't
look for it, but after reading, it jumped out
at me.
Also, it was nice to read about Jane
Sparks on page 34, regarding her garden,
etc. I was married to her brother, Bueford
Bailey, at Big Springs. He passed away in
August 1989. He was a well-known hunter
and Nebraska trap shooter! I enjoy reading
the magazine and sharing it with others.
Linda J. Bailey
North Platte
John Welsh of Ceresco
spotted this coyote while
deer hunting with his son,
Cade, by David City.
Bruce Thiel of Lincoln calls this photo
"the long road home," which was taken in
Hooker 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
"This black crowned night heron was
resting on a branch overlooking a stream
northwest of Seward," said Liz Garcia of
Utica.
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
CO
COM
OM
MMIS
MIS
SSIO
S N OFFICES
OFFI
FF CES
FF
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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
Liz Garcia saw this male ruby-throated
hummingbird in her pollinator garden.
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
and telephone number. Letters may be
condensed and edited. Photographs are also
welcome.
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits unlawful
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, marital
status, national origin, age, disability or political affiliation. Any person
who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program,
activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal Opportunity
Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402-471-4693;
United States Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator, 4401
N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity
Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
4 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 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)
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 5
A Mammal
Brief
American
Beaver
By Lindsay Rogers
I
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
f you have ever seen an
American beaver, you know
it instantly. These hefty rodents
are easily identified by their
large size, enormous, flat tail
and close proximity to water.
They are found across the state
from large rivers such as the Platte
and Missouri to small farm ponds.
Beavers are known for both their lodges and dams. Lodges consist of two chambers with the floor just above
the water level. Lodges often have two entrances – both below the water level – requiring beavers to swim
underwater to enter the lodge. The elaborate lodge construction consists of sticks, twigs, rocks and mud. Dams
are often constructed across small streams to ensure the water levels in the pond remain high enough to cover
the entrances.
Although all rodents have characteristically large front teeth, this trait is often attributed to beavers. These
large, orange teeth come in handy for chopping trees and logs for use in both dam and lodge construction.
Additionally, the large front incisors are used to expose a tree’s cambium layer – soft tissue under the bark,
which beavers eat. Beavers also feed on vegetation, roots and buds. ■
Lindsay Rogers is an outdoor education specialist with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
6 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 7
Travelogue
Travelogue Sponsor
Travel to Keith County/Ogallala
●
Ogallala
By Erin Lenz, Nebraska Tourism Commission
S
urround yourself with wide
open spaces, blue sky and warm
hospitality when you visit Keith
County. Home of the sparkling
blue water and white sand
beaches of Lake McConaughy, Keith
County has plenty of activities in and
out of the water to keep you occupied.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEBRASKA TOURISM COMMISSION
Explore
Ogallala is home to Nebraska’s
largest reservoir, Lake McConaughy.
The possibilities are endless at Lake
Mac with activities from water sports
to sunbathing to bird watching. Grab
a group of friends and spend the day
boating or choose a more peaceful
route and go fishing instead. Lake
McConaughy’s clear, deep waters
make it a great destination with species
such as walleye and catfish. With a lot
of habitat diversity, the lake is also a
great place to go birding with more
than 360 species identified in the area,
including large numbers of bald eagles
that can be seen in winter months.
Enjoy sunbathing? Soak up the sun
on the popular white sand beaches
and jump in the lake to swim and cool
off. Kayaking, paddle boarding, water
skiing, wind surfing and more are also
available. On one side of the Kingsley
Dam sits Lake McConaughy and on the
other, Lake Ogallala. With its chilling
waters, the primary water sport at Lake
Ogallala is rainbow trout fishing. For a
change of pace later in the year, hunt at
the Clear Creek Wildlife Management
Area. Known for Canada goose hunting,
Clear Creek includes acres of controlled
waterfowl hunting, public hunting lands
and a waterfowl refuge.
Do
Immerse yourself in the rich history
of Keith County at one of these
destinations. When it was completed
in 1887, the Mansion on the Hill was
Ogallala’s finest residence. Tour the
mansion and view the beautiful hand
carved cherry wood fireplaces, curved
staircases and 10-foot ceilings. Walk
around Boot Hill Cemetery, the final
resting place for cowboys, drifters and
settlers back in Ogallala’s Texas Trail
era. Read the stories told of the people
buried there and get a feel for what
went on in the town back then.
The Petrified Wood Gallery in
Ogallala boasts a collection of ancient
woods, gemstones, fossils and Native
American arrowheads and artifacts. The
most exceptional part of this gallery is
that much of the artwork is constructed
using petrified wood pieces. Finally,
golf at the Bayside Golf Course located
at Lake McConaughy, complete with
rolling hills, native grasses, valleys and
ravines.
Eat
Enjoy an extraordinary dining
experience at Ole’s Big Game
Steakhouse & Lounge in Paxton.
Open for eight decades, this restaurant
not only serves delicious food but
also showcases more than 200 big
game trophies and mementos of
Ole’s worldwide safaris. Considered
the “Cowboy Capital” of Nebraska,
Ogallala is home to the Front Street
Steakhouse and Crystal Palace Saloon.
After you’re done eating head over
to the cowboy museum and general
store. The new Prairie Rodeo Museum
exhibit pays tribute to Nebraska’s
rodeo history. Then stay for the Crystal
Palace Revue, a performance recreating
what Ogallala was like back when
cowboys came to town off the Texas
trail. Spending the day on the lake?
Take a quick break for lunch or dinner
at the Open Range Grill. Close to Lake
McConaughy, locals and lake regulars
recommend chowing down on one of
their amazing gourmet burgers and
hand-cut fries.
Stay
Lake McConaughy's beaches are a great place to relax and enjoy the sand and water.
8 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
If your ideal stay is close to the
lake, there are many options available.
Lone Eagle, Little Thunder and Cedar
View are modern campgrounds located
on the shores of Lake McConaughy,
equipped with shower and restroom
facilities. Camping on the beach or in
any mowed area is also allowed at Lake
McConaughy for a more primitive
experience. If camping isn’t your
style, Lonesome Dove Lodge offers
hotel rooms and suites that keep to the
western theme of Ogallala. ■
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 9
A Brief History
Start Your Engines!
By History Nebraska
(Nebraska State Historical Society)
arold Mauck lived life in the fast lane. The
professional photographer, amateur race car driver,
and pilot was born on the family farm west of
Plainview in Pierce County in 1921. After serving in
the Army Air Force during WWII, he returned to Plainview
and opened a photography studio in his aunt’s home. The
business thrived.
Luckily for us, Harold took his work home while he
explored his hobbies. On weekends, Harold raced stock cars,
flew airplanes and pursued adventure. Harold’s passion for
racing and his love of photography blended to create this
collection of photographs unlike anything in the Midwest.
By the 1950s, pre-World War II automobiles seemed
hopelessly out of date, no matter their condition, and were
sent to junkyards by the millions. These cars fueled the new
sport of stock car racing.
Passenger autos of the 1930s were not designed with
H
racing in mind, and did not handle especially well when
pushed to their limits. This racing was a contact sport. Car
owners cut away fenders to keep them from folding in on
the tires, and added large bumpers to protect the radiator and
other vital organs.
Below, Harold Mauck and his wife, Tina, pose atop a race
car. Harold’s football helmet may not have been the best
choice for head protection, but it was typical of the day.
Racers were required to have such safety equipment, but
couldn’t always afford the latest in racing helmets.
Necessity is the mother of invention. Above opposite, a
local racer is using flex-hose for exhaust tubing. While not
as sturdy or long-lasting as exhaust tubing, flex-hose is easy
to work with and replace. This driver seems proud of the
result.
Harold and Tina operated Mauck Studio for 39 years,
retiring in 1986. The photo collection came to History
Nebraska shortly after Harold’s death in 2010. Starting
Aug. 25, the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln is
hosting an exhibit of Mauck’s racing photos plus cars
and artifacts from Speedway Motors Museum of
American Speed. ■
Visit History Nebraska’s website at history.nebraska.gov.
A local racer in Crofton, Nebraska, using flex-hose for exhaust
tubing in 1965. RG5705-20-7-2
Harold and Tina Mauck pose atop a race car. Harold's football helmet was typical of the day as head protection. HN RG5705-2-7.
10 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
This racing was a contact sport. Car owners cut away fenders to prevent them from folding in on the tires. HN RG5705-7-30
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 11
12 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 13
Presented by
Bug Banter
Tag a Monarch, Help Uncover a Mystery
By Renae Blum
I
14 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
edge of the wings from the outside of the net to hold the
monarch still.
Then use your other hand to reach into the net and firmly
grasp the butterfly’s thorax – the center body part to which
the legs are attached – with your thumb and forefinger to
pull it out.
To hold the monarch safely for tagging, either grasp
the thorax with a thumb and forefinger, or hold it on
its forewings just behind the head with your thumb and
forefinger. Then simply peel off the tag and place it on the
butterfly’s discal cell – a mitten shaped cell in the middle
of the hind wing.
You want to avoid
touching the back of
the tag and damaging
the adhesive; use your
fingernail or another
object, such as a
toothpick, to handle it.
After applying the
tag, press down on it
with your thumb and
forefinger on both
sides of the wings for
two to three seconds,
adhering the tag to the
wing.
At some point, make
sure to record data on
your sheet, such as the
tag code and sex of the
butterfly. Males are
easily distinguished
from females by the
black spots on their hind wings.
Research has shown that tagging is not harmful. “We
place the tag close to the center of lift and gravity for
the butterfly,” Taylor said. “When the butterfly is in the
air, there’s effectively no contribution to the mass of the
butterfly.”
Tagging monarchs is a fun way to participate in science,
learn more about the natural world, interact with nature, and
spend time with your kids. Taylor says children as young
as seven can tag a butterfly, and younger children can help
capture and sex them.
For Nebraska Game and Parks Fish and Wildlife Manager
Kristal Stoner, participating in tagging is a way to contribute
to a cause she’s passionate about, and to share it with her
family. Last fall, her 9- and 12-year-olds helped her tag
monarchs.
“It was really fun,” she said. “They felt important because
they got to help mom with this project. Overall they think
it’s really exciting, and it’s something I think they’re proud
of.” ■
T
he brown marmorated stink bug
(BMSB; Haylomorpha halys) is
an exotic insect, originally from Asia,
likely introduced to the United States
in the 1990s. It was first identified
in Pennsylvania, is now established
across the Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic
and Midwestern regions, and is
creeping into the Plains and Western
states. These stink bug populations in
Nebraska are likely low, and no reports
of damage have yet been received.
However, they have been found in
Douglas, Otoe and Lancaster counties.
Adults are approximately five-eighths
of an inch long and mottled brown.
They can be differentiated from other
stink bugs by the white bands across
their antennae and white and brown/
black bands on the edges of their
wings.
They overwinter as adults, hidden
in leaf litter or structures. Adults
emerge in spring and begin to feed,
mate and lay eggs. First instar nymphs
have orange to reddish markings, but
successive stages will appear more
adult-like in coloring.
Populations are generally at their
peak in late summer to early fall,
before the new adults start looking for
overwintering sites.
