Volume 99, Issue 8, 2021
October 2021
- Identifier:
- nela.2021_099_08
- Title:
- Volume 99, Issue 8, 2021
- Issue Name:
- October 2021
- Date Issued:
- 2021-10-01
- year:
- 2021
- month:
- October
- Season:
- Autumn
- PDF filename:
- NL_99.08_2021_Oct_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 099
- issue:
- 08
- number:
- 099.08
- Decade:
- 2020s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
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Nebraskaland • October 2021
October 2021 • Nebraskaland
OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmFishing
3
Volume 99 No. 8
October 2021
FEATURES
22
30
32
40
42
46
NEBRASKA’S FISHING STATE
PARK?
Story and photos by Justin Haag
OUTDOOR NEBRASKA
What to Do in October
By Renae Blum
RESTORING THE ENDANGERED
BLOWOUT PENSTEMON
By Gerry Steinauer
SARPY COUNTY’S NAMESAKE WAS
“A LEGEND IN HIS OWN TIME”
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
A SECOND CHANCE
A Retired Wildlife Ecologist Gives Back
By Renae Blum
START THEM YOUNG
By Eric Fowler
DEPARTMENTS
8 Your Nebraska
12 In the Field
52 Mixed Bag
60 Portraits from the Past
62 The Last Stop
ON THE WEB
For more articles and
information, visit
NebraskalandMagazine.com
Cover: Fallen leaves float in an intermittent stream at
C
Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Cass County.
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
E
Nebraskaland (VOL. 99 / NO. 8 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 • October 2021
T page: The still water at Fort Robinson State Park’s
This
Grabel Ponds reflects the colors of fall.
G
SSee story on page 22. JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
October 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
For address changes and questions about your
subscription, call 800-632-5263
Advertising Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
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
NORTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
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)
Keith Jadlowski (Keith, Deuel)
Jaden Porter (Keith, Garden)
308-520-5539
308-289-9580
308-289-2274
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
WEST SUB-DISTRICT
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium/Schramm Education
Center
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
(Keith, Arthur)
Nebraskaland • October 2021
Kevin Bergstrom (Sergeant)
308-520-1031
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine)
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
Greg Hesse
308-870-0322
402-389-0444
308-546-7464
308-660-4671
308-530-3157
(Lincoln)
(McPherson, Logan, Hooker, Cherry)
Kelsey Glodowski
308-763-8226
SOUTH SUB-DISTRICT
Josh Widhelm (Morrill, Scotts Bluff)
Jacob Stoinski (Sioux, Dawes)
308-279-9133
308-615-9017
(Red Willow, Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock)
(Box Butte, Sheridan, Grant)
NORTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Tom Zimmer (Lieutenant)
402-649-8053
NORTH SUB-DISTRICT
Jeff Jones (Sergeant)
402-762-5022
John Bauer (Holt, Boyd)
Dale Davis (Keya Paha, Brown, Rock)
Jonathan Andreasen
402-314-9257
402-760-0712
402-340-3981
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce)
402-613-8612
(Knox, Cedar)
Cory Krause (Sergeant)
402-380-6410
Kyler Prochaska (Platte, Colfax)
Nicholas Fix (Dixon, Dakota, Thurston)
402-830-8278
402-508-0261
(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton)
6
NORTH SUB-DISTRICT
308-672-1824
(Kimball, Banner, Scotts Bluff)
CENTRAL (Includes counties covered)
Mike Thome (Lieutenant)
308-293-8746
NORTH SUB-DISTRICT
Doug Pollard (Sergeant)
308-730-7050
Matt Brandt (Sherman, Howard)
Daryl Teter (Howard, Greeley, Merrick)
Mark Sullivan (Nance, Polk, Wheeler, Boone)
Kyle Gaston (York, Polk, Hamilton)
308-202-0819
308-440-1863
402-741-0636
402-719-6226
(Loup, Garfield, Valley)
SOUTH SUB-DISTRICT
Matt Taylor (Sergeant)
(Thayer, Fillmore, Nuckolls)
402-200-9597
308-380-7331
402-902-2017
308-920-2762
308-440-3847
SOUTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Roger Thompson (Lieutenant)
308-530-3097
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
JON FARRAR, NEBRASKALAND
Nebraskaland Magazine Copyright 2021, all rights reserved.
