Volume 98, Issue 3, 2020
April 2020
- Identifier:
- nela.2020_098_03
- Title:
- Volume 98, Issue 3, 2020
- Issue Name:
- April 2020
- Date Issued:
- 2020-04-01
- year:
- 2020
- month:
- April
- Season:
- Spring
- PDF filename:
- NL_98.03_2020_Apr_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 098
- issue:
- 03
- number:
- 098.03
- Decade:
- 2020s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
magazine
P.O.Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
nebraskaland@nebraska.gov
To renew your subscription or change your
address call 1-800-632-5263
$4.95
April 2020
Volume 98
April 2020
No. 3
Cover: An immature red-tailed hawk
sits on a tree limb in Lancaster County.
Photo by Chris Masada.
FEATURES
22
A 50-INCH MINIMUM
24
PLATTE RIVER WATER TRAIL
30
OUTDOOR NEBRASKA
32
THE PINE RIDGE SPECIAL
34
LICHENS
42
A DUGOUT FLOOD
44
JUST AN EAGLE
By Jeff Kurrus
Story and photos by Eric Fowler
What to Do in April
By Renae Blum
Story and photo by Justin Haag
How Fungi Became Farmers
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
Story and photos by Dina Barta
DEPARTMENTS
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
6
10
46
60
62
Your Nebraska
In the Field
Mixed Bag
Portraits from the Past
The Last Stop
Nebraskaland (VOL. 98 / NO. 3 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.
Magazine Staff
magazine
Published by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission since 1926. The Commission is
dedicated to the conservation and protection
of all the state's natural resources and the
people who use them.
Communications Director Christy Firestone
Editor Jeff Kurrus
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, Ryan Sparks,
Gerry Steinauer
Art Director Tim Reigert
Graphic Designer Mel Severin
Photo Librarian Jaclyn Cruikshank Vogt
Administration
Director Jim Douglas
Deputy Director Tim McCoy
Commissioners
Chairman - Dan Kreitman, Wahoo
Vice Chairman - Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
2nd Vice Chairman - Rick Brandt, Roca
Robert Allen, Eustis
Dick Bell, Omaha
Scott Cassels, Omaha
Jim Ernst, Columbus
John Hoggatt, Kearney
Doug Zingula, Sidney
Circulation
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Nebraskaland Magazine Copyright 2020, all rights reserved.
Nebraskaland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
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Commission Offices
Conservation Officers
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
ADMINISTRATION (Lincoln)
Craig Stover (Administrator)
Duane Arp (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
Travis Shepler (Asst. Administrator)
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
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
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Center
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Phone 402-332-3901
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8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
OutdoorNebraska.org
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
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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 402471-4693; 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 • April 2020
402-471-5531
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)
308-672-1824
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
308-430-0572
Kyler Prochaska
(E 1/2 Dawes, N 1/2 Sheridan, W 1/2 Cherry)
308-430-3984
308-458-7650
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant)
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
308-279-9133
Josh Widhelm (Morrill, Cheyenne)
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)
402-613-8612
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce)
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
Doug Pollard (Loup, Garfield, Valley)
308-730-7050
Ethan Teter
(Boating – eastern Nebraska)
402-620-8129
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
Nicholas Fix (Keith, Perkins)
Bryce Streger (Keith, Arthur)
Sean Schultz (Keith)
Brandon O’Neal
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Alex Hasenauer
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Mike Thome (Dawson)
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine)
Taylor Dixon
(Dawson, N 1/2 Gosper, N 1/2 Phelps)
Eric Javins
(Adams, Clay, Nuckolls, Webster)
Kevin Bergstrom
(Boating – central Nebraska)
Daryl Teter
(Boating – central Nebraska)
Greg Hesse
(Buffalo, Kearney)
308-289-0427
308-289-1169
308-760-0145
308-530-3157
308-660-4671
308-529-8146
308-870-0322
308-217-2108
402-902-2017
308-520-1031
308-440-1863
402-440-3847
SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Stacey Lewton (District Supt.)
402-890-7140
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)
402-200-9597
Matt Taylor (Thayer, Fillmore, Jefferson)
402-806-0915
Matt Seitz (Gage, Saline)
402-890-6463
Dina Barta (Lancaster)
402-937-3422
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster, York)
402-314-9641
Trevor Stahlecker (Lancaster)
402-443-6392
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler, Polk)
Scott Eveland
(Lancaster)
402-853-3273
YOUR NEBRASKA
Instagram Photos
Follow us (@nebraskaland)
and tag us in your photos
to be featured in an
upcoming issue.
Chris Bergstrom, Omaha
Niobrara River in Valentine
Karly Branstiter, Riverdale
Blue Jay
6
Nebraskaland • April 2020
Jacob Patterson, Mitchell
Rainbow Trout on the Fly
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
7
YOUR NEBRASKA
Echo Adams, Kalispell, Montana
Dirt Road
Jean Stohlmann, Manley
Cedar Waxwings
Send your comments and photos to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
Nebraskaland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or email Jeff.Kurrus@Nebraska.gov
Austin Kaufman, Gering
Goose Hunting on the North Platte River
8
Nebraskaland • April 2020
Please include your postal address
and telephone number. Letters may be
condensed and edited. Photographs are
also welcome.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
9
IN THE FIELD
BOOMING GROUNDS
A sharp-tailed grouse
performs its courtship
dance at a lek near Hay
Springs on an April evening.
PHOT
P
PH
OT
TO BY JUS
J STIN HAAG
AAG
10
Nebraskaland • April 2020
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
11
IN THE FIELD
EARLY SEASON
GOBBLERS
By Todd Mills
Keep these tips in mind for early season
gobblers.
Do Your Homework
Early season gobblers can be tough. Do you
know where they eat, sleep, strut and travel
each day? If you answered no to any of those
questions you need to scout harder. They’ve
just split up from winter groups so getting in
their way may be your best shot.
Trick the Hens
Early season toms are anxious to breed
and can stay with hens most of the day. That
makes them less susceptible to calling and
decoys. Focus on fooling the hens. If you can
get them interested, chances are a tom might
just follow. An older hen can be territorial, so
focus your efforts on ticking her off.
Decoy Set-Ups and Calling
Be careful that you don’t overcall this
time of year. Since they’re traveling in larger
numbers, sounding like the real thing can be
a challenge. Don’t be afraid to go “big” with
your decoy setup. Sometimes it’s the more the
merrier for April birds.
Todd Mills is a former Avian-X and Mossy
Oak pro staffer who divides his outdoor time
between hunting waterfowl and turkeys.
12
Nebraskaland • April 2020
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Be Patient
You’ve heard it before but never is having
patience more relevant than hunting early
season turkeys. Your window of toms being
alone this time of year is shorter. Stick and
stay if you have birds in the area. If you’ve
done your homework chances are you might
have a bird make a mistake. Younger toms get
anxious and will sometimes break off looking
for the “lucky break” with a hen.
IN THE FIELD
ADDITION TO 2020 FORECAST
By Jeff Kurrus
I feel like reading Nebraska’s fishing forecasts are like
studying algorithms. As an angler, I’m always trying to
maximize the use of this information, and I continually
evaluate what updates have been added. Here is the main
addition in the 2020 version.
A newly created line – a squiggly line of sorts – can be seen
in spots on the 2020 Nebraska Fishing Forecast. When you
see this line, the lake(s) sampled above it on the chart adheres
to the numbers located at the top of the chart. Every lake
below this squiggly line is measured by the numbers at the
bottom of the chart. For example, in the 2020 forecast, Harlan
County Reservoir had the highest number of wipers surveyed
per gill net at 46.3, as seen by the numbers at the top of the
graph. Branched Oak, in a distant second place, surveyed 10,
as seen by the numbers at the bottom of the graph.
Some other notes to consider:
Pay attention to the scale at the bottom of each chart.
In each of these below, the range differs. This becomes
especially important if you think that just because your
favorite lake is lower on this year’s chart than last year’s
chart, it obviously surveyed less fish. Watch the numbers.
Also make sure you observe the color differences on the
graphs, especially when comparing different years. While
blue might mean a certain length this year, the same doesn’t
necessarily apply next year.
When these lakes are surveyed also matters, and survey
results can be related to recent rainfall, water turbidity and
other environmental factors. I always evaluate Sandhills
•
•
•
2018 Forecast
14
Nebraskaland • April 2020
lakes differently than the
rest of the state. While they
rarely, if ever, survey high
numbers of bass because of
their vegetation and clear
water, they are some of our state’s
best largemouth fisheries.
Watch for new lakes. These will usually be at the top
of the list of fish surveyed, but most fish will be small. Give
them a couple of years, though, as these lakes will soon be
your favorites to fish.
Year to year, some lakes are consistent producers.
Wehrspann consistently has a lot of crappies, but it also
has a lot of smaller fish. In another example, Merritt is a
tremendous fishery for multiple species, and a trip to Merritt
is always worth your time, regardless of the survey results.