These bugs feed on more than 300
species of plants, including ornamental
plants, fruit trees, soybeans and other
legumes and vegetables. Their nymphs
and adults have a piercing-sucking
mouthpart, and use them in a straw-like
fashion to pierce the fruit or vegetable.
Small necrotic spots on fruits/
vegetables and leaf surfaces often result
from feeding damage.
As fruits and vegetables mature,
secondary infections may occur around
the feeding site, and pitting, scarring
and discoloration may become more
apparent. Even though fruits and
vegetables may still be edible, the
damage may be so significant that they
are no longer saleable.
In addition to being a plant pest, the
insect is also a nuisance. In heavily
infested areas, large numbers of them
Adult Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID R. LANCE, USDA APHIS PPQ,
BUGWOOD.ORG
can be found congregating on buildings
and entering homes in the fall,
looking for places to overwinter. This
aggregating behavior is similar to that
of Asian lady beetles.
While the insects do no structural
damage and cause no human health
problems, they do have an offensive
odor, and a large number of them
on or in a house can be upsetting to
homeowners. ■
Contact the Nebraska Department
of Agriculture at 402-471-2351 or
agr.plant@nebraska.gov to report a
possible sighting.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
t’s one of the miracles of nature: each fall, millions of
insects weighing less than one gram fly to overwintering
sites in Mexico from across the United States, some
traveling several thousand miles. This is the monarch
butterfly, and the details of how this migration occurs are
still surrounded by questions.
Since 1992, Chip Taylor and his team at the University
of Kansas have endeavored to find answers via a monarch
tagging program. Each year, their nonprofit, Monarch Watch,
distributes hundreds of thousands of tags to volunteers
willing to help them track migrating butterflies. Tagging
takes just a minute
or two – netting the
butterfly; recording
the date, location and
other information;
and applying a small
adhesive tag to the
monarch’s wings before
releasing it.
Months later, locals
in Mexico spend hours
sorting through dead
butterflies looking for
tags; it can take several
hours to locate just
one. (For their trouble,
Monarch Watch pays
the equivalent of $5 per
tag, about half a day’s
labor.) Once Monarch
Watch receives the tag
code of a recovered
butterfly, they enter it
into a recovery database and search for the original tagger’s
data. Using this information, they can calculate the distance
traveled by that particular monarch. Both the tagger and tag
recoverer are informed of the findings.
The tagging program has shed light on questions about
the migration, such as when monarchs leave, how long it
takes them to reach overwintering sites, the success rate
for monarchs from different parts of the country, and how
migration changes from year to year.
To tag a butterfly, all you need is a tagging kit and a
quality net. Both are available for purchase at
shop.monarchwatch.org. Taylor advises tagging monarchs
starting from Aug. 1 until you no longer see them.
Monarchs are easiest to catch when feeding or sitting on
vegetation. Approach slowly from behind and sweep the net
forward quickly. To keep the monarch from escaping, flip
the end of the net bag over the handle.
With one hand holding the handle, use the other to
collapse and flatten the net so the butterfly’s wings are
closed. Place your thumb and forefinger over the leading
By Julie Van Meter
State Entomologist,
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 15
Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
August 10
Family Fishing Event Fort Kearny SRA Choice, River Antlerless Private Land
and Parks Outdoor Education Center,
Lincoln
Lake 6, Kearney
August 1
Squirrel Hunting Squirrel Season
August 10-12
Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Powwow
opens
August 1, 8, 15
Introduction to Shooting Platte River
State Park (SP), Louisville
August 1
Family Fishing Event Mormon Island
State Recreation Area (SRA) Lake 1,
Grand Island; Recharge Lake, York
August 1, 15, 22, 29
Wednesday Walkers
Fremont SRA, Fremont
August 2
Family Fishing Event Windmill State
SRA Lake 2, Gibbon; Holmes Lake,
Lincoln; Skyview Lake, Norfolk
September 1
Deer Hunting Deer Archery Season
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
Only, Statewide Whitetail Buck, Gifford
Point Wildlife Management Area (WMA),
Youth, and Landowner seasons open
September 1
Elk Hunting Elk Archery bull season
August 11
opens
Youth Shoreline Fishing Tournament
September 1
Memphis SRA, Memphis
Buffalo Cookout and Humanities
August 12
Nebraska Program Niobrara SP,
Family Fishing Event Terry’s Pit,
Niobrara
Terrytown
September 1-2
August 12
Living History Fort Atkinson SHP, Fort
Republican Valley Archery 3-D Shoot Calhoun
Red Willow Reservoir SRA, McCook
September 1-9
August 13
Teal Hunting Early Teal Hunting season
Turkey Hunting Fall Turkey Permits
in High Plains Zone
available beginning at 1 p.m. Central Time
August 15
Elk Hunting Elk Private land antlerless
September 1-16
Teal Hunting Early Teal Hunting season
August 3
season opens
Family Fishing Event Iron Horse Lake,
August 15
North Platte
Bullfrog Hunting Bullfrog Season
August 3
in Low Plains Zone
Bighorn Sheep Hunting Final day for
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
opens
August 16
Nebraska Game and Parks Board of
August 3-5
Becoming an Outdoors-Family Camp Commissioners Meeting Valentine
Ponca SP, Ponca
August 16
Bighorn Sheep Drawing for lottery
August 4
Family Fishing Event Medicine Creek permit
Reservoir SRA, Cambridge
August 17
Stargazing Eugene T. Mahoney SP,
August 4
Youth Shoreline Fishing Tournament Ashland
Louisville SRA, Louisville
August 18
Director’s Cup Archery Tournament
August 4
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Kids’ Fishing Clinic
lottery applications
Calamus SRA, Burwell
Education Center, Lincoln
August 20
Archery Hunting Antelope Archery
August 4
Going Batty Wildcat Hills SRA, Gering
season opens
August 4
August 24-September 3
National Park Service Mobile Ranger
Nebraska State Fair Grand Island
Station Niobrara SP, Niobrara
August 25
August 4-5
Arrow Building and Broadhead
Living History Fort Atkinson State
Seminar Nebraska Game and Parks
Historical Park (SHP), Fort Calhoun
Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln
August 5
Waterfowl Hunting/Cold Water
Hypothermia Safety Class
August 28
Learn to Hunt Doves Workshop
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
August 5-10
Nebraska Star Party Merritt Reservoir
September 1
Hunting Seasons Open for Cottontail,
SRA, Valentine
August 8
Red Willow Family Fun Night Red
Jackrabbit, Dove, Snipe, Grouse, Rail,
Raccoon and Opossum
16 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
September 2
Sidewalk Chalk Art and National
Park Service Mobile Ranger Station
September 3
Labor Day Celebration
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
September 5, 12, 26
Wednesday Walkers
Fremont SRA, Fremont
September 8
Birds and Bagels
Horseback riding at Fort
Robinson State Park near
Crawford.
September 15-16
Missouri River Outdoor Expo
Ponca SP, Ponca
September 15-30
Antelope Hunting Antelope
Muzzleloader season
September 18
Learn to Hunt Basic Workshop
Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor
Education Center, Lincoln
September 21
Elk Hunting Firearm bull season
Wildcat Hills SRA, Gering
opens; Public land antlerless season
opens
September 8
Family Fishing Event
September 21-22
Bioblitz Indian Cave SP, Shubert
Barnett Park Lake, McCook
September 8
Youth Shoreline Fishing Tournament
Louisville SRA, Louisville
September 8
Night Owl Run/Walk
Niobrara SP, Niobrara
September 9
Family Fishing Event
Zoo Pond, Scottsbluff
September 12-14
Sierra Club Missouri River
Expedition Niobrara SP, Niobrara
September 14
Stargazing Eugene T. Mahoney SP,
Ashland
September 15
Turkey Hunting Fall Turkey Hunting
season opens
September 22
Woodcock Hunting season opens
September 28-30
Prairie Blacksmith Convention
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Award-winning Hunter Angler
Gardener Cook blogger Hank Shaw
will visit the Nebraska Game and Parks
Outdoor Education Center in Lincoln
to talk about wild game on Oct. 4,
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The seminar will
show hunters how to get more out of
their wild game and fish through new
cooking tips and techniques, with a
focus on upland birds.
Shaw will also offer signed copies of
his latest cookbook Pheasant, Quail,
Cottontail at a discount, and a portion
of the proceeds will be donated to
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to
support habitat restoration.
Shaw's previous cookbooks Duck,
Duck, Goose and Buck, Buck, Moose
each won Excellence in Craft awards
from the Outdoor Writers Association
of America in 2013 and 2017,
respectively.
The James Beard Foundation –
considered the "Oscars of the food
world" – awarded Hunter Angler
Gardener Cook Best Food Blog in
2013. Shaw was also honored with
the Bert Greene Award from the
International Association of Culinary
Professionals for Best Food Blog in
2010 and 2011.
The wild game seminar is free to
attend; call the Outdoor Education
Center at 402-471-6141 to RSVP. The
center is located at 4703 N. 44th Street
in Lincoln. ■
Fort Atkinson SHP, Fort Calhoun
September 29
Ladies Day on the Range Ponca
SP, Ponca
September 29
Nebraska Youth Smallbore
Silhouette Invitational Pressey
WMA, Oconto
September 29-30
Competitive Horse Trail Ride
Indian Cave SP, Shubert
September 29-30
Youth Waterfowl Hunting season
in Zones 2 and 4
AW
OF HANK SH
July 31-August 2
Learn to Hunt Camp Nebraska Game
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
COURTESY
by Jerry Kane
Small Game
Seminar
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.
Hank Shaw's latest cookbook
covers upland birds and small mammals.
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Sharon Kaup of Mitchell,
South Dakota, who found the
two-spotted spider mite on page 49.
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 13-15, 17, 32, 37 or 62.
The two-spotted spider mite
(Tetranychus urticae) is a widely
distributed plant pest, found
throughout the U.S. It is small,
with its two-segmented body
only one-fiftieth of an inch
long, and orange to yellow to
greenish in color. The mites have
a transparent body wall and
their spots are actually visible
accumulations of waste. Mites
have a piercing sucking mouth,
like a straw, to suck liquid from
plant cells. These spider mites
prefer the hot, dry weather of
summer, and populations will often
spike at this time of year.
The mites overwinter in leaf
litter and under bark.
After emerging in
the spring, females
resume feeding
and lay eggs, which
quickly hatch. Spider
er
mites can reproduce
and grow rapidly – an entire
generation from egg to
adult can occur in less
than two weeks.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 17
The Eclipse
through the eyes of citizen scientists
By R
B
Renae Bl
Blum
O
ne year ago, for just a couple of minutes,
the sky darkened in the middle of the day.
The air cooled, stars and planets appeared,
and the sun seemed to transform before our eyes.
The 2017 solar eclipse was a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. But as fascinating as it was, not
everyone had their eyes trained on the skies the
whole time. There was a question that needed
answering: how would animals and plants react to
the eclipse?
That was the premise behind a citizen science
project started on iNaturalist.org entitled “Life
Responds.” Nearly 650 people across the United
States logged on to record their observations of
what happened in nature before, during and after
the eclipse.