Nebraskaland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
Commission Talking Book and Braille Service, Suite 120, 1200 N St.,
Lincoln, NE 68508. 800-742-7691. Nebraskaland Magazine and the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
1-800-NEBLAND (632-5263), or go online to:
NebraskalandMagazine.com.
Commission Offices
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
As days become cooler, boxelder
bugs are seeking shelter, often in
buildings, such as houses or garages.
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Brian Piernicky (Sergeant)
308-340-6627
Matt Andrews
308-746-2418
Owen Johnson (Dawson, Custer)
Taylor Dixon (Dawson, Gosper)
402-266-1759
308-217-2108
(Furnas, Gosper, Frontier, Red Willow)
SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Stacey Lewton (Lieutenant)
402-890-7140
EAST SUB-DISTRICT
Heath Packett (Sergeant)
402-210-0888
Russell Mort (Otoe, Johnson)
Rich Berggren (Douglas)
Dan Evasco (Sarpy)
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler)
Bryan Adams
402-209-1506
402-619-1355
402-616-5961
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)
Bryce Streger (Seward, Saline)
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.
Kirk Pridell, Papillion
Green Heron
Marissa Jensen, Omaha
@rosehips_and_turtles
Bee on Coneflower
Nate Kapustka, Lincoln
@natekapustkaphoto
Indian Cave State Park
8
Nebraskaland • October 2021
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
9
YOUR NEBRASKA
Josue Rivas, Ravenna
@StayWildPhotg
Great Plains Toad
Jes Mikoloyck, Scottsbluff
Rainbow over Dome Rock
Karen Kutz Smith, Omaha
Indigo Bunting
Corrections: On page 60 of the AugustSeptember issue, we mistakenly
identified the name “Loren Petersen”
with Loren Petersen Green.” We
apologize to Mr. Petersen and Mr.
Green.
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 • October 2021
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
11
IN THE FIELD
SHOEMAKER MARSH
A natural area featuring saline
wetlands and Little Salt Creek
north of Lincoln in Lancaster
County. The area features
hiking trails and is important
habitat for birds and the
endangered Salt Creek tiger
beetles.
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12
Nebraskaland • October 2021
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
13
IN THE FIELD
Sallie Doty of Pierre, South Dakota, snagged this 34.5-inch paddlefish near Gavins Point Dam.
JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
PADDLEFISH SNAGGING
By Kirk Steffensen
Every October, anglers get the opportunity to catch
one of Nebraska’s largest fish species — the paddlefish.
Paddlefish snagging can occur in the unchannelized part
of the Missouri River that stretches from Gavins Point Dam
to the confluence of the Big Sioux River, with most anglers
snagging directly below the dam. During this time of year,
paddlefish aggregate in this area, providing bank and boat
anglers relatively high success. The current snagging state
record for paddlefish is 113 pounds, 4 ounces.
Applications for snagging permits are open the first two
weeks of July, and approximately 50 percent of applicants
are successful in obtaining one of the 1,600 permits issued
annually. In addition to this big game permit, anglers also
need to keep their fishing permit current.
Because paddlefish are filter feeders, they don’t take bait
and catching them by traditional fishing methods is not
feasible. Paddlefish don’t feed on macroinvertebrates or
other fishes. Instead, they actively feed on plankton by
“filtering” out microscopic organisms. The most effective
way to catch paddlefish is by snagging. Snagging requires
casting a hook into the river and aggressively pulling it
through the water, with the hope that your hook will attach
into the paddlefish’s body.
Snagging requires specialized gear: a rigid pole — generally
8 to 10 feet long; a baitcaster reel; and heavy 6- to 10-ounce
14
Nebraskaland • October 2021
weights tied to braided line, 1 to 2 feet below a treble hook.
There are a lot of snags below Gavins Point Dam, so bring
extra hooks and weights.
Anglers generally cast as far out as possible perpendicular
to the bank, which helps avoid crossing others’ lines. After
casting, continuous big, sweeping motions and reeling are
needed to snag into a paddlefish. When you do, which could
happen on your first cast or after your hundredth, the fight
can be variable based on the size of the fish and where in the
body the fish is hooked. Snagging is physically demanding,
so be prepared to work and take breaks as needed. Constantly
casting and jerking your line through the water is strenuous
on your arms and back, and fish are rarely caught quickly.