Plan on fishing these waters every year and learning them
as best as you can.
Finally, anglers should remember these forecasts can be
extremely helpful when planning a fishing trip. Just from the
2020 forecast alone, I would take my young son bass fishing
at Flanagan way before I would at a lake like Wehrspann,
even though I personally like to fish Wehrspann. From the
chart, Flanagan surveyed more than 800 largemouth bass
per hour. That’s how I plan to get a newcomer interested.
At the end of the day, you have to try these waters
out yourself. To get a jumpstart on your research, visit
OutdoorNebraska.org/fishingforecast.
•
•
•
2019 Forecast
2020 Forecast
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
SLEEP-IN TURKEYS
By Jarrod Spilger
While some states have noon or 1 p.m. closures during
spring turkey season, Nebraska is one of several states that
allow all day hunting. Yet few turkey hunters take advantage
of this opportunity.
That’s because most hunters like to be in the woods at first
light. After all, nothing beats calling in an old gobbler shortly
after fly down and tagging out just as the sun is rising.
However, things don’t always go as planned. Hens roosted
nearby will often steal your gobbler away, leading him in the
opposite direction. Sure, he may gobble at your calls, but he’s
not about to leave the live hens right in front of him for a
mysterious lover in the bush.
Fortunately, the day’s best hunting is still ahead. I
frequently hit the woods around noon or shortly thereafter.
By then, most hens have abandoned their suitors to go lay
eggs and tend to their nests, leaving gobblers lonely and
vulnerable.
16
Nebraskaland • April 2020
Set up near a shaded daytime loafing area or sunlit
strutting zone as confirmed by tracks and feathers. A few
yelps on a box or mouth call is usually all it takes to fire up a
mid-day gobbler. Once you’ve got his attention, make a few
soft clucks and purrs on a slate call to seal the deal. Then get
ready, because he’ll often come in silent to investigate this
new girl on the block. Leave the decoys in the truck, though.
You want to keep him searching and guessing until it’s too
late.
I’ve bagged numerous afternoon gobblers over the past
30 years, and you can bag some, too. Sleep in this season
and have a leisurely breakfast (or even lunch). There’s still
plenty of time to enjoy success in Nebraska’s spring turkey
woods.
Jarrod Spilger is an outdoor writer, hunter and dog lover
from Grand Island.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
17
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
INSTANT POT WALLEYE CIOPPINO
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
½ to 1 pound of boneless, skinless
walleye fillets
1 pound of live mussels
Half a medium onion
1 small fennel bulb, with decent
fronds (leaves) intact
1 shallot
1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
½ cup of Chardonnay white wine
Dash of red pepper flakes
16 ounces of clam juice
1½ cups canned diced tomatoes,
undrained
1 cup of water
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt, to taste
Crusty bread and butter
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Slice off the root end of the fennel
bulb and chop white and light-green
parts. Reserve the fronds (green
feathery, leafy parts) for later; you can
18
Nebraskaland • April 2020
discard the green stems. Chop onion
and shallot.
2. Select the “sauté” setting on
the Instant Pot and add oil. When
heated, add chopped fennel, onion and
shallot with a pinch of salt. Sauté for
about 5 minutes or until onion turns
translucent, stirring frequently.
3. Next, add tomato paste, minced
garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for
about 1 minute. Then add the white
wine and scrape the bottom of the
pot to release brown bits. Allow the
mixture to bubble for a couple minutes.
4. Cancel the “sauté” setting. Add
the canned diced tomatoes, clam
juice, water and bay leaf. Follow the
instructions on your Instant Pot to
close the lid and prepare it for pressure
cooking. Set the cook time to 15
minutes.
Meanwhile, wash mussels and
remove any beards. If there are any
mussels that are open, set them on
the counter and see if they close. If
they don’t close after a few minutes,
discard them as they are likely dead. If
needed, remove skin and stray bones
off walleye fillets.
5. Follow your machine’s instructions
to depressurize the pot once cooking
is completed. Carefully uncover the
lid and set the machine to “sauté” to
bring it to a boil. At this time, season
the broth to taste with kosher salt.
When the broth starts boiling, add the
mussels and stir gently. Just when you
see them beginning to open, gently
add the walleye fillets. Ladle hot broth
over the fillets to cook them.
Do not mix and stir the stew
vigorously as the fish will break. As
soon as all the mussels open and the
fish turns opaque, turn off heat. Try
not to overcook the mussels – the meat
will shrink.
6. Discard bay leaf and season broth
to taste again. Ladle the soup, fish
and mussels into bowls. Discard any
mussels that don’t open – they’re
dead and will make you sick. Drizzle
olive oil on top, season with freshly
cracked pepper and garnish with
roughly chopped fennel fronds. Serve
immediately with crusty bread and
butter.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
19
IN THE FIELD
TAKE A KID HUNTING
Jeanette Smith is
pictured with a
harvested tom turkey in
Lancaster County.
By Jarrod Spilger
There’s no nobler cause than introducing a youngster to
Nebraska’s great outdoors. Many children, both girls and
boys, seem to have an almost innate interest in hunting. Here
are some things to remember when taking a kid hunting.
Start Out Small
Most kids want to immediately hunt deer, but that may
not be the best choice. The November firearm season is
often cold, and there are many other hunters afield. Instead,
think smaller and warmer. September doves are a great
introductory quarry. The weather’s nice and there are usually
plenty of birds. Ditto for October squirrels, since they are
often quite vocal and readily available. Spring gobblers are
another good bet. Warmer weather and the excitement of
both calling to turkeys and hearing them respond combine
to create a memorable hunt.
Use a Blind
Kids tend to fidget, and a blind will help conceal any
movement, especially at the moment of truth when they
go to raise their gun. It’ll also provide shelter from the
elements. The pop-up blind is probably the best thing that
ever happened to youth hunting.
Use the Right Gun
Don’t start youngsters with too much gun. Conversely,
don’t give them too little gun, either. Many kids begin
their shooting careers with a full-choked, single-shot .410.
However, small payloads and tight chokes can be something
of a handicap. A lightweight 20-gauge may be the better
choice. It provides sufficient firepower for everything from
doves to ducks to turkeys, yet won’t overpower the shooter.
If the kid is big enough, a 12-gauge will also work, provided
you don’t subject them to magnum loads. Mossberg makes a
large variety of youth shotguns in all three of these gauges.
While shotguns are versatile, nothing beats the lowrecoiling .22 rifle for introducing new shooters to guns. Plus,
it can also be used to successfully hunt squirrels and rabbits.
With turkey calls in hand, Richard Johnson and his son Nolan of
Gretna scout for birds in Cass County.
20
Nebraskaland • April 2020
PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
Pack Snacks
Growing boys and girls get hungry – frequently. If you
want them to stay in the blind all day (or at least for a few
hours), you’ve got to bring food along. Granola bars, Rice
Krispies Treats and juice boxes will keep them happy and
attentive. Remember, hunting is supposed to be fun. With
the right preparation, that jumpy little kid sitting next to you
in the blind may just turn out to be your best hunting buddy
someday.
To submit photos for the Take ‘Em Hunting campaign, which runs
through May 31, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/takeemhunting.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
21
A 50-inch Minimum
OTHER MUSKIE WATERS
Since 2010, muskies have been stocked in the following waters.
They are grown at an advanced size of 12-14 inches and stocked in
the spring of their second year.
Muskies at Merritt Reservoir
By Jeff Kurrus
M
erritt Reservoir has long been
one of Nebraska’s top fishing
destinations. Merritt is an
irrigation reservoir, but unlike
some others, it fills every year because
of the ample flow of the Snake River.
It consistently has great water quality
and abundant prey fish. And with this
Suicide Duck
Photo courtesy of
muskyshop.com
PHOTO BY DARYL BAUER
22
Nebraskaland • April 2020
• Calamus – Up to 50“
• CottonwoodSteverson – Up to 50”
• Crescent – Stocked
• Elwood – Up to 50”
• Enders – Up to 45”
• Fremont 20 – Unknown
• L.E. Ray Lake – Up to 45”
year’s adoption of a 50-inch minimum
for what many consider to be Nebraska’s
greatest fish, the muskellunge, Merritt
has entered rarefied air as a trophy
fishery.
“Merritt has alewives, white suckers
and various panfish,” said fisheries
biologist Daryl Bauer of the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission. “There
are plenty of groceries for big muskies.”
Bank fishing from the dam has
become a popular pastime for many
anglers just after ice-out, as alewives
are in shallow water and pre-spawn
muskies are hungry. “Muskies don’t
spawn as early as walleyes or northern
pike,” Bauer said. “But they’ll feed a
lot before, going to bays and coves and
trying to spawn.”