This sunset-looking photograph was taken during the middle of
the day during the 2017 eclipse at Verdon State Recreation Area
in Richardson County by Jeff Kurrus.
18 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
One of them was Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission naturalist Holly Green, who
coordinated efforts for park visitors in central
Nebraska to make their own observations. As she
gathered and submitted data, Green got a unique
glimpse into how the eclipse affected wildlife in
Nebraska. Several observations stood out to her:
Unusual cicada activity. “They started being
active as it got darker and darker, and the birds
were chasing them out of the trees trying to eat
them,” Green said. “The cicadas were deafening.
And then when totality happened, it was silence. It
was just eerie.”
Confused bats. After totality, an onlooker
observed a bat clinging to a door in the women’s
restroom at Mormon Island State Recreation Area.
•
•
“It had its eyes closed tightly, and was hanging on
in a stretched out, vertical position,” the observer
wrote. It is unusual to see bats during the day. It
is assumed that the bat began foraging when it
perceived dusk, but when the sun rapidly returned,
the bat was forced to quickly find a place to roost.
Usually, they would roost in a tree or crevice out of
sight and hang upside down in a compact position.
Green spent a month reading through all 2,000some observations on the iNaturalist project,
making her own notes and finding connections.
Much of what was observed was already expected
behavior, she said: nocturnal animals awakening,
temperatures dropping, flowers closing up, farm
animals returning to bedding areas, and domestic
animals showing signs of stress.
However, Green said, observers also discovered
new information and unexpected behaviors and
trends. Among them were:
Some animals, such as prairie dogs, retreated
to their homes during the eclipse and refused to
emerge for some time afterward, a behavior Green
termed “skepticism.” “Skepticism in animals, from
what I had read, was not something we had really
paid attention to,” she said; previously, the focus
was always on animal behavior during the eclipse,
and not afterward.
•
Some owners reported that domestic animals,
•such
as dogs, started nightly feeding behaviors,
bringing their bowls to their owners – something
that hadn’t been noted previously.
Owners often commented that their animals
behaved the way they did before a storm – for
example, cows going back to the barn.
As is natural for a citizen science project, the
conditions for data collecting weren’t perfectly
controlled, and most of the observers weren’t
trained scientists and lacked thorough knowledge
of the species they were observing. Not to mention,
they were likely running on the adrenaline of
seeing the eclipse, and that could have affected
data too, Green said.
Nevertheless, thanks to the iNaturalist project, we
now have confirmations of what were previously
just generalizations, Green said, complete with
audio, video, and photographic proof. “A lot of it
was confirming or rejecting things we already knew,
but didn’t have the ability to prove,” she said.
It couldn’t have happened without citizen science,
Green said. There was no way for scientists to be
present at every point along the 13-state stretch of
totality. But they didn’t need to be. As it turns out,
you don’t have to be a scientist to produce data
that matters – just someone willing to observe. ■
•
A loggerhead shrike
(Lanius ludovicianus)
basks in soft light in the
waning moments of the
2017 total solar eclipse
at Bighorn Wildlife
Management Area in
Dawes County. Photo by
Justin Haag.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 19
Oldies but
Goodies
Try these six fall
activities ... again.
Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus
S
ometimes we simply forget. We either
get so caught up in the daily trials of life
that we don’t remember the good times
we had, or we get stuck in a routine and stay
there.
This fall let’s do something different ...
or something all too familar. Each of the
following activities are ones I have enjoyed
in years past. The only problem I have is not
having enough time to accomplish them all.
Current Favorites
Squirrel Hunt
I can’t remember a time in my outdoor life that was more
fun than walking pine needle-covered ATV trails through
the hardwoods during the late afternoons watching for the
slight movement of a squirrel in the trees above me. When I
saw one, I’d scoot against the closest cover I could find and
wait out my quarry, knowing that there was a good chance
the squirrel would eventually lose patience, or its fear, and
emerge from behind the limb from where it had been hiding.
Wearing head-to-toe camouflage and using either a 20-gauge
or .22-caliber rifle, the goal was to bring two squirrels back
to the house – just enough for dinner and to entice me to go
again in a few days.
Tip: Hunting squirrels with a .22 is a good way to
improve your rifle shooting skills for big game seasons.
20 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
Hand-grabbing Frogs
While Nebraska’s laws do not allow our family to carry
on our “gigging” pastime like we did when I was a kid, they
provide a better option that we hadn’t even thought about
on our Mississippi River backwaters: hand-grabbing frogs.
Luckily, my daughter has grown up in Nebraska, and only
chooses a net when the bullfrog is nestled against a rocky
dam. We will catch frogs on rod and reel until sunset, and
then use a cordless, high-beam spotlight to find and catch
frogs on the edges of ponds and sloughs. The frogs freeze in
the bright light, and the hunt only ends when the batteries in
our lights go out.
Tip: Use a flashlight to scan shorelines for eyes, then
Top: A bullfrog freezes on a mat of algae
on a Sarpy County pond. Frog hunting
is a summer pastime for my family, and
can be enjoyed by all ages – from lightshiners to hand grabbers.
Right: I never would have
imagined the following to
be true before I tried it,
but afternoon hunts for
squirrels can become as
addicting as any other
outdoor pursuit.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21
whitetails and shotgun hunt for doves. By day’s end, we
had pictures of multiple species. I’ve also had great trips for
rabbits and bluegills on the I-80 lake system, most notably
near Cozad.
Tip: Check out the interactive fishing map at
maps.outdoornebraska.gov/fishing, then search for those
areas listed as wildlife management areas (WMAs) for your
best combo trip opportunities.
Jump-Shooting
From breaking limbs on deadfalls, also known as “rabbit
hotels,” to walking field and creek edges for doves and teal,
respectively, nothing gets the blood going like jump-shooting.
These hunts can be accomplished without dogs. If jumping
waterfowl is a possibility, be sure you’re shooting steel shot.
No. 6 steel shot is a good all-around load option as long as
you keep your shots in the 20-yard range.
Tip: Wheat stubble is a great option for dove, as long as
you walk across the rows to keep from spooking birds.
On the Fly
With fewer anglers on the water to watch you hook yourself
while attempting to cast with your new fly rod, late summer
into fall is the perfect time to learn how to cast. Warmwater
fish such as bluegills, largemouth bass and crappies are still
biting throughout the state, and there’s always the opportunity to
stream fish for trout. Anyone who picks up a fly rod and spends
more than 15 minutes with it will be unable to put it down. Start
this new passion now.
Tip: To start, don’t spend a lot of money: a good rod and reel
combo for beginners can be found for around $50.
Future Favorites
Fly and Bike
Every time I pass by the West Papio Trail in Omaha, I
can’t take my eyes off the creek that flows beside it. I’d
love to get a buddy to drop off his truck across town and
bike and fish our way from west to east with our fly rods.
On a cool day, you might not even have to catch a fish to
have an awesome time. Visit papionrd.org for an updated
trail map.
Spot-and-Stalk Archery Hunt
To glass for mulies, and then see if I can get within
shooting range with a bow, would be a trip of a lifetime.
And I could do it in my home state.
A Sandhills Dove Hunt
Years ago, I spent a fall afternoon fishing in the Sandhills,
only to have a last-minute idea near dark to visit a nearby
windmill, where doves were piling in. I’ve regretted the
decision to fishing that day ever since. ■
Andrew Voss of Omaha bowhunts from the ground in a Cass County cornfield.
switch to the high beam once you start
making your move toward the frog.
This helps save rechargeable battery
lights.
A Cornfield Archery Hunt
I’ve had days when sitting in a deer
stand is the last thing I want to do,
even though I want to deer hunt. On
these days I’ll still hunt in rows on the
edges of corn fields near travel lanes.
Nothing peaks the adrenaline more
than drawing your bow back while
you’re on the ground.
Tip: Windy days offer the best
chance at moving through the corn,
and pulling the string, without being
detected.
A Hook and Bullet Trip
The most fun I’ve had on a hook and
bullet trip was at Grove Lake Wildlife
Management Area in Antelope County.
I fished for northern pike with a group
of friends in the morning, and in the
afternoon we split up to bowhunt for
Walking field and food plot edges for mourning dove, even with a canine companion, is
a great way to extend the dove season and practice on your wing shooting for flushing
species such as pheasants.
22 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
While fly-fishing with my dad, Larry Kurrus (pictured), at Soldier Creek last year in Dawes County, we had the entire creek to
ourselves, and the fish cooperated nicely.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 23
Time Well Spent
What to Do in August and September
By Renae Blum
S
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
ummer is fading and cooler temperatures are on the rise. Welcome in the new season
by enjoying the outdoors to the fullest. Your adventures could include a hunting trip
or two, a visit to the largest outdoor expo in the Midwest and more. To read about
park events across the state, or to learn more about the events listed here, visit
Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. ■
Hunting Seasons Open
Various dates
Attend the Missouri River Outdoor Expo
Statewide
Lace up your boots and get your gear ready to go – fall
hunting season is here. August and September welcomes
the opening of many hunting seasons, including turkey,
grouse, teal, archery deer and elk. Bring a young person
with you and pass on the tradition. Learn more at
OutdoorNebraska.gov/huntingseasons.
Sept. 15-16
Ponca State Park
With more than 90 hands-on activities for people of all ages, the Missouri River Outdoor Expo is
the largest of its kind in the Midwest. Come by from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to enjoy outdoor activities such
as kayaking, archery, fishing, shooting and outdoor cooking. Wildlife encounters and educational
programs also will be offered. This year’s entertainment features Paralympian archer Matt Stutzman,
precision archer Frank Addington, Jr., C2 Trick Shooting, and the all-female logging team Axe Women
Loggers of Maine. The event is free with the purchase of a park permit.
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
View the Perseid Meteor
Shower
Aug. 12-13
Statewide
24 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
Forage for
Wild Nuts
Mid-September
to late October
Statewide
Aug. 24-Sept. 3
Harvesting wild nuts is a fun way to add wild-grown
foods to your pantry and enjoy fall weather with
friends and family, writes Game and Parks’ Greg
Wagner. A variety of trees and shrubs bear edible
nuts in Nebraska, such as pecan, shagbark hickory,
black walnut, American hazelnut, Chinese chestnut
and oak.
Grand Island
Visitors to the state
fair can once again
enjoy plenty of handson activities at Game
and Parks’ home in the
Nebraska Building, such
as indoor archery and
pellet gun ranges, kids’
Nerf gun range and
other youth games. Make
sure to also check out
the sky fort, meandering
stream and 6,000-gallon
aquarium filled with
fish found in Nebraska
waters.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
You’ll have multiple “shooting stars” to wish upon the evening of Aug.
12 and the morning of Aug. 13, during the peak of what is expected to
be the best meteor shower of the year. NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke
recommends heading to a dark area in the suburbs or countryside, and
spending a few hours outside watching the sky. At an expected rate
of about 60-70 meteors per hour, you may see around one meteor per
minute.