Snagged paddlefish have a protected slot of 35 to 45 inches;
fish in this size range are the most productive breeders,
which are critical to maintaining this unique fishery, and
need to be released. Only one hook per line may be used, and
the snagging hook can only have a 1/2-inch gap between the
hook tip and shank.
Although paddlefishing requires a fair amount of work,
your time and effort could result in landing one of Nebraska’s
most unique fish.
Kirk Steffensen is the Missouri River program manager at the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
IN THE FIELD
When buying waterfowl decoys, knowing where you’re hunting is a huge driving factor.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
THE RIGHT DECOY FOR YOU
By Todd Mills
I grew up hunting in the ’70s and,
at that time, only a couple of decoy
manufacturers existed. As a teenager
on a tight budget, I decided to make
my own — probably not my best idea.
I used white bleach bottles with cutout plastic heads, and I painted them,
too. Man, I was proud. However, I don’t
remember shooting a duck over them,
and most of them sank after a couple of
hunts. The jabbing I took from my older
brother and his buddies convinced me
that decoy design probably wasn’t in
my future.
Choosing the right brand of decoys
can be downright frustrating. Cruise
down the aisles of your favorite
sporting goods store or flip through
pages of the latest hunting magazines,
and you’ll see all shapes, sizes and
prices — all promoting a unique
difference in their decoy and why their
decoy is more effective.
But does brand and style really
16
Nebraskaland • October 2021
matter? And if so, which is best for
your hunting crew? While working
hunting shows for a number of
years and repping one particular
brand, I was amazed by how many
waterfowl hunters didn’t have a
clue on which decoy they should
choose. Even the more seasoned
hunter was looking for that certain
edge — something that would make
ducks fall at the sight of the decoy.
Decoys on a Budget
Decoys can be expensive, and let’s
face it, not everyone has the budget
for high-quality brands. Do you save
to get a half dozen fully flocked decoys
or go with a cheaper brand? I’m a big
believer in quality over quantity, so do
your homework before buying. Check
online forums and reach out to others
in the waterfowl world who no longer
hunt and are looking to unload decoys.
If you’re looking to add numbers,
particularly for goose setups, don’t
be afraid to add some nice-looking
silhouette decoys. I’ve used them with
great success, particularly late in the
year. Whatever direction you go, keep
in mind quality over quantity. You
want all the advantages you can get
with wary, late-season birds.
Hunting Terrain Matters
The type of hunting you do should
correlate with decoy choice. For
example, if your hunting is primarily
walk-in, choose a light and durable
decoy. If you usually hunt a private
spot, choose a decoy that will last and
matches the duck you are pursuing.
Early-season setups are different than
late season. Make sure you have options
for both and change as the migration
develops. And if boat hunting is your
choice, you’ll need a decoy that can
hold up to the beating it will take. Be
prepared to adapt as you go.
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IN THE FIELD
Plum jelly flavored with habanero pepper and ginger.
GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
DUCK CAMP JELLY
By Gerry Steinauer
In September 2020, my friend Scott
Wessel of Bloomfield invited me on a
late fall Sandhills duck hunt. Scott is
not only an avid duck hunter, but also
a connoisseur of wild plum jelly. With
a harvest of wild plums ripening on our
kitchen counter and in appreciation of
the invite, I decided to make a plum
jelly apropos for duck camp.
But how should I flavor it? Early
mornings at duck camp and sitting
in a blind can be cold, so including a
tinge of habanero pepper for warmth
was a must. Although habaneros are
a super hot pepper, in jelly, their heat
is moderated. They also enhance the
fruit flavor while leaving pleasant
lingering heat on the tongue.
What else should I add? Whiskey! At
a Wessel duck camp, sipping whiskey
during evening cribbage games
is tradition. This flavor would be
appreciated by my fellow hunters, and
the taste of bourbon on their breakfast
toast might provide the kick needed
to stir groggy hunters to life. I called
18
Nebraskaland • October 2021
Wessel for advice. He recommended I
use Jim Beam, saying, “If your jelly is a
flop, at least you’ll still have a decent
bottle of whiskey to drink.”