Coincidentally, walleyes are in the
same areas, and fish survey crews will
often encounter muskies while doing
walleye egg collections near the dam
in April. To catch these fish, anglers
will fan cast these open water areas
with muskie lures – insanely large big
brothers of bass and walleye tackle
with names like Dirty Dancer, Hawg
Wobbler, Double D and Suicide Duck.
It is a test of patience, as every muskie
angler knows.
“We’ve had days where we’ve caught
multiple fish,” said Bauer. “And we’ve
had days when we don’t see a fish all
Daniel Bauer of Valentine holds a
master angler muskie from Merritt.
• Merritt – State-record size
• Mormon Island West – Up
to 45”
• Sandy Channel – Unknown
• Timber Point – Up to 35”
• Wagon Train – Up to 45”
• Zorinsky – Up to 40”
day long.”
Such is the life of a muskie angler.
However, if you are not a traditional
muskie angler – or are tired of casting
these physically demanding lures,
you can always go smaller. “If fishing
smaller tackle keeps you in the
game longer, this can work to your
advantage,” said Bauer. “Also keep in
mind that smaller tackle may match the
size of the baitfish a little better.”
As the spring continues, anglers can
still bomb the banks at Merritt with
muskie tackle until summer begins.
As the dog days return, there will be
more open water baitfish, and muskies
will pull away into that deeper water.
At this time of the year, most of the
muskies will be caught by walleye
anglers trolling crankbaits. With the
state record muskie at 52 inches now
and the new 50-inch minimum, it’s
obvious Nebraska anglers aren’t going
to put many fillets of this species on the
table. Muskie anglers will surely agree
that is not why they want to catch one,
though, and the new regulation will
help protect the resource.
With Merritt’s water quality and
ample food, it is Nebraska’s muskie
capitol. So plan at least one long day
in the Sandhills this spring casting for
this trophy fish. Bring your big tackle,
and your bigger net, and prepare for the
fish of a thousand casts – knowing that
it only takes one bite for your first state
record fish. N
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
23
Platte River
Water Trail
Story and photos by Eric Fowler
Lied Platte River Bridge is part of the MoPac Trail in Cass and Sarpy counties. It will be part of a
yet-to-be-completed hike-bike trail connecting Lincoln and Omaha.
’ve paddled many of the state’s rivers,
mostly during the past 20 years creating
stories on the state’s water trails in this
magazine. But until 2018, I hadn’t floated
the Platte, despite living a mere 30 miles
from its course. By then, my wife, Theresa,
and I had owned kayaks for five years, but
we mostly paddled lakes around our home
in Lincoln.
On this day, it wasn’t long before we asked
ourselves why we’d waited so long to float
the Platte.
The Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission has long promoted a 70-mile
I
The canoe and kayak access point on Decker Creek at Platte River State
Park serves as a stopping point on the water trail between Schramm Park
and Louisville state recreation areas.
24
Nebraskaland • April 2020
water trail on the Platte between Fremont and Plattsmouth.
Under the Commission’s Venture Parks initiative, new access
points were developed on the Lower Platte at Schramm Park
and Louisville state recreation areas, and a stop midway at
Platte River State Park, making a 6-mile section of the trail,
located within an hour of more than half of the state’s 1.9
million residents, more user friendly.
The Platte River begins nearly 900 miles west of this
section of the water trail, on 12,000-foot-high peaks high in
the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Its north fork, the North
Platte, flows into Wyoming and turns east, entering the
Nebraska Panhandle near Henry. The South Platte flows
northeast through Colorado and into Nebraska near Big
Springs. The two forks join at North Platte to form the Platte,
which ends just 16 miles below the trail where it meets the
Missouri River.
Through most of Nebraska, the river flows through a
valley so broad it might be imperceptible to some. By the
time it reaches Schramm Park, its valley is narrow, bordered
by picturesque wooded bluffs that rise from one bank or the
other, providing a scenic backdrop that adds to the experience
on this water trail.
The Platte is a braided river, with many small channels
winding between its high banks, constantly shifting the
sand and gravel that make up its bed and forming expansive
sandbars. It typically flows at between 2 and 3 miles per hour
in this reach, so paddling only enough to keep on course you
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
25
Lower Platte River
Venture Park Canoe Trail
When to Float
The water trails page includes safety and general
rules for a float trip. A few highlights:
Always wear a life jacket.
The surface of the water is open to public
use, but you must have permission from the
adjacent landowner to stop on a sandbar
or the bank, or even touch the stream bed.
Where necessary, you may portage around
obstacles or walk your boat through shallow
water.
Wear proper clothing and be prepared to get
wet and wear shoes to protect your feet, and
take dry clothes for after the trip.
Protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen,
sunglasses, a hat and long-sleeve shirt and
pants.
Carry insect repellent.
Pack water and stay hydrated.
If you capsize, avoid the downstream side of
your canoe or kayak.
There are no dams on this section of the Platte
River or any Game and Parks water trail. When
floating other rivers on your own, however,
avoid these obstacles at all cost. Never float
over low-head dams, which have dangerous
undercurrents below them and are known to
some as “drowning machines.”
•
•
Schramm Park
State Recreation
Area
Platte Riv
er
•
1
●
SARPY COUNTY
•
tte
•
•
•
•
South
Bend
Pla
2
●
R
r
ive
●3
4
●
Louisville State
Recreation Area
Louisville
Platte River State Park
MAP ILLUSTRATION BY TIM REIGERT
Water levels in the Platte River vary widely
throughout the year and can often be too high to
float safely or too low to make the trip enjoyable.
Greg Wagner, a Game and Parks public
information officer in Omaha, says as a general
rule, if you don’t see any sandbars, the river is
too high to float, and if you see more sandbars
than water, your trip might be more walking than
paddling.
Joel Jorgensen, a Game and Parks biologist who
has spent many summers surveying least tern
and piping plover nests on the river, has another
tool that is useful for those who don’t live near
the river and want to check flows before they
make the drive. He watches the U.S. Geological
Survey stream gauge on the Platte at Louisville
closely when determining when to go on the
river. Jorgensen says ideal flows for paddling are
between 7,000 and 12,000 cubic feet per second.
Flows below 5,000 cfs are too little, and those
above 16,000 cfs require extreme caution. When
they top 18,000 cfs, he avoids the river.
A link to the USGS site, where you can zoom in
and select that stream gauge from a map of all
gauges in Nebraska, as well as other information
on Game and Parks water trails, can be found at
OutdoorNebraska.org/watertrails.
CASS COUNTY
1 Schramm Park State Recreation Area – This new launch is located off Highway 31 on the north bank of the Platte River. Parking
●
is available. ●
2 Lied Bridge – This former railroad bridge that now serves as a hike-bike trail is located 1.5 miles below the launch at
Schramm. It is currently closed for repairs following the 2019 flood. ●
3 Platte River State Park – Located 2.9 miles from the launch
at Schramm, this new stop on the water trail offers paddlers a place to take a break and have a picnic. It is located a short distance up
Decker Creek on the south bank of the Platte. ●
4 Louisville State Recreation Area – The end of the trail is located on the south bank
of the river at the east end of the SRA, 2.8 miles below Platte River State Park. This new area features a canoe and kayak launch, boat
ramp and parking.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The new access point at Schramm Park State Recreation Area includes a graded bank and parking off Highway
31. It is part of the Venture Park Initiative and a water trail linking Schramm, Platte River State Park and
Louisville SRA.
26
Nebraskaland • April 2020
could expect the trip from Schramm to Louisville to take
three hours or less.
The redesigned section of the Platte River Water Trail
begins on the southeastern corner of Schramm, where a new
parking lot and launch were developed on the south side of
Highway 31 and opened in 2016. Flooding in March 2019
damaged the launch, and the river drops off fairly quickly
from the bank, but it is usable. Game and Parks staff is
looking at ways to improve the site.
The river flows southeast from Schramm. About 1.5 miles
below the park, it passes beneath the Lied Bridge, a former
Rock Island Railroad line that is now part of a hike-bike
trail that will eventually link trails in Lincoln and Omaha.
Paddlers need to choose their route carefully under this
bridge as its pilings often collect trees and other debris that
should be avoided.
About one-half mile below the bridge, the river turns to the
northeast. Another mile downstream, paddlers can turn up
Decker Creek, pass under the Burlington Northern Railroad
bridge, and take a break at the new stop at Platte River State
Park. The bank of the creek has been graded and surfaced
with gravel, and a sidewalk leads to a picnic area for paddlers
and others to use. Because of the distance from the nearest
park road, the site wasn’t built to be a put in or take out point.
But anyone wanting to wheel their canoe or kayak down an
maintenance road can do so.
From Platte River State Park, the river continues to the
northeast. In just under 1½ miles, paddlers will reach the
western edge of Louisville SRA. Here, they might opt to pitch
a tent and spend the night in the River View Campground,
which is accessible from the river, albeit by a steep bank. The
end of the Platte River water trail is another mile downstream
at the east end of the park. This new canoe and kayak access
point, boat ramp and parking area opened this spring, a year
later than planned thanks to damage caused by flooding last
March that has since been repaired.
April 2020 •
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27
Parks on the Trail
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
SCHRAMM PARK SRA
South of Gretna on Highway 31. Located
on the site of the state’s first fish hatchery,
which is now a museum. Features the
new, state-of-the-art Schramm Education
Center, formerly known as the Aksarben
Aquarium, which includes interactive
exhibits about Nebraska’s aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems. The park also
offers more than two miles of trails in the
wooded bluffs and picnic areas.
Students explore the aquariums at Schramm Education Center.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Morgan Zurek of Louisville (front) and Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley of Omaha carry a kayak at the Louisville State Recreation Area
canoe and kayak launch.
PLATTE RIVER STATE PARK
West of Louisville on Highway 66.
Features new “glamping” cabins and other
cabins, a new RV campground, restaurant,
fishing pond, paddleboats, spray park,
Crawdad Creek, shooting range, horseback
rides, observation towers and 17½ miles of
trails, including 4½ miles in a new mountain
bike area.
Crawdad Creek at Platte River State Park.
28
Nebraskaland • April 2020
turns to the northeast, follows the right bank to Platte River
State Park. From there to Louisville, the channel may cross to
the north bank and back a time or two, but it is typically deep
enough to float along the south bank.
The amount of water in the river varies widely throughout
the year, a factor that can also affect float times. Numerous
dams have changed the historic flows in the river. Today, it is
typically highest in May and June, but runoff from heavy rains
can push flows to dangerous levels during any month. From
July until the irrigation season ends in September, flows are
lower when the diversion of surface water and groundwater
pumping, for agriculture and municipal use, is at its peak. In
dry years, the river may be too low to float (see page 26).
But on a summer day, a trip down this section of the Platte
River is well worth the effort. And when conditions are right,
there is little effort required at all, leaving plenty of time to
soak in the scenery and some sun. N
LOUISVILLE SRA
Located on the south
edge of Louisville off
Highway 50.
The park features RV and
tent campgrounds on five
sandpit lakes for fishing
and swimming, a new
floating playground, picnic
areas and two miles of
trails along the river.
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Shuttling vehicles between Schramm and Louisville is a
quick, 7-mile trip along Highways 31 and 50. The Platte River
Water Trail had continued beyond Louisville to Schilling
Wildlife Management Area at Plattsmouth, but flooding
in 2019 washed out the access point and roads leading to
it. Another option for an extended daytrip exists, however.
Paddlers can launch at Catfish Run WMA on Highway 6 east
of Ashland and float 2 miles down Salt Creek to its mouth at
the Platte, which is 3.8 miles above the launch at Schramm.
Other upstream access points include Two Rivers SRA near
Venice and Platte River Landing near Valley.
Paddling the river can be a challenge, however, if you
don’t know how to read a river and stay in the main channel,
especially when flows are low. Choose the wrong course and
your float trip will become much longer as you drag your boat
back to deep water.
On this reach, however, staying in deep water isn’t difficult.
While the main channel can shift at any time, it typically
follows the left bank south from Schramm, moves to the
center of the river above the Lied Bridge, and, after the river
The floating playground at Louisville State Recreation Area.
Be sure to pick up next month’s issue to learn about big plans
for the Kearney Water Trail.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
29
PATTERNING A SHOTGUN AT CLEAR CREEK HUNTING LODGE
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
Ah, spring. Whether the weather cooperates or not, there’s
much to enjoy about being outdoors this month. For more
information on the events listed below, visit
Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. N
Pattern your shotgun
for spring turkey season
Throughout the month | Statewide
It’s a good idea to make sure the shotgun shell load
you want to use this turkey season works well in
your shotgun, throwing out a uniform pattern of
pellets. Use a turkey target, safe backstop and eye
and ear protection. Start at 20-25 yards and move
back as you feel comfortable, checking for holes
and looking at the density of the pattern.
LAKE WANAHOO NRD RECREATION AREA
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Nebraska Game
and Parks
Commission
meeting
View grouse courtship dances
April 16-17
Niobrara State Park
Strutting, stamping, leaping and whirling – greater prairiechicken and sharp-tailed grouse courtship displays are
sights to see. Males also utter a deep cooing call, referred
to as “booming,” that may be heard a mile away. Viewing
opportunities include free, self-guided blinds on public
land and guided blind visits packaged with lodging and/or
breakfast.
Enter the Take ‘Em
Fishing challenge
Starting now | Statewide
Bird Walk
The next time you go fishing, bring someone who’s
never fished before and enter the Take ‘Em Fishing
challenge. Not only will you gain a new fishing
buddy, you’ll be registered to win prizes. Learn more
at OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmFishing.
April 17
Lake McConaughy State
Recreation Area
A MONARCH BUTTERFLY NECTARS ON PURPLE CONEFLOWER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Start planning a
pollinator garden
Throughout the month | Statewide
This month, start thinking about your budget and
where, when and what to plant. Most pollinator
plants are full-sun, some will grow bigger than
others, and some are better suited to different
areas of the state. Visit pollinator.org/guides for
suggestions. Make sure the species you choose
produce pollen and nectar and will provide flowers
throughout the growing season.
30
Nebraskaland • April 2020
GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN ON THE VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
By Renae Blum
What To Do in April
Throughout the month | Western and central
Nebraska and some southeastern locations
SANDSTONE OUTCROPPING AT SCHRAMM PARK STATE RECREATION AREA
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Outdoor Nebraska
Attend ‘Reading
the Rocks’
April 4, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Schramm Park Education Center
Rocks that outcrop at Schramm Park
State Recreation Area display millions
of years of history. Come explore what
these rocks can teach us alongside
expert geologists, who will be on-site
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find your own
fossils in the outcrop and explore handson learning stations where you can
examine rocks and fossils.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
31
The Pine Ridge
Special
Story and photo by Justin Haag
Step away from ordinary equipment to
fly-fish Nebraska’s trout streams.
L
et’s get this out of the way early. When looking
for fly-fishing advice, you might want to go
elsewhere.
Mind you, I have fly-fished many times, but when
it comes to getting serious about catching fish, a
spinnerbait or can of nightcrawlers is usually involved.
My fly-fishing dates back to the 1990s when I
was gifted a rod-and-reel combo package. As with
1945 print ad for a Martin Model 27 and 28 Fly-wate
Automatic Fishing Reel.
32
Nebraskaland • April 2020
all fishing, it was fun. Too often, though, I ended
up with a wad of line at my feet and frequent
instances of both rod and line becoming snared
in overhanging branches. After a little dabbling, I
always retreated to spinning gear.
The Nebraska Trout Slam, which challenges
anglers to catch a rainbow, brook, cutthroat and
brown from the state’s waters, inspired me, though.
Because I am fortunate enough to live in the Pine
Ridge, billed as Nebraska’s only region where all
four species can be caught, I figured I should add to
the challenge by catching them with a fly rod.
My fly-fishing skills, or lack of them, are often
to blame, but I attribute many of my problems to
the nature of the streams I fish. While high on
aesthetic value, they are not what I would call beginner-friendly.
Whenever on one, I am reminded of the words written by the late
Pat McManus, the famed humorist for Outdoor Life, as he was
distinguishing a “creek” and a “crick.”
“First of all a creek has none of the raucous, vulgar, freewheeling
character of a crick,” McManus wrote. “If they were people, creeks
would wear tuxedos and amuse themselves with the ballet,
opera, and witty conversation; cricks would go around in their
undershirts and amuse themselves with the Saturday night
fights, taverns, and humorous belching. Creeks would perspire
and cricks, sweat. Creeks would smoke pipes; cricks, chew and
spit.”
Whether or not our pretty streams deserve such categorization,
their narrow turns, overhanging branches and encroaching
vegetation pose some special considerations for gear and have
surely triggered many a swear word from anglers. After a sizable
dose of struggle, I began looking for tips.
For fly-fishing small streams in tight quarters, the experts
recommend a light outfit. That is, short rod with light line.
Unfortunately, I did not find such a configuration from local
retailers. Seems fly rods sold in beginner kits are designed for
casting long distances with length of about 9 feet and heavy
line. They work well for ponds and rivers, but are overkill and
cumbersome for getting around small streams.
Tiger Trout (Salmo trutta × Salvelinus fontinalis) and Vintage Automatic Fly Reel at Soldier Creek Wilderness Area in Sioux
County.
My chosen rod became the fiberglass Eagle Claw
Featherlight. Available at just 6 feet, 6 inches it works about
as well as one could hope for battling the brush. Both its cork
handle and $25 price tag, much less than most other fly rods,
are attractive features.
Another great suggestion unearthed from my research is
the automatic fly reel. While fly-fishing purists may scoff
at anything with “automatic” in the name, this is surely the
most attractive part of my set-up. Upon a lever pull with the
trigger finger, a spring-loaded mechanism quickly spools a
pile of slack line piled at your feet – a pile that, as previously
mentioned, is sure to become tangled in the tall vegetation
characteristic of a “crick.”
A few manufacturers produce automatic fly reels, but the
reviews of new products are less favorable than merchandise
of yesteryear.
Martin of Mohawk, New York, became the leader in
automatic reels in the mid-1900s. Available in both upright
and horizontal configurations, the reels came in a variety of
sizes and models. On eBay, I found the Martin No. 47 – with
patent numbers registered in 1939 and 1942 – for $20.50.
Capitalizing on their ingenuity, the company used the same
winding mechanism on similar-looking items labeled “dog
exercisers.”
When ol’ 47 arrived on my doorstep, I admired its hefty
metal build – not an ounce of plastic to be found on an
attractive forest green and chrome body. I spooled it with
some three-weight floating line, added a tapered leader and
gave it a cast. It is hard to imagine that the reel worked any
better in 1950 than it does today.
The package’s true test, though, came during its first
venture up the middle fork of Soldier Creek in March 2018.
There, in a small pocket of water in the shadow from pretty
rocks, the first of several brook trout fell victim to this setup. The joy of succeeding with my new-slash-old “Pine
Ridge special” surely matched what I experienced upon
catching my first fish with a Zebco spincast in the 1970s.
One parting tip from a struggling fly angler: As with most
endeavors, practice pays. Casting a fly rod is a fun thing to
do with targets and obstacles, and no trout to spook, in the
backyard. Especially work on the roll cast, which will help
you get below those snag-inducing branches.
Whether or not I am qualified to give advice for flyfishing will always be debatable, though. Regardless, a few
adjustments to my approach has certainly made my hikes up
the creek – or, crick – more enjoyable. N
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
33
Lichens
How Fungi Became Farmers
Desert firedot lichen
(orange-colored), a
crustose species, covers a
sandstone outcrop in the
dry Wildcat Hills of Scotts
Bluff County.
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer
ost people have seen lichens, those green, gray or
yellow growths on the bark of trees, the shaded side
of old sheds or on rocks down by the creek, but few
take notice of them. If they do, many assume they are
a plant, moss, fungus or who knows what.
Lichens are none of the above, and are instead a strange
living partnership between a fungus and one or more alga
species that look (and act) like a single species. Viewed in
another light, they are fungi that have taken up farming
using algae.
Lichens first appeared in the fossil record nearly 400
M
million years ago, and the union of fungi and algae has
occurred several times over evolutionary history. Today, more
than 19,000 known species live in habitats ranging from the
frozen poles to steamy tropical rainforests, from bone-dry
deserts to rocky mountaintops. They come in an amazing
array of colors, sizes and forms.
The Organism
Most people are familiar with the mushroom-forming
fungi, but the majority of lichen-forming fungi belong to the
Lichens grow on a variety of substrates, mainly rock, soil, bark and wood. Above, several species of foliose lichens grow on a
partially-shaded, old barn door in southeastern South Dakota.
34
Nebraskaland • April 2020
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
35
less familiar cup fungi, which includes the molds and rusts,
but also the delicious morel. The algal partners are mainly
green and blue-green algae, single-celled organisms that
contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
When a lichen-forming fungus comes in contact with the
appropriate type of alga, it envelops the alga cells. Once the
cells are captured, the fungus undergoes a transformation,
forming a thallus, the main body of the lichen. Depending on
the lichen species, the alga cells either form a layer near the
upper surface or are dispersed throughout the thallus.
The main growth forms of lichens are crustose, foliose
and fruticose. Crustose lichens, which are the most common
type in our region, are flat and crust-like, and adhere tightly
to their substrates such as rock or bark. The less common
foliose lichens are leaf-like and spreading and adhere more
loosely to their substrates. Fruticose lichens, uncommon in
our region, are often upright and shrubby or hang in long
narrow strands, mainly from trees.
In the past, lichenologists thought the partnership
between a fungus and an alga was mutually beneficial. They
now believe that, in many cases, it is more of a parasitic
Shade-tolerant foliose lichens, including cracked ruffle lichen (large, gray species on the left), hoary rosette lichen (small
gray species) and sunburst lichens (yellowish green species), cloak a Dakota Sandstone boulder in oak woodlands in Jefferson
County. Dakota sandstone boulders located in nearby prairie support more heat- and drought-tolerant crustose lichens.
Hooded sunburst lichen grows on the bark of an ironwood
tree in moist deciduous woodlands in the central Niobrara
River Valley in Brown County.
36
Nebraskaland • April 2020
relationship, in which the fungal partner is the principal
beneficiary, extracting and using sugars from the algae
produced through photosynthesis. Put more simply, the fungi
might be enslaving the algae for food production (typically
fungi obtain their food by decomposing organic matter).
Strangely, algal cells, when confined within a lichen, become
leaky and exude sugars for the fungus to absorb.
The algae do receive something out of the bargain, mainly
a relatively safe place to live within the lichen where they are
protected from direct sunlight and herbivory and provided a
more consistent supply of water.
Habitats
Lichens grow on a variety of substrates, mainly bark, wood,
rock and soil, but also a few peculiar ones such as tortoise
shells and the backs of particular insects. Most species
are restricted to specific substrates. Some bark-inhabiting
lichens, for example, will grow only on oaks whose bark is
rough and acidic, while others will grow only on the bark of
young silver maples which is smooth and less acidic. Others
are found only on the highly resinous bark of coniferous
trees, such as pines.
Many rock-inhabiting lichens grow only on calcareous
rocks, such as limestone and marble, while other species
inhabit only non-calcareous, but silicate-rich, granite and
schist. Still others grow only on loosely textured sandstone
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
37
In lichens undergoing sexual reproduction, spores are
usually produced in open disc-shaped or closed dome-shaped
structures called ascomata. During sexual reproduction, only
the fungus is reproduced, and the young fungus must find
and capture the appropriate alga for a new lichen to form.
This is a chancy event, and may explain why lichens put
more stock in the less risky, asexual reproduction.
Color
Lichens come in an array of colors. Those growing in
exposed, somewhat dry habitats are often brightly-colored,
commonly red or orange. The green algae in these lichens can
be damaged by excess sunlight, and the colorful pigments,
located near the lichens’ surface, protect the algae from strong
light. A lichen’s color also helps regulate its temperature,
thus optimizing photosynthesis. Polar and alpine lichens,
for instance, tend to be dark-colored, which aides in the
absorption of sunlight, warming the lichens, whereas the
light color of most desert lichens reflects sunlight, cooling
them. Lichens lacking pigments typically express the color of
their algal cells, which range from bright green to dull olive.
A pixie cup lichen, a fruticose species, grows on a downed
log in a spring-branch canyon on the central Niobrara River
Valley in Brown County. The trumpet-like formations are
stalks topped with disc-shaped ascomata, reproductive
structures.
that retains moisture, while some species are restricted
to iron or other metal-rich rocks. Interestingly, the latter
species can often tolerate metals, such as copper, that kill
other organisms.
Lichens, which have no mechanism to prevent desiccation,
survive on exposed rocks and other extreme habitats by
drying out and not photosynthesizing during periods of
extreme heat, cold or drought. In arid climates, such as
deserts, they often subsist only on dew, capturing what little
moisture there is each night and photosynthesizing until
mid-morning when the lichen dries out. Because conditions
for optimal photosynthesis may not last long each day, most
lichens grow slowly, often only a few hundredths of an inch
per year. On the flipside, they have long life spans. A map
lichen growing in the Arctic is estimated to be 8,600 years
old, making it one of the Earth’s oldest living organisms.
Reproduction
Lichens reproduce sexually and asexually (vegetatively).
As for the latter, dry lichens can simply break into fragments
that are wind dispersed and, if they land on a suitable
substrate, resume growth when moisture returns. Many
lichen species also have specialized outgrowths containing
both alga and fungus cells designed to break off and form
new lichens.
38
Nebraskaland • April 2020
The crustose golden moonglow lichen (white) and gold cobblestone lichen (yellow) pattern a Sioux Quartzite (darker color
form) glacial boulder located in tallgrass prairie in Jefferson County. Both species are commonly found on Sioux Quartzite.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
39
Diversity
Approximately 5,600 lichen species are known from the
continental United States and Canada with roughly 1,110
of these occurring in the Great Plains. In North America,
lichen diversity is richest in the moist and shaded eastern
deciduous forests; the rugged and diverse Rocky Mountain
region; and the cold, northern forests and peatlands. Roughly
350 species are known from Nebraska. For comparison, 700
species have been documented for Wyoming and 500 species
for the forest-rich Missouri. Since the year 2000, however,
biologists have documented more than 100 new species
for our state. These collections were gathered mostly from
the western pine escarpments and the cool, moist, central
Niobrara Valley. Many more species are certainly awaiting
discovery.
Lichens are notoriously difficult to identify, often requiring
Golden moonglow lichen grows on a Sioux Quartzite glacial boulder in Jefferson County. The color of this lichen ranges
from whitish (see photo on page 39) to grayish depending on the thickness the powdery covering on its exterior, which is
probably related to exposure.
chemical tests and microscopic inspection to key them to the
species level. Unfortunately, very few biologists have lichen
expertise, which limits our ability to survey for them.
Ecology
Elegant sunburst lichen graces a marble tombstone (date
of death 1911) in a prairie cemetery in southeastern South
Dakota.
40
Nebraskaland • April 2020
Though small in stature, lichens play critical roles in
nature. In arid regions, such as the Great Basin, for instance,
soil crusts formed in part of lichens help stabilize soils,
and lichens containing nitrogen-fixing algae enhance
soil fertility. In alpine and boreal regions and areas of the
Plains, where lichens are abundant, they help conserve soil
moisture, reflect heat and weather and break down rocks,
the initial stage in soil development. In areas of Canada,
restorationists now establish lichens in recently burned
forests to enhance soil quality and to increase the success of
tree plantings.
Lichens are used by a variety of wildlife as food, shelter
and nesting. Locally, hummingbirds and peewees both use
lichens to camouflage their nests. Lichens compose roughly
90 percent of the caribou’s diet and are also eaten by mule
and white-tailed deer, mountain goat, moose, possibly
pronghorn, squirrels, chipmunks and numerous insects.
Native Americans also used lichens as food, as well as
medicine, clothing material, dyes and tanning agents.
Because lichens absorb most of their nutrients and water
from the air, rainfall and dew, they are especially sensitive
to air pollution. In or near cities or industrial sites, they
can accumulate lethal amounts of heavy metals, sulphur
and other compounds and their presence or absence is
an indicator of air quality. In addition, most lichens are
extremely sensitive to changes in precipitation, and climate
change can be indicated and tracked by monitoring lichen
community composition.
Lichens are evolution at its most creative and most practical.
Through eons, nature has spun two unique life forms, fungus
and alga, into one. The resulting organisms now span the
Earth fulfilling crucial ecological roles and impinging beauty
upon the land. Unfortunately, lichens are little known and
poorly understood by most people, so next time you are out
and about in the great outdoors, take notice of them. N
Gerry Steinauer is a botanist for the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission. Caleb Morse, Kansas University, identified
the lichens shown in the photographs.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
41
A Dugout Flood
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
magine yourself as a pioneer living in a hole in the ground.
Now imagine that floodwater is rising toward the ceiling.
Welcome to rural Boone County in 1873.
The sod house is iconic of Nebraska’s frontier period,
but many pioneers started out in an even simpler form of
housing – the dugout. Historian Everett Dick described how
to build one in his 1975 book Conquering the Great American
Desert. In short: dig a rectangular hole into a hillside or a
ravine. The open side should face east to catch the morning
light and so that snow will blow away from the door. Enclose
the open front with a wall of logs or sod. Leave a space for a
I
door; a window is optional. Roof the hole with “poles, brush,
hay, and earth.”
Your house will be cheap, quickly built, cool in summer and
warm in winter. It will also be cramped, dark, dirty and full
of every critter in the ground. But it will do until you plant
your first crop and have time to build a proper soddy or frame
house.
Depending on their location, dugouts had a more serious
drawback. Many settlers dug them into a high bank beside
a creek, where you had a steep slope plus water and timber
nearby.
“Keeps Bachelors Hall,” wrote photographer Solomon Butcher of these men near Ansley, Nebraska, in 1888. History Nebraska
RG2608-0-1397
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Nebraskaland
• April 2020
Photo labeled “Our Home,” near McCook, 1890s. H. W. Cole Collection, History Nebraska RG3464-0-3
John Turner dug such a house in Boone County. A neighbor
told him the spot was high enough even if the creek should
rise, and Turner lived there with his wife and three boys
while he built a sod house on another part of his claim.
But Turner, a recent immigrant from England, didn’t expect
the severity of the thunderstorm that struck one day while
he and the two older boys worked on the soddy. He sent
12-year-old Edgar back to the dugout to check on his wife and
youngest child. Edgar soon came back hollering and waving
his hands.
Turner ran for the dugout and waded through the rising
water, struggling to keep his balance against the current.
The dugout itself was flooded. Inside, Mrs. Turner sat on
one of the wooden doors the family was using as temporary
flooring. Balanced on a floating door, she held the youngest
boy while holding a frying pan over his head to protect him
from the rainwater pouring through the roof like a sieve.
“Higher and higher the two caged birds were lifted till their
heads almost touched the roof,” Turner wrote years later.
He had to get them out quickly. He grabbed the little boy,
waded across the creek and left the child on high ground.
Then he went back for his wife.
Turner was carrying his wife across when he stepped in
a hole, stumbled and dropped her into the rushing water.
Somehow, he stayed on his feet and grabbed hold of her dress.
“We scrambled and struggled through to the other side the
best way we could,” he wrote.
The Turners lost most of their supplies, but escaped
without loss of life. They stuck it out on their claim, and
in 1903 Turner published a memoir, Pioneers of the West,
recounting this and many other hardships that the family
met with a combination of hopefulness, ignorance and
fortitude. N
Visit History Nebraska’s website at history.nebraska.gov.
Home of D. Meek, south of Broken Bow, 1890. Photo by S.D.
Butcher. History Nebraska RG2608-0-1610
Roten Valley, Custer County, Nebraska, 1892. Photo by S.D.
Butcher. History Nebraska RG2608-0-1677
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
43
Just an Eagle
Story and photos by Dina Barta
ast spring, I received a call from
conservation officer Matt Seitz
who asked me to pick up an
eagle that had fallen from a nest
near Barneston. Although I was on
vacation at the time, I couldn’t pass up
the opportunity to hold a baby eagle.
I said I would get it and went out to
meet the farmer who knew where the
bird was located.
Gary Remmers was working in
his field on April 27 when he noticed
something yellow and out of place
on the ground. Remmers stopped his
tractor and moved closer to inspect. To
his astonishment, a large ball of fluff
with large talons and a huge bill sat
L
before him. Remmers called his son,
Justin, who assisted him with the baby
bald eagle. Justin told me that when he
got there, he noticed an eagle’s nest 40
feet up in a nearby tree. Adult eagles
circled and screamed at them as they
picked up the young bird.
Justin agreed to meet me in Wymore.
I was expecting to see a small ball of
white fluff or a bird that was nearly
ready to fledge. I did not expect a
prehistoric-looking, chicken-like thing
with gray, wool-like feathers covering
its body. The baby eagle’s down felt
like a sheep’s coat. The bird was calm
when we made the transfer at Rex
Adams’ home in Wymore. We took a
Conservation officer Dina Barta picks up a baby eagle that
Justin Remmers and his father rescued on their farm.
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Nebraskaland
• April 2020
few photos, and from there, I went on
my way to Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor
Recovery in Elmwood.
Betsy and Doug Finch waited for my
arrival. Betsy looked for injuries on
the exam table while speaking to the
bird in a comforting, assuring tone. It
seemed to understand and stood up
as tall as it could, spreading its nubby
wings as if to say “all good.” Betsy
found no injuries, which was amazing
since this bird had no wings that could
help it to glide down to the ground. To
prevent the young bird from imprinting
on humans, Betsy fed it a small meal
with an adult eagle in view.
Raptor Recovery decided not to
return the bird to the nest. For one thing,
finding a way to get it there would be a
feat, and secondly, we did not know if
another eaglet had pushed this bird out
of the nest while competing for food. It
was lucky to survive one fall without
injury. We did not want to take a chance
on another one.
For the next few months, Raptor
Betsy Finch examines the eaglet for injuries at Fontenelle
Forest’s Raptor Recovery in Elmwood.
Top: Gary Remmers, Justin Remmers, Doug Finch and Betsy Finch pose for one last picture with the juvenile eagle before
release. Bottom: Doug Finch, a Raptor Recovery volunteer, releases the bird at a state recreation area in Gage County.
Recovery made sure the eagle stayed
healthy and imprinted only on other
eagles. In late September, Betsy called
to say that the bird was ready for
release. She contacted Justin and Gary
Remmers as well, and we made plans
to meet at a nearby state recreation
area. The Remmers said that the
eaglet’s family had left the nest on
their property and that the birds have
been seen at the recreation area. Betsy
asked me if I could assist in catching
the eagle in its flight pen. Of course, I
said yes!
Catching an eagle in a flight pen is
always an adventure. Even though
this eagle had been saved by humans,
it wanted nothing to do with us. When
I walked into the flight pen and saw
the huge bird, I completely froze – not
in fear but in admiration. As it flew
overhead, I stood in awe and watched
its long wingspan block out the light.
The sound of an eagle’s wings moving
the air always sends chills down my
spine. As I stood by, useless, Betsy,
Doug and Brooke Manes caught the
bird. Brooke was the first to be able
to grab and control its talons; the bird
seemingly wanted to eat Brooke’s
face. Before leaving Raptor Recovery,
volunteers weighed and outfitted the
eagle with some “bling” in the form of
a leg band. Since its arrival, the eagle
grew from 3 to 9½ pounds.
At the state recreation area in Gage
County, we met Gary, Justin and Lynn
nn
Remmers, as well as a family friend.
nd.
Rex Adams and CO Seitz also came out
to watch. After a few quick photos, we
released the eagle.
The moment passed quickly. The
he
bird flew right over us and did not look
ok
back. It soared out to the lake, and for
a moment, I feared it was going to go
into the water. I asked if anyone knew
ew
of a boat nearby. The eagle continued
ed
to descend toward the water, and
nd
to my relief, it hovered just a few
w
inches above the lake, its wingtipss
even touching the water a couple off
times. It was enjoying its freedom.
Then it flew to the other side of the
lake and landed on the shore. We
watched for about 15 minutes, until it
got up and took off into a grove of trees
where we lost sight.
“Just an eagle.” It was just an eagle
that touched a few lives and made
friends out of strangers. N
Dina Barta has been a conservation
officer for the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission since 1992.
April 2020 •
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45
MIXED BAG
SMITH FALLS CAMPING. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEBRASKA TOURISM COMMISSION
VISIT CHERRY COUNTY
By Bobby Olson, Nebraska Tourism Commission
In Cherry County, Nebraska’s largest county, the adventure
is only limited by the length of your trip.
Up here, outdoor recreation is the name of the game.
With nearly 50 years of experience in leading people down
the Niobrara National Scenic River, Sharp’s Outfitters is
known for providing one of Nebraska’s finest float trips. You
can even pick your mode of transportation from a selection
of canoes, kayaks or tubes. If you’d rather relax on shore,
Sharp’s Campground features 2½ miles of premium riverside
campsites including RV hookups, showers and a clubhouse.
Nearby, check out the stunning views at Fort Niobrara
National Wildlife Refuge or hike up to Smith Falls, Nebraska’s
highest waterfall, where standing under the water is a cold
treat. For another Sandhills experience, head to Samuel R.
McKelvie National Forest or take in some history at the Arthur
Bowring Sandhills Ranch State Historical Park in Merriman.
You’ll likely have worked up an appetite after all that
exploration, so why not head into town for some chow.
Valentine’s Peppermill Restaurant & Lounge offers an
unparalleled prime rib in addition to their other Nebraska
beef options. In fact, they freely admit that “aging steak
properly and not cutting your selection until it is ordered is a
bit of an obsession.”
If fine dining is what you’re after, look no further than The
Prairie Club. These 5-star meals are served overlooking both
the gorgeous Snake River canyon and a golf course that gives
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
Scotland’s Bandon Dunes a run for its money. While there, be
sure to try a glass of Niobrara Valley Vineyards’ Marquette, an
INDY International Wine Competition silver medalist.
However, Marquette is by no means the only wine the
Niobrara Valley Vineyards has received acclaim for, and it’s
an absolute pleasure to visit with the owners in their Nenzel
tasting room. For the beer drinkers out there, try Bolo Beer
Company’s Aquifer Ale to discover a crisp and refreshing
pilsner brewed with just a hint of Nebraska corn and pure
Ogallala Aquifer water.
When you’re ready to drop exhaustedly into bed, The Prairie
Club features lodging that ranges from a rustic bunkhouse to
an elaborate room in the main lodge, for those interested in
spending some time hitting the links. A more typical hotel
stay is available at The Niobrara Lodge, but if you’re looking
to stay off the beaten path then you can’t go wrong with
Heartland Elk Guest Ranch or Niobrara River Ranch.
Either way, consider planning your rest around the
Nebraska Star Party, a popular Merritt Reservoir event where
locals and visitors alike gather atop a bluff to view the stars
under some of the clearest skies in the country. Don’t worry,
you won’t need a telescope for this – though you’re welcome
to bring one. This year, join the fun July 19-24.
Since you’re probably itching to start planning your trip,
feel free to check visitvalentine.com or visitnebraska.com for
more helpful information.
April 2020 •
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47
IN THE FIELD
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED:
THE GINSENG
By Gerry Steinauer
Ginseng is a fabled plant of folk medicine. For centuries,
the root, consumed raw, pickled, dried or powdered, has
had purported curative powers. In recent decades, poaching
and over-harvesting of the plant for medicinal use has led
to population declines over much of its range – the moist
deciduous forests of the eastern United States and Canada.
A perennial, ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) has a thick
taproot from which rises a solitary stem reaching up to a foot
in height. The few compound leaves are long-petioled and
similar in appearance to those of the abundant woodbine,
which ginseng often grows with and is mistaken for. The
small white to greenish flowers, arranged in a terminal
cluster, bloom from late May into June and the distinctive
bright red, fleshy berries ripen in July and August.
In Nebraska, ginseng grows in rich, Missouri River bluff
woodlands and is known from only five locations, all of which
are on conservation lands. These populations range in size
from just a few to about 50 plants. Here, at the dry western
edge of the species range, ginseng has likely never been
overly abundant, but the fact that the Pawnee once used
the plant in a love charm, along with the roots and flowers
of other plants, indicates it was once likely more abundant
than it is today. Since Euroamerican settlement, habitat
destruction has led to population declines, and ginseng is
now a state threatened species.
Ginseng is now wild-harvested and even farmed under
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
wooded canopies in many eastern states. The dried root is
exported in great quantities, most going to China, where Asian
ginseng (P. ginseng) has been a medicinal plant for millennia.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has approved
regulated harvest of ginseng in 19 states, but not Nebraska
where harvest or possession of the plant is illegal. It is so rare
in our state that poaching is likely not profitable nor an issue.
Though touted for enhancing mental health, a recent
Oregon State study found that ginseng extracts provided
no psychological benefits to humans. Science has also not
confirmed many of the plant’s other purported medicinal
values. Studies do suggest that the plant’s ginsenoside
compounds have antioxidant properties, inhibit the growth of
certain types of cancer cells and lower blood sugar in Type II
diabetics among other benefits. Many medical professionals,
however, warn that the quality and reliability of many
ginseng supplements are questionable, and some have been
found to contain dangerous amounts of heavy metals.
One of Nebraska’s ginseng populations grows at Ponca
State Park. Here, biologists, funded through the Nebraska
Environmental Trust, are controlling invasive plants and
using prescribed fire and tree thinning to enhance the oak
woodlands. Such management also promotes native plants
including ginseng. Hopefully, conservation management at
the park and other sites will allow this rare medicinal plant
to survive in our state.
April 2020 •
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49
MIXED BAG
PHOTO BY CHRIS MASADA
THE EYE-CATCHING BLACKBIRD
By Joel Jorgensen
A handful of blackbird species are some of the first
migratory birds to arrive in Nebraska and are a sure sign
of the coming spring. Unfortunately, these seemingly
plain black, brown or glossy plumaged birds can be easily
overlooked, but there is one blackbird species that demands
attention. Yellow-headed blackbirds stand out and provide
a flash of color upon their arrival in early April when
the landscape is just beginning to turn green. Similar to
other blackbird species, males migrate earlier in spring than
females. Compact flocks of males sporting vivid buttercup
yellow heads with contrasting bold white wing patches often
number in the hundreds and will move together seamlessly
in single-species flocks. Their preferred habitats include
wetlands, cattle yards and open country.
Yellow-headed blackbirds not only migrate through
Nebraska but also nest locally in the interior of wetlands
that possess standing water and dense stands of cattails
or other emergent vegetation. The earlier migrating males
establish territories prior to the arrival of females. Males
broadcast from their territories by vocalizing an unmusical,
raspy and dizzying buzz that has been described as sounding
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
phonetically like “kuk – koh-koh-koh – waaaaaaaa.”
Although this species’ song is unmusical, the sound is
synonymous with a Nebraska marsh in spring. Males are
polygynous and attract a harem of females to their territory.
The largest breeding populations of yellow-headed
blackbirds occur in the wetlands of the Sandhills and the
Rainwater Basin, but this species can breed anywhere in
the state if suitable habitat exists. Most yellow-headed
blackbirds have moved south of Nebraska by November as
this species regularly spends the winter in the Southwest
and in Mexico.
Interestingly, Nebraska claims a little bit of historical
significance with respect to this species. The yellow-headed
blackbird was first described by French ornithologist Charles
Lucien Bonaparte in 1820 from a specimen collected along
the Loup River near Fullerton in Nance County. No doubt
that boldly colored blackbird that ultimately was sacrificed
for science was a little too noticeable for its own good.
Joel Jorgensen is the nongame bird program manager for the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
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51
MIXED BAG
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY
By Martha D. Schulski
Landscape hues shift from shades of brown and dirty
white to hints of green that pop from long-dormant trees.
The spring sun warms the daytime, while nights hang on
to the last bit of winter’s chill. Cloud patterns change from
stretched-out white and gray layers (stratiform) to cotton
ball masses (cumuliform) that can expand the depth of the
atmosphere. Rainfall begins in earnest and ramps up with
intensity toward our wettest months of the year on average
– May and June.
Have you noticed that when we do get rain, it usually
happens in the evening and overnight hours? Rainfall occurs
through several primary mechanisms, such as a large-scale
weather front marching across the Plains or daytime heating
that generates rising air currents. The latter can occur on a
localized scale with distinct boundaries of where it rains and
where it doesn’t, thanks to those cotton-ball-looking clouds
that meteorologists call cumulus.
Rainfall also occurs on a regional scale, resulting in more
widespread areas of rainfall that can cover several counties
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
or bigger. These convective events provide us with an
abundance of rainfall in the late afternoon to overnight
hours, when compared to dawn and daytime hours. They can
also impact large swaths of Nebraska before losing energy
and dying out.
Have you also noticed that we seem to be getting more
rain lately? Well, your perception is right. Much of Nebraska
has gotten wetter – about 10 percent more for our annual
total since systematic record-keeping began. In fact, without
going back more than a century, 2019 was the second
wettest year on record (behind 1993). April, May and June, in
particular, is the time of year when we are seeing more rain.
So, get ready for wetter evenings and nights. You might
have been thinking “rain, rain, go away,” but be sure and
bookend that with “come again another day.” Timing is
everything when it comes to the weather.
Martha D. Shulski, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is
the director of the Nebraska State Climate office.
April 2020 •
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MIXED BAG
DONATE TO WILDLIFE THIS TAX SEASON
By Jerry Kane
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Nebraskans receiving a tax refund this year have an
opportunity to support wildlife and habitat conservation.
On Line 45 of the Nebraska state income tax form,
individuals may donate all or part of their tax refund to
the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund, which helps
thousands of species in Nebraska, particularly those that are
rare, endangered or threatened.
Tax refund donations have benefited many species over
the years, including the river otter, swift fox, peregrine
falcon, bald eagle, songbirds and at-risk pollinators like
monarch butterflies and bumble bees. Donations are
used to maintain and improve habitat for these and
many other fish and wildlife species, as well as to provide
wildlife viewing and other educational opportunities
for Nebraskans. Additional information is available at
nebraskawildlifefund.org.
For taxpayers not entitled to a state tax refund,
contributions can be made at nebraskawildlifefund.org or
by mail to: Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund, Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, 2200 N. 33rd
St., Lincoln, NE 68503.
In 2008, University of Nebraska–Lincoln graduate student
Kent Fricke released a river otter into a slough along the
Platte River in Hall County. This once-endangered Nebraska
species was delisted in January 2020 – thanks in part to
financing from the Wildlife Conservation Fund.
April 2020 •
Nebraskaland
55
MIXED BAG
AN EXHIBIT EXPLORING 13,000
YEARS OF HISTORY WITH
NEBRASKA’S ARCHEOLOGISTS.
SHOWING NOW THROUGH 2021
! " #$%&' '&
# %
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57
MIXED BAG
NEW RESEARCH ON EASTERN REDCEDAR
By Renae Blum
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
related fatalities exceed those resulting from prescribed fires
by 3,350 percent.
Prescribed burns do carry the risk of fires escaping, but
research shows that this happens in less than 1 percent of
cases, he said.
Mechanical treatments definitely have their time and
place, Fogarty said, but a variety of strategic management
approaches are needed.
“To defend our grasslands, we need land management
strategies that incorporate preventative methods such as
prescribed fire,” Fogarty said. “In regions that are successfully
confronting invasion and defending grasslands, prescribed
fire is a strong component of their management plans.”
To learn more, consider joining your local prescribed
burn association or attending prescribed fire workshops led
by Pheasants Forever and the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission.
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
For decades, mechanical removal has been a key strategy
to control eastern redcedar, an invasive species sweeping
north across the Great Plains. But new research from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln indicates that this method
isn’t as successful as previously expected.
Eastern redcedar moves aggressively, with the ability to
convert open grasslands to woodland in as little as 40 years,
and it’s happening on a large scale. Our current strategies
aren’t keeping pace with the rate of invasion, said Dillon
Fogarty, a UN-L Ph.D. student studying cedar invasion.
“Large investments have been put into mechanical
removal, but it hasn’t halted encroachment in Nebraska,
let alone reversed trends,” Fogarty said. “This species is
continuing to spread rapidly, putting Nebraska’s grasslands
at risk.”
Part of the issue, Fogarty said, is that mechanical removal
is a reactive method, not a preventative one. Typically, large
trees are removed with mechanical treatments, which means
these treatments are used in places where invasion has
already become a problem. Meanwhile, redcedar continues to
move unchecked into previously intact grasslands.
It’s also expensive: mechanical removal can cost up to
$150 per acre in the Sandhills, the equivalent of $150,000 to
treat just 1,000 acres. Costs are even higher in regions where
more trees are established. For example, costs of $1,000 per
acre are now common in regions of Kansas.
“Simply put, mechanical treatments alone are too
expensive to confront the problem at a large scale and over a
long period of time,” Fogarty said.
An alternative strategy that landowners can incorporate
into their management plan is prescribed fire, Fogarty said.
It’s cost-effective and can be used to target all stages of
redcedar invasion, from seeds to seedlings, small trees and
large trees. Because of this, prescribed burns can be used to
stop invasion before it becomes a problem, as well as restore
grasslands after invasion, Fogarty said.
And contrary to popular opinion, it’s relatively safe to use
compared to mechanical treatments. To compare levels of
risk between mechanical tree removal and prescribed fire,
researchers looked at fatality rates in proxy occupations
such as logging and firefighting. Firefighting was the least
risky, even considering that most of the fatalities were
caused by unplanned fires and not prescribed fires. On the
other hand, occupations like logging and crop production
were associated with greater risks of fatality.
People also tend to conflate the dangers of wildfires and
prescribed burns as if they are the same, Fogarty said, but
science doesn’t support this: Studies show that wildfire-
Prescribed fire is a cost-effective way to control eastern
redcedar invasion.
April 2020 •
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PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
Spoonbill back in the 60s (1968) with L.J. Stark and Gary Dross on the
Missouri River near Wynot, Nebraska.
– Lowell Stark, Prior Lake, Minnesota
Attention Nebraskaland Subscribers
We are quickly running out of submissions for “Portraits from the Past.”
If you send us yours, we may be able to get it into an upcoming issue
relatively soon (first-come, first-served, of course).
Send your originals (or good reproductions) to the address below,
and we will be sure to return them.
If e-mailing pictures, please send JPEGs scanned at 100 percent at a high
resolution (i.e. 300 dpi) to tim.reigert@nebraska.gov. Call (402) 471-4595 if you
have questions. When possible, please include a story about the
photograph, identifying people, places and approximate date the photo was taken.
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.
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THE LAST STOP
PHOTO BY JULIE GEISER
BIRD OF A DIFFERENT COLOR
By Julie Geiser
While out taking photos one morning, I came across a
strange-looking bird. From a distance, I couldn’t tell what
the bird was. Curious, I slowly closed in and snapped photos
of it until I could see it was a partially leucistic, or piebald,
American robin.
Many bird and mammal species can display leucism, which
is a condition where there is a reduction of pigmentation
resulting in white, pale or patchy colors of skin, hair, scales or
feathers. In birds, leucism only affects the feathers, and the
degree of leucism varies, depending on how pigment cells
were defected during an animal’s development.
The plumage of leucistic birds appear paler than normal
because there is a reduction in all types of pigmentation.
Some birds may show irregular patches of white among
normal colored feathers, which results in pied, or piebald,
leucism. Other leucistic birds may have no pigmentation at
all in their feathers, making them look pure white; however,
this does not mean that the bird is an albino.
Albinism affects all the pigments in an individual, not
just in spots like the American robin I photographed. Albino
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Nebraskaland • April 2020
birds show no color whatsoever in their feathers and have
pale-pink or reddish eyes, legs, feet and a pale bill, whereas
leucistic birds often have normally colored eyes, legs, feet
and bills.
There are some downfalls to white feathers. These feathers
can wear out faster than darker colored feathers due to their
lack of melanin, which is a structural component of feathers.
Weakened feathers may make flying more strenuous, and
white feathers reflect heat, making it tricky for the bird to
keep warm in cold temperatures. Lastly, white plumage is not
good camouflage for birds that depend on it to keep safe from
predators, such as cats, foxes and hawks.
Identifying leucistic, or piebald, birds can be challenging
but the majority of these birds will possess other normal
plumage colors that can be used for identification. While
the white feathers on the American robin I photographed
were perplexing, its normal colors made identification less
difficult. Examining a leucistic bird’s size, shape, range and
behavior, and taking note of other birds nearby, can also aid
you in identifying the species.
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Position: 387 (25 views)