Volume 99, Issue 7, 2021
August-September 2021
- Identifier:
- nela.2021_099_07
- Title:
- Volume 99, Issue 7, 2021
- Issue Name:
- August-September 2021
- Date Issued:
- 2021-08-01
- year:
- 2021
- Season:
- Summer
- PDF filename:
- NL_99.07_2021_Aug_Sep_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 099
- issue:
- 07
- number:
- 099.07
- Decade:
- 2020s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
$4.95
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August-September
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ugust September 2
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021
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Volume 99 No. 7
August-September 2021
FEATURES
22
WING COMMANDER
28
WOOD-SORRELS
By Jerry Kane and Shawna Richter-Ryerson
A Burst of Tartness
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer
30
THE DEWY BUG GUY IS BACK
34
THE OTHER ONES
36
42
44
Story and photos by Chris Helzer
Eurasian Collared-doves in Nebraska
By Jarrod Spilger
THE WONDERFULLY
NAMED JELLY FUNGI
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer
BECOMING PART OF
SOMETHING BIGGER
6 Your Nebraska
10 In the Field
50 Mixed Bag
60 Portraits from the Past
62 The Last Stop
By Renae Blum
ON THE WEB
Where Skills Are Learned in the Field
For more articles and
information, visit
NebraskalandMagazine.com
OUTDOOR NEBRASKA
What to Do in August and September
By Renae Blum
The Wildlife Conservation Fund
46
DEPARTMENTS
BEYOND BOW HUNTING
Story and photos by Julie Geiser
Nebraskaland (VOL. 99 / NO. 7 ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except for the combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd St.,
Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Nebraskaland, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
4
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
Cover: A juvenile drake wood duck stands
C
oon a log next to a hen woodie at Holmes
Lake in Lancaster County.
CHRIS MASADA
C
T page: Indiangrass sunrise at
This
Lincoln Creek Prairie near Aurora.
CHRIS HELZER
C
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
5
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
Public Relations Manager Shawna RichterRyerson
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
Ken Curry, Columbus
Donna Kush, Omaha
Scott Cassels, Omaha
John Hoggatt, Kearney
Doug Zingula, Sidney
Circulation
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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)
Travis Shepler (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
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Dan Kling (Lieutenant)
308-430-0572
EAST SUB-DISTRICT
Sean Schultz (Sergeant)
308-672-1824
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Jerod Hahn (Deuel, Garden, Grant)
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WEST SUB-DISTRICT
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(Keith, Arthur)
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(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton)
6
NORTH SUB-DISTRICT
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CENTRAL (Includes counties covered)
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308-440-1863
402-741-0636
402-719-6226
(Loup, Garfield, Valley)
SOUTH SUB-DISTRICT
Matt Taylor (Sergeant)
(Thayer, Fillmore, Nuckolls)
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
402-200-9597
308-380-7331
402-902-2017
308-920-2762
308-440-3847
SOUTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Roger Thompson (Lieutenant)
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Sean McKeehan (Sergeant)
SOUTH SUB-DISTRICT
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.
Tim Williams (Hall, Hamilton, York)
Eric Javins (Adams, Clay, Webster)
Pat George (Harlan, Franklin, Phelps)
Ethan Teter (Buffalo, Kearney)
Alex Hasenauer (Lincoln, Perkins)
Brandon O’Neal
(Madison, Pierce, Stanton)
OutdoorNebraska.org
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
Nebraskaland Magazine Copyright 2021, all rights reserved.
Nebraskaland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
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Commission Offices
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Snapping turtle eggs are round and
leathery and resemble ping pong
balls. In Nebraska, young turtles will
hatch between August and October.
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Brian Piernicky (Sergeant)
308-340-6627
Matt Andrews
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Owen Johnson (Dawson, Custer)
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402-266-1759
308-217-2108
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SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Stacey Lewton (Lieutenant)
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EAST SUB-DISTRICT
Heath Packett (Sergeant)
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Russell Mort (Otoe, Johnson)
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402-443-6392
402-429-1924
(Cass)
(Nemaha, Pawnee, Richardson)
WEST SUB-DISTRICT
Scott Eveland (Sergeant)
402-853-3273
Dina Barta (Lancaster),
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster)
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Trevor Stahlecker (Lancaster)
Matt Seitz (Gage, Jefferson)
402-890-6463
402-937-3422
402-646-0420
402-314-9641
402-806-0915
(Lancaster)
YOUR NEBRASKA
Instagram Photos
Follow us @nebraskaland
and tag us in your photos
to be featured in an
upcoming issue.
8
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
Chelsey Fuhrman, Omaha
Heron Haven Muskrat
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
9
YOUR NEBRASKA
Alan Nash, Scottsbluff
Scotts Bluff National Monument
Karen Kutz Smith, Omaha
Barred Owl
Kirill Belashchenko, Lincoln
Red-headed Woodpecker
Send your comments and
photos to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
Nebraskaland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or email Jeff.Kurrus@Nebraska.gov
Please include your postal address
and telephone number. Letters
may be condensed and edited.
Photographs are also welcome.
10
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
11
IN THE FIELD
MID-SEPTEMBER SUMAC
Smooth sumac provides
early fall color at the Nature
Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley
Preserve.
CHRI
CHR
CHRIS
HR
RIS HELZER
HELZ
LZER
12
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
13
IN THE FIELD
Hope, a Labrador retriever, watches the sky during a teal hunt in the Rainwater Basin.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
TEAL ESSENTIALS
By Todd Mills
For many, the opening of teal starts the beginning of
hunting season. Use these tips for a good start.
Scout Early and Often
Several years ago I showed up on the opening day of
teal season to hunt a series of potholes I had scouted a
month earlier but, to my detriment, had never returned to
scout closer to my hunt. When I walked to the hole, it was
bone dry. During late summer and early fall, water tables
can change rapidly. Take time a couple of days before
your hunt to make sure you have water and birds. Check
Rainwater Basin water tables if you’re hunting that area
at OutdoorNebraska.org/waterfowlchecklist.
Equipment Check
Hunting teal brings a series of challenges that you
won’t face later in the year. Make sure you have your
list ready before you start and don’t forget the following
items.
Bug spray — Mosquitoes can be nasty that time of
year.
•
14
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
•
Portable chair — You don’t need a great hide when
hunting teal, so a comfortable, low-profile chair works in
most walk-in areas,
Plenty of shells — I’ve learned this one the
hard way. Don’t underpack on bullets as teal can be
challenging to hit. Keep your shot size at 4 and 6 with
hi-speed velocity.
Camo — Think green this time of year. Anything
brown and you’ll stick out from the surrounding
vegetation.
•
•
Retriever Check
If you use a retriever, and I hope you do, make sure
you’ve taken time to get them in shape before the season
starts. Temperatures can be high, and finding teal in
heavy vegetation can be challenging even with a dog.
Retrieve downed birds quickly if possible to avoid too
much scent in one area. And if at all possible, work them
into the wind. Teal can be shifty when crippled. If you’re
not using a dog, well good luck. But remember, taking
birds home that you’ve downed is always essential.
IN THE FIELD
A double rainbow decorates the sky above the Republican River west of Indianola.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
SEEING DOUBLE
By Martha Shulski
Roy G. Biv — my make-believe weather friend
that helps me recall the colors of a rainbow. Red,
orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet are
the colors in this spectrum and also their order of
appearance.
Rainbows represent optical phenomena that
are a function of time and place. They also require
just the right combination of atmospheric water
droplets, sunlight and viewer perspective. Often
they are a nice conclusion to a passing rain shower.
Similar to a prism, water droplets suspended
in the air both reflect and refract sunlight,
separating the wavelengths enough so we can
see white light’s colorful display. The angle of
reflection when visible light goes through water
droplets is 42 degrees.
Red is the longest wavelength in the visible
spectrum and bends the least; violet is shortest
16
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
and bends the most. Position is everything with
these charming optics, as the water droplets must
be in front of you with the sun’s illumination to
your back.
Sometimes you are fortunate to see a secondary
rainbow positioned above the primary, and
typically brighter, rainbow below. This second
bow is simply due to one more bounce of sunlight
in the water droplets. The extra reflection causes
the light spectrum to exit drops at a 50 degree
angle. It also results in a reversal of colors with
red on the bottom and violet on top.
Next time you are treated to a bright rainbow,
look slightly skyward to perhaps see double.
Martha D. Shulski, at the University of NebraskaLincoln, is the director of the Nebraska State
Climate Office.
IN THE FIELD
Eastern bluebird at Pawnee State Recreation Area in Lancaster County.
CHRIS MASADA
MISSING BLUEBIRDS?
By Joel G. Jorgensen
If you think you are seeing fewer eastern bluebirds in 2021,
you are not imagining things, and you are not alone.
Eastern bluebirds are familiar, popular and, usually, fairly
common songbirds that inhabit many of Nebraska’s rural
landscapes in summer. Even when not enjoyed visually, a
male bluebird’s cheery song is a delight to the ear. Eastern
bluebirds declined during the mid-20th century, in part
because of competition for nesting cavities from introduced
European starlings and house sparrows. Nest-box campaigns
that began in the 1960s and 1970s have helped bolster
bluebird numbers. The species has increased by about 2%
annually in the state since 1966, according to the national
Breeding Bird Survey.
So, what happened to bluebirds in 2021? Harken back to
the intense February cold spell. That extreme and unusual
weather event descended from Nebraska all the way south
into Texas and Mexico and remained in place for an unusually
long period. Eastern bluebirds are a semi-hardy species
that does overwinter in Nebraska in small numbers, but
adequate food resources are essential for fending off chilly
temperatures. Bluebirds become vulnerable to extremely cold
weather when food resources are limited, and, presumably,
18
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
this susceptibility surfaced this past winter.
While a complete picture of their dramatic decline in 2021
may not be fully understood for some time, initial estimates
and anecdotes suggest numbers may be down more than
80%. It is also too early to be certain whether other factors
may or may not have contributed to the decline.
The absence in many places of such a delightful avian
species is disappointing. Long-time bluebird enthusiasts with
Bluebirds Across Nebraska have stated they have never seen
a steep drop in numbers like this one. These observations are
not just limited to Nebraska, as similar reports have come in
from nearby states. Furthermore, several other species that
overwinter in the southern U.S. and summer in Nebraska, such
as eastern phoebes and tree swallows, also appear down.
The 2021 decline in numbers of bluebirds and other species
requires attention going forward to ensure some other factor
may not be affecting these birds. Even if the cold spell is
the sole culprit, it likely will take several years for eastern
bluebird numbers to recover.
Joel G. Jorgensen is the Nongame Bird Program Manager for
the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
19
IN THE FIELD
Participating students in the Trout in the Classroom program release the fish they have grown from eggs in their classrooms
into the canyon ponds at Schramm Park State Recreation Area. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
LEADERS IN CONSERVATION — DIRECTOR JIM DOUGLAS
AT THE FOREFRONT OF EDUCATION
By Jeff Kurrus
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has been
known as Nebraska’s source for conservation and outdoors
participation, particularly hunting and fishing, since its
beginning. However, Jim Douglas, director of the Commission,
saw a need to connect people with nature at an early age
in ways that went beyond traditional hunting and fishing
activities.
Over time, the agency has become a nationally known leader
in outdoor education for its variety of opportunities for those
of all ages. From outdoors skills workshops and nature events
in parks to educational programs such as Aquatic WILD and
bioblitzes to count wildlife in wild spaces, Nebraskans have an
outlet to develop a passion for nature. But what really places
the education team at the forefront of conservation nationwide
is its focus on education curriculum, and so in 2020, Douglas
created the Fish and Wildlife Education Division.
This builds upon the work Lindsay Rogers completed with
Lincoln Public Schools. Rogers, who now leads the education
division, contacted Dr. James Blake, then LPS K-12 science
curriculum specialist, about Project WILD, a program that
provides conservation and environmental curriculum to
educators.
From there, Rogers and her team began working with LPS
on a revision of the district’s entire science curriculum. This
partnership was a necessity, Blake said, as Game and Parks
staff worked with all 40 elementary schools and more than
900 teachers who needed science training.
“We were blown away by how Rogers made science so
20
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
approachable,” said Blake. “It was like having a commercial
publisher at our fingertips, and she had pieces to get kids
excited about the natural world.” So far, more than 18,000
students have been affected in the district alone by this
division’s creation.
One of these curriculum pieces is the Trout in the Classroom
program. Kenneth Pyle, a seventh grade teacher at Dawes
Middle School in Lincoln, loves what it has done for his
classes. “Many of my students are reluctant to participate in
science, but this program gets them interested,” said Pyle.
Trout in the Classroom is offered to Nebraska second to 12th
graders and gives classes the opportunity to raise trout eggs
in their classrooms. “From studying water quality and natural
resources to the life cycle,” said Pyle, “this has been so good
for my students.”
Dayna Derichs, a teacher and librarian at Wheeler
Elementary in the Millard Public Schools system, agrees
wholeheartedly. “We have a Trout in the Classroom tank in
the library, and students see all parts of the process,” she said.
Observing these fish leads to discussions about conservation
and coldwater streams, and Derichs incorporates technology
and books into the experience as well. “We have pre-school
kids read to the trout; we have other groups sing songs to
them. All the fun things kids do. I’m just so thankful for the
funding that comes through to experience this program. We
get so many ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.’”
And much of this credit goes to Douglas. “He had the
foresight to know this was needed for our agency,” said
Rogers, “and that this type of education is critical for the
future of conservation and our natural resources.”
Game and Parks’ Jeff Fields agreed. Fields, Douglas and a
team of educators created a strategic plan to focus on education
from 2020-2024, with goals for science and research, education
in Nebraska’s state park system, people and their relationships
with the state’s natural resources and how to sustain them
and myriad other topics. “It’s a credit to Douglas to know the
importance of education moving forward and bringing a group
together to form a plan,” Fields said. And, in 2024, the vision
for education will be re-evaluated and improved for the next
generation of educators and participants.
“This plan will evolve to stay relevant for all facets of
education within our agency,” said Douglas. “To better serve
our public, we will continue to grow the knowledge and
understanding of our outreach and education programs, which
will afford Game and Parks the ability to build conservationminded engaged citizenry to protect the vested interest of our
wildlife and natural places.”
While there are several states that devote resources to
education, Nebraska remains uniquely innovative in how they
administer it. “Helping more people become curious about the
natural world and comfortable in the outdoors are our goals,”
said Rogers.
Yet there remains a crossover appeal to hunters and anglers
as well across multiple platforms,
including at Nebraska’s state parks.
Nebraska’s Outdoor Expos, held
each year at Ponca State Park and
Fort Kearny State Recreation Area,
feature a host of outdoor activities
including shooting sports, fishing,
archery, kayaking, rock climbing,
wildlife viewing and a host of other
DIRECTOR JIM DOUGLAS
attractions.
These activities are woven together so seamlessly by Game
and Parks and their partners that participants feel compelled
to visit each activity, whether they regularly hunt and fish or
not. “Anytime you encounter people that aren’t hunters and
anglers and relate them back to what you do, that audience
is going to continue to grow,” said former Game and Parks
Commissioner Jerrod Burke. “Jim has been a great leader here.
He’s also helped align these outdoor expos with Nebraska’s
education standards,” thus affecting thousands more across
the state.
Education remains at the forefront of Douglas’s work for
the Commission, mentoring our next generation of outdoor
participants and their teachers in discovering the opportunities
nature has to offer, whether you’re wildlife viewing, catching a
fish or something in between.
Alie Mayes, community science specialist, shows students jelly fungi found on a bird-watching hike at Two Rivers State
Recreation Area. AMBER SCHILTZ
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
21
Wing
Commander
Commission biologist Randy Stutheit’s
experience evaluating duck wings over
the years has helped formulate waterfowl
regulations across central U.S.
By Jerry Kane and Shawna Richter-Ryerson
Mallards and pintails cup their wings to land in a Hall County wetland.
22
Nebraskaland
• August-September 2021
DOUG STEINKE
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
23
y quickly studying a duck’s wing,
Randy Stutheit plays a role in
determining waterfowl regulations
and seasons in states throughout
the central portion of the country.
But he’s been doing it awhile — 35
years — and that experience means
a lot in the Central Flyway, which
stretches from Canada to Mexico.
Stutheit, a longtime wildlife
biologist with the Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission, is a “wing
checker” on behalf of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. It’s a small group. In
the Central Flyway there are just six.
There are another two biologists who
check tail feathers from geese.
In the flyway’s waterfowl partscollection survey, which includes a
B
process called a “Wingbee,” as many
as 40 or 50 people crowd into a large
room to ID harvested waterfowl. They
evaluate duck wings and goose tails in
a scientific process of data collection.
Checkers use their expertise to
verify the assessments of the lessexperienced people working the
Wingbee. Enough information is
gathered to get a detailed picture of
what the waterfowl harvest looked
like in states of the flyway during the
previous season.
“This is critical data we collect
relating to the waterfowl harvest in
the Central Flyway,” Stutheit said.
“It helps formulate the waterfowl
regulations for the next year based on
the species composition of the harvest
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission biologist Randy Stutheit examines mallard duck wings during a mini-Wingbee at the
Commission’s headquarters in Lincoln. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collects wings and tails of ducks, geese, doves and
woodcock harvested by a random sample of hunters. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
and age and sex structure of that duck
harvest. It’s pretty meaningful data.”
The Wingbee typically takes place
at the Flint Hills National Wildlife
Refuge near Hartford, Kansas, each
February. Thanks to COVID-19 and
the necessity for social distancing
and smaller group sizes, the Wingbee
this year was parceled into several
sites throughout the flyway, including
Lincoln.
How it Started
Jake Heard holds three mallards his dad shot in Cass County.
24
Nebraskaland
• August-September 2021
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
“Bee” is an Old English term
meaning, a prayer or a favor. By the
late 18th century, it had become
commonly referred to the joining of
neighbors to work on a single activity
to help a neighbor in need, such as a
sewing bee or a quilting bee.
The Service applied that concept
when the first Central Flyway
Wingbee took place in 1964 in Fort
Collins, Colorado. In 1987, the Wingbee
moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, then
in 1992 to Hartford, Kansas, where it
has stayed – until this year.
The Central Flyway includes
Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, New Mexico, Texas,
Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota,
North Dakota and the Canadian
provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan
and the Northwest Territories. The
Wingbee, however, is for the U.S.
harvest only. The Canadian Wildlife
Service conducts its own monitoring.
Wingbees also are held in the other
flyways: Pacific, Mississippi and
Atlantic.
How it Works
The Service asks a sample of
waterfowl hunters, through the
Harvest Information Program, each
season to voluntarily mail to it a wing
from a harvested duck or tail feathers
of a harvested goose in postage paid
envelopes. The Service determines
the species of each wing or tail that
is sent to the Flint Hills National
Wildlife Refuge, then packages them
individually in bar-coded envelopes.
Until this year, the envelopes would
be collected, sorted and stored at the
Flint Hills NWR for the Wingbee.
This year, after they were sorted and
species of the waterfowl determined
at the refuge, they were shipped to
several sites throughout the flyway,
including Lincoln’s “mini-Wingbee.”
When individuals evaluate duck
wings, they first determine the sex
of the bird, then determine if it was
an adult or juvenile. They do this by
assessing the shape, color, condition
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
25
and markings of a duck wing’s
feathers. The envelope then is marked
with that wing’s sex and age. The
empty envelopes get mailed back to
the Service, where a person will scan
the barcode to record age and sex.
For geese, species and age are
determined; sex of geese can’t be
determined from the tail feathers. For
goose tail feathers, color, length and
shape are evaluated. All goose tail
feathers were shipped to checkers in
Texas for evaluation this year.
experience and much-needed practice
identifying ducks.
“What they gain from it is that
practice of doing it and knowing
how to age and sex duck wings and
recognizing you can do it,” Vrtiska
said. “But part of my waterfowl class
has a waterfowl ID component that
we’ll have a quiz on. It helps them not
only just to gain some experience but
to help them in their ID of waterfowl.”
Lincoln’s mini-Wingbee
Over several days in late January
and early February of this year,
Stutheit led Lincoln’s mini-Wingbee.
He was joined by a group of wildlife
biologists, wildlife technicians,
professors and university students.
They evaluated 1,685 duck wings of
mallards, northern pintails, American
wigeon, blue-winged teal and greenwinged teal from across the flyway.
As a wing checker, Stutheit kept
a watchful eye over everyone else’s
work. The data they collected will
be used to help formulate waterfowl
regulations for 2022.
“It’s pretty cool that they just didn’t
cancel the Wingbee this year because
of COVID-19, but that they did choose
to go ahead and ship wings and tail
feathers out to various experts across
the Central Flyway to work on them in
our home states,” Stutheit said.
While some of the work was done at
Game and Parks, other sessions were
hosted at the University of NebraskaLincoln. Students in the Waterfowl
Ecology and Management class of Dr.
Mark Vrtiska, Professor of Practice, at
the School of Natural Resources, got to
participate.
“I think it’s a pretty special
opportunity for college students that
are majoring in this field to take part
in a survey like this,” Stutheit said.
“You just don’t get that opportunity
otherwise.”
The students get hands-on
26
Nebraskaland
A drake mallard lifts off from a pond
near Hay Springs. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
How Collected Data is Used
The information gathered at
Wingbees not only breaks down
harvest by species, it breaks it down
by state and county. Each wing or tail
envelope includes information about
where the waterfowl was harvested.
“What this does is break down duck
harvest by species composition,”
said Vrtiska, a former Game and
Parks waterfowl program manager.
“For example, if it’s determined that
there are a million ducks shot in the
Central Flyway, with this Wingbee,
you can determine out of that million
birds harvested that there’s 500,000
mallards, 200,000 green wings,
100,000 gadwall, etc.
“That data can be useful for looking
at trends of where ducks may or may
not be harvested. You can break that
down by state. In Nebraska, duck
• August-September 2021
harvest will be about 100,000 birds.
We know 50,000 of those birds are
mallards.”
A Checker’s Beginning
Stutheit had been participating in
five or six Wingbees when, one year,
a checker who was planning to retire
noticed his work examining wings.
“He’d been watching how I’d been
doing, aging and sexing wings and he
thought I was getting fairly proficient
at it,” Stutheit said. “He asked me if I’d
be interested in becoming a checker. I
said, ‘Oh, yeah, definitely’.”
Stutheit and three other biologists
from California and Oregon in the
Pacific Flyway were then flown to
Laurel, Maryland, for training to
become checkers. “Really what we did
is just look at more wings. The only
way to really become good at this is to
look at a lot of wings.”
He took a test in which he had to
correctly identify at least 95 out of 100
wings. “If we did well, we would get a
slap on the back, and they would say
‘Congratulations, you’re checkers!’ ”
Vrtiska has been to several Wingbees
with Stutheit, around 15. He’s not an
official wing checker, but he has aged
and sexed wings and goose tails. He
said the comradery that builds among
the individuals present results in a
familiarity with each other’s skills in
evaluating wings and tails.
“The checker will know because
he’s going through everybody’s
wings at his table and he or she can
determine that person isn’t missing
very many of these wings,” Vrtiska
said. “There is a little bit of an art –
and there is definitely a science to
it – but I think the cream rises to the
top, and you get to know people who
are very good at it. They just don’t
miss very many.”
Stutheit hasn’t missed many
Wingbees or wings over the years.
A very good thing for the waterfowl,
whose numbers have remained healthy
because of checkers like him. N
Pilot Duck Program Launches
Simplified Regulations Intend to Draw Hunters
Duck hunters in Nebraska and South Dakota will choose between two daily bag limits for the 2021-22 duck
season as part of a five-year pilot project designed to grow the number of waterfowl hunters in the states.
New regulations approved in March created a two-tier system that all duck hunters will select when
registering for their Harvest Information Program numbers beginning Aug. 1. Hunters will be bound to the
tier they choose for the hunting season.
How Are the Tiers different?
Tier I is the traditional six-duck limit, with
hunters able to take no more than five mallards, of
which no more than two may be hens; three wood
ducks; one scaup; two redheads; one pintail; and
two canvasbacks. Possession limit for the season
is 18 ducks.
A HIP number is required for Nebraska hunters
age 16 and older and for all nonresidents, no
matter their age.
As usual, a random selection of hunters will be
required to send in a wing from some harvested
birds, per federal collection efforts to estimate
harvest.
Tier II is a three-duck limit, with no species or
sex restrictions. Possession limit for the season is
nine ducks.
All hunters wishing to register for Tier II — no
matter their age or place of residence — will be
required to obtain a HIP number.
These hunters will be given a journal, where
they will record information on hunting activity
and harvest, and return to Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission at the end of the hunting
season.
They also will be required to send in a wing from
each duck harvested as part of efforts to estimate
harvest. Game and Parks will provide the postagepaid envelopes.
What’s the Same?
Both tiers will still require all other state and
federal licenses and permits.
Are There Any Caveats?
The new tier regulations will not apply to the early
teal duck season in Nebraska. Hunters selecting
Tier II may hunt teal but must follow early teal
regulations: no more than six teal per day and no
nonteal species.
Why the New System?
The goal of the program is to grow the number of
waterfowl hunters into the future. Nationally, duck
hunter numbers have fallen nearly 44% — or about
464 hunters per year in Nebraska — since 1990.
A recent survey determined duck identification
skills were a major factor preventing potential
hunters from coming to the sport.
The two-tier regulations are an effort to combat
the problem. The test program will run through
2025, when it will be assessed to determine the
effect it had on waterfowl hunter numbers or duck
populations.
Duck populations will be assessed annually and
over time by comparing wings sent in by those
hunting in Tier II to harvests by hunters in Tier I.
For more information on the new program, visit
OutdoorNebraska.org/DuckTiers.
Setting a spread of duck decoys at Whitney Lake Wildlife Management Area near Crawford.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
27
Wood-Sorrels
A Burst of Tartness
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
n a hot summer day, I often pop a wood-sorrel’s cloverlike leaf into my mouth to experience a burst of citrusy
tartness. The practice is a long tradition, as for millennia
Native Americans have enjoyed them.
Three species of wood-sorrel are native to our state. The
yellow-flowered yellow wood-sorrel (Oxalis stricta) and
gray wood-sorrel (O. dillenii) are common, weedy species
that bloom spring through fall in lawns, gardens, pastures
and other disturbed habitats. The former is an annual to
short-lived perennial of eastern Nebraska, while the latter
O
Yellow wood-sorrel growing in the author’s Aurora garden.
28
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
is a perennial found statewide. The two species are nearly
identical in appearance, and even botanists must resort to
a hand lens or microscope to distinguish them: gray woodsorrel has more hairy, gray-green leaves while yellow woodsorrel has less hairy, green leaves. Botanists once considered
them a single species.
Violet wood-sorrel (O. violacea) is an uncommon, perennial
of eastern Nebraska prairie. This spring-blooming, colonyformer has vibrant violet flowers and larger, fleshier leaves
than the yellowed-flowered Oxalis, which I find more
sumptuous. According to early 20th century ethnobotanist
Melvin Gilmore, the Pawnee shared my opinion. They ate its
leaves, bulbs, stems and flowers fresh and boiled.
Similar to early American botanists, Native Americans
did not distinguish between the two yellow-flowered woodsorrels. The Pawnee have several names for the plants. One is
“skidadihorit,” which means sour like salt. The Kiowa’s name
for the plants translates to salt weed, and on long journeys,
they consumed the leaves to relieve thirst and perhaps to
replace salts loss through perspiration.
The tartness of the wood-sorrels, as well as many other
plants such as rhubarb, results from an abundance of oxalic
acid in their tissues. In plants, oxalic acid forms salts known
as oxalates. In wood-sorrels, the oxlates can be somewhat
toxic if consumed in abundance and dissuade grazing by
insects and larger animals. If humans consume an excess of
wood-sorrels over a period, say as a salad garnish, they can
suffer discomfort; a Kansas botanist confessed to having
suffered swollen and irritated taste buds.
Please, do not let this dissuade you. Try munching on a leaf
or two of Oxalis. You will find it refreshing. N
Wood-sorrel seed capsules (foreground) explosively expel
their tiny seeds.
Violet wood-sorrel blooming in a southeastern South Dakota tallgrass prairie. Several Native American tribes used the plant as
a medicine. The Cherokee, for instance, made an infusion of the plant that was consumed and used as a wash for children with
hook worms.
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
29
The Dewy
Bug Guy
is Back
Story and photos by Chris Helzer
All the photos in this article were photographed on the
morning of Sept. 15, 2019, at Lincoln Creek Prairie in Aurora.
W
hen I first started working with Nebraskaland as
a college student in the mid-1990s, my nickname
among at least some of the magazine staff was
“the dewy bug guy.” It was completely fair. A large part of
my portfolio, such as it was, consisted of insects covered in
tiny water droplets.
At the time, my parents had recently helped me acquire
my first macro lens, and I immediately became entranced by
insects and other tiny creatures I’d mostly overlooked before.
I spent countless hours crawling through prairies, peering at
these minute wonders. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm was
tempered by the harsh reality that it cost me about 30 cents
every time I clicked the shutter on my slide film camera.
If you’ve ever tried to look closely at insects, you know
how difficult it is to get them to sit still. Compounding the
problem, the plants they’re on are usually waving around in
the breeze. That combination means that a strong majority
of insect photo attempts result in useless, blurry images. In
today’s glorious world of digital photography, those misses
are free, so who cares? As a young hobbyist photographer
shooting slide film on a budget, however, I literally couldn’t
afford many of them.
The struggle was real. However, my life hack, before I
knew to call it that, was to restrain my insect photography
urge most days and then release it on glorious, late summer
mornings when dew covered everything on the landscape.
Not only was the light from the rising sun perfect for
photography on those mornings, but also the wind was
usually calm, or nearly so. Most importantly, the prairie was
full of lovely glittering insects that were too cold and wet to
jump, fly or crawl away from me.
I was in heaven on those dewy mornings. I could edge my
tripod and camera right up to a dragonfly or bumblebee and
30
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
7:17 a.m.
By the time the first
sunlight hit the prairie
on Sept. 15, 2019, I
had already found this
migratory dragonfly
and had my tripod and
camera ready.
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
31
it would just stare at me as I captured its gorgeousness on my
pricey slide film. I hardly noticed that my pants were soaking
wet and my feet were sloshing around inside my sodden
boots. The world was sparkly and still and perfect.
Now, more than 25 years later, I’m still entranced by
insects and tiny creatures, but my budget is a little bigger
and I can just delete blurry images from the memory card of
my camera. I can chase active little critters around on breezy
days, pressing my shutter button like I’m sending a telegram,
and it doesn’t cost me a thing. Sometimes, I even get a good
photo that way.
The freedom afforded me by digital cameras and a paying
job, though, hasn’t lessened my love for dewy mornings
and sparkling bugs. During the summer, I still scan weather
forecasts daily, paying special attention to cloud cover, dew
point and wind speed. When all those factors line up, I set
my alarm and arise before the sun so I can be in place, socks
already soggy, by the time the first shaft of morning light
hits the prairie. Then, I spend a happy hour or so trying to
defend my title as “the dewy bug guy.” N
Chris Helzer is the Nature Conservancy’s director of science
in Nebraska.
8:06 a.m.
Tiny hoverflies were shaking off dewdrops and starting
to feed on grass pollen. I watched this one pause briefly
in between flower visits to, I assume, scan for potential
dangers and wipe stray pollen grains from its legs.
8:25 a.m.
When I returned to hoverflies and grass flowers, I got to
watch this fly feeding on the pollen in this anther like it was
an ice cream cone.
8:18 a.m.
I got distracted from my hoverfly-watching by this Chinese
mantis sitting in ambush on a goldenrod flower, waiting for
the first big pollinator of the day to stop by.
8:36 a.m.
This was the last photo I took before reluctantly leaving the
prairie on that magical morning. The prairie was drying out,
but this milkweed seed had been in the shade until just a
few minutes before I found and photographed it.
7:56 a.m.
This male bumblebee had spent the night beneath this
native tall thistle flower and endured the presence of
my camera.
7:28 a.m.
Another dragonfly (variegated meadowhawk) waits for
the sun to warm and dry it enough that it can continue its
southward journey.
32
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
8:04 a.m.
Dewdrops covered the pollen-filled anthers of big bluestem
and other grasses.
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
33
The Other Ones
Eurasian Collared-doves in Nebraska
By Jarrod Spilger
M
y first encounter with Eurasian collared-doves
occurred 20 years ago when I spent some time
down in Houston with my parents. We frequently
noticed these “big doves,” as we called them, flying around
our hotel’s neighborhood, which was right across the street
from the Astrodome. They were much larger than the
doves we hunted back home and appeared to be between a
mourning dove and a pigeon in size. Shortly thereafter, the
big doves started showing up in Nebraska.
According to Birds of Nebraska – Online, Eurasian collareddoves have expanded their range and increased their
numbers dramatically in Nebraska since 2000. By 2001, they
were residing in many of the larger Panhandle towns.
However, a few were in the state before that. The first
collared-dove recorded in Nebraska was at a feeder in Shelton
on Nov. 29, 1997, while the first breeding pair was recorded in
Kearney on April 22, 1998. Prolific breeders, by fall as many
as nine birds were in the Kearney neighborhood.
Since then, numbers have steadily increased, most notably
in the west. Christmas bird counts in the winter of 2016-17
reflected a record high of 1,359 Eurasian collared-doves
in Scottsbluff, 166 in North Platte, 50 at Harlan County
Reservoir, and 33 in Omaha, which was also a new high.
Many may wonder where these doves came from. Dr.
A mourning dove (pictured) weighs, on average, 20 percent
less than the Eurasian collared-dove. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
34
Nebraskaland
• August-September 2021
Jeffrey Lusk, former Upland Game Program Manager with
the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, said they are
thought to have originated in India before spreading into
Turkey and southeastern Europe near the Balkans. The birds
were then introduced to the island of New Providences in the
Bahamas in the 1970s, and by the mid-1980s, they had made
landfall in Florida.
“By the early 2000s, Eurasian collared-doves had colonized
much of the southeastern U.S., including eastern coastal
Texas,” Lusk said.
That timeframe correlates to when I saw them in Houston.
The Eurasian collared-doves rapidly expanded northwest
and throughout most of the country, except the northeast and
upper Great Lakes states, Lusk said, and even into northwestern
Canada and down into Mexico and Central America.
“In its native range, studies indicated collared-doves can
be long-distance dispersers, which is thought to account for
their rapid colonization of the continent,” Lusk said. “They
are not migratory, so once they colonize an area, they are
year-round residents.”
Habits and Habitats
That non-migratory nature differentiates Eurasian
collared-doves greatly from their mourning dove cousins,
which are quick to depart the Great Plains at the slightest
hint of colder weather. Experienced mourning dove hunters
know they must hit the early season hard, especially the first
two weeks of September, because birds likely will be gone
after just a few chilly nights.
The two species also tend to prefer different habitats.
At least one study showed collared-doves do not directly
compete or exclude mourning doves from feeding areas, as
the two species typically choose different-sized food items.
Lusk also has noticed collared-doves do not use the same
breadth of habitat types as do mourning doves.
“Collared-doves seem to prefer living in proximity to
people, in towns, and around grain bins on farms,” he said.
Indeed, that’s where I shot my two Eurasian collareddoves last year: the first one near an active farm site where
I had permission to hunt, and the second near an abandoned
barnyard also on land I could hunt. That said, collared-doves
can be found in many of the same wild places as mourning
doves, just like mourning doves can be frequently found
A Eurasian collared-dove perches near a feeder in Chadron.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
in towns. During the overlapping hunting seasons, I’ll
occasionally encounter Eurasians while hunting near a stock
pond far from any buildings, indicating there is some habitat
sharing.
Hunting
Regardless of where they’re found, Eurasian collared-doves
offer Nebraska hunters another hunting option. Game and
Parks considers them a non-native species, Lusk said, which
is why harvest is allowed year-round. “They were included
in the dove season regulations mainly to protect mourning
doves from accidental harvest, which is why it is an aggregate
bag during the regular dove season.”
The total number of doves of any species that can be
harvested daily is 15 during the regular season. During the
collared-dove season, there is still a 15 bird daily bag limit
which, obviously, must contain only collared-doves.”
The same hunting tactics that put mourning doves in
the bag also will work on Eurasians. Staking out a stock
pond, harvested wheat field, or flyway in between can all
produce doves of both species. Collared-doves also are just as
responsive to decoys, both static and spinning-wing, as their
mourning dove counterparts. Both species are social and
seek out other doves, especially if they think it’ll lead them
to better feeding or watering opportunities.
The best time to hunt collared-doves is probably during the
general September/October dove season and into November,
although I have bagged them earlier and later as noted. It’s
been my unscientific observation that Eurasians tend to
“flock up” in late December or early January, disappear for
a month or so, and then reappear in late February or early
March.
“They’re not migratory,” Lusk reiterated, “but may shift
their habitat use seasonally.” Any lateral migration that
occurs is likely caused by changing availability of food sources
or protective cover during the harshest winter months.
Enjoyable Exotics
As I wrote this, a pair of collared-doves had taken up
residence in my backyard cedar tree, likely drawn to my yard
by an unlimited availability of straw nesting material in my
dog’s kennel.
They may be an invasive species, but Eurasian collareddoves provide Nebraskans with yet another hunting and
bird watching opportunity in a state already known for its
avian diversity. Although their strange, belch-like calls differ
greatly from the peaceful cooing of mourning doves, I still
enjoy their presence, both in the field and at home. N
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
35
The Wonderfully
Named Jelly Fungi
Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
elly fungi have great names. Some
are delicious sounding: jelly drops,
orange jelly, golden jelly cone,
apricot jelly and black jelly roll. At
the other extreme, some are graveyard
spooky: willow brain, goblin ear, jelly
tongue, Judas’ ear and, best of all,
witches’ butter.
Growing in forests, the appearance
of these gelatinous mushrooms
ranges from blobs of jelly spilled onto
a decaying log, to ears sprouting from
a tree trunk, to globs of brain tissue
smeared on a branch.
J
Like other mushrooms, jelly fungi
consist mainly of masses of extremely
thin strands, called hyphae, that spread
unseen through wood and function
to digest and absorb nutrients. Their
spore-producing fruiting bodies, the
mushroom, are the gelatinous blobs.
Jelly fungi are not all closely related,
as the gelatinous form has evolved
separately in several mushroom
families. Whereas typical mushrooms
have rigid cell walls, those of the jelly
fungi are extremely flexible. When
moisture is present, such as during
rainy spells, this flexibility allows the
cells to swell with water and expand
and the mushroom to produce spores.
During dry conditions, the cells
contract to extremely thin, firm
sheets, and the jelly fungi shrink into
a dormant state. They can swell and
shrink several times during a growing
season. Whereas typical mushrooms
fruit only once a year, the jelly fungi’s
unique cells allow them to swell and
produce spores several times a year,
a great adaptation in periodically dry
habitats. N
Whereas other jelly fungi are laden with interesting common names, the poor, neglected Dacryopinax elegans, as far as I can
tell, has no common name. Collectively, members of the genus Dacryopinax are known as fan-shaped jelly fungi, and that
name will have to suffice for this tough, yet gelatinous mushroom. Common in North America from the Great Plains eastward,
the mushroom’s spores develop on the shiny, bald inside surface of the fan-shape, while the fuzzy outer surface is sterile.
36
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
The amber
jelly roll is
also known
as willow
brain
because of
its brain-like
appearance and because the scientist
who first described it found it growing on a willow tree in Germany.
This specimen grew on a pin oak branch in Aurora.
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
37
Tremella mesenterica, with its buttery color and amorphous
lobes, has been bestowed with ghastly common names. Among
them: yellow trembler, yellow brain and witches’ butter. Even
its scientific name translates to the creepy “trembling middle
intestine.” Shame on those who profess that scientists are a boring
lot with no sense of humor.
Appearing spring through fall and even during winter warm-spells,
witches’ butter grows and feeds on dead hardwood trees, mostly
oaks. The mushroom is widespread, occurring on every continent
except Antarctica. The name witches’ butter originated in eastern
Europe where, according to folklore, if you found it growing near
or on your door or gate, it was a sure sign that you were under the
spell of a witch. Fortunately, the curse could be broken by sticking
straight pins into the yellow blob to drain its juices and power.
Sweet osmanthus ear is so named because its shape
resembles that of an East Asian Osmanthus flower
petal. The mushroom is a common ingredient in the dish
Buddha’s delight.
Firm, yet gelatinous and nearly translucent, snow ear, also
called snow fungus and silver ear fungus, is primarily a
subtropical and tropical species that strangely also occurs
in Indiana, Missouri, Kansas and southeastern Nebraska.
Although found on the dead wood of hardwood trees, it is
actually a parasite that feeds on the living tissue of other fungi
that have infected the wood.
For millennia, the mushroom has been popular in Chinese
cuisine and medicine. Foodwise, snow ear has little flavor
and is mostly used in soups for its texture and as a thickener.
Medicinally, it is purported to boost the immune system,
reduce inflammation and embellish the user with clear,
beautiful skin.
38
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
39
Ranging from disc to ear-shaped, wood ear grows on
decaying hardwood logs and sticks. In various Old
World cultures the mushroom has been graced with
the names jelly ear, pig ear, goblin ear and Judas’
ear. The latter name stems from the legend that the
mushroom was first discovered on the tree on which
the biblical Judas Iscariot hanged himself.
Recent DNA analysis has shown that the North
American form of wood ear is a distinct species from
the identical-appearing European and Asian form.
Although a unique species, it would be a disgrace if
Americans renounced those wonderful Old World
names long ago bestowed on this eerie mushroom.
All photos in the article were taken in oak woodlands at
Indian Cave State Park in Richardson and Nemaha counties
unless otherwise noted.
40
Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
41
Outdoor Nebraska
By Renae Blum
Whether you like to hunt, fish, visit parks or interact with nature, you can find
something to do in August and September. Learn more about the events listed
here at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. N
Go to a
Community
Fishing Event
What To Do in August-September
Enjoy fall hunting
season
Dates vary | Statewide
Fall hunting season is here at last.
Grab your gear and a sturdy pair
of boots, and head out to enjoy
Nebraska’s hunting opportunities
this season, which include archery
deer, elk, turkey, grouse, dove and
teal.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
Throughout the month |
Various locations
Would you like to learn to fish?
Attend a community fishing event,
where Game and Parks staff and
certified fishing instructors teach the
basics to people of all
ages who have never
been fishing or haven’t
fished for years. Make
sure to bring your
fishing permit if you’re
age 16 or older.
Tag migrating monarch
butterflies
Late August through early October | Statewide
Help scientists uncover the mysteries behind the monarch
butterfly’s epic migration, and tag monarchs as they migrate
through Nebraska this fall. Tagging takes just a minute or
two — netting the butterfly, recording data, applying a small
adhesive tag to the monarch’s wings, and releasing it. Learn
more at MonarchWatch.org/tagging.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
See Nebraska Game and
Parks at the state fair
Aug. 27 – Sept. 6 | Grand Island
The Outdoor Encounter exhibit, located in the
Nebraska Building, is one state fair exhibit you
won’t want to miss. It features a 6,000-gallon tank
filled with Nebraska fish, an archery and air gun
range, an outdoor playground and activity bags for
kids and families.
Attend Rock Creek
Station Ranch Life
Saturdays
Aug. 21; Sept. 18 | Rock Creek Station
State Historical Park
Every third Saturday of the month through
October, visitors can get a glimpse of what
a working ranch in Nebraska looked like.
Reenactors will portray the historic daily
life of Rock Creek Station with period dress,
interpretation and demonstrations.
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
CHRISTY FIRESTONE, NEBRASKALAND
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43
Becoming Part of
Something Bigger
The Wildlife
Conservation Fund
By Renae Blum
T
he Nebraska state income tax
form isn’t known for its wildlife
illustrations. Yet, tucked on the
second page is a small illustration of
a peregrine falcon, along with a space
to donate to the Wildlife Conservation
Fund.
These tax-deductible donations play
a vital role in conserving Nebraska’s
wildlife, said Melissa Panella,
Nebraska Game and Parks’ wildlife
diversity program manager. They
form the Wildlife Conservation Fund,
which is “one of the primary means
that Game and Parks uses to conserve
our species of greatest conservation
need,” Panella said. “Without it, we
wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the
programs that we’re doing.”
Since
1984,
the
Wildlife
Conservation Fund has helped the
thousands of Nebraska species that
are not hunted or fished. It’s been
behind some of Nebraska’s biggest
conservation success stories, including
the comeback of the North American
river otter and bald eagle in the state.
It’s also funding efforts to protect the
Now thriving, the North American river otter was removed from the
state’s threatened species list in 2020. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
Nebraska’s bald eagle
populations have recovered with
the help of the Wildlife Conservation
Fund. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
monarch butterfly in Nebraska, such
as milkweed plantings and habitat
restoration.
“As much as possible, we would like
to prevent the need to list species as
threatened or endangered,” Panella
said. “We also want to recover species
so that they may be removed from the
threatened and endangered lists.”
Nebraska Game and Parks zoologist
Shaun Dunn said the Wildlife
Conservation Fund is “absolutely
vital” to a lot of the work he does,
providing support for creatures like
insects, bats and snakes that may not
attract much grant money or public
interest, but are still an important
part of Nebraska’s native ecosystems.
Dunn is currently working on a
survey of Nebraska’s eastern spotted
skunks, trying to get a sense of where
this reclusive species still exists in
the state. The Wildlife Conservation
Fund is helping his team purchase
equipment so they can cover more
ground.
“Many projects I do are at least
partially funded by the Wildlife
Conservation Fund,” Dunn said. “It
provides support that allows these
projects to happen.”
The fund also is helping uncover
the secrets of another species, the
northern saw-whet owl, which is listed
as a “critically imperiled” species in
Nebraska. Starting in the fall of 2019,
Game and Parks biologists captured,
banded and released more than 20
saw-whet owls, hoping to determine
whether saw-whets migrate in the
eastern part of the state.
“We determined that, while still rare,
this species does in fact move through
eastern Nebraska during a short time
frame in late autumn,” nongame
bird biologist Stephen Brenner said.
“These banding efforts, supported
by the Wildlife Conservation Fund,
greatly expand our knowledge of this
species in the state.”
Seeing donations come into the
Wildlife Conservation Fund “really
impacts me on a personal level,”
Panella said, “because I realize that the
person cares deeply about the issue.
They care about Nebraska’s fish and
wildlife; they want to see threatened
and endangered species recover.”
And if people didn’t care, Panella
said, those species could be lost. “It
goes beyond just the dollars,” she
said. “By people making that decision
to give a donation to the Nebraska
Wildlife Conservation Fund, they’re
becoming part of something bigger in
our state.” N
Banding efforts, supported by the fund, have greatly expanded our
knowledge of the northern saw-whet owl. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
How to Give to the Fund
Buy a license plate: Show your conservation pride by buying
one of three new Nebraska license plate designs that benefit
the Wildlife Conservation Fund. The new plates, which became
available Jan. 1, feature a bighorn sheep, sandhill crane and
ornate box turtle. Each plate is $5 or $40 for a specialty plate.
On your Nebraska tax form: You may choose to donate all or a
portion of your tax refund to the Wildlife Conservation Fund when
you complete your taxes.
By check: Checks made payable to the Nebraska Wildlife
Conservation Fund may be sent to:
Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
P.O. Box 30370
2200 N. 33rd St.
Lincoln, NE 68503
The fund is supporting efforts to
protect monarch butterflies.
Online: You can always make a donation
to the Wildlife Conservation Fund through
NebraskaWildlifeFund.org.
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
August-September 2021 •
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45
Beyond BOW Hunting
Kendall Pratt attended a
Beyond BOW turkey hunt
and harvested her first
tom.
Where Skills Are Learned in the Field
Story and photos by Julie Geiser
omen are the fastest growing
group of outdoor enthusiasts,
and the Becoming an OutdoorsWoman program is a great
contributor to this trend. In Nebraska,
this program has taken hundreds of
women into the field during its 30-
W
year run, and, personally provided
some of my most memorable hunting
experiences.
Many occurred during BOW’s annual
training event the first full weekend
in October. This event is packed with
three days of learning about outdoor-
related topics including kayaking;
shotgun, rifle and muzzleloader
shooting; archery; big game and
turkey hunting; camping; birding;
photography and more.
Women can attend more than one
year to learn more about several topics,
Calandra McCool of Omaha, Lisa Citta of North Platte, and Julia Plugge of Lincoln at a Beyond Becoming an Outdoorswoman
pheasant hunt at Clear Creek Hunting Lodge in Bartlett.
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Nebraskaland
• August-September 2021
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47
deer hunts across the state have been
made available for women to attend.
In deer camp, the women learn
how to approach landowners to ask
for permission, where to look for deer
trails, and which ones to put a stand
or blind on. They also are instructed
in firearms, ammunition, and sighting
in a rifle or archery equipment. Lastly,
participants learn about field dressing
and preparing meat for processing and
the table.
Turkey Hunts
Turkey hunting is a popular pastime
for many new hunters as it’s easy to
find public hunting areas across the
state. During these hunts, women
learn how to find turkey sign, locate
turkeys and where to look for them
at different times of the day and
season. Instructors discuss archery
equipment and shot placement, as
well as shotguns, ammunition, and
patterning their weapon.
Upland Hunting
Pheasant, quail and grouse hunting
require fast, accurate shots, and, in
some cases, a lot of walking. These
upland hunts are designed to teach
women all the basics and more about
upland birds and how to down birds in
corn fields and Conservation Reserve
Program acres, as well as in the
Sandhills.
Attendees learn about their quarry
and its behavior, how to take safe
shots while hunting with a group of
people and dogs, and how to clean and
prepare their birds for the table once
harvested.
Regardless of the type of hunt, BOW
and Beyond BOW participants develop
a community of open-minded and
helpful people who can be called upon
for advice and tips long after their time
together.
Nothing compares to seeing the look
on a woman’s face the first time she
downs a Canada goose or shoots her
first deer. The thrill and excitement,
the high-fives and fist bumps, along
with all the other emotions that come
through, are so rewarding to those
who squeeze the trigger, release the
bowstring or teach these skills to a
new legion of outdoor enthusiasts. N
Tommi Gobber, Tea Parks and Sophie Gobber learned about Canada goose hunting and downed their first birds during this
Beyond BOW hunt.
thus gaining the knowledge, skills
and confidence to pursue outdoor
activities.
The Beyond BOW program takes
women one step further by pairing
them with experienced hunters,
anglers and other outdoor adventurers,
with the hopes they’ll later do
these same activities on their own.
Participants learn how to hunt, where
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to hunt, what to wear, and tips and
tricks from mentors.
Scheduled seasonally, these trips
focus on deer, goose, turkey and
upland hunts.
Goose Hunting
Almost every year, a goose hunt
is offered as part of the Beyond BOW
• August-September 2021
program. During this hunt, women
learn how to set up decoy spreads
according to the time of year, study
wind direction and the area that is
being hunted and how to call. They
also learn about public hunting
locations, blinds and camouflage, guns
and loads, and how valuable a good
dog is when hunting.
And there is plenty of fun to be had,
such as breakfast in the pit, playing in
the decoys and the times when birds
decoy perfectly and come in range for
the shot.
Deer Hunting
The very first Beyond BOW offered
was a white-tailed deer hunt in
eastern Nebraska. Since then, many
Tara Sutcliffe and Ronda Cary settle into a ground blind for a late-season
deer hunt.
August-September 2021 •
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MIXED BAG
BOB GRIER, NEBRASKALAND
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED:
THE MOUNTAIN PLOVER
By Melissa Panella
Some birds just don’t behave as one might expect based
on their name. The mountain plover (Charadrius montanus)
is a perfect example of this: a bird you might envision living
at high altitudes in the mountains based on its common
name, or perhaps strutting its stuff near water like most
other plovers and shorebirds, but instead it nests in mixedto semiarid shortgrass prairies, in agricultural areas, and
sometimes in almost desert-like conditions. It finds suitable
habitat in western Nebraska, primarily in Kimball and
adjacent counties. Each fall, it migrates to Mexico, the
southwestern United States, and prairies along the coast of
Texas to overwinter.
Mountain plovers are easily overlooked, because the
birds and their nests blend in so well with their breeding
environment. The male plover uses his feet and chest to
excavate a series of shallow, scraped depressions in the
ground. He selectively makes them in places he considers
prime real estate and may even decorate the scrapes with
grass, leaves, and other natural materials he finds nearby.
After all his work, a female plover will inspect the selection
of nest scrapes. Ultimately, she chooses if the neighborhood
offers acceptable amenities to raise a family and if the male
plover is a worthy mate.
The female may lay a series of clutches of one to four eggs
in multiple scrapes. Her male counterparts incubate the
clutches, while she incubates one of her own. Because nests
located on the ground are quite vulnerable to predation,
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
the adaptation of not putting all her eggs in one “basket”
increases the chances of more eggs hatching and young
surviving.
If a nest scrape is successful in hatching, the chicks will be
off to the races as soon as their downy feathers have dried
off. Quick little feet attached to long skinny legs help the
young fluff balls run and hide in order to escape predators
and other dangers. The parent plovers assist them in survival
until the fledglings grow out their sturdy flight feathers and
become completely self-sufficient.
Mountain plovers are a threatened species in Nebraska
because much of their grassland habitat has been converted
to various agricultural uses. Game and Parks has partnered
in the past with Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to build
positive relationships with agricultural producers who live
and work in areas the plovers use for nesting. This effort
raised awareness about the mountain plovers and presented
simple steps producers can take to conserve habitat and
avoid inadvertently destroying plover nests during regular
agricultural practices.
This conservation effort helped to preclude the need
to add the species to the federal endangered species list.
Awareness, appreciation, and conservation are key to saving
the mountain plover of the prairie.
Melissa J. Panella is a wildlife biologist for the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission.
August-September 2021 •
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MIXED BAG
A DOVE TREE
By Ryan Sparks
Part of what makes dove hunting
so enjoyable is its simplicity — find a
field that doves are using, grab your
shotgun, a box of shells, maybe a
bucket to sit on, and you’re set. I’ve
hunted doves like this since I was a
teenager, but in the past few years, I
started taking a few decoys along and
it has greatly increased my success.
Decoys not only bring doves closer to
my position but can attract birds from
a distance. Here’s how to set up a dove
decoy spread of your own.
Be Visible
If you’ve ever watched doves feeding
or picking grit on a gravel road, you’ve
probably noticed a few doves feeding
while others perch above and scan for
danger. Placing decoys in an elevated
position creates a realistic setup and
makes your decoys more visible. Many
dove decoys come with clothespins
attached to the bottom for clipping on
branches or wire fences. Make sure to
place them as high as you can.
Sometimes there isn’t a suitable
tree for attaching decoys, and even
when there is, you can only place your
decoys so high. To solve this problem,
I made a simple “dove tree” that I can
place wherever I want.
To make a dove tree you need a
piece of PVC or ABS pipe cut to your
desired length (you also can link pieces
together using plumping fittings,
which makes it more portable), a steel
fencepost or stake, and a wooden
dowel. Simply, drill a hole through the
top of the pipe slightly larger than
your dowel and glue the dowel in place
to keep it from spinning under the
weight of the decoys. To make the tree
more portable, I didn’t glue my dowel,
but duct taped it in place where I’m
hunting. It’s not pretty but it works.
When you find the spot you want to
set up — ideally where it can be seen
from a long distance — pound your
fencepost or stake in the ground and
slide the end of the pipe over the top.
Doves often will pass close to the tree
so set it up 20-30 yards in front of you
for the best shot opportunities.
Add Motion
I was blown away the first time I used
a motorized dove decoy. Several doves
A homemade dove tree will add motion and visibility to your decoy spread this season.
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
actually tried to land on the decoy,
and its flashing wings drew doves
seemingly out of nowhere. Adding
motion to my spread was so effective,
I’ve now started incorporating motion
decoys into both my dove tree and my
ground decoys.
To add motion to my dove tree, I
glued plumbing fittings (a cleanout
adaptor and cleanout plug) to the top
of the pipe and cut a square hole just
barely big enough to fit the square post
of my spinning wing decoy. Combining
the motion of the decoy with the
height of the dove tree creates a longrange dove magnet. Around my dove
tree I place six to eight dove decoys
on the ground along with four flicker
decoys. Flicker decoys imitate doves
on the ground stretching their wings
by flashing for a couple of seconds
and then going still. From a distance it
looks incredibly realistic.
Compared to other decoys, dove
decoys are inexpensive, but doves still
respond amazingly well to them. The
next time you go dove hunting I highly
recommend the little bit of extra effort
to put out a decoy spread.
RYAN SPARKS
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MIXED BAG
RAIL HUNTING
An early-season primer
By Julie Geiser
While I had seen the season dates
for rails multiple times in Nebraska’s
Small Game and Waterfowl Guide, I
had never considered hunting them
before. That was until John Laux,
Upland Habitat and Access Program
Manager for the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission, was headed out for
a rail hunt and asked me to join. Always
interested in new opportunities, I
quickly accepted.
Hunting Rails
John Laux’s dog, Lucy, retrieves a downed rail.
Steel shot may be required in some
areas, so be sure of regulations. Oneounce of No. 7 steel is adequate and
will be good for other early-season
birds, such as teal or doves. Many shots
we took on this day were less than 20
yards out.
Finding rails is as easy as finding
a marsh or wetland, many of which
are on public hunting areas in central
to southeastern Nebraska. Our hunt
About Rails
was during a wet year, which gave
Rails are part of the Rallidae family,
ample areas to find and hunt rails,
which includes several species found
which use temporary, seasonal and
in North America. The Virginia
permanent wetlands with
flooded vegetation. Many
United States Fish and Wildlife
Service waterfowl production
areas along with Sandhills and
Rainwater Basin wetlands,
U.S. Corps of Engineers and
Game and Parks wildlife
management areas hold rails
throughout Nebraska.
As we started our walk
through the densely-covered
marsh, spreading out like we
were on a pheasant hunt, I
soon learned most shots come
from flushing birds into flight.
Laux holds a rail he harvested. JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND
Walking in the thick cover
and using a dog to cover more ground
and Sora rail are the two found in
forced birds to flush.
Nebraska. Both may summer and
If you like the challenge of hunting
breed in Nebraska, but those that do
with a 16, 28 or 20 gauge shotgun, now
not summer here will head to southern
is the time to dust off these guns and
U.S. and Mexico during the winter,
get them in the field. Light 12-gauge
traveling at night and corresponding
loads also are the trick, as these birds
to their secretive nature.
didn’t take much firepower to knock
Rails are small-to-medium sized,
down.
highly camouflaged shore birds
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND
that often are heard and not seen,
as they prefer dense marches and
wetlands where they blend into their
surroundings.
Their diet includes small fish, frogs,
snails, slugs, insects, seeds, berries and
leaves.
Season Dates
The rail season runs Sept. 1 through
Nov. 9 in Nebraska, and hunters
willing to hit the wetlands in hip
boots or waders will like this
fast-paced and exciting hunt.
Rail hunting can fill a gap for
hunters itching to hit the field
for an early season primer and
sharpen shooting skills.
Rails aren’t the strongest
flyers and tend to be slow,
giving hunters good practice
for later pursuits and are good
on the table. For those that like
the dark meat similar to that of
a dove, you’ll savor the flavor
of rails.
It’s also not uncommon to
find snipe and woodcocks in
the same areas as rails. Season
dates for snipe are Sept. 1 through Dec.
16, and woodcock are Oct. 2 through
Nov. 15. These seasons overlap, so
know your birds and be on the lookout
for additional hunting opportunities.
When in pursuit of these webless
migrating species, hunters will need
a Harvest Information Program or HIP
number.
August-September
2021
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MIXED BAG
A WIN-WIN WITH
OPEN FIELDS AND WATERS
By Shawna Richter-Ryerson
The program is voluntary
and offers financial incentives
in exchange for access, and since
2016 has made major gains, with a record number of acres
enrolled across the state. More than 850 private landowners
participated in the program in 2020-21, providing access to
more than 372,000 land acres, 500 ponds or lakes, and 45
miles of streams.
Landowners can choose how much land to enroll and sign
up for one-year and up to five-year contracts, with the ability
to withdraw at any time.
The program addresses a top barrier for hunters and anglers
in Nebraska: Finding places to hunt and fish.
But the program knows it needs to remain flexible over
time, changing as hunter and landowner preferences, needs
and satisfaction rates change. Studies conducted in 2012,
2014, and annually since 2018, inform Game and Parks on
these variables and help focus enrollment efforts by location
or habitat types.
Satisfaction rates with the program have been high, with
94% of hunters saying they expect to use OFW lands again
and 83% of landowners saying they are very-to-somewhat
satisfied with the program. Many landowners continually recommit to the program.
“My dad always told me there should be a place to hunt
for the average Joe, not just the rich guy,” said one
such landowner in Keya Paha County, sharing his
philosophy for why he enrolls his acres in OFW.
Communities where acres are enrolled also
see hidden perks: tourism dollars from hunters
visiting, eating and sleeping during a weekend
or weeklong hunt. A 2020 study showed hunter
expenditures were greatest in the southwest, a
boon for the region.
Hunters themselves help fund OFW through
their purchase of a habitat stamp or a hunting or
fishing permit. Those dollars are matched with
federal and private conservation group funds
to grow conservation efforts and improve land
access.
Because without access, no one wins; hunter
and angler numbers would continue to drop and
landowners would lose out on potential earnings.
But OFW is an effort to bridge the gap.
A win-win for all.
Fly-fishing on the White River via Open Fields and Waters property in Sioux
Learn more at OutdoorNebraska.org/OFW.
County. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
The handwritten note is addressed to a Nebraska landowner
who enrolled his land in the Open Fields and Waters Program;
the loose cursive words fill nearly two pages.
“To say that I am grateful for your generosity of opening
up your private ground for access would be a tremendous
understatement,” writes Nick Barnes, of Fremont. “I had
personally stopped hunting for several years due to lack of
property access. This year reignited my passion and love for
the outdoors, and if not for your generosity, this wouldn’t
have been possible.”
The note is one of many that roll into Nebraska Game
and Parks Commission offices each hunting season — from
residents and nonresidents who utilize the public access acres
enrolled in the OFW program. Another common refrain is the
quality of the land enrolled, often spoken of by nonresidents
who choose to hunt Nebraska for this very reason.
In 2009, knowing that more than 97% of Nebraska land
was privately owned, Game and Parks initiated Open Fields
and Waters to increase public access opportunities for walkin hunting, trapping, and/or fishing on private lands, with
a focus on a variety of habitat types. The program enrolls
woodlands, farm ponds, wetlands, rangeland and stream
frontage, in addition to traditional grassland habitats, all
published and distributed annually in the Nebraska Public
Access Atlas.
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MIXED BAG
TREE CHECK
By Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
From left: Asian longhorned beetle, spotted lanternfly, and gypsy moth.
August is National Tree Check Month and is the perfect
time to step outside and examine the trees in your yard or
favorite park for signs and symptoms of attack by invasive
species.
A few pests are of particular concern to watch for during
National Tree Check Month. These include Asian longhorn
beetle, spotted lanternfly, and Gypsy moth. Each of these
invasive species has the potential to harm the community
forests and natural areas in Nebraska.
None of these insects are known to be established in
Nebraska, and we want to keep it that way. Finding an
infestation early is one of the best ways to stop the spread of
invasive plant pests.
When checking trees for evidence of insect infestation,
look for signs like exit holes, frass or saw dust, and chewed
leaves. Symptoms that the health of the tree is declining may
include yellowing of leaves, dying branches and overall tree
decline.
Asian longhorn beetle adults create very large exit holes
in the branches and trunk of the tree, nearly ½” in diameter,
as they exit the tree. The females chew a niche into the tree
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
BUGWOOD.ORG
bark, where they lay their egg. Asian longhorn beetles will
infest a variety of trees but prefer maples.
Spotted lanternfly is a large leafhopper, with wings folded
over its back in a tent shape. These insects prefer to feed on
Tree of Heaven, which itself is an invasive species. But they
will feed on other plants, causing damage with their piercing
sucking mouth parts. Look for sticky trunks and sooty mold
near the base of tree of heaven, especially in the fall, to try to
find spotted lanternflies.
Gypsy moth caterpillars feed on leaves and defoliate trees
in the spring and summer. They prefer oaks but will feed on
many broadleaf trees. The caterpillar has five pairs of blue
dots followed by six pairs of red dots on its back, and long
hairs along its body. By August, adults emerge to mate and
lay egg masses. Males are brown and have large feathery
antennae, while females are larger, white, and do not fly.
Report possible finds of any of these invasive species
to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture at 402-4712351 or agr.plant@nebraska.gov, or through the Nebraska
Invasive Species Program at https://neinvasives.com/reporta-sighting.
HIT THE
TRAILS
WITH US
Find horse-friendly campsites
and new trails to explore at
OutdoorNebraska.org/Equestrian.
PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
Pheasant Hunting Near Palmyra 1963.
Opening day of pheasant hunting I hunted
on my uncle’s farm southwest of Palmyra. I
was 16 years old and that is my dad’s vizsla,
Zipp, with me.
One of our best hunting buddies was Carl
Wolfe, who worked for the Game and Parks
Commission. We hunted together until the
mid-1990s, especially grouse at Halsey and
quail around Inavale.
Ken Bouc did an article on Dad and I and
our dogs quail hunting in the December 1990
issue of Nebraskaland.
– Steve Stedman, Beatrice, Nebraska
Hunting Mule Deer 1983. Jim Scherbarth
and son, Atone, of Hay Springs, myself, and
nephew, Kelly Schafer of Evansville, Wyoming
(currently). All really nice mule deer taken
Northwest of Hay Springs that fall.
– Tim Scherbarth, Hay Springs, Nebraska
Hunting West of Elgin in the 1980s. My
younger brother Doug Buffington (pictured left)
and myself with a pair of prairie chickens we
shot back in the ’80s near Elgin, Nebraska.
– Alan Buffington, Fort Collins, Colorado
Coyote Pups 1938. My dad (Henry Petersen) and
myself probably taken in the spring of 1938 on our
farm northwest of Auburn. Dad and a neighbor, Henry
Rogge, had come across a coyote den and dug it up.
They brought the six pups home so we could see them.
Dad is holding three of them, and I have the other three
on my lap in the wagon. The pups were remarkably
calm and didn’t struggle as long as we kept our hands
on them and didn’t make any fast moves.
– Loren Petersen Green, Valley Center, California
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 2000. 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
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
MY FIRST WOOD DUCK
By Jeff Kurrus
Somehow, I had never photographed a wood duck
before. Growing up hunting woodies in the backwater
sloughs of the Mississippi River, watching them
maneuver through the cypress trees like they were
Ewoks riding speeder bikes in Return of the Jedi, one
would figure I would have taken a camera at some
point and captured a shot or two of these beautiful
birds. Nope. Or, maybe figured as a photographer for
this publication, I would have accidentally run into
one on any number of photoshoots across the state.
Not then either.
I had added a wood duck to my “need to shoot”
list, alongside a clutch of turkey eggs in the woods, a
coyote with a fresh kill in its mouth and a family of
raccoons perfectly lined up on a tree branch. (Note:
This last example remains the most haunting image
I could have made had I taken my camera along
while riding with a farmer on his land.)
Then came COVID. Last spring, when the world
shut down and I was resigned to my home, I began
looking for photo subjects within walking distance.
And on the first warm day of the year, I drove by a
nearby wetland, recently formed by beavers, and
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Nebraskaland • August-September 2021
saw two woodies lift from the water along with a
pair of mallards and a Canada goose.
The very next day, a hen and drake wood duck
landed on the water not 30 yards from my photo
blind. Despite the overcast morning, the drake’s
head seemingly glowed, the menagerie of colors
reflecting from the water. Watching him and his
female counterpart, I was as nervous photographing
that pair as anything I had ever seen in the wild — so
much in fact that my viewfinder completely fogged
over as I tried to manage my rapid heart rate and
heavy breathing.
When the pair finally lifted, I climbed out of my
blind and strutted back to my house as proud as I had
ever been after a photo shoot. While I already knew
I had seen many wood duck images more beautiful
than what mine would be, I finally had my own to
share.
I wish I would have made it a priority sooner.
So if you have the opportunity to capture a life list
photograph, take it. And if the photo subject makes
your heart skip a beat while you press the button,
continue to do so until your camera card is full.
Nebraska Game and Parks biologists shock and net fish from a
resting pool in a fish bypass built at Spalding Dam on the Cedar
River in Greeley County. The fish were caught and tagged as part
of a study to measure the effectiveness of the bypass.
We’re working to preserve beautiful Nebraska for years
– and generations – to come. #MakingItLast
August-September 2021 •
Nebraskaland
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