Lastly, I needed a spice to bring it
all together. I pondered cinnamon,
nutmeg and ginger and then went
online for input from fellow jelly
makers. On one site, a gentleman raved
about the unique flavor of his domestic
plum, whiskey and ginger jelly. Also, I
recently read that in folk medicine,
a dose of ginger is recommended to
relieve flatulence. Perhaps, including
this spice in my jelly would help
maintain a pleasurable ambiance in
the confined duck blind. Ginger it
would be.
With a plan in place, I went to
work. With a bit of water in a pot to
prevent scorching, I boiled the whole,
ripe plums for about 30 minutes at a
moderate heat until the skins split
open and the plums had formed a thick
pulp. I then ran the pulp through a
colander to remove the skins and pits
and ended up with 6 cups of thick
juice. The juice was returned to the
pot and brought to a rolling boil. I then
stirred in 5 tablespoons of pectin and
about two-thirds of a habanero pepper,
finely chopped and seeds excluded.
After a minute of boiling, I stirred in 3
cups of white sugar and 2 tablespoons
of powdered ginger.
After an additional 4 minutes at a
rolling boil, with occasional stirring to
prevent scorching, I added 1/2 cup of
whiskey and boiled the jelly for another
minute before taking it off the burner.
The piping hot jelly was immediately
ladled into canning jars. The jars were
sealed with lids and boiled in a water
canner for 10 minutes.
I must admit, the jelly was
pretty darn good. The ginger and
whiskey flavors came through and
the habaneros added an enriching
warmth. It was duck camp worthy.
Gerry Steinauer is a botanist for the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Share the joy of hunting!
hŇđƙƄƬƢĬƂƥŘòƄɥɥɥ
GRAND PRIZE
John Deere
XUV590M Gator
in Camo
ɥɥɥÜĬƃ
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LEARN MORE AT
OutdoorNebraska.org/TakeEmHunting
October 2021 • Nebraskaland 19
IN THE FIELD
Brian Baskerville and his son, Harrison, of Lincoln shoot on the outdoor archery course at the Director’s Take Aim Games at
the Nebraska Outdoor Education Center. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
LEADERS IN CONSERVATION — DIRECTOR JIM DOUGLAS
THE THREE R’S
By Jeff Kurrus
Recruitment. Retention. Reactivation. What is known
throughout the conservation world as R3 represents the efforts
of conservation agencies and partners to increase participation
in outdoor activities. And in the Cornhusker State, there hasn’t
been a more stalwart supporter and facilitator than Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission Director Jim Douglas.
“Our efforts in recruiting, retaining and reactivating current
and future generations of sportspersons is one of the most
important efforts Nebraska Game and Parks and other state
fish and wildlife agencies are working on right now,” said
Douglas. “Nebraska has been very successful recruiting new
participants, and retaining our other sportspersons, through
partnerships, outreach, educational programming, passionate
staff, and engaged hunters, anglers, and parkgoers.”
It’s because of Douglas’ attention to the issue that those
successes have followed. “Jim will forever be known for
developing plans to get things done,” said Jeff Rawlinson,
communications assistant division administrator, who has
seen Douglas’ R3 accomplishments firsthand.
Jim led those efforts when Nebraska became one of the first
states to develop an R3 plan nearly 25 years ago. The plan
laid out strategies to introduce people to the outdoors, then
developed programs and avenues to support them in pursing
20
Nebraskaland • October 2021
those activities. Included in those were ways to foster the
growth of people’s outdoors and shooting skills, but also ways
to introduce participants to the outdoors for the first time.
Take, for example, two outdoor exploration events, the
annual Missouri River Outdoor Expo at Ponca State Park
and the Fort Kearny Outdoor Expo, which regularly draw
thousands of students from classrooms around the state, and
thousands more guests from the public. Each is drawn to the
opportunities to learn about camping, hiking, wildlife viewing,
outdoor cooking, fishing, shooting and more.
Equally important are the efforts to engage hunters and
anglers and keep them excited about what Nebraska has to
offer. In 2018, the Commission tapped into that excitement by
introducing programs that challenged hunters and anglers to
take a novice with them during their hunting and fishing trips.
Take ’em Hunting and Take ’em Fishing offered a grand prize
incentive for participants — and saw wild success.
