Volume 96, Issue 9, 2018
November 2018
- Identifier:
- nela.2018_096_09
- Title:
- Volume 96, Issue 9, 2018
- Issue Name:
- November 2018
- Date Issued:
- 2018-11-01
- year:
- 2018
- month:
- November
- Season:
- Autumn
- PDF filename:
- NL_96.09_2018_Nov_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 096
- issue:
- 09
- number:
- 096.09
- Decade:
- 2010s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
Publis hed by the Nebr a s k a Ga m e a nd Pa r k s C o m m is s ion si nc e 1926
NEBRASKAland
November 2018
IIn
n thi
this
is iissue
ssue
e
The Rut
Rachel Wachter of Lincoln carries her compound bow during an archery hunt at Oak Glen
Wildlife Management Area in Seward County. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
Myths, Facts and
How to Hunt
See page 18
NebraskalandMagazine.com
$4.95
PLUS
A Two-Day Upland Slam ● Time Well Spent
Nebraska’s Endangered Swift Fox ● Travel to Cass County
DiVentures ● Twyla Hansen – State Poet ● Portraits from the Past
NEBRASKAland Magazine
Volume 96
GE T
PU M PED
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No. 9
No
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November
b 201
2018
18
F EAT U R ES . . .
18 The Rut
BY JEFF KURRUS
26 Time Well Spent
What to Do in November
BY RENAE BLUM
Slam ... in Two Days
28 AnB Upland
J K
Y EFF
URRUS
34 Twyla Hansen
The Intersection of Nature and Poetry
BY RENAE BLUM
40 Diving Nebraska
STORY BY CARA PESEK, PHOTOS BY ERIC FOWLER
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E ...
From Our Readers – Letters, Comments, Etc. .......... 4
Mixed Bag – Threatened and Endangered – the Swift
Fox, Travel to Cass County, A Brief History of Horse
28
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18
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34
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Railways, Upcoming Events and more............................... 6
Upland season is calling. It echoes from the shell pushed into the chamber
Page 49 – Rock Steady ................................................ 44
In the Kitchen – Venison Chili ................................. 48
Portraits from the Past – Readers' Photos ............. 50
The Last Stop – Dogged Work ................................. 54
and pulses in the stock tucked firmly into your shoulder. Whether it’s pheasants,
quail or grouse, Nebraska has the mixed-bag opportunities you’re looking for.
Answer the call. Experience Nebraska upland hunting.
O N TH E W EB . . .
To see additional NEBRASKAland content
including photos, videos and articles, visit
Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/digital.
Cover: A white-tailed buck is in the midst of rubbing the last of
the velvet from his antlers as his body prepares for the rut.
Story on page 18. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
BIRD HUNT NEBRASKA
GROUSE: SEPT. 1, 2018 – JAN. 31, 2019
PHEASANT AND QUAIL: OCT. 27, 2018 – JAN. 31, 2019
NEBRASKAland (VOL. 96 / NO. 9 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.
40
●
Begin your adventure today and get your permit at BirdHuntNebraska.com
2 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 3
Instagram Featured Photo
Jessa Karlberg (@cinch920) of Sumner
took this image of a roundup in central
Nebraska. Follow us (@nebraskaland)
and tag us in your photos to be
featured in an upcoming issue.
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
Eric Wellman of Lincoln took this photo
of Smith Falls last autumn.
Pam Anderson calls this
photo "After Glow," which
was taken at Yankee Hill
Wildlife Management Area
near Lincoln.
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, Ryan Sparks, 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
CO
COM
C
OM
OMMIS
MIS
SSIO
S ON O
SI
OFFICES
FF
FFI
FICES
C S
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
Karen Smith of Omaha shared this photo
of a male cardinal taken at Chalco Hills
Recreation Area.
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 • NOVEMBER 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
Kelsey Glodowski
(Box Butte, S 1/2 Sheridan, Grant)
308-763-8226
Sean McKeehan
(Kimball, Banner, Scotts Bluff)
308-279-9133
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.)
402-641-9590
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
Mike Thome (Dawson)
308-529-8146
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine) 308-870-0322
Taylor Dixon
(Dawson, N 1/2 Gosper, N 1/2 Phelps)
308-217-2108
Eric Javins
(Adams, Clay, Nuckolls, Webster)
402-902-2017
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
402-806-0915
Matt Seitz (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)
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 5
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
NEBRASKA'S THREATENED AND
ENDANGERED SPECIES
By Melissa Panella, Wildlife Biologist
Nose to the wind, stealthily still, he looks onward
cautiously while trying to avoid the threat he hears nearby.
The moment he senses that he’s been discovered, he bolts
out of sight, far enough away to seek the safety of cover.
Many of us, or perhaps our pet dogs, have felt the excitement
of seeing a red or gray fox’s fluffy tail and perked ears as it
runs across a park or even our lawn, but fewer of us have had
the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the species known as
the swift fox, Vulpes velox.
The swift fox is a state endangered species that constructs
dens, or modifies burrows of other animals, to use as earthen
shelters year-round in the shortgrass prairies of western
Nebraska. It is much smaller than its wild canine cousins in
the state; in fact, it can claim fame as the smallest native canid
in North America. Most adult swift foxes weigh little more
than 5 pounds, significantly lighter than the average dog.
Indeed "swift," they may run at speeds up to 40 mph. Their
diets consists of wild berries, seeds, mice, insects, and other
small prey. Some farmers enjoy seeing them, largely because
much of a swift fox’s diet consists of pests to agriculture.
Fur records from the late 19th century indicate
that swift foxes were once a common part of the
6 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
wildlife community in the Great Plains. But over time,
unregulated harvest, loss of habitat, poisoning and a
disruption in the food web likely as a result of too many
potent pesticides, led to a decline in numbers of swift
fox.
Biologists have been monitoring swift foxes in Nebraska
to better understand their locations and behaviors. On-theground conservation projects include the removal of invasive
trees and shrubs from the prairie, prescribed fire and
strategic grazing plans, which are all actions that maintain
healthy grasslands and can also benefit long-term ranching
operations in western Nebraska.
Drivers can reduce the number of mortalities of foxes by
using caution in areas where they are known to live. Swift
foxes are vulnerable when they are scavenging roadkill,
either on the roadway or in adjacent ditches. It is also
important to release any swift foxes that are accidentally
trapped and follow all trapping regulations.
Swift foxes were extirpated from parts of their native
range, but conservation efforts in Nebraska and elsewhere,
including Montana, South Dakota, and southern Canada, are
helping to restore them in the Great Plains. ■
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 7
Travelogue
Travelogue Sponsor
Travel to Cass County
Cass County
By Erin Lenz, Nebraska Tourism Commission
S
oak up the last bits of fall and
transition into the holiday season
in Cass County. Enjoy all that
nature has to offer, try Nebraska
cuisine and learn about the rich
history of this county.
Take in the colors, sights and sounds
of fall in one of the many naturefilled spaces of Cass County. Bike,
hike or view wildlife on the 25-mile,
crushed limestone MoPac Trail. Head
to Eugene T. Mahoney State Park and
stay in one of their many cabins or
the Peter Kiewit Lodge that boasts
stunning views of the Platte River
Valley. Ice skating is a must starting in
mid-November and make sure to spend
the first snow of the season at Mahoney
State Park at the large sledding hill.
Mountain bike or bird watch on the miles
of beautiful trails offered at Platte River
State Park and enjoy the great outdoors.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKA TOURISM
Do
Learn about one of Nebraska’s finest
writers, Bess Streeter Aldrich, by
touring her home in Elmwood. Hear
more about her writings, get a history
of her home and a taste of what life
was like when she lived there from
1922-1946. Make sure and stop by
Nov. 24 through December for the
Journey into Christmas exhibit at
the home. History takes flight at the
Strategic Air Command and Aerospace
8 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTOS BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
Explore
Above, glamping cabin at Platte River State Park. Below left, the Tribal Kitchen and
Marketplace in Weeping Water.
Museum, where you can explore
300,000 square feet of exhibits such as
the temporary Game On: The History
and Science of Gaming exhibit. See a
variety of aircrafts and space crafts and
take a ride on their flight simulators.
RSVP to the museum’s Veteran’s Day
program on Nov. 11 and help honor
America’s military veterans. Make a
trip to Elmwood on Nov. 24 for the
Elmwood Holiday Extravaganza and
enjoy a light parade, craft show and
more.
Eat & Drink
Relax and enjoy the vineyard
ambience at Slattery Vintage Estates.
Sip on a glass of Nebraska wine like
James Arthur’s 2 Brothers white
wine or Whiskey Run Creek’s Apple
Raspberry fruit wine and take home
a bottle of your favorite. Not too far
away from Slattery is Union Orchard’s
Country Store and Farm Market.