See the Nebraska Game and
Parks Outdoor Encounter
Exhibit at the Nebraska State
Fair
Wagner recommends that foragers research correct
identification and what nut trees grow in the area;
get permission from landowners; wear rubber or
plastic waterproof gloves if handling black walnuts
or butternuts, as they leave lingering stains; and hull
nuts as soon as possible after harvest. Then wash off
nuts, dry them thoroughly and store them in a cool,
dark spot with good air circulation. “Shelled nuts can
be stored for a short time in your kitchen pantry or
for longer periods in your freezer,” he writes.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 25
Success in
the Salt Marsh
Story and photos by Michael Forsberg
A Biologically Unique Landscape
Wetlands are among the most productive and biologically diverse
habitats on earth. They are the kidneys of the landscape, filtering our
water of pollutants and converting them to less harmful substances.
They control flooding by giving water a place to go and slowing down
runoff and allowing water to absorb back into the soil. They recharge
local water tables and aquifers. Sadly, they have been viewed more as a
nuisance or an impediment to progress in our country’s brief history,
and roughly half of all wetlands in the U.S. have been destroyed.
Nebraska's eastern saline wetlands have also suffered extensive losses.
However, there is hope as many people now recognize the importance of
these wetlands and are taking actions toward Success in the Salt Marsh.
White-tailed deer gather and leave their marks in the salt-encrusted soils of a saline
wetland near Dakota Springs, a saline spring source that pulses with open water even in
the depths of winter.
26 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership
1500 miles from any ocean, water infused with salt from an ancient sea
rises up, forming one of the rarest natural communities in Nebraska.
A generation ago, all could have been lost to urban growth and the plow, but
today restoration and hope are on the rise.
I
t is just before dawn in Nebraska’s eastern saline wetlands.
You sit quietly on the edge of a salt marsh – a nearly
level pan of sparse vegetation and mud. Just in front of
you water laps in rhythmic beats at the shoreline. On the
opposite shore, the growing light gently begins to fill in the
dark spaces, giving definition to the dusky shapes that have
been murmuring in the distance. They are a mixed flock of
shorebirds and waterfowl on migration – lesser yellowlegs,
Baird’s sandpipers, killdeer, blue-winged teal and northern
shovelers.
As the sun crests the horizon, cliff swallows that have
wintered in Central America tug nesting materials from a
muskrat hut. Painted turtles periscope up from below the
surface. All around you, red-winged blackbirds and sedge
wrens begin their morning chatter. Then a northern harrier
swoops down, strafing the cattails, and blows the entire
crowd off the water.
You leave the water’s edge and follow a game trail that
takes you to a creek crossing littered with mink and raccoon
tracks. The trail eventually leads you to the base of a hill
where cattail and cordgrass meet big bluestem, and where a
thread of flowing water bubbles up from a clear cold spring.
From the spring, you begin to climb up the hillside prairie
while meadowlarks and dickcissels sing in stereo declaring
their territories from shrubby perches. And as you reach the
top you look around and begin to see more clearly where
you are – the farmland and acreages, the powerlines, and the
county road, and off in the distance, the hazy line of Lincoln
punctuated by the state capitol.
If someone would have blindfolded and dropped you here
in the half light of dawn, you might have felt you were in
wilderness. But you are just a few miles away from the city of
Lincoln, population 300,000, the second largest population
center in the state, and growing.
An Ancient Wetland
This saline wetland landscape is a remnant of a once vast
prairie wilderness that comprised a rich diversity of life in
North America’s Great Plains. We can only imagine what it
was like in this part of eastern Nebraska when this country
was truly wild. When long before Euroamerican settlement,
Plains Indians and the indigenous cultures before them
recognized this rich tallgrass prairie landscape and
these salt basins as home.
Perhaps the closest we can come is the writings
of W.W. Cox, who described the Lincoln
landscape of July 1861 this way:
“As we viewed the land upon which now stands
this great busy city, we had the exciting pleasure of
seeing for the first time a large drove of beautiful
antelope, cantering across the prairie about where
the government square is (9th and O streets). We
forded Salt Creek just by the junction of Oak Creek,
and what a struggle we had in making our way
through the tall sunflowers between the ford and the
basin. There was something enchanting about the
scene that met our eyes. The fresh breeze sweeping
over the salt basins reminded us of the morning
breezes at the ocean beach.”
If we were to take his same path today, we
would start in the heart of downtown Lincoln,
pass through the historic Haymarket District, by
Pinnacle Bank Arena and Memorial Stadium, and
probably hop on a bike trail to cross a bridge near
the shoreline of Oak Lake and end up wandering
the residential neighborhood of Capitol Beach,
once the largest saline wetland in the basin before
it was transformed and eventually cut in half by
the Interstate. One can only imagine what W.W.
Cox would think standing there now. He probably
wouldn’t believe his eyes.
A series of time-lapse images capture Salt Creek tiger beetle habitat
restoration in progress at the Marsh Wren Saline Wetland.
Jewels of Salt Creek
The sun sets as shadows fall over a saline wetland and a muskrat hut at the Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve.
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
Nebraska’s saline wetlands are rare jewels found
only within the Salt Creek watershed, a roughly
52-mile-long, 1,627 square mile drainage that
encompasses much of Lancaster and Saunders
counties, and flows generally southwest to
northeast before merging with the Platte River
near Ashland, just above Eugene T. Mahoney State
Park. Contained within this watershed is a roughly
12-by-25-mile-long elliptical dish shaped by Salt
Creek and its floodplain. It is where the city of
Lincoln sits, and where roughly 20,000 acres of
saline wetlands once were.
Born in the swales and depressions within Salt
Creek and its tributaries, the saline wetlands contain
a diverse assemblage of habitats including saline
marsh and meadows, salt flats, and spring and seep
fed wetlands, bisected by streams and surrounded
by tallgrass prairie. Their unique natural citizenry
includes salt loving plants with names like sea
blite, saltmarsh aster, and saltwort, the latter found
nowhere else in the state. More than 250 species of
migrating and resident birds have been documented
since around 1900. In addition, thousands of species
of insects and other invertebrates, many of them
wired for a life among saline soils, can be found
here – including one of the rarest creatures on
earth, the Salt Creek tiger beetle.
The saline wetlands’ magical ingredient is
groundwater that emerges at the surface through
Along Little Salt Creek, excavating and re-shaping a bank to access saline
soils and allow for water inundation is the first step in the process.
Over time and with a little luck, new communities of salt-tolerant wetland
plants and animals will be established and can thrive, including the waterloving Salt Creek tiger beetle.
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
MAP CREATED BY TED LAGRANGE, NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION
a myriad of seeps and springs and is nearly as salty as the
ocean, coming from deep upwellings of water infused with
salt passing through layers of limestone bedrock and Dakota
sandstone laid down ages ago when the Great Plains was a
vast inland sea.
It is this salt in the water that formed a white crust at
the surface when the wetlands would periodically dry out
that brought hope of economic opportunity to the area
and helped establish Lincoln in the 1860s. The commercial
salt mining industry was short lived, but it did serve its
purpose long enough to help Lincoln set roots as a thriving
community and Nebraska’s capital city.
Growth and Decline
Nebraska’s eastern saline wetlands (inside the green border)
are contained within the Salt Creek watershed, a 1,627-squaremile watershed that encompasses much of Lancaster and
Saline counties, and includes the city of Lincoln. Salt Creek and
its tributaries eventually drain to the Platte River near Ashland.
To accommodate the growth of Lincoln over the next
century and the inevitable building into the floodplains,
saline wetlands were drained, filled in and covered. Salt
Creek was channelized and straightened for flood control
and to transport wastewater away from the city. As the
channels were straightened and the banks modified the
channel cut deeper, velocities of water in those channels
MAP COURTESY OF LOWER PLATTE SOUTH NRD, APRIL 2018
Securing conservation lands for Nebraska’s eastern saline wetlands began in the 1980s. The Saline Wetlands Conservation
Partnership was formed in 2003. The lands in pink were acquired before the Partnership, and the lands in green were placed in
conservation after the Partnership was established. As of 2018, the partners manage nearly 4,000 acres of land containing more
than 1,600 acres of saline wetlands.
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
An aerial view containing Little Salt Fork Marsh Preserve, and portions of Little Salt Springs and Little Salt Creek West Wildlife
Management Area, shows off these connected conservation lands at the peak of fall color. The long-term integrity of our remnant
saline wetlands and tallgrass prairies is dependent on scale, connecting these lands together.
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
A male black damselfly, or ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx
maculata), flares its wings in courtship display from a perch
along a tributary of Rock Creek. Damselflies, dragonflies and a
myriad of other insect species make their lives in saline wetland
landscapes.
increased, which had a direct effect on its tributaries that
began to headcut and form faster and deeper channels
themselves.
Soon, groundwater tables were dropping, and periodic
flooding that used to spread across the floodplain and infuse
the groundwater connected with these wetlands could no
longer be recharged. Other wetlands were being ditched,
drained and filled for agriculture, and surrounding prairie
grasslands were also being lost to the plow.
As topsoil ran off fields and entered waterways, saline soils
were buried in sediment, and as banks began to slough off in
incised channels, they began to cover up the seeps and springs
that fed the streams. Later, other wetlands were filled in or
used as landfill sites, or paved over for roads and parking lots,
and housing and commercial developments grew north.
In short, as the city grew the wetlands suffered, and after a
century of growth and development, only a small percentage
of the original 20,000 or so acres of saline wetlands
remained, mostly surviving in small fragments less than 20
acres in size, and highly degraded.
Wetlands are among the most productive and biologically
diverse habitats on earth. They are the kidneys of the
landscape, filtering our water of pollutants and converting
them to less harmful substances. They control flooding by
giving water a place to go and slowing down runoff and
allowing water to absorb back into the soil. They recharge
local water tables and aquifers. Sadly, they have been viewed
more as a nuisance or an impediment to progress in our
country’s brief history, and roughly half of all wetlands in the
U.S. have been destroyed.
It wasn’t until the early 1980s that concerted conservation
efforts began to officially protect eastern Nebraska’s remaining
saline wetlands when the Lower Platte South NRD began
purchasing easements, and when lands that became Arbor
Lake and the Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area were
acquired by the City of Lincoln and the Nebraska Game and
Both freshwater and saline water sources feed this wetland in the valley at Little Salt Creek Wildlife Management Area. The
difference in water sources is evident by distinct plant communities and is pronounced in the fall.
Parks Commission, respectively. In 1991, NEBRASKAland
Magazine elevated the profile of saline wetlands, calling
attention in a public way with a seminal article co-authored by
Jon Farrar and Richard Gersib entitled “The Last of the Least.”
A Rare Beetle
The fleshy pink leaves of sea blite explode like confetti on a salt pan at Arbor Lake.
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
Today, Nebraska’s remaining eastern saline wetlands
are considered to be the rarest and most limited natural
community in the state. In one way, their rarity represents
what we have lost. But their rarity and increasing public
awareness have also assigned them high priority for
conservation. In the last 20-plus years, these remnant
habitats are slowly being protected and increasingly
connected, in part by the fate of a half-inch, water-loving
beetle, a unique conservation partnership, and the care and
dedication of many people.
In 2000, the Salt Creek tiger beetle was listed as an
endangered species in the state of Nebraska. By 2005, the
species was listed as federally endangered.
“They are mud-loving, water-loving beetles,” said Steve
Spomer, a Lincoln native who grew up collecting bugs and
became a University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologist
and tiger beetle expert. “When other tiger beetle species go
find shade to cool off, this beetle goes down to the water.”
Spomer has studied these insects for nearly four decades.
Nebraska’s eastern saline wetlands have 12 tiger beetle
species, but what makes the Salt Creek tiger beetle different
from the others is that it is found almost exclusively on the
Blue-winged teal, pectoral sandpipers, and a short-billed
dowitcher mingle in the shallows of a salt marsh at Little Salt
Fork Marsh Preserve.
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
Cross section of a
stream valley that supports
eastern saline wetlands
Western
Ironweed
LO
ESS
GL
SOI
Prairie
Cordgrass
LS
AC
IA
Saltmarsh
Aster
LD
RIF
Inland
Saltgrass
Foxtail
Barley
Marsh Elder
TS
Spearscale
Common
Sunflower
OIL
S
DA
KO
TA
S
Saltwort
Sea Blite
Sago
Pondweed
Salt Crust on
Bare Soil
AN
DST
ON
E
Water Table
Water Table
STREAM-DEPOSITED CLAY, SILT, SAND, AND GRAVEL
PRAIRIE
STREAM
Seep and
Salt Crust
PRAIRIE
Upward
Saline
Groundwater
Flow
SALINE MEADOW
SALT FLAT
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
SALINE MARSH
PRAIRIE
LIMESTONE
recharge occurred from 16,000–37,000 years before the
present. Related research indicates that salt present in the
groundwater may be derived from bedrock units older
than the Dakota, possibly marine bedrock beneath parts
of Kansas.
Compared to other communities, the number of plant
species growing on highly saline soils is small. Each
species has adapted to a particular part of the wetland,
a micro-environment defined by minute variations in
soil saturation and salinity. The idealized saline wetland
shown above illustrates how salt tolerant plants are
distributed throughout a Nebraska saline wetland.
A salt flat may surround the standing water and
saline marsh community. Salt flat soils have high clay
content, are saturated with water, and have the highest
salt concentrations. The portion of the salt flat nearest
the center of the wetland is the wettest, keeping salts
in solution, and salinity levels moderately high. Here,
saltwort, a state listed endangered plant found nowhere
else in Nebraska, thrives. Beyond the wetter, inner ring of
the salt flat, evaporation frequently dries the soil surface,
concentrating salt near the surface. Sea blite occupies
this slightly drier, central portion of the salt flat zone.
Inland saltgrass, dwarfed in stature and sparsely spaced,
is often the only plant which can survive on the dry, saltencrusted outer portion of the salt flat.
The greatest diversity of plants on a saline wetland is
found in the saline meadow, a transition zone between
the salt flat and prairie at the outer edge of the wetland.
Closest to the salt flat, foxtail barley and marsh elder
dominate, but many other species also grow here,
including spearscale and saltmarsh aster. In the saline
marsh, sago pondweed and saltwater bulrush thrive.
The plants of a saline wetland are seldom arranged
in so orderly a manner. The boundaries between zones
where one species or another is favored are constantly
changing as soil saturation and salinity fluctuate, and a
mixing and merging of plant species occurs. Frequently,
the most consistently wet portion of a saline wetland
is not at the center, but below seeps emerging from
the base of hills at the edge of the floodplain, as
illustrated here. Salt flats on large basins may have small
depressions or “pans” which periodically hold water,
where plants most tolerant of high salinity and saturated
soils grow. ■
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
akota sandstone, an ancient formation of porous,
rust colored sedimentary rock, underlies the soils of
much of eastern Nebraska. Where streams have cut down
through overlying soils, Dakota sandstone is exposed, and
saline waters from still deeper and older rock formations
are under pressure and rise to the surface as springs
and seeps which flow into depressions in the floodplain.
Repeated evaporation of saline water in these shallow
basins over thousands of years concentrated salts in
floodplain soils, setting the stage for the formation of the
saline wetlands.
Recent work indicates this groundwater was recharged
under climatic conditions colder than present-day or at
higher elevations. Age dating of groundwater sampled
at sites along Rock Creek and Little Salt Creek indicate
Seep
Upward
Saline
Groundwater
Flow
LIMESTONE
D
Saltwater
Bulrush
Tom Malmstrom,
wettest, salt encrusted soils,
longtime coordinator for the
along banks of streams and
Partnership, said he didn’t
ditches with running water.
know the saline wetlands
Due to their specific needs
even existed when he was
tied to water, changes on
in college, but now knows
the land and destruction of
them like the back of his
habitat nearly erased them
hand. “I always tell people
from the earth. The beetles
I have the job I wanted out
were never widespread but
of college, but it just took
once thought locally abundant
me 25 years to get it.” He
based on museum records.
also knows that building an
At the time of their federal
intimate relationship with
listing, only several hundred
this landscape means building
adult individuals remained.
solid relationships and trust
“Tiger beetles are good
with landowners and his
indicators for the health
colleagues in the conservation
of the salt marsh,” said
community. It all works
Spomer, who puts on
together.
many miles each summer
The Partnership has been
monitoring populations.
in existence for 15 years,
“They can recover quickly
and has provided a frame
from temporary changes
that focuses on inclusion
in populations, natural
rather than regulation, with
events like floods, and even
the end goal to conserve
pesticides to a point, but not
saline wetlands for the entire
from habitat destruction.”
Small but mighty, a sedge wren measuring four inches long
and weighing less than half an ounce sings strong from its
community. “I think the
While the Endangered
territorial perch at Frank Shoemaker Marsh.
people in the community
Species Act draws a necessary
still believe in the vision,
regulatory framework around
protecting the beetle and its habitat, the recovery plan for the and those in the partnership still believe in it,” says
Malmstrom. “The Partnership has done a good job removing
species and its habitat recognizes a collaborative approach.
the endangered species nexus that really was a volatile
In conservation today, and especially in working landscapes
component of it when we first started. People started seeing
with a mix of landownerships, collaboration is key, and
the value beyond the Salt Creek tiger beetle.”
partnerships can be everything.
The Partnership
An Environmental Resource
The Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership was
formed in 2003, two years before the Salt Creek tiger beetle
was federally listed, but at the perfect time to help protect,
restore, and manage many of the remaining saline wetlands
in the Salt Creek watershed and educate people about the
importance of these wetlands. Today, its major partners
include the City of Lincoln, Lower Platte South Natural
Resources District, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission,
Pheasants Forever, and a bundle of other agencies and
entities, including private landowners.
To date, the Partnership has helped to acquire from willing
sellers roughly 1,600 acres of land containing saline wetlands,
ranging in size from 7 acres to 220 acres. An additional
800 acres containing saline wetlands are protected with
conservation easements. And the Partnership is focusing on
connecting many of those parcels together to create scale.
The Partnership has also helped to coordinate nine
restoration projects, ranging from full-scale wetland
restoration of a landscape like the new Marsh Wren
area owned by the Lower Platte South NRD, to creating
endangered species habitat for Salt Creek tiger beetles, and
improving public access at many of its sites. It has also been
in classrooms and provided field experiences for thousands
of students from grade school through college.
Another positive turn for the saline wetlands has been
the City of Lincoln and Lancaster County recognizing the
importance of green spaces and “environmental resources”
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
A curious mink pokes up from between the slats of an old
bridge along Rock Creek at Jack Sinn Wildlife Management
Area. Predators like mink play an important role in the balance
and diversity of life in the saline wetlands landscape.
such as wetlands and prairies as a vital part of Lincoln’s
natural heritage in its comprehensive plans. The most recent
plan guiding future growth identifies the saline wetlands as
an environmental resource that should be conserved due to
their benefits to society, recognizing their rarity, the vital
habitats they provide for threatened and endangered species,
and the legacy they played in the founding of the city.
But perhaps the most important thing of all is that these
saline wetlands and salt marshes are still a mystery to most
people, which poses perhaps the biggest challenge and
opportunity.
Ted LaGrange, wetland program manager with the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, remembers coming
to Lincoln as a young biologist, and barely knew about the
saline wetlands that he would come to know so well and
share with others.
“I was giving a saline wetland tour to some kids the other
day, and we were parked just south of Interstate 80 and
North 27th Street. I told them when I came to Lincoln in
1993 there was no urban development there except a Kmart
located way south on Cornhusker Highway, a wetland, and
a small house and some pastureland. That was a generation
ago to these kids. They weren’t even born yet. I told them
none of the apartments and hotels and car dealerships they
see now were there, and they couldn’t believe it. Then I
took them north of I-80 to Arbor Lake, and I said if the city
had not removed this location from a future urban growth
area you would just keep driving through development at
Releases of the federally endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle
have taken place at selected saline wetland sites, like here at
Arbor Lake. The larvae are propagated in the lab at the Henry
Doorly Zoo in Omaha, and released with partners and volunteers
under the direction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
least for a couple more miles, and certainly within a mile
of the interstate you would have fast food restaurants, gas
With heads down, mixed flocks of shorebirds feed heavily on the rich soup of aquatic invertebrates found in healthy salt marshes
rimmed by the prairie at Jack Sinn Wildlife Management Area. Protecting saline wetlands means protecting prairie too.
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
stations and motels. Arbor Lake would still be there because
it was already protected, but all around it would be urban
development.”
LaGrange pointed out how close these saline wetlands are
to Lincoln, its increasingly growing and diverse community –
both with students and adults – and how there is tremendous
opportunity to educate and engage people with these special
places just outside our doorsteps, and build appreciation.
That’s a key value of any natural landscape on the edge
of any urban center, and it presents a choice. In a state like
Nebraska with strong agricultural roots, its citizens might
still have more connection to the land than in many other
states, but we live in an increasingly urban world. And if we
find value and want to protect the natural heritage in the
places we live, the choices that we make now will make a big
difference later to the generations that come after us, even if
we won’t live to see it.
People and the Land
Beyond facts and figures, laws and regulations,
conservation is about people and their experiences and
relationships with the land. Those relationships are both
intimate and they tie us together in a place as a community.
Looking back, there is a quiet legacy of relationships that
run deep in the saline wetlands landscape, from an ancient
past we can only imagine, to people that have made a life
with the land as agriculturalists, hunters, or scientists,
birdwatchers or nature lovers, finding joy or solace in these
ancient and rarest of wetlands in Nebraska. As we look
forward, what will someone sitting quietly at sunrise on the
edge of a salt marsh north of Lincoln experience 50 years
from now?
Last year my oldest daughter called me from her college
dorm at the University of Nebraska, excited to tell me that
her cross-country team had just run a trail through a saline
wetland on the edge of the city.
“Dad, it was beautiful, with all the flowers and different
colors of the prairie grass and wetlands, the birds, the
butterflies, and it’s so close to where I live. I never knew!
Now I have a place to go and retreat to. Maybe we can pack
a lunch and go there sometime together this fall. Hey, what
are you doing tomorrow?” ■
Visit the Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership at
lincoln.ne.gov/city/parks/parksfacilities/wetlands/ to learn
more about this biologically unique Nebraska landscape and
to read Jon Farrar and Richard Gersib's 1991 NEBRASKAland
Magazine article “The Last of the Least.”
To view more of Michael Forsberg's stunning photographs
from this project, visit magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/
salinewetlands.
On an early summer day, a young hiker walks down a trail and into a world of hidden beauty and discovery – eastern Nebraska’s
saline wetlands.
Success in the Salt Marsh was written by Michael Forsberg, with the cooperative efforts of the
Saline Wetlands Conservation Partnership. Printed in the August-September 2018 issue of NEBRASKAland Magazine,
published by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Cover image: A lesser yellowlegs captures a tiny invertebrate out of the briny waters of a saline wetland.
NEBRASKAland Magazine • Nebraska's Saline Wetlands
Nebraska's Saline Wetlands • NEBRASKAland Magazine
Prickly Poppy
Nebraska’s Only Prairie Poppy
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
M
atchless among our state’s flora are
prickly poppy’s (Argemone polyanthemos)
six large, crinkly, white petals. Also unique:
cut its stems or leaves and they bleed a
sticky, mustard-yellow sap. The latex sap and
petal design are characteristic of the poppy
family (Papaveraceae) to which prickly poppy
belongs. Nebraska’s only other native poppy
is bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), which
inhabits our northeastern woodlands.
Native to the western Great Plains, prickly
poppy’s range includes the western twothirds of Nebraska, where it most frequently
grows in sandy prairies and roadsides. The
biennial’s prickly stems hold somewhat
succulent, bluish-green leaves with a whitish,
waxy coating. The showy flowers bloom from
mid-June through mid-August. From these
develop about inch-long, green seed capsules
with stout, yellow prickles.
The tissues of all 32 Argemone species,
native to the Americas and Hawaii, are rich
in alkaloids, some with known antimicrobial,
narcotic, pain-relieving and astringent
properties. Through millennia of trial and
error, Native Americans became aware of the
plant’s chemical powers.
Plains tribes made a tea from prickly poppy
seeds or sap that was applied to treat sore
eyes, including pinkeye. The pulverized and
moistened seeds were rubbed into their hair
to kill head lice and used to treat burns, cuts
and sores. The Tepehuan Indians of Mexico
crushed the leaves and stems of the Mexican
prickly poppy (A. mexicana) to use as a fish
stupefying agent.
The Kiowa used prickly poppy prickles
for tattooing, inserting ash from the plant’s
burned leaves under
the skin. The Lakota
used the yellow sap to
dye arrows, making
errant ones easier to
find among the prairie
grass. This unique
plant also had many
other uses among
native tribes. ■
LEFT: Set deep within the
prickly poppy’s petals are a
ring of lemon-yellow stamens
that surround a maroon,
lobed stigma.
RIGHT: Rooted on a Cherry
County sand dune, prickly
poppies catch the morning sun
while a thunderstorm brews to
the west.
40 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 41
Ponderosa
Wildlife
Management
Area
Story and photos by Justin Haag
Just like the tree of
the same name,
this diverse parcel
of public land
stands tall.
The sun rises over burned pines and the rugged
terrain of Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area near
Crawford, including a distinct sawtooth ridge and
Crown Butte in the distance.
A tent cot glows beneath
the evening sky.
A mountain lion is photographed by camera trap while visiting a mule deer it killed and cached. The Ponderosa was the site of the
first cougar captured for study in the Pine Ridge.
ebraska’s Pine Ridge has much to offer, and
eb
a pprime example of it is a piece of public
land named for the tree most prominent in
lan
northwestern Nebraska – the ponderosa pine.
no
Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area is a 4,020Po
ac
acre property along Squaw Creek Road six miles
southeast of Cr
Crawford that is as beautiful as it is distinct.
Pine Ridge
With a peak elevation of 4,492 feet, about 580 feet
higher than its lowest points along the hardwood-lined
creekbottoms, “the Ponderosa” features an array of
habitat.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission acquired
the property in 1965, and it was immediately popular
with hunters. After all, that was just three years after the
reintroduction of the Merriam’s subspecies of wild turkey
had taken hold in the Pine Ridge and the Commission
initiated the first hunting season for the species.
Greg Schenbeck, a wildlife biologist who recently retired
from his post of managing the property, said turkeys are just
one of many species that enjoy the range of habitat, which
includes Squaw Creek and two other unnamed streams. A
total of 13 food plots, two water catchment systems and a
solar well add to the offerings enjoyed by wildlife.
Both whitetails and mule deer are harvested on the
property. Elk are known to traverse it on occasion, and
44 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
bighorn sheep inhabit the rough country on the north end
that includes Crown Butte.
Other game species at Ponderosa include sharp-tailed
grouse, dove, rabbit and squirrel. Bobcats and red foxes are
also observed on the property. Furthermore, skilled anglers
might harvest a brook trout along the narrow banks of
Squaw Creek.
Birders also frequent the area, enjoying sightings of
Cassin’s kingbirds, prairie falcons and red crossbills. Among
the Ponderosa’s botanical gems is a native stand of quaking
aspen trees.
The Early Days
Lon Lemmon, who was based at the Ponderosa from
its beginning to his retirement in 2005, has witnessed the
Commission’s entire history of the property, and more. For
much of his employment, Lemmon, his wife Carolyn and
their children lived on site. After retirement, the couple
moved to a house just up the road.
Lemmon’s family also ranched the property prior to its
purchase by the Commission in 1965. Lemmon’s career
with Game and Parks began when the land on which he and
Carolyn were living was offered for sale to the Commission,
later to become Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area.
James Ivins, a banker in Crawford and Harrison and a longtime business partner of Lemmon’s family, had owned the
property. Unfortunately, Ivins was diagnosed with terminal
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 45
Water from a spring
thunderstrom
clings to the petals
of a narrowleaf
beardtongue.
cancer, prompting sale of the land and
the end of a partnership that spanned
five decades.
When Gary Schlichtemeier of
Alliance, who was the Commission’s
wildlife manager in the northwest
district at that time, was looking
for someone to provide day-to-day
maintenance on the new property and
other wildlife management areas in the
Pine Ridge, he approached Lon. Little
did Lon know that he’d be there for
four decades upon taking the job.
Rim of the World
One way to experience the property’s
opulence is to hike Rim of the World
Road, accessible near the property’s
north entrance and surely named for
its grand views at the top. The road
was forged early in the 20th century
as a way for area residents to travel
between the top and bottom of the
ridge as an alternate to the road along
the creek, which often washed out after
heavy rains.
Lemmon said the road remained
open to vehicles when the Commission
assumed ownership of the property, but
was soon closed. Hunting traffic took
its toll during inclement weather and
too many visitors became stuck trying
to navigate the incline.
“We had a little grumbling. The
one I’ll never forget was an older
gentleman,” Lemmon said. “I stopped
at the No. 3 parking area up here and
he came right up out of his vehicle,
came right over and got in my basket.
‘You expect us to walk up and hunt
this thing?’ He really laid it on me.
And he said, ‘That hill there takes the
first two eggs you eat for breakfast to
get up it.’ That’s been called the TwoEgg Hill ever since.”
Rim of the World remains a service
road, and an egg burner.
Wildlife Outpost
As an outpost of the Commission’s
district headquarters in Alliance, the
Ponderosa has long served as a base for
A redheaded woodpecker flies from its
nest at Ponderosa WMA.
Fog hangs among buttes and ponderosa pine trees on a spring morning. The area features about 1,500 acres of green timber.
46 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 47
out some of the pines without doing
catastrophic damage to the forest.
In 2012, the result was not as
positive. The fire that roared across the
Pine Ridge then scorched 1,200 acres
on the Ponderosa – approximately 47
percent of its timber. A backfire lit by
Commission staff along the east side
of Rim of the World Road is credited
for keeping the blaze from spreading
westward. Although many trees were
decimated, the result could have been
much worse.
The Commission is working to
preserve the green timber that remains,
estimated at 1,445 acres. In recent
years, the property has been the subject
of extensive pine thinning, which has
improved the health of the forest and
made it less susceptible to catastrophic
fire. Staff also has worked on projects
to restore the property’s native warmseason grass prairie.
In order to make those projects
happen, the Commission receives
assistance from organizations such as
the Nebraska Environmental Trust,
Nebraska Wild Turkey Federation,
Nebraska Forest Service and Rocky
Mountain Elk Foundation.
The dead trees from 2012’s blaze
continue to fall and the effects on
wildlife are sure to evolve over time.
So far, mule deer are frequently
seen in the burn area and redheaded woodpeckers are especially
conspicuous as they fly among the
standing dead trees. Regardless, the fire
opened some scenic views of the White
Valley to the north.
Of course, at this special historical
piece of property, beautiful views are
in abundance whether up top or down
below. And whether it’s a hunting trip,
or just an excursion to see the best
of the Pine Ridge, visitors are sure to
marvel at what the Ponderosa has to
offer. ■
A red crossbill clings to the branch of a
ponderosa pine tree.
Mule deer fawns and a doe visit an area burned by wildfires at Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area. The photograph was captured
with a camera trap.
wildlife management efforts in the Pine
Ridge.
Situated on the Ponderosa along
Squaw Creek Road is the old ranch
house that Lemmon and his family
lived in while he was manager. Now
having been converted to an office for
Commission wildlife biologists and
technicians, it gets many calls and
visits from hunters in the Pine Ridge
looking for tips.
The Ponderosa office has not only
played a central role for management
of nearby wildlife management areas
but also in research projects of the Pine
Ridge.
Some of the first deer monitoring
projects in Nebraska began there
decades ago. With a wooden box
trap, Lemmon and other staff caught
deer and placed colored streamers on
their ears for future observation. At
Ponderosa, for instance, they placed
orange streamers on the captures. At a
trapping site a little farther east, they
used pea green.
“We put the streamers on in
January or February,” Lemmon
said. “In the fall of that year, one of
those buck mule deer fawns from the
Ponderosa was killed north of Lusk
(Wyoming) and one of the bucks
wearing a pea green one was killed
near Oshkosh.”
Presently, the area has been central
to the Commission’s mountain lion
research efforts and was the site of the
first cougar captured and collared in the
Pine Ridge. Of course, the GPS collars
used in today’s monitoring efforts are
48 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
much different from methods used to
track wildlife in the beginning.
Hot Topics
Similar to so much of the Pine
Ridge, the Ponderosa has had a close
relationship with fire – some of it even
positive.
In the early 1980s, the Ponderosa
was the site of what still stands as the
largest successful prescribed burn in
the Pine Ridge. Agency staff burned
1,200 acres, improving the health of
the forest and plant community.
In 2000 wildfire struck 215 acres on
the property’s west portion. Although
considered a misfortune at the time,
Schenbeck said the fire’s effects
were largely beneficial as it thinned
With a thunderstorm moving in overhead, hoary vervain and wilting purple coneflower seem to be waiting for a dose of moisture
at this northwestern Nebraska area. The property has been managed to feature native plant diversity.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 49
Major: Fish and Wildlife
From 101 to Ph.D., Nebraska’s colleges and universities play a vital role in developing professionals
who serve wildlife and fisheries.