More than 10,600 fishing trip photos have been entered
in the Take ’em Fishing challenge for a shot at winning one
of three grand prize boats from Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shops and
the Game and Parks Foundation. Take ’em Hunting created
more than 4,000 hunting trips for beginners. Each hunter who
submitted a picture and story has had a chance to win one of
three John Deere gators from AKRS Equipment, along with
other prizes from Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. The
goal of both programs is for people to share their passion and
bring along a new generation of hunters and anglers.
“Everyone who is hunting and fishing had someone who
took them out for the first time,” said Douglas. “That is why I
felt it was important to introduce Take ’em Hunting and Take
’em Fishing … to get people excited about taking others along
and showing them how fun it can be.”
Douglas also has thrown his support behind efforts to
offer additional outdoor skills training opportunities. After he
became director in 2012, one of his first accomplishments was
providing full support to the creation of the Nebraska Outdoor
Education Center in Lincoln. “He took a realistic look at what
was needed in Lincoln for shooting sports and educational
facilities,” said Rawlinson, “and moved it to the front of the
line for construction.”
Since its 2014 opening, the Education Center has hosted
thousands of sports teams and participants from across the
region, outdoor enthusiasts honing their archery and firearm
skills on the indoor and outdoor ranges. Other educational
shooting parks have been constructed across the state under
Douglas’ leadership, including at Platte River State Park,
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area and Chadron State Park.
As part of the Nebraska Shooting Range Plan, developed by
Douglas and his team, the Killdeer Wildlife Management Area
Sight-in Range and Sherman Reservoir State Recreation Area
archery ranges were created.
The Commission also is in the process of developing plans
for a shooting range at Cedar Valley Wildlife Management
Area near North Platte and at Buffalo Bill Ranch State
Recreation Area. Once participants are introduced to
shooting, Douglas has sought ways to keep them afield
through programs and information on places to hunt and fish.
The Next Steps mentoring program, a collaboration with
Pheasants Forever, is one of those. This program capitalizes on
the PF youth mentoring program by establishing partnerships
with privately owned Controlled Shooting Areas across the
state to host hunts.
“The original concept of the Next Steps program came
from Jim Douglas,” said Kelsi Wehrman, state coordinator for
Pheasants Forever. “It’s been a huge support for youth.”
Kids who graduate from the program are offered up to three
additional pheasant hunts with their mentor and an adult
guest at a Controlled Shooting Area. “We’ve had traditional
mentor hunts, but Jim wanted to provide more,” Wehrman
said. “These Next Steps hunts do that while also helping to
create a bond between the mentor and the kid.”
The program also fostered partnerships between the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Pheasants Forever
and the Controlled Shooting Areas throughout the state,
another of Douglas’ goals. “There weren’t a lot of partnerships
with our organizations and these CSAs,” said Wehrman. “But
Jim saw the need to create additional assistance for young
hunters after their youth mentor
program. It has helped provide the
support these hunters need.”
Douglas has become known for
his ability to see the needs of R3
and for sharing a vision to address
them. Nationally, he has been
instrumental in revamping the
Midwest Associations of Fish and
DIRECTOR JIM DOUGLAS
Wildlife Agencies’ R3 committee
into a tactical workgroup that has
increased grant funding to aid R3 issues throughout the
country. In Nebraska, R3 efforts continue to be a top priority
for the Commission. The agency is working with some of
the best partners in the industry to develop a new R3 plan,
which will be expanded to include boaters, park recreationists
and other outdoor enthusiasts, while continuing to focus on
hunters and anglers.
“Jim recognizes the importance of Nebraska’s rich outdoor
heritage and the critical role it plays in the quality of life for
outdoor enthusiasts,” said Dave Chanda, vice president of
the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and former
director of New Jersey Fish and Wildlife. “As a result, he’s
engaged the entire agency to take an active role in angler/
hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts. It has
been my honor and pleasure to work with him on these R3
initiatives.”
Regardless of what project is being carried out, Douglas
will forever be known for developing plans to get things done.
“If you don’t have a plan, you are likely to become part of
someone else’s plan … and you may not like it” has long been
his mantra, and a code that will live with those he’s worked
with long after his retirement.
The Take ’em Hunting program challenges experienced
hunters to take a novice with them. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
21
Nebraska’s
Fishing
State Park?