Sample additional Nebraska wines
or choose from a wide selection of
cheeses, baked goods, popcorn, jams
and jellies. Drink local craft beer
surrounded by fields of hops at The
Hop Yard in Plattsmouth. Sit down
with a coffee and warm cinnamon roll
and enjoy breakfast or lunch at Tribal
Kitchen and Marketplace in Weeping
Water.
Stay
Surround yourself with nature and
have a relaxing and luxurious stay in
the new glamping cabins at Platte River
State Park. Not interested in glamping?
Book a room at Bankers House Bed
and Breakfast and stay in an old Queen
Anne Victorian home built in 1883.
Shop
With Christmas right around the
corner, pick out a special gift at one of
these stops. Head to Bakers Candies
and find a gift for your friend with a
big sweet tooth. Buy their signature
chocolate meltaways, chocolate fudge,
chocolate-covered potato chip clusters
and more.
Sticking to the theme of food gifts,
The Jerky Factory in Plattsmouth sells
hand-sliced and seasoned-to-perfection,
high-quality jerky, perfect for a tasty
gift.
Located on I-80, pick out a oneof-a-kind authentic antique or older
collectible at Platte Valley Antique
Mall.
While most of Grandpa Snazzy’s
in Weeping Water is a theatrical
rental shop, the front 30 feet of the
historically restored Victorian building
is dedicated to a coffee house and gift
shop with unique gifts and antiques. ■
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 9
A Brief History
Horse Railways
By History Nebraska (Nebraska State Historical Society)
efore electric streetcars, many cities used horse
railways. They appeared in several Nebraska cities in
the 1880s during a statewide urban real estate boom.
In Hastings, for example, the owners of one of the
new subdivisions boasted street cars on three sides of their
land, and the cars on one line bore the sign “Dawes and
Foss Addition.” Similar situations prevailed at Beatrice,
Columbus, Nebraska City, Norfolk, Grand Island, Kearney,
Red Cloud, South Sioux City, Wymore, and York.
The promotion of horsecar lines was not limited to real
estate salesmen and investors. News items and editorials
indicate that rival towns viewed expanded street railways as
a matter of civic pride. In Nebraska’s small cities, adequate
patronage for a street railway was provided, if at all, by a
park, an important institution, or perhaps a railway station
some distance from the business district. In Omaha, Norfolk,
Red Cloud, and Wymore, the principal railway stations
were at least a mile from town. In fact, the horsecar lines
in Norfolk, South Sioux City, Wymore, and Red Cloud had
little else to justify them.
As a passenger clambered aboard a horsecar (usually
at the front platform) the driver held the horses still, and
the passenger was expected to drop his nickel or celluloid
“check” into the fare box. As the car lumbered along, an
occasional passenger would “pull the bells” and prepare
B
As seen on Kearney’s Central Avenue in 1891, electric streetcars
began to replace the horse-drawn kind, but horsecars continued
to be used for many years. History Nebraska RG2178-20
to alight. In Omaha two bells meant “stop immediately”
(even in the middle of a block); one bell meant “stop at the
next crossing.” The car seats, made of wood, were benches
paralleling the sides of the car, thus causing each passenger
to look across the car into the faces of passengers seated
opposite him. Early cars were without heat (though in winter
they did have straw on the floor).
Horses were usually used in pairs. The day was divided
Horse-drawn streetcars in Lincoln, ca. 1881. History Nebraska RG2158-798c
into three shifts with the assignment of about 14 miles
for each team. Faster transit was constantly being sought.
Horsecars were operated irregularly or not at all in various
Nebraska towns after 1889. One was operated north of
Lincoln to Belmont as late as 1906. In Nebraska City the
last horsecar made its final run to Morton Park during
Chautauqua week in 1910. In Red Cloud they continued to
meet all the trains until 1918. ■
Visit History Nebraska’s website at history.nebraska.gov.
“Don’t this make you think of home.” Nebraska City, ca. 1910. History Nebraska RG3267-1-12
10 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 11
12 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 13
Options for November Anglers
14 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTO COURTESY OF DARYL BAUER
By Jeff Kurrus
because the fish don’t react as much to the cold,” said Bauer.
Places like Lake Ogallala can be hotspots to catch fish with
Fish pack on weight in the fall to prepare for the winter
traditional trout fishing gear, including spinners and flies.
and the following spring spawn. At the same time, their
This time of the year can be a true transition time for fish,
metabolism begins to slow as the water cools. This makes
but it doesn’t have to be for anglers. Whether you fish for
November a great time to catch fat, beautiful fish.
warm or coldwater species, start by looking for stable areas in
Traditionally, fish begin moving closer to deeper water
their environment. When you find those, you’ll find fish. ■
where they’ll spend the winter. Above them in the shallows,
the wind adds to the turbidity of the water,
which along with the lowering temperatures,
affects their activity.
Because of these factors, anglers should look
for fish by vertical jigging in or near deeper
water. “On a reservoir, vertical jigging with a
baitfish imitation is great because alewives and
other baitfish are becoming stressed because
of the lowering temperatures,” said Daryl
Bauer, the Nebraska Game and Parks fisheries
outreach program manager. The raising and
lowering of jigs mimics the action of these
fish, while allowing anglers to leave it in the
face of the fish longer. Fishing slow –
unless the fish dictate otherwise – is the
key.
Another option for November is fishing for
coldwater species like trout.
Daryl Bauer holds a channel catfish he caught during the fall at Merritt
“Our streams can be great in November
Reservoir while vertical jigging.
UNL Hunting Equipment Rental
by Jerry Kane
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.
November 1
Raccoon, Opossum, Long-tailed
Weasel, Mink, Red Fox, Gray
Fox and Badger
Fort Robinson SP, Crawford
hunting and trapping seasons open
Lincoln
November 1
Muskrat and Beaver Trapping
November 9
Rail Hunting
season opens
season closes
November 3
Turkey Trot
November 10-11
Autumn Harvest Art Show
Wildcat Hills Nature Center, Gering
Eugene T. Mahoney SP, Ashland
November 3
Candlelight Tour
November 10-18
Deer Hunting
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
(SHP), Fort Calhoun
firearm deer and restricted
statewide buck seasons
November 3-4
River Valley Artisan Craft
Market
November 16-18, 23-25, 30
Christmas at the Mansion
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park (SP),
Ashland
November 27
Bighorn Sheep Hunting
November 5
Woodcock Hunting
season opens
November 5, 7
Growing Up WILD Educator
Workshop
Arbor Lodge SHP, Nebraska City
season closes
Fall fishing with spoons,
slabs and lures for
northern pike at Merritt
Reservoir in Cherry
County.
16 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
Safety First
By Jeff Kurrus
For those afield this month, hunter
orange is the greatest asset to staying
safe. “Since the introduction of
blaze hunter orange,” said Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission Hunter
Education Coordinator Jackson Ellis,
“hunting incidents have gone down
about 80 percent.”
Hunter orange is required for all deer
hunters in Nebraska, including archery,
during the nine-day November firearm
season. Hunters must display at least
400 square inches on their chest, head,
and back.
It is also recommended for upland
game hunters, as well as non-hunters
recreating.
Some other ways to stay safe this
hunting season include:
- When climbing a treestand, wear a
safety harness or fall arrest (or lifeline)
system, making sure you’re connected
to the tree the entire time.
- Stay away from homemade stands
by purchasing one approved by the
Treestand Manufacturer’s Association.
- When shooting, identify your
target and make sure you have a safe
backdrop. A bullet shot over a 45
degree angle can travel well over a
mile.
- Use technology to your advantage
by having a charged cell phone with
you and letting someone know where
you're hunting at all times. ■
Burke Named to National
Pheasants Forever Board
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
season opens
November 5
Tickets on Sale for Historical
Christmas Dinner
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
November 1
Late Doe/Fawn Antelope
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Jerrod Burke, Nebraska Game and Parks Commissioner from 2005-2015,
has been elected to Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Board of
Directors. Composed of 17 members, the board meets quarterly and oversees the
operation of Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever.
A devoted landowner, farmer and hunter, Burke has had a long and fruitful
relationship with “The Habitat Organization.” His family farm was homesteaded
in 1888, and since then, the Burke
family has continued a tradition of
integrating agriculture with land
stewardship and wildlife habitat
conservation.
Farming alongside his father,
brother, and more recently, his son,
Logan, Burke's partnership with
Pheasants Forever has not only
allowed them to pursue diverse
habitat projects on their 4,500acre property, but also help bring
attention to nearby public lands for
improvement.
The family's efforts have been
recognized by the Nebraska
Pheasants Forever 3 Million Acre
Award. With this "dream-cometrue" appointment on the PF
Board, Burke's partnership with the
organization has come full circle. ■
NEBRASKAland
Visitor
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
The University of NebraskaLincoln is now offering hunting
equipment rentals at its Outdoor
Adventure Center to any registered
student on campus. In addition to
bike, hike, camping, climbing and
paddling gear, student hunters can
now rent pop-up blinds, layout
blinds, turkey decoy or waterfowl
decoy combinations from the
university for a small fee: $3 per
day or $6 per weekend (3 days).
The equipment is available through a grant partnership between the National
Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and the Cabela’s Outdoor Fund.
Micaela Rahe, an R3 (Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation) coordinator
with NWTF and the Nebraska Game and Parks said, "We had two focus groups
with college students in the spring of 2018, and one of the barriers they noted to
participating in hunting and shooting sports in college was gear cost and storage."
While rentals are currently only available to UNL students, coordinators are
considering options to expand availability to the public. Rahe recommends
following the Collegiate Hunters of Nebraska on Facebook for more information
on collegiate hunting and shooting sport opportunities. ■
Last issue’s winner of
the Visitor drawing was
Butch Gathye of Gretna,
who found the minute pirate bug on
page 11.
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 7, 13, or 17.
The minute pirate bug (Orius
sp.) is a very small, oval-shaped
insect, approximately 1/8-inch
in length and black with white
markings. It is a predaceous insect,
feeding on thrips, aphids, small
caterpillars and even insect eggs.
The minute pirate bug can be
found across the state on flowers
and foliage from spring through
fall, waiting for prey. Occasionally
these ferocious predators even bite
humans, inserting their piercing,
sucking mouth part right into our
skin! The bite can be very painful,
but the insect injects no venom,
spreads no disease, and does not
feed on our blood. Injury is minor,
and usually no worse than a
mosquito bite. Because the minute
pirate bug is a beneficial insect,
and as no
practical control
measures exist,
attempts to manage
the insect are not
recommended.
Special thanks to Julie Van Meter,
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 17
RUT
the
Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus
ook online, or watch outdoor television,
and you’re bound to see or hear someone
talking about “the rut,” one of nature’s most
intriguing rituals as bucks and does appear more
and more across the landscape.
L
When exactly the rut takes place and precisely
how deer – particularly whitetails – behave then
is a source of great debate. Millions of dollars are
given to rut research each year, with universities
and other cooperatives pouring resources toward
understanding this phenomenon to help hunters
see more bucks in the field.
Hunters after trophy bucks will try to position
themselves where they think they have the best
chance at seeing the biggest animals during
the rut. Many hunters think the rut is the oneweek period during Nebraska’s firearm season
when bucks are moving most. But many archery
hunters are convinced it’s the week before. Other
hunters would argue with both of these times,
stating that one should get in the woods a couple
of weeks before the firearm season, while a
select group of people often hunt the “second
rut,” which they think occurs later in the year.
Who’s right? Well, they all are. With that in
mind, let’s discuss the constants, myths, and
what you can do to advance your white-tailed
deer hunting experience during the rut.
18 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
The white-tailed
doe is the object of
obsession for every
able-bodied buck
during the rut.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 19
the
CONSTANTS
C
onnected to the shortening
of daylight, or photoperiod,
a buck’s testosterone
levels increase in the fall. With this
increase, a buck can breed anytime
from its velvet shed in early autumn
to its antler drop in late winter. The
velvet shed is also the beginning of
the creation of “rubs” for deer, where
the buck will rub his antlers and
forehead – for scent distribution – on
trees and bushes in an effort to attract
does.
A doe, however, will go into estrus
– or become sexually receptive – in a
much shorter timeframe of 2-3 days
when her body contains the precise
amounts of luteinizing hormone,
estrogen, and progesterone, writes
researchers from the Deer Lab at
Mississippi State University. These
hormones will again be present
roughly 28 days later.
Because some does go into estrus
earlier than others, bucks will
respond with additional movement
in search of these smaller number of
does in what many researchers have
labeled the “pre-rut” period. During
this time, bucks will continue to visit
rubs, but will also begin making
scrapes – locations on the ground
where they will paw with their
hooves and antlers and urinate.
A scrape is usually associated with
a low-hanging limb or branch that
the buck will break with his antlers
or even bite, while continually
depositing scent from his forehead,
preorbital gland and mouth in an
Rut Stages
While not consistent across the board, most
research lists these as the stages for the rut.
Pre-rut – rubs and scrapes are appearing.
Deer are moving, but are more concentrated
on food sources and are reactive to increased
hunter movement.
Seeking – as photoperiod decreases and
testosterone levels increase, younger bucks are
starting to chase.
A buck deposits
scent from his
forehead above
a scrape in
Cass County.
Chasing – this is what many refer to as “the
rut,” where buck activity is at its highest as more
does have come into estrus and bucks, even
mature bucks, are on the move in search of
them.
Tending – while some bucks will remain with
does that have been bred, other bucks will travel
in an effort to find another doe in estrus. It’s
the feast or famine portion of the deer hunting
season.
20 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Post-rut/Second rut – most does are bred by
now. Plus, hunters have invaded and deer are
wary. However, roughly 28 days after their last
estrus cycle, unbred does once again become
the focus for bucks. And the chase, albeit shorter
than the first, begins again.
increased effort to attract does.
During this time, bucks can also
increase their home range in search
of does, and often exhibit behaviors
uncharacteristic of the traditionally
wary species by spending hours on
foot. In a study conducted by Texas
A&M-Kingsville, a healthy buck can
spend 6.75 hours per day trying to
find does in estrus.
Because of this movement,
researchers at the same university
found that bucks can lose – from the
pre-rut to the post-rut – 24 percent of
their body mass.
However, despite all of this time
afoot by bucks, a doe only remains in
estrus for 24 to 72 hours, giving bucks
a very small window of opportunity.
At this time, bucks will often “tend”
to does, remaining as close as they
can while she’s receptive. If she isn’t
bred during this period, approximately
28 days later the doe will go through
estrus again, contributing to what
many call the “second rut.”
The main constant during the rut is
that nothing is constant. Because does
come into estrus at different times,
buck behavior changes from
day to day and year to
year. When she’s
ready, he has to
be ready too.
A buck trails a doe at
Neale Woods in northern
Douglas County.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 21
MYTHS
and
T
The full moon was thought to
affect when most does are bred,
but research says otherwise.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Cooler weather does not dictate
the rut. The photoperiod, or
length of daylight, is the primary
contributor.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
22 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
period will be, or the greater distance
the deer might expand his home range.
Myth: All does go into estrus at
relatively the same time.
Fact: Does will go through estrus at
different times during the fall, forcing
hunters to find one more reason they
need to be in the woods another day.
In a study by the Florida Fish &
Wildlife Commission, in which 300
hunter-harvested does were examined,
the earliest date a doe was bred by a
buck was June 22 and the latest date
was April 18 of the following year.
In our northern state, this window is
much smaller – yet still a window
nonetheless.
Myth: Bucks go through an October
lull, where their movements are at a
minimum.
Fact: In a Pennsylvania study
featuring GPS-collared bucks,
there was no evidence of decreased
movement during this time period.
While the sample size was small,
similar results were found in other
studies, including in Maryland. In this
study, GPS-collared bucks moved
an average of 1½ miles in a 24-hour
period. By October, this distance
increased to 2 miles per day and up to
2½ miles per day during the peak time
of the rut.
Myth: All fawns begin breeding
their second year.
Fact: With proper nutrition and
body size (i.e. 80 to 90 pounds for
northern deer), 7- to 8-month-old doe
fawns can reproduce. These does are
quite often the reason for the second
rut later in the deer season.
Myth: Small bucks don’t breed
does.
Fact: Just like the myth stating
that a spike can never become a
big-antlered buck, this myth is also
false. While smaller bucks are at a
disadvantage because older bucks will
push them out – as well as research
from Mississippi State University
that states that estrus does will often
choose larger-antlered deer – small
bucks are also capable of breeding
does.
PHOTO BY CHRIS MASADA
he rut is one of the most, if
not the most, talked about
subjects in the outdoor world.
Do an online search, take a look at
the magazine shelves or turn on an
outdoor television program and facts
about the rut are everywhere, yet
certain myths and legends continue to
prevail.
The myths and facts below represent
the most up-to-date information
regarding what we think we knew
about the rut and what research has
actually stated.
Myth: The moon phase affects
when most does are bred.
Fact: From 1999-2006, Penn State
University, in conjunction with the
Pennsylvania Game Commission,
checked 3,507 road-killed does with
fetuses, cross-referencing the median
date of conception with the date of the
full moon. Their results showed that
regardless of the date of the full moon,
the median date of the rut was around
Nov. 13 for adults and Nov. 25 for
fawns (a period sometimes referred to
as the second rut). Similar results have
been reached at various universities
and cooperatives.
Myth: A scrape is created, and
maintained, by one buck.
Fact: Once created, a scrape can
and will be visited by multiple bucks
living in the same region. Most
scraping, notes a long list of sources,
occurs at night and nearly always
occurs before peak breeding begins.
Myth: The rut is dictated by cooler
weather.
Fact: Photoperiod, or the length of
daylight, is the primary contributor to
the rut. Think of areas of the country
where “cooler” weather is much less
extreme than Nebraska’s (e.g. Texas,
Louisiana, Mississippi) where bucks
still go through the rut.
Myth: The rut is the same length of
time each year.
Fact: While the rut may occur
during the same general time period
each year, the factors determining its
length will vary. The closer the buck
to doe ratio is 1:1, the smaller the rut
LEGENDS
White-tailed bucks
can be active from the
time they shed their
velvet until late in the
year, after Nebraska’s
firearm season.
Some fawns can breed their
first year and are quite often the
reason for the “second rut.”
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 23
inside
INFORMATION
D
usty Schelbitzki has spent
14 years working check-in
stations for the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, and
on average spends hundreds of
hours afield each year hunting deer.
He sees many of the same hunter
patterns every year.
“Hunters will come into the checkin station early saying they’ve seen
minimum deer movement,” said
Schelbitzki. “But moving times vary.
The reason a big buck gets big is
because he adjusts his behaviors to
you. If you go in and hunt two hours
in the morning and two hours in the
JP Wachter of Lincoln firearm hunts
from a ladder stand at Oak Glen Wildlife
Management Area in Seward County.
Rubs, Scrapes,
Young and Old
evening, he knows or has learned.”
There is never a better time during
the deer hunting season than now.
During the rut, hunt from sunrise to
sunset. “Deer are constantly moving
during this time,” said Schelbitzki.
“If you’re not seeing deer, there’s a
chance that a buck has found a doe
close to estrus. Once he’s bred her,
he’ll be on the move again.”
In an effort to see more deer or
hunt more phases of the rut, many
have taken to archery hunting,
spending a large amount of time
in the field a week or two before
the firearm season, a step that
In research noted by Quality Deer
Management Association, areas with mature
bucks featured 10 times as many rubs as
areas with yearling bucks. Yearling bucks
lack the scent-marking characteristics
of mature bucks. These mature bucks,
according to research from the University of
Georgia, can make 1,000 to 1,200 rubs per
year. Other research states that an average
whitetail makes between 300 and 400 per
year. Bottom line: they rub a lot.
In addition, mature bucks will begin
making scrapes two months before does
are bred, up to 85 percent of all scrapes,
while yearling bucks made only 15 percent
as many scrapes and none more than one
week before the first doe was bred.
All Day Checklist
Charged Cell Phone – Check emails, plan a
vacation or simply recap the Huskers’ football
history through Wikipedia. Just make sure
your phone has enough juice for the day.
Food – High energy, protein foods keep
you sharp and ready for the long day.
Comfortable Seat – Some platforms on
the market aren’t good for sitting more than
an hour or two, much less a full day. Find a
reliable seat for the duration. A camouflage
boat cushion is a viable option.
Paperback Book – If everything else fails,
carry a book in your back pocket and read.
Earbuds – One hunter I know has multiple
150-class bucks to his credit, and usually has
in earbuds when he hunts. He’s convinced he’s
missed out on hearing several deer during his
time in the woods, but listening to his favorite
podcasts while he hunts has also allowed him to
remain in the stand longer.
24 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER
ER 2018
Schelbitzki said has great
benefit. “Big bucks are on the
move during this time to see if
does are in estrus. They’ll also
be territorial, so calls can be
effective because bucks want
other bucks out of their area.”
Yet Schelbitzki also cautions
that all deer differ. “There are
no set patterns during the rut,”
he said. “Deer will start their
rut behaviors at various times,
and while some may cover
miles during this time, others
will barely move out of their
back door. It just depends on
what he has there for does.”
To adjust to this randomness,
Schelbitzki reiterated to try an
all-day event. “It’s a mental
drain,” he said, “but it’s one
way to change up your pattern.
The more time you’re in the
stand, the more deer you’ll see.”
The most fascinating aspect
of deer rut research is that the
information is ever-changing.
Yet there are always two
constants: If you are not seeing
deer, you will always wonder if
you were there at the right time,
yet you will always know when
that right time is – it’s when
you can go. ■
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 25
Time Well Spent
Stay in a
Cabin
Throughout the
month
Various locations
What to Do in November
From October to April, cabins
and lodge rooms at state
parks and recreation areas
are available to guests at a
30 percent discount, SundayThursday and excluding
holiday time periods. Contact
the state park reservation
call center at 402-471-1414 or
online at OutdoorNebraska.
org.
By Renae Blum
A
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
s we approach Thanksgiving, take a moment to step outside and appreciate the
outdoors – something we can all be thankful for. Here are a few ways to enjoy your
time outside. To learn about fun park events you and the family can take part in, visit
Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. ■
Fall Hunting
Various dates
Statewide
Prep Your Gear for Ice Fishing
Nebraska hunting seasons
are in full swing, with a range
of choices and opportunities
for hunters. This month, take
to the field for seasons such
as firearm deer, archery deer,
turkey, pheasant and grouse.
Permits are available online
at OutdoorNebraska.org or
at any Nebraska Game and
Parks permitting office.
Throughout the month
Statewide
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
Before ice-up, make sure your gear is ready to go. Fisheries biologist Daryl Bauer
recommends that you check that your hooks and auger blades are sharp, and take
a look at your line. “Now is the time to replace monofilament and fluorocarbon
lines,” he says. “The ‘super’ lines last a lot longer, but if you are using any of those
for ice fishing you may want to fill spools or replace those lines as well.”
Also, take inventory of your other ice fishing gear – outerwear, sleds, creepers,
skimmers, heaters, pliers, etc. – and make sure you
are good to go, making repairs and modifications as
necessary, Bauer added.
River Valley Artisans
and Craft Market
Start Off Your Holiday Shopping
with an Outdoor Gift
Nov. 3-4
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park
26 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Get an early start on holiday shopping with handmade arts and craft items!
About 40 vendors will be displaying and selling a variety of unique works,
including glass jewelry, handcrafted soaps and lotions, crocheted dish
towels, recycled signs and beef jerky. New this year is a “make it and take
it” booth, where guests can decorate and take home coasters. While you’re
here, enjoy a tasty lunch at the park’s popular restaurant, Caddy’s Parkside
Grill. Find more information at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov.
Throughout the month
Statewide
This year, give someone you love the opportunity to spend time outdoors and make memories all year long on fishing
trips, weekend campouts or early morning hunts. State park, fishing and hunting permits can be ordered online at OutdoorNebraska.
org or purchased at any of our offices. NEBRASKAland subscriptions and the 2019 NEBRASKAland calendar also make great gifts.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 27
AN UPLAND
SLAM
...in two days
By Jeff Kurrus
Nebraska offers a unique variety of upland
hunting opportunities.
The ultimate challenge? Bringing home a mixed
bag of birds. Can you do it?
Only one way to find out.
Sharp-tailed grouse flush from a Sandhills prairie near Valentine. Photo by Eric Fowler.
S
tarting this fall, the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission,
along with Pheasants Forever
and Quail Forever, introduced the
Nebraska Upland Slam. The concept
is simple: harvest four birds – northern
bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasant,
greater prairie-chicken and a sharptailed grouse – in Nebraska for an
official certificate, pin, bragging rights
and the chance to win prizes, including
Bob St. Pierre of Pheasants Forever
looks over a rooster pheasant he shot in
southwestern Nebraska.
Photo by Doug Carroll.
28 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
a Browning Silver 12-gauge shotgun.
NEBRASKAland Magazine wants
hunters to take this a step further – try
to accomplish this feat in two days.
It can be done, but it will take some
work. Start your planning right here.
Four Species
Northern bobwhite quail: Oct. 27,
2018 – Jan. 31, 2019 – Quail are at
their highest populations in decades.
In 2017, harvest was 44 percent higher
than the 5-year average. Bobwhite
quail are considered an “edge species,”
meaning they can be found in areas
where two or more habitats converge.
For example, where grasslands abut
cropland or woodland habitat.
“During fall and winter, bobwhites
don’t stray far from woody cover,”
said Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission Upland Habitat and
Access Program Manager John Laux.
“Another important habitat element
is bare ground – many grasslands are
too dense for quail.” Many hunters
work their dogs along weedy ditches,
fencelines and other marginal cover
containing native shrub thickets or
downed trees. “Aerial imagery is a
great scouting tool for quail hunters,”
said Laux. “You can locate woody
escape cover along field edges and
really dial in where you need to spend
your time afield.” Bobwhite densities
are highest in southeastern Nebraska
and west along the southern border
with Kansas. That being said, quail
populations have expanded into many
other regions of the state (minus
the extreme northwest) in recent
years following several consecutive
mild winters and improved habitat
conditions.
Ring-necked pheasant: Oct. 27,
2018 – Jan. 31, 2019 – Ring-necked
pheasants can be found in a mixture
of habitats – ranging from open
grasslands to wetlands to cropland
fringes. Nebraska’s most soughtNOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 29
Good
Best
Pheasant Hunting Opportunities
Rare
A rooster pheasant moves through short grass near Grabel Ponds at Fort Robinson State Park. Photo by Justin Haag.
Good
Best
after upland game species, pheasant
populations are reliant upon proper
habitat – undisturbed grasslands –
and need this type of habitat on a
large scale to maintain its numbers.
Continued conversion of grassland to
cropland and more efficient farming
practices have greatly reduced the
availability of pheasant habitat in
many areas of the state. In recent
decades, lands enrolled in CRP have
become increasingly important to
pheasants, especially in eastern
Nebraska. Hunters should also focus
on weedy pastures, unfarmed draws,
and tall wheat and milo stubble fields.
According to Laux, Nebraska’s
highest pheasant densities can be
found in southwestern Nebraska and
portions of the panhandle. “These
landscapes have quite a bit of CRP
and are very diverse in terms of
other cover types,” said Laux. “Crop
rotations here include winter wheat,
and this provides additional nesting
cover for pheasants.” Most public
hunting opportunities within these
regions occur on private lands enrolled
30 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
in the Commission›s Open Fields and
Waters Program (OFW). Historically,
Hitchcock, Hayes, Chase, and
Perkins counties have offered some
of the best pheasant opportunities
in the Southwest. The southern
panhandle (Cheyenne, Deuel, and
Garden counties) also supports good
pheasant numbers, and public access
opportunities have been expanded in
this region over the past several years.
Greater prairie-chicken: Sept. 1,
2018 – Jan. 31, 2019 – Prairie-chickens
prefer large tracts of undisturbed
grasslands often with gently rolling
topography but do occur in landscapes
intermixed with cropland (more so
than sharpies). This species tends to
avoid trees and other obstructions
and is typically more abundant in
diverse grasslands with a high forb
content. Like quail, chickens (and
grouse for that matter) also tend to
avoid dense grasslands. If you find
yourself struggling to pick your feet
up, you likely need to look elsewhere.
Hunters typically walk the “tops” of
ridges and use the topography to
their advantage. Although big running
pointing dogs are often preferred
for hunting wide open grasslands
frequented by chickens and grouse,
some of the most successful hunters
have their dogs work close, creating
more of a stalking than flushing
mentality. Hunting prairie grouse early
in the season is recommended as birds
are more dispersed and tend to hold
better for dogs.
The central and eastern Sandhills
represent the core of the prairiechicken range in Nebraska, but
some more isolated (and huntable)
populations occur across southern
Nebraska as well. In 2017, most of
the Sandhills region experienced a
widespread drought but prairie grouse
populations are beginning to rebound
following abundant precipitation
throughout much of 2018.
Sharp-tailed grouse: Sept. 1, 2018 –
Jan. 31, 2019 – Sharptails can be found
in higher, choppy dunes of the westcentral Sandhills and their distribution
extends out into portions of the
panhandle as well. In many instances,
they can be found in the same habitat
as prairie-chickens but are often a little
more tolerant of woody vegetation. In
the winter, sharpies bunch up and are
often found in large thickets or linear
tree rows.
Higher proportions of grouse
are found west of Highway 83 in
the Sandhills, including Samuel R.
McKelvie National Forest, Crescent
Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR),
and even into the Pine Ridge region.
Sharpies can also be found on some
OFW lands in the southern panhandle
as well.
Equipment
Dress in layers. To accomplish an
upland slam in two days, 20 days, or
something in between, being prepared
to walk long distances is key with
or without a dog. Have a base layer
of non-cotton materials – such as
polyester or a synthetic – with boots
suited for these distances. Because
grouse and chickens typically garner
the most distance covered during
Bobwhite Quail Hunting Opportunities
Rare
Good
Best
Grouse Hunting Opportunities
an upland hunt – with many hunters
covering multiple miles during a day
– it’s important to be ready for long
days afoot. Drinking water is a must –
for you and your dogs.
Gun choice is also an important
component to accomplishing the
upland slam. Because of these
distances when hunting grouse and
chickens, some hunters will carry
lighter shotguns – such as a 20- or
16-gauge.
Regarding loads, lead No. 6’s are
a great universal load, but hunters
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 31
in moderate densities throughout the
region but some of the best public
land opportunities will be on some
of the larger OFW tracts in Chase,
Perkins, Lincoln and Hayes counties.
Bobwhites are more prevalent to the
east – target some of the OFW lands
east of Highway 83 in Red Willow,
Frontier, Furnas, Gosper and Harlan
counties. Medicine Creek WMA near
Cambridge and Harlan County Lake
near Alma also support good numbers
of bobwhites intermixed with some
ring-necks. You’ll likely have to travel
a ways north to find your sharpies –
look at Crescent Lake NWR, Halsey
National Forest, or some of the OFW
lands in the southern panhandle.
Southeastern Nebraska – This is
prime quail country intermixed with
some pheasant opportunities and
even a bonus chicken. There are some
excellent quail numbers on many of
the state-owned WMAs and OFW
lands throughout the region. To find
a prairie-chicken here, focus on the
larger tracts of open grasslands (which
are limited in this region) in Thayer,
Jefferson, Gage, Pawnee and Johnson
counties – and keep in mind you need
a special grouse permit if you hunt
east of Highway 81.
Regardless of how long it takes,
completing an upland slam is a major
accomplishment for a hunter, but it
shouldn’t be the only goal. Nebraska
truly has some unique upland hunting
opportunities in nearly every corner
of the state and the best part is,
many can be found on public lands.
“The upland slam is meant to bring
awareness to our excellent mixed bag
opportunities, and also highlight our
state’s great public land resources that
are available to everyone,” said Laux.
After you purchase a small-game
license and harvest your first bird,
create an account at OutdoorNebraska.
org/UplandSlam and submit a
photograph and details about your
first bird. Then continue to log back in
and document your success. For more
information on public places to upland
hunt, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/
PublicAccessAtlas. For information on
the East Zone grouse permit, call 402471-5410. ■
Ryan Sparks of Ontario – who grew up in Louisville, Nebraska – shows a bobwhite quail to his English pointer Tippet during
a hunt in Cass County. Photo by Jeff Kurrus.
should also have lead 7½’s or 8’s in
their orange vest if a covey of quail
are found.
Hunters should also bring a separate
vest with steel only. Some areas –
notably the Valentine and Crescent
Lake NWRs where grouse are often
found – require nontoxic shot. Steel
No. 3’s are a good multispecies load,
and No. 6’s are excellent for bobwhites
when carrying a 12-gauge.
Planning Your Trip
There are probably a handful of areas
within the state where all four upland
32 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
bird species could be encountered on
a single hunt. Below I’ve provided a
list of those premier honey holes – just
kidding …. Realistically, there are quite
a few places where 3 of the 4 coexist
but you’re likely going to have to
travel to get that last bird.
North-Central Sandhills – State and
federally-owned lands near Valentine
provide some excellent mixed bag
opportunities. The choppy uplands
at Valentine NWR support a good
mix of chickens and sharpies, and the
dense cattail marshes offer a decent
chance at a bonus ring-neck. Sharptails tend to dominate the bag farther
west at Samuel B. McKelvie National
Forest and Merritt Reservoir Wildlife
Management Area (WMA). Bobwhites
are the challenge up here – you might
find a handful of bobwhites around
Merritt Reservoir but a better bet
is to travel south and east to find
some woody cover at the National
Forest near Halsey or around Calamus
Reservoir.
Western Sandhills/Panhandle – Out
west, you’re inevitably going to have
to travel south or east for a chance
at a bobwhite but don’t overlook
these upland hunting opportunities.
Crescent Lake NWR is home to good
numbers of sharpies and pheasants,
and the sporadic prairie-chicken as
well. Pheasant numbers are typically
very good in Box Butte and Sheridan
counties, but access is somewhat
limited in this area. Farther west,
the Oglala National Grassland and
surrounding OFW lands provide endless
opportunities for sharptails. This region
has a little bit of everything but you’ll
have to travel a ways to find it.
Southwestern Nebraska –
Well-known for its pheasants, the
southwest offers a legitimate chance
to mix that up with bobwhites and
chickens. Prairie-chickens are found
A prairie-chicken lands in a Sandhills meadow. Photo by Eric Fowler.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 33
Twyla
Hansen
The Intersection of Nature and Poetry
By Renae Blum
“I
The Heron Is My Mother
There is stillness on the creek
below the footbridge where I stand,
though the water moves and leaves
bend in the wind along its banks
while birds cling to branches.
Today, in mist, I can barely see the heron
farther down, standing in the dark shallows,
a creek formed from others running into it,
then flowing together to cut its steep banks,
covering them with grass.
The heron
waits patient for the next small morsel
to nourish her, for the unfathomable signal
when she will gather her wings and disappear.
No matter how much I cry out to her,
she cannot hear.
Nor will she hesitate,
even when her eye catches mine
now so far in the distance. It will be
her time, and she will simply leave.
PH
PHOT
H O BY CHR
RIS
S MASAD
ADA
A
34 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
the poetry by “dead European guys” she’d been exposed
to growing up, “I could relate to what they were writing
about,” she says. “I thought, ‘Wow, people can write about
ordinary things. Maybe this could work.’ Sometimes that’s
all it takes, is someone showing the way.”
Hansen is the first woman to serve as the Nebraska
state poet. Her five-year term ends this year. Throughout
her career, she has published seven books and nearly 250
individual poems in a wide variety of periodicals. Since
1993, Hansen has also traveled across the state many
times giving poetry presentations through the Humanities
Nebraska Speaker’s Bureau.
Aside from her busy professional life, Hansen enjoys
spending time at home with her husband, Tom. “We have
about an acre of land on the north edge of Lincoln, and it’s a
wildlife habitat. So to me, I’m living with nature,” she says.
“It’s a major part of my life.”
Hansen’s newest book, Rock • Tree • Bird, was published
by The Backwaters Press in 2017. The following are a
selection of her poems from that work. ■
LANE PHOTOGRAPHY
t was miles to anywhere and the center of our universe.”
This is just one of many lines Nebraska State Poet
Twyla Hansen has written as an ode to her childhood,
growing up on her family’s small farm in northeastern
Nebraska.
“I spent a lot of time outdoors,” Hansen says. “We didn’t
have a television at that time. It was just a time to absorb the
outdoors and the wildlife. I played in the fields and the barns
and the pastures and made friends with all the animals.”
Today, she refers to a famous quote by Willa Cather to
help explain why nature is such a presence in her work now:
“Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired
before the age of 15.”
Hansen’s first book, How to Live in the Heartland,
published in 1992, centered around the outdoors. “Ever since
then I’ve always had poems about the outdoors,” she says.
Poems with titles like “Camping Along the Platte, Late
June,” or “Watching the Perseids,” one assumes, would be
pretty straightforwardly about one thing. But while many
of Hansen’s poems begin with a description of an outdoor
experience, they often lead into deeply personal musings
on universal themes, such as the loss of friends or family
members, the nature of change, religion, and the search for
meaning.
“It’s not just about the outdoors,” she says. “It’s
observations of nature that work their way into a creative
narrative.”
With nature as a springboard, Hansen has found that
she can tackle “all the big topics that have been written
about,” such as change, loss and love. Through her poetry,
Hansen has also found an avenue to advocate for causes
she’s passionate about, such as conservation and protecting
endangered species.
“You hear, ‘nature is dead,’ but I don’t believe that.
You can’t ignore nature; this is our home, this is where
everything comes from. So that’s my argument in my next
book I’m working on,” Hansen says.
Hansen didn’t always know she could write. Spurred
by an interest in plants, she earned a bachelor’s degree in
horticulture and a master’s in agroecology. While working
as a grounds manager at Nebraska Wesleyan University,
Hansen took advantage of the free classes available to her
as an employee, and was bitten by the writing bug during a
poetry class.
She was also inspired by the down-to-earth writings of
Nebraska poets Ted Kooser and William Kloefkorn. Unlike
(first published in South Dakota Review)
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 35
How to Feed the Birds
Note the evergreens—the lofted
bird hotels, the thicket now bare,
revealing last year’s nests.
Watch for fur or feathers, tracks
leading to the compost pile, now
emptied of last night’s scraps.
Fill each feeder—thistle, blackoiled, safflower—check
the upside-down hanging suet
as a woodpecker rattles hur-ry hur-ry
up the ladder of trunk,
and a chickadee-dee-dee seconds.
The birds return—black–capped,
red-crowned, ladder-back,
their blues and russets and golds.
Even the sparrows, brown
and nameless, bunch in approval.
It’s ten above: the fire pops and snaps.
It’s seven above: by degrees
the sun muscles into day.
With an ungloved hand,
swish out the water
in the heated dish, empty, refill,
retreat to the house quick.
Count your riches as you gaze toward
the empty playhouse, swings and see-saw,
until you hear the squeals and chatter,
perceive their dim movements,
the children who are now grown.
Without blinking, stare until the sun
Rub your fingers above
the stove, its warmth from
the trees you planted. Watch the pine
for movement, for the owls
that might be nesting, their hoots
of homing you’ve heard after dark.
reflected off snow
waters your eyes. Abandon the notion
that you own one single thing.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY MATT ALBERTS
Early morning, pull on boots,
down, hat, and mittens.
With arms full, step out back
into snow, greet gusts straight
from Saskatchewan, crunch-step
on the empty shell mulch.
36 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 37
Fog
The fog comes as a surprise, forms in silence
overnight, so when you part the curtain
a white blur muffles the known world.
on the far side a dozen wild turkeys
cross a mowed clearing one by one
to fence line and then to field to forage,
Moving through, no escape, every last
green leaf dotted silver, last night’s
moisture glistens on grass tips,
and overhead, in this ground-cloud, calls
of Canada geese come in for a landing
which you can hear but not yet see,
until you cross the footbridge and stop:
below is a world that most will miss,
vehicles in a rush to somewhere else,
because this old planet still has a few tricks
in its bag, a monkey wrench or two to make
us pay attention, to slow down, as drivers
fifty yards down the creek a heron
poises in shallow water perfectly still,
grassy banks lined with tracks of deer,
do, the whine of tires on pavement muted,
and as you turn back the fog clears, yet
all day you hold this other world close.
(first published in Panoply: A Literary Zine)
PHOTO BY CHRIS MASADA
Not far off I-80 in central Nebraska
the last pinks of sunset go soft,
and overhead, waves of sandhill cranes
swell with melodious conversation.
In the mass they are not alone, yet each mate
somehow knows the other’s distinct voice—
this vigil in the dark—digesting the day’s meal
for the lengthy journey ahead.
They are returning from nearby fields
to overnight on the river; since late
afternoon we’ve stood in anticipation,
bundled on an old railroad bridge.
With the naked eye, there’s only restlessness
in the frigid channel. Through field binoculars
the group is animated, chattering, nervous,
the cacophony blunting all thought of speech.
On approach, they slow their wingbeats,
extend their slender legs into the water,
give their feathers one more flap,
fold them against their ample bodies.
I focus on one crimson mark on one small head.
A stiff breeze strokes the back of my neck.
If I move now so much as one muscle,
I might erupt into flight.
38 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
Flight
All poems copyright ©Twyla M. Hansen
Poems from Rock • Tree • Bird (The Backwaters Press, 2017)
2018 winner, Nebraska Book Award in Poetry, Nebraska Center for the Book
Winner 2018 WILLA Literary Award, Women Writing the West
Used by permission of the author
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 39
Diving
Nebraska
By Cara Pesek
Photos by Eric Fowler
A
s Dean Hollis began to think
about how he wanted to spend
his retirement, his thoughts kept
returning to the water.
Hollis grew up in Florida “on, in
and under the water.” When a career
with ConAgra brought him to landlocked Omaha, he continued to spend
time scuba diving, swimming, boating
and water skiing. When he retired as
Conagra’s Chief Operating Officer
in 2008, he imagined opening a tikithemed dive shop with Adirondack
chairs in the storefront of a shopping
center.
After spending a career in business,
though, Hollis couldn’t open a shop
without first doing his research. He
talked to hundreds of dive shops, and
as he did, he began to revise his plan.
The small shop he envisioned grew
larger and larger. The services it offered
multiplied.
In 2009, he opened DiVentures, a
full-service scuba shop at 4303 S. 121st
Plaza in Omaha. There, customers can
become scuba-certified, rent and buy
equipment, take swimming lessons
and book scuba trips to places like
Cozumel, Cuba, Fiji and the Galapagos.
“You won’t find a scuba shop like
this anywhere in North America,” Hollis
said. “It’s a one-stop shop.”
Nearly a decade after opening,
DiVentures certifies more scuba divers
than any other shop in North America,
Hollis said. After realizing Omaha had
a shortage of swimming schools, Hollis
began offering lessons for both youth
and adults.
Now thousands of students learn to
swim at DiVentures each year, first
becoming acquainted with the basics
of water safety and, in many cases,
eventually becoming scuba-certified.
Hollis has expanded from one location
to six throughout the Midwest. In the
process, Hollis has become a player
in both local and international aquatic
awareness, education and conservation
efforts.
On the surface, the success of
DiVentures may seem strange. A
bustling scuba school in the most
landlocked state in the nation?
To Hollis, though, the success of
DiVentures makes a lot of sense.
Surveys have shown that over 40
percent of people would like to learn
to scuba dive, Hollis said. Less than
1 percent actually do. Naturally, the
opportunities to learn are slimmer
in places like Nebraska, which lack
pristine beaches and clear lakes, than
in places situated on large bodies of
water. There was a need, and Hollis was
happy to fill it.
Just as Hollis didn’t plan to open
Scuba instructor Ron Gorake leads students Andrew VanVooren and Allison Schubert of Lincoln
and Kenzi Schneringer of Callaway in lessons at DiVentures.
40 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 41
Dean Hollis grew up “on, in and under the
water.” In 2009, he founded DiVentures.
a chain of swim and scuba schools,
he didn’t plan to become an aquatic
conservationist. Shortly after
DiVentures opened, Hollis began
organizing dive trips for his scuba
students. The divers were interested
in the fish and other aquatic creatures
they saw beneath the water, so Hollis
began inviting marine biologists and
researchers from the places they
visited to talk about the species and
ecosystems the divers got to see.
These talks were a hit, Hollis said.
The divers were rapt. They asked
questions. Inevitably, one of those
questions was “what can I do?”
Visiting a place – even just once –
and seeing an underwater environment
that most people don’t, had a strong
impact on many of the divers.
“It’s hard to convince someone to
conserve something they haven’t seen,”
said Hollis.
They had seen the fish, the sea
turtles, the coral reefs. Now they cared
about them.
Hollis saw an opportunity here, too.
He began working more closely
with the biologists and researchers
who had talked to his students, and
he found opportunities for divers to
aid researchers in their conservation
efforts.
DiVentures offers swimming lessons, scuba certification, equipment rental, travel
packages and much more.
DiVentures divers have tagged sea
turtles, hammerhead sharks and great
white sharks so researchers can track
these animals and learn more about
their migration habits and other
behaviors. DiVentures staff are working
with the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha
on a coral propagation program, in
which divers there will painstakingly
place coral on the ocean floor.
These trips make divers feel
like they’re helping do their part.
Additionally, Hollis has found that his
customers value once-in-a-lifetime
experiences like these over just about
anything they could buy.
“Do you want to buy something,
or do you want to tag a great white
shark?” Hollis asked. “How many
people would love to say they tagged a
great white shark?”
All of these things – the research
trips, the talks, the act of experiencing
underwater landscapes – help amplify
the message of conservation.
“All those little barks turn into one
big roar,” Hollis said.
Locally, Hollis is involved in
education and conservation efforts,
too. DiVentures participated in the
2018 Missouri River Outdoor Expo at
Ponca State Park, conducing a program
introducing visitors to snorkeling and
scuba diving.
Additionally, DiVentures donated
funds to help renovate the Aksarben
Aquarium at Schramm Park State
Recreation Area. The renovated
aquarium and nature center will open
next year as part of the Venture Parks
project, which aims to bring innovative
and unique features to four different
parks along the Platte River: Schramm
Park State Recreation Area, Louisville
State Recreation Area, Platte River
State Park and Eugene T. Mahoney
State Park. The Venture Parks program
is funded in large part by private
donors, like DiVentures.
“Dean (Hollis) has built a culture
where his customers are curious,
they’re engaged with the natural world,
and they’re inspired to help conserve
an environment that is important to
them for future generations. That
mission is really parallel to ours,” said
Jim Douglas, director of the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission.
DiVentures may not be the small,
tiki dive shop that Hollis initially
envisioned running in retirement. But
he’s doing what he loves, he’s helping
others do the same, and his business
is inspiring Nebraskans to learn and
care about ecosystems they might not
otherwise see.
“It’s pretty neat to be doing this from
Omaha,” Hollis said. ■
Thousands of youth and adult students take swimming lessons at the DiVentures Omaha location each year.
42 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 43
Rock Steady
Targeting Hunger in Nebraska
Respect for rocks.
By Roger Welsch
In 2017, more than 141,000 meals were provided to Nebraskans
in need through Hunters Helping the Hungry.
I
f you have followed my previous Page 49 efforts in
NEBRASKAland, you may know I am a sucker for
a pretty rock. I’ve been stuck in the Paleolithic era
since I was a little kid. The principal reason we have
to replace washing machines and dryers around here
is because of what Linda calls “Rog’s R.I.P. (Rocks-inPockets) Syndrome.” My idea of heaven is the rock pile
at a Nebraska gravel pit. So I was surprised last summer
when I saw requests from our Game and Parks folks that
people stop putting painted rocks, often with what I guess
were meant to pass as inspirational messages, in various
recreation areas around the state. Why would anyone paint
a rock? Frankly, I’ve never encountered a rock that wasn’t
already inspirational pretty much as it lay there in the water,
or sun, or … well, a Nebraska gravel pit rock pile. I’ve
certainly never seen one that needed cosmetic painting to be
interesting.
Consider for a moment the chemical constituents of most
rocks – calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium,
zinc, sodium ... minerals. Know what else is made of things
like that? Us! We are, after all, of the same origins, whether
you are of a biblical bent (Adam = earth )הָמָדֲא, scientific
(see above), or lyric (“…we are stardust, we are golden…”).
Diamonds, emeralds, shiny rocks, round rocks, big rocks,
little rocks … All the same stuff more or less.
For 65 years of my long life, however, I have associated
with Indians and so I’ve had a chance to see life from
vantage points not always common in the mainstream
culture. A rose may be a rose may be a rose, but a rock is
not always a rock. Try this one on for size: rocks are not just
like us in being made of the same gathering of minerals in
different combinations, but in the minds of some of my best
friends, they are also like us in that they are living entities.
I know … not an easy idea to accept, especially for those –
way too many in my opinion – who spend their hours, days,
and lives in a culture that doesn’t even consider trees to be
living beings.
Not to mention sentient! When I am with Pawnee, Lakota,
or Omaha friends and we gather plant materials, we often
talk with the plants to explain why we are injuring it, that we
appreciate the sacrifice, will take no more of it than we need,
that what we are doing is for a good purpose, and of course
that we are grateful. This point of view says not so much
about the things around us like trees and rocks, but about us
and how we see ourselves in relationship to and with those
“things.”
Now, if you can imagine being a tree hugger like me,
take another step and try to get your head around showing
that kind of respect to a rock. As a fellow being, I guess it
depends on how integral one considers him or herself to
be with what is around us, whether that be animal, plant or
mineral.
44 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
The program is growing and deer donations have
increased each year. Your cash contributions help
fund processing the deer.
How far will your money go?
$ 1 gift provides 2 meals
$ 10 gift provides 22 meals
Jan Simek, in an unnamed cave, examines prehistoric cave art.
It is easy to understand that we put words and symbols
we want to last well beyond our “all too mortal flesh” –
tombstones, runes, hieroglyphs, for example, or statues,
or even entire carved mountains, but what are we to make
of things carved into stone that we not only no longer
understand but ... that might not have been intended for us to
read anyway?
I have recently encountered some remarkable examples of
these expressions, of other-directed messages, or … ?
Jan Simek of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
Anthropology Department has reported some remarkable
observations and conclusions in his work in rock “art,”
especially in caves in eastern states. (And thanks to old friend
Ben Swadley for passing this information along to me!) Prof.
Simek has found “messages” painted on or carved onto deep
cave walls and ceilings that are oriented in such a way that
they can’t possibly be seen or “read” by human observers.
That is, they were not installed with the intention of someone
in the cave to see them. Perhaps with a perspective that could
only be grasped by “someone” further way from the wall or
overhang than is possible for anyone to achieve. Or in some
really stunning examples, “messages” that are mirror images
intended not for someone facing the images but, well…er…
behind them? Simek’s conclusion: The messages aren’t meant
to be read by someone in the cave or outside the rock. They
are meant for the spirits inside the rock!
How’s that for a kick in the fanny?
So the next time you pitch a rock into the pond or decide
to improve on it by painting a bit of doggerel on it, please
think again and consider the sensitivities of what’s inside
that rock! ■
$ 50 gift provides 111 meals
Cash donations are tax-deductible.
Donate when you buy any permit
or online at OutdoorNebraska.org/HHH
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 and has
been contributing to NEBRASKAland
Magazine since 1977.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 45
Antique Guide
Antiques and Collectibles
5500 Sq. Ft. & Large Parking Area
402.223.0121
Open 7 Days a Week
827 W. Court (West Hwy. 136 & Hwy 4)
Beatrice, NE 68310
Ɋ www.antiquesparadise.com Ɋ
46 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 47
Venison Chili
Cooked with red wine, this is the best chili you will ever taste.
By Ryan Sparks
I
would venture to say this is not
only the best venison chili you will
find, but the best chili you will ever
taste, period. It differs from other
chili recipes in its red wine base.
Don’t spend a fortune on the wine,
but get a robust variety like malbec or
cabernet sauvignon that will hold up to
the spices. Serve with a dollop of sour
cream and corn bread. As with most
chili, it is even better the next day.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Over medium heat, melt the butter
in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in
the onion and garlic, sautéing until the
onions start to become translucent,
about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown
sugar and sauté for several more
minutes. Then stir in the red wine,
vinegar, tomato paste, chicken stock,
cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder,
and salt. Simmer until the mixture is
reduced by half, about 45 minutes.
2. While the wine base is reducing,
add the bacon to a large cast iron
pan over medium/high heat. Cook
the bacon until browned and then
48 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
PHOTO BY RYAN SPARKS
Servings: 8-10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed and
minced
4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 cups red wine plus more for
deglazing
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups unsalted chicken stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper plus
more if you like your chili spicy
½ teaspoon chili power
10 slices bacon, diced
2 pounds ground venison
2 cups black beans, cooked and
drained
Salt to taste
Sour cream
push it to the back of the pan. Add a
quarter of the ground venison, stirring
and breaking lumps with a wooden
spoon between each addition. Adding
the meat gradually allows the excess
water and liquid to evaporate, which
is key for the meat to caramelize
properly. Once the meat is cooked, add
a quarter more of the meat, stirring and
breaking lumps as you go. Repeat with
the remaining meat. When the meat
is cooked and no lumps remain, set a
timer to 10 minutes and keep cooking
the meat, stirring from time to time.
You want the meat to caramelize and
even become crispy in spots. Golden
bits of meat will stick to the bottom of
the pot, which you will deglaze with
wine later. Watch over the pan as you
don’t want the meat to burn.
3. Add a large splash of wine to the
pan. With a flat wooden spoon, scrape
all the brown bits from the bottom.
Push the meat around and make sure
you scrape it all off. By the time you’re
finished, the wine will have evaporated.
Be careful not to let the meat stick
to the pot again – lower the heat if
necessary. Stir in the beans and toss
together. Taste for salt.
4. Once the wine base has reduced
by half, mix everything together and let
it simmer for another 20 minutes. ■
Ryan Sparks is a regular contributor
to NEBRASKAland Magazine.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 49
▲
Appearing in the 1968 issue of The Western
Horseman magazine was my father Albert Simants
(right) with Ray Henry, my brother-in-law – both from
the North Platte area.
This was from the Letters section of the magazine
and was referencing an article “Last of the Cody
Wolves.”
On a ranch 18 miles from North Platte, the men were
on the fall roundup when they saw a coyote and gave
chase, finally getting a rope on him. He is alive in the
picture, but frightened, so he laid down and tried to
hide.
My dad owned hounds and had hunted coyotes
many times. At one time, coyotes were a real problem
to ranchers and newborn calves. There used to be a
bounty for them in Lincoln County.
– Shirley Sawyer, McCook, Nebraska
▲
Our mother Doris holds a net. Also pictured are her aunt Annie, uncle Martin and her
father, Frank.
Camping in the Sandhills, 1927.
Our mother, Doris Murphy Poch of Geneva,
enjoyed camping and fishing with her parents,
Frank and Emma Murphy, when she was growing
up. In 1927, they and another family went on a
trip to the Sandhills and camped at Rat Lake
in Cherry County. Doris was 13 at the time and
wrote a journal about their trip. She said in most
places the sandy roads were covered with hay
and straw so they could be driven on, but they got
on the wrong road and they had to push in some
places to get through the sand.
They rented a boat for fishing and caught
about 50 to 60 fish during the week. The men
also hunted for ducks and got all they could eat.
They had two tents – one for sleeping and one
for cooking. Their beds were one to two feet of
hay with quilts on top. They bought milk each
morning from a farm near there. Driving home
they stopped at a ranch outside of Thedford for
water for the car and the people there lived in a
sod house. They also visited the National Forest
Preserve at Halsey.
– Carmelee Tuma, Roca, Nebraska
Grandma Emma Murphy and Aunt Annie Peters showing
off their fish.
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.
50 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 51
Presented by
SAFARI
SAFA
RI CLUB
CLUB INTE
INTERNAT
INTERNATIONAL
RNATIONA
RNAT
IONAL
IONA
L
NEBRASKA SAFARI
CLUB INTERNATIONAL
Reasons to Join
T
here are many good hunting organizations in Nebraska.
Most work for similar, noteworthy goals. What sets
Safari Club International apart? Our main goals of education,
conservation and protection of hunters rights are reasons
enough for most to join. However, there are other benefits to
Nebraskans as well.
Education is the backbone that supports the entire
structure. In 2018, the Nebraska chapter supported various
local activities, including high school shooting sports. We
also initiated our Take a Kid Outside program, the first of
what is to become an annual event.
We have also worked with Safari Club on a national level
to support the American Wilderness Leadership School near
Jackson, Wyoming, which equips educators worldwide with
essential tools and knowledge on promoting outdoor activities.
Protection of the hunter is another reason to join. Safari
Club International monitors legislation in Nebraska and
nationwide that affects sportsmen, and stands ready to act
at a moment’s notice. If litigation is necessary, our team
is second to none in fighting for sound scientific-based
management and sustainable-use conservation. We support
legislators locally and nationally who work to protect
hunting and other outdoor activities.
Conservation of habitat and wildlife is also an important
mission to our members. Throughout the years we have
supported many Nebraska conservation projects, such as
The Nebraska chapter of Safari Club International holds events
throughout the year.
river otter recovery and Smith Falls access. We were also
among the original sponsors of bighorn sheep reintroduction.
We look forward to continuing a long relationship with
Nebraska supporting wildlife and habitat.
On a national level, Safari Club International has funded
and supported wildlife conservation throughout the world.
We have worked with many countries to develop and
implement programs that support wildlife management and
to increase opportunities for everyone to enjoy the outdoors.
But most of all, many join us for the fellowship. Our
events – sporting clays, dinner parties, presentations – have
fostered lifelong friendships and hunting partnerships.
We invite you to join us on Jan. 25-26, 2019, at the
Beardmore Event Center in Bellevue for our annual
convention and expo. We will have exhibitors from many
countries, and there will be something for everyone. More
details coming soon!
For information about the Nebraska Chapter of Safari
Club International, contact Mary Middleton at 402-214-8270
or nebraska.safariclubint@gmail.com.
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 53
Dogged Work
T
here is no better time to work than when a dog
wants to play. This was the case when making
photos of Todd Mills’s Labrador retriever, Hope,
following a waterfowl hunt last season.
The first rule of dog photography is to lower
yourself to the dog’s eye-level. The second rule is to
keep clicking until your cards run out of memory.
Rarely will dogs run out of patience before you do,
which makes them so much better than human models,
who start to stare at you a bit funny when you ask them
to walk up and down a trail for the fifth time. “Make
sure you’re smiling,” you’ll add.
A dog doesn’t need to smile for you to know she’s
happy.
The shoot is a constant switch of shutter speeds and
54 NEBRASKAland • NOVEMBER 2018
focal distance, trying to capture all the movement and
intensity inherent in any good hunting dog. But you
don’t want too much movement or too much intensity;
you also want to stop water droplets exploding in all
directions.
The great part about a shoot like this is that it’s never
perfect. There is always just a bit more – or less –
movement than I want.
But this imperfection is a good reason to once again
head for the duck blind with a hunting buddy with an
enthusiastic, photogenic, and patient dog/model.
Good thing is the model is hoping for the same
thing. ■
Jeff Kurrus
October 1, 2018
NOVEMBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 55
Position: 825 (20 views)