By Justin Haag
I
t may be common for students’ thoughts to turn to the
outdoors during a lecture, but some are fortunate enough
to do so under the teacher’s direction. They include the
next generation of wildlife and fisheries professionals,
many of whom are earning degrees at Nebraska colleges
and universities.
While growing up on the family farm and ranch near
Berwyn, Lacey Clarke did not dream she would someday be
handling wild greater sage grouse in Montana or researching
exotic birds in Australia, but her studies have led her to those
experiences and more.
“I love wildlife and the outdoors, so choosing wildlife
management was pretty easy for me,” said Clarke, who earned
a degree from Chadron State College in 2015.
Clarke is one of the many graduates of what have become
popular fields of study for college students – wildlife or
fisheries management. The programs are not only filling a
need to provide an educated work force for agencies that
manage lands and natural resources, but are serving as a key
career step for those who are passionate about the outdoors.
At about 200 undergraduate students and another 50
graduate students, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s
fisheries and wildlife program in the School of Natural
Resources serves as the state’s largest program.
Larkin Powell, professor in the School of Natural
Resources, said programs such as these are vital to people’s
essential role of caring for the planet.
“Fisheries and wildlife education prepares students to meet
the challenges of a world that is increasingly responsive
to preserving fisheries and wildlife habitat, protecting
threatened and endangered species, and the thoughtful
management and conservation of natural ecosystems,” he
said. “Without new generations of students learning to not
only appreciate natural resources, but to also understand how
to manage and protect them, we would slowly continue to
lose unique habitats and species.”
The university offered its first course in wildlife
management in 1948 and the program has grown to offer
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN HAAG
Chadron State College students join Commission staff and volunteers to release a bighorn sheep ewe back to the wild after
equipping it with a new radio collar near Chadron State Park this winter. Pictured are Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner Rick
Brandt; students Wyatt Helton, Josh Kling and Travis Millikan; and Commission staff members Todd Nordeen and Justin Powell.
50 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
seven career-oriented options. They are wildlife ecology and
management, fisheries ecology and management, conservation
biology, zoo animal care, habitat management, law
enforcement, and nature-based entrepreneurship. In addition,
many students seeking graduate level degrees perform
research projects with the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and
Wildlife Research Unit administered by the university.
A much younger program than that of UNL’s, but also
“wildly” popular, is that of Chadron State College in the
northern Panhandle. While most college wildlife and fisheries
programs are offered as part of the school’s science offerings,
the wildlife management curriculum at Chadron State is part
of the rangeland management studies – at about 60 students
the program consists of about half the school’s rangeland
majors. It began in 2003.
Teresa Frink, the professor who leads Chadron State’s
program, said the knowledge of plants and soils offered in the
rangeland curriculum comes in handy for graduates when they
take on a land management role.
“Contrary to what many people believe, most wildlife
biologists do not spend their days riding horses to count
elk and capturing grizzly bear cubs,” Frink said. “Wildlife
biologists spend the majority of their time and their resources
on habitat management for wildlife.”
Colleges and universities see value in hands-on projects to
get their students outdoors. The experiences for students are as
varied as the state’s landscape and wildlife diversity.
“Most of the upper level courses are very much hands-on,”
said Mark Pegg of the UNL faculty. “We use aquatic and
terrestrial resources both close to campus and across the state
to show our students how to best perform the task at hand.
Often this also includes close interaction with NGPC and
other agencies thus providing unique opportunities for our
students that also includes networking with biologists.”
At Chadron State, students have helped the Commission
handle bighorn sheep and wild turkeys during captures, staff
deer check stations, and build water-catchment systems at
Pine Ridge wildlife management areas. In the lab, they have
observed necropsies of a variety of western species, including
mountain lions, swift fox and bighorn sheep.
Opportunities at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
involve the study of the sandhill crane migration each spring
semester. Conservation areas such as the Crane Trust, the
Nature Conservancy and Rowe Sanctuary provide prime
venues to learn and work.
Wayne State College students have worked on projects on
Biologically Unique Landscapes identified in Nebraska’s
wildlife action plan, but also traveled outside Nebraska to
study stream ecology in Mongolia and beach mice in Florida.
Most of the programs also have club opportunities, such as
student chapters of The Wildlife Society, to become further
involved and develop leadership.
Many institutions are recognizing these programs’
importance and investing toward them. For example, UNL
has multiple off-campus sites used by students throughout the
year, such as the Nine-Mile Prairie near Lincoln and Cedar
Megan Rust, Chadron State College student, carries a wild
turkey captured on private property in northern Sheridan
County that was later transported to Montana for release.
Point Biological Station near Ogallala.
In fall 2015, CSC completed the construction of the
Rangeland Complex with new plant and animal labs to
complement more than 200 acres of outdoor lab space right
outside the door.
UNK has several vehicles used specifically for field trips for
wildlife courses and undergraduate research projects, and Peru
State College has two boats for aquatic work.
Professors agree the job market is competitive for graduates,
but students who put forth solid effort and are flexible with
geographic placement almost always find jobs – especially
those who take the extra step and get a master’s degree.
Many of the graduates are hired by land management
and conservation agencies such as the Natural Resource
Conservation Service, the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, Pheasants Forever,
Ducks Unlimited and the Bureau of Land Management.
Dustin Ranglack, professor at UNK, said the work is
important regardless of the employer.
“Wildlife and fisheries are a public trust resource, meaning
that they belong to all of us and are managed and conserved
for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said.
“The status of wildlife and fisheries populations – how many
there are, how fast they’re growing, etc. – indicates the health
of the environment in which we live.”
Whether graduates become wildlife biologists, range
conservationists, agriculture producers, or pretty much
anything else, you can bet their education will serve them,
and our planet, well. “One of my favorite students became
a Catholic priest, which shows the breadth of influence that
our students have after leaving our program,” Powell said.
“Can you imagine a person better prepared to talk about the
stewardship of our earth?” ■
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 51
Swarms of Locusts and Other Plagues
A folklorist’s view of a scientific phenomena.
By Roger Welsch
W
hen I was a tad, back in
Paleolithic times, I may not
have understood famine
and plagues of frogs, but
I sure got the idea when it
came to clouds of locusts – with some
misunderstanding on my part, to be
sure, about exactly what was meant
by “locusts.” I imagined those great,
clunky beasts that shatter a summer’s
night with their buzzing, slamming into
Pharaoh’s armies and wiping them out
by bodily impact alone. And heavens
forfend, what if the attack came late
afternoon along the Nile, say maybe
August around 6 p.m., Central Standard
Time?! The ear-ripping buzz would be
enough to send anyone fleeing to the
deepest depths of the pyramids. In fact,
maybe that’s why they built them, I
thought!
I was genuinely disappointed, if for
no other reason in the fearsomeness
of Pharaoh’s armies, when I found
out the locusts in question were mere
grasshoppers, which Tut or Rameses
or one of those guys could easily have
defeated with a counter force of a
couple biddy hens and chicks. (When
we made our permanent move out
here to the edge of the Great American
Desert in 1987, we were beset by
grasshoppers. They ate all our flowers
and shrubbery and even the curtains off
the window in the outhouse. Seriously.
We put two biddy hens and their chicks
to work and soon grasshoppers were an
endangered species and the chickens
were foraging hundreds of yards away
from the house searching for survivors.
Linda and I got to the point where we
felt sorry for the hoppers and protected
a couple in jars full of foliage just in
case they went totally extinct.)
Now, cicadas – that we called
“locusts” in our primal innocence – are
truly another beast, not as destructive
perhaps as biblical locusts but no
less creepy when you’re a kid. Like
bumblebees, on those occasions when
they attempt flight, it seems to be a
kind of mad hurling of their massive
52 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
bodies into the air with utter abandon,
without a lot of pre-planning for a safe
landing or, for that matter, what lies in
their direct trajectory. Like me. Being
dive-bombed by a hell-bound cicada is
not just an unpleasant surprise, it can
be downright bruising.
And then there’s that “song” that
shatters the peace of a summer
evening for all the world like someone
lighting up a chainsaw behind the
shrubbery surrounding the patio just
about the time I take that first sip of
a cold gin and tonic and settle in to
admire the calm of country living in
Nebraska. Really? That’s an attractive
ballad to other locusts? Well, there’s
no accounting for taste: Linda likes
country music and I still love her, so ...
Well, there you are.
Despite their, uh – I’m trying to be
kind here – bad manners, Bob Dylan
vocals, and outright scary looks (Linda
tells me), cicadas are remarkable
creatures, exiting their earthly
nurseries after long years of magical
transformations in the moist, gloomy
dark, leaving their creepy exoskeletons
stuck to trees, walls, and, gulp, tool
handles anywhere they decide to
change their bony clothes.
Maybe part of my childhood
misunderstandings about how much
of a threat cicadas pose arose from
the armies of cicada sheddings Billy
Danek and I assembled in the Roger
and Billy Garage Museum on South
12th Street in Lincoln. We scoured the
neighborhood for cicada “shells” and
gathered them into rival armies facing
off on the fields of some alien planet.
An army of Star Wars robots is nothing
compared to ranks and rows of cicada
exoskeletons!
The science of the cicada is
remarkable; for example, take a
look at this one fact appearing in the
Wikipedia entry for “cicada”: “It has
been found that bacteria landing on
the wing surface are not repelled,
rather their membranes are torn apart
by the nanoscale-sized spikes, making
the wing surface the first-known
biomaterial that can kill bacteria.”
I’m having second thoughts about
that Pharaoh’s army thing!
Moreover, unlike crickets and a lot
of other bugs, cicadas don’t vibrate or
rasp body parts to make their “song”
(which can be heard a mile away and
can actually damage human hearing),
which is to say, they don’t practice
“stridulation” but instead “vibrate their
drum-like tymbals.” Which brings
us to yet another reason why I am a
folklorist and not a scientist.
I prefer a good story to big words
like “stridulation” and “tymbals.”
A folktale in Dannebrog, where we
live, tells of the elderly couple sitting
on their front porch swing, enjoying
the sounds of a small town summer
evening … cicadas and the church
choir practicing just down a street a
ways. Thinking of the hymn in the air,
granny says, “Isn’t that the sweetest
sound of summer?” Her less romantical
husband, hearing only the cicadas,
opines, “Yep. I hear they make that
sound by rubbing their legs together.”
I think that was the occasion when
Mrs. Nielsen punched Lars so hard she
broke his arm. ■
Roger Welsch is
an author, humorist,
folklorist and a
former essayist for
CBS News Sunday
Morning. He is the
author of more than
40 books.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 53
54 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 55
Presented by
Our Best Defense is a Solid Offense
A Bucket of Turtles
N
By Jeff Kurrus
“J
the remains of its egg in a hole beneath
it.
I ran through the house, not even
seeming to question why I was as
excited as I was, but was told by my
wife Laura that I was not to wake up
the kids. “If there are 25 other eggs
in there, there will be plenty to see
tomorrow,” she said.
56 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
She was right.
For the next two days, my kids,
their friends, and these kids’ parents
gathered around that white bucket
repeatedly, searching for any inkling
of movement from the earth. Each new
hatchling was greeted with cheers as
our little square of suburbia turned into
something akin to what they’d see in a
wildlife documentary.
And with these cheers came the
questions: “How big do they get?” “Are
they boys or girls?” “How long will
they live?” and “Can they fit in their
shells?” were some of the questions I
received. Some of which I knew, and
some I had to go to Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission Education
Specialist Monica Macoubrie to
answer.
While these snapping turtle
hatchlings were about the size of a
golf ball, I knew that they could grow
up to weigh more than 90 pounds and
live for 100 years. Known for their
aggression and ability to bite with their
powerful, beak-like mouth, this turtle
species cannot fit its head inside its
shell at any point during its life. Thus,
it “snaps” to defend itself.
Regarding its gender,
Macoubrie passed along
that differentiating is tough
because males and females
are about the same size,
but the vent is much farther
away from the edge of the
plastron than that of the
female.
I also received one other
question throughout the
coming days that I wanted
the answer to: what was
the sharp, white object
on the tip of each turtle’s
snout? “It’s what they call
an ‘egg tooth,’” Macoubrie
said. “This is a point on the
hatchling’s snout used to
break through the eggshell
when hatching. After
several days, it will fall
off.”
When given the answers, the
growing number of neighborhood
kids remained fascinated, and it is a
fascination that had remained constant
since last September when they saw the
hatchlings for the first time.
Today, we still have 18 snapping
turtles. They’ve been used in
educational settings in multiple school
districts and shown to seemingly every
kid within a mile radius of our home.
And they are, quite possibly, the easiest
pet we’ve ever had.
Which is why we just can’t seem to
release them back to Vinduska’s place
like he has asked us to do when we’re
done with them.
Because we’re not quite finished
learning yet. ■
the Prairie Bowmen), dog retrieving
please consider joining Safari Club
and exhibition shooting.
International and/or attending a local
Not without irony, the volunteers had chapter event. ■
more fun than the kids, or so it seemed!
Young people were eager to tell their
For more information, visit
fishing tales as each child caught a fish. nebraskasafariclubint.com or call Mary
The youngsters had an equal amount
L. Middleton at 402-214-8270.
of enthusiasm working with the
retrieving
dogs and were
enthralled with
the shooting
exhibition.
Our fight to
build our hunting
community can
be won by taking
interest in our
young people.
If you would
like to be part
of a dynamic
organization that
promotes youth
The “Take a Kid Outside” event was held at the Pheasant
hunting and
Bonanza Hunt Club and Kennels. Young people were engaged in
outdoor education, archery as well as many other outdoor activities.
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 57
PHOTO
PHOT
O COURTESY
CO
COURTE
URTESY
URTE
SY OF
OF SAFARI
SAFARI CLUB
CLUB INTERNATIONAL
IN
INTERN
TERNATIO
TERN
ATIONAL
ATIO
NAL
ebraskans understand the
importance of having a solid
offense when it comes to football,
volleyball and baseball. This theory
applies to outdoor education as well.
As we face the fact that each new
generation pulls in fewer hunters and
outdoorsmen and women than the
previous generation, we must try to
preserve our hunting heritage.
The most effective way to fight this
is by introducing young people to
the outdoors. Whether it is through
hiking, hunting, fishing, birdwatching,
archery, or a simple walk on a trail, we
must actively engage young people in
outdoor activities.
Nebraska Safari Club International
strives to develop programs that
promote outdoor education along with
preserving our hunting legacy. On June
9 the organization held its first annual
“Take a Kid Outside” event at Pheasant
Bonanza Hunt Club and Kennels.
While at the event, young people were
engaged in fishing, archery (thanks to
Snappers in suburbia provide learning opportunities for all ages.
eff, I have a bucket for you to pick
up,” the voice on the other end of
the line said.
“On my way,” I replied, having
no idea what was actually in that
bucket. But it didn’t matter. When
Jarel Vinduska of Gretna calls me to
pick up a bucket, or photograph shellleaf penstemon, or take a look at the
carp running up his creek
channel, I get in the truck
and go.
Vinduska has been
a longtime friend of
NEBRASKAland Magazine,
having pointed me in the
direction of many photo
opportunities through
the years, so the invite to
his home was already a
delightful call. Then he
added to it. “Bring your
kids,” he said.
When the three of us
showed up at his house,
he walked out the front
door and grabbed a white
bucket from his driveway.
“Turtle eggs,” he said. My
daughter Madeline clapped
her hands as she looked
into the bucket and saw a
pile of dirt. “Spray the top of the dirt
with water for the next week, and then
watch what happens.”
“Jarel, how many are in there?” I
asked.
“Twenty-six,” he replied. “I was
moving dirt with the dozer and they
started falling out of the pile near the
pond.”
For the next six days, my kids did
exactly what was asked of them,
spraying the top of the dirt with a water
bottle to keep the soil moist,
and steadily watching the unmoving
dirt.
Then, one evening after finishing
another photoshoot, I checked in the
bucket as I had every other day. On
this night, there was a snapping turtle
hatchling standing on top of the dirt,
NEBRASKA SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL
▲
Steve Van Meter, my dad (on the left), and Sam Spearman with
a stringer of catfish caught on the Platte River south of Wood River
back in 1974. Steve went to high school in Arapahoe, and Sam
was originally from Ainsworth. They became friends while attending
Kearney State Teacher’s College. Steve went on to a long career as
Elementary Principal at Gibbon, Nebraska, while Sam spent most
of his career teaching elementary physical education with Papillion
Public Schools. Steve was a lifetime hunter and fisherman, and
while he is no longer with us, he passed on that love of the outdoors
to me and my daughters.
– Nate Van Meter, Bennet, Nebraska
▲
A unique glimpse of Indian Cave back on Oct. 28, 1905, complete
with carvings and petroglyphs.
Standing (right) is Emma Miller, my aunt. Standing (left) is
Caroline Greenwald Miller (sister-in-law of Emma). The woman
seated is a family friend, Edna Weber. All three were from Falls City
and drove a buggy to Indian Cave that day for an adventure.
– Fred Miller, Walton, Nebraska
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.
58 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 59
Ponderosa Wildlife
Management Area
The Frank & Mabel Ehlers Addition
Legacy of Commission employee lives on in public trust.
By Justin Haag
Frank Ehlers, shown here during one of the Commission’s early bighorn sheep captures, was a longtime Commission employee
based at Ponderosa Wildlife Management Area – which now features an addition with his name.
H
unters and others exploring
a portion of creekbottom
at Ponderosa Wildlife
Management Area near
Crawford do so as part of the
legacy of a Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission employee who once lived
on that land.
The easily accessible 40-acre
“Frank & Mabel Ehlers Addition” to
the wildlife area includes more than
a quarter-mile of Squaw Creek, the
coldwater stream that runs below
towering cottonwoods and other
deciduous trees. The property, which
was added to the Ponderosa in 2016,
pays tribute to longtime fixtures in the
Ponderosa neighborhood.
Not long after the Commission
purchased the Ponderosa in 1965,
Ehlers was hired to join Gary
Schlichtemeier and Lon Lemmon to
manage the property and other wildlife
areas in the Pine Ridge. He worked
for the Commission from 1967 to his
retirement in 1986. Frank and Mabel
died in 1993 and 2006, respectively.
Ehlers became known for his
ingenuity at building traps and other
tools for wildlife management projects.
He had a reputation for working hard,
in spite of not joining the Commission
until he was 50 years old.
“Frank didn’t have a lot of formal
education, but he was an absolute
engineer,” Lemmon said.
The Ehlers also had a deep affection
for wildlife, especially the hundreds of
60 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
wild turkeys that thrived on their place.
“Frank and Mabel loved the land,
and Frank loved his job,” said Greg
Schenbeck, who recently retired as a
land manager for the Commission.
The Ehlers property, along with a
320-acre school lease, has increased
the size of the wildlife area from its
original 3,660 acres to 4,020. The
family, which includes children Sharyn
and Roy, donated a portion of the
addition. The National Wild Turkey
Federation provided funding for the
purchase and Cameco Resources
released its uranium interests in the
land.
More information about the wildlife
area may be found starting on page 42
of this month’s NEBRASKAland. ■
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 61
Here’s Your Sign
S
ometimes nature sends obvious
signs about what a person should
not touch. Cacti, yucca plants,
porcupines and rattlesnakes
have signals akin to a flashing
billboard. Then there are more devious
dangers such rash-inducing urushiol on
unassuming poison ivy plants. I am not
sure where the subject of the following
story fits into that spectrum, but I now
know I should have been paying a little
closer attention to some signs.
“Ohhh, look at the fuzzy caterpillar,”
my 10-year-old daughter Kiera said
with excitement, as the striking yellowgreen specimen with a conspicuous
series of black spikes of hair on its
back marched down a tree trunk at our
Fort Robinson State Park campsite.
I am no entomologist, but the talent
scout in me took one glance at this
peculiar looking larva and knew it
was destined to become a model. I let
the caterpillar crawl on to my hand to
keep it from escaping the scene – so
focused on getting photos that I did
not quite catch some words Kiera was
relating to me about many caterpillars
being poisonous. I detained the fuzzy
creature long enough for an impromptu
photo shoot.
After photos, I searched the
Internet for “yellow green caterpillar
with spikes.” I soon learned the
American dagger moth (Acronicta
americana) caterpillar has an incredible
characteristic I wish I had known a few
minutes earlier. It’s poisonous.
“That’s what I said!” Kiera
exclaimed, as her dad stood in front
of the popup camper reading excerpts
from the article with a dumb look on
his face. Yes, at that point I realized
those spikes on the caterpillar’s back,
and the words from my daughter, might
have been trying to tell me something.
Remarkably, the hairs of the dagger
moth caterpillar are hollow and contain
toxins that cause a reaction on a
person’s skin when they break off. It is
more of a delayed thing like poison ivy
than an instant sting like a bee or wasp,
so there is no immediate deterrent
to keep a person from handling the
caterpillar.
Oh, but I figured I was in the clear
because I was careful to not mess up
the caterpillar’s hair for its big-time
photo shoot. No petting, no coddling,
just a hike up and down my arm.
It was not long, however, until the
itching commenced and a little red
rash appeared on my index finger
at the point the caterpillar climbed
aboard. Nothing major, for sure, but an
annoyance.
62 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018
I know what you are thinking; it
serves me right. One should always
be careful handling things they do not
know about regardless of how fuzzy
they appear or how cool the photos will
look.
A little later, after our attention had
turned from the caterpillar to other
campsite business, a brutal scene
caught my attention from the corner
of my eye. A ferocious predator to the
insect world, a Turdus migratorius
(commonly known as the American
robin) was mercilessly pecking away
at the same caterpillar that had just
been the subject of my photos. Whether
or not that bird had a nasty case of
heartburn later, I do not know. Maybe
my daughter knows.
I guess that caterpillar, similar to me,
had to learn a lesson the hard way that
day: It’s a jungle out there. ■
This article
originally
appeared on the
NEBRASKAland
Magazine blog
“Afield and
Afloat.”
Justin Haag
August 18, 2016
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 63
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