Story and photos by Justin Haag
When discussing Fort Robinson
State Park, fishing may not be
the first thing that comes to mind.
Perhaps it should be.
Pat Bell and Valerie
Miller, both of Crawford,
fish at the north Ice
House Pond at Fort
Robinson State Park.
22
Nebraskaland
• October 2021
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
23
T
all buttes rising over pine
forests
and
sweeping
grasslands. Herds of bison,
pronghorn,
bighorn
sheep
and other megafauna. Historical
architecture. Theatrical performances,
weekly rodeos, two museums,
cookouts and an indoor swimming
pool. More than 120 miles of trails
suited for horse hooves and hiking
shoes.
With so much to see and do
at Fort Robinson State Park, it is
understandable that whatever is below
the surface may get overshadowed.
Those inclined to carry a rod and reel,
though, have long known it is wise
to divert attention from the park’s
terrestrial sights to see what swims
in the 10 fishing ponds and coldwater
streams in or near this 22,000-acre Pine
Ridge playground in the northwestern
corner of the state.
Al Hanson, fisheries supervisor
for Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission’s northwestern district,
bestows Fort Robinson a lofty ranking
among the eight state parks. He refers
to it as “Nebraska’s fishing state park.”
“Some of our other state parks have
excellent fishing opportunities, but
none offer anglers what Fort Robinson
The colorful tiger trout is among the species that swims in and near Fort
Robinson, as do browns, brooks, rainbows and cutthroats.
24
Nebraskaland
• October 2021
does,” he said.
Having said that, Fort Robinson
anglers should leave their big
motorboats — or any gas-powered
watercraft, for that matter — at
home. This is a place for those who
prefer to fish from foot, belly boat or
kayak. Whether it be families with
small children and elderly anglers, or
adventurous fly-fishermen, an array of
aquatic species are on tap to provide a
tug of the line.
Game and Parks has made a great
thing even better by investing in major
enhancements to about half of those
ponds, with the first phase of a $2.8
million renovation project completed
in spring 2020.
Major improvements have occurred
at the Grabel Ponds, Cherry Creek
Ponds and the Ice House Ponds, and
more are planned at other locations.
The most obvious changes to the
ponds are structures such as fishing
piers and ramps for launching kayaks
and canoes. Workers deepened a
number of the ponds, replaced water
control structures, created fish habitat
features, and developed access points
for anglers. Where anglers battled
steep banks and thick vegetation
before the renovations, they now
enjoy casting from wooden piers,
angler access pads and gently sloping
shorelines near artificial structures,
gravel beds and rock piles that attract
fish.
The improvements were funded
from the sale of Aquatic Habitat
Stamps, required by most anglers,
and matched by federal Sport Fish
Restoration Program dollars generated
from taxes on fishing equipment and
grants from many sources including
the Nebraska Environmental Trust.
The renovations have provided the
opportunity for Game and Parks to
restock waters with a goal to develop
populations best suited for habitat
and usage. Anglers can often find both
coldwater and warmwater species by
taking a short walk.
All four species of the state’s Trout
A hidden fishery at Fort Robinson is Crazy Horse Pond, downstream from Carter P. Johnson Reservoir. While choked with
vegetation now, plans are to renovate the pond and make it a premier hike-in fishing spot.
Slam — brook, rainbow, cutthroat
and brown — can be caught in the
park or nearby, as well as the brownbrook hybrid known as tiger trout.
Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
rock bass, bluegills, channel catfish,
crappies and yellow perch also swim
waters of select ponds.
As the fish continue to grow, surely
too will tales of fishing success by
those who visit Fort Robinson.
Larry Olson of Crawford has
developed a love of the area’s fishing
opportunities over the years, first
during his time as a student at
Chadron State College, then as a father
and now as a grandfather. Olson said
he and his family are looking forward
to the smallmouth bass, brook trout
and panfish recently stocked in the
renovated waters to grow in coming
years. There is plenty to keep the
family busy in the meantime, though.
“The ponds with trout are always
well stocked,” he said. “There are
plenty of small panfish in Carter P.
Johnson Reservoir to keep anyone
busy with just a bobber and a worm.
The streams offer quality trout fishing
whether it be with a fly rod or spinning
tackle. There are some real lunker bass
and catfish in some of the ponds that
can test your tackle.”
Fort Robinson, by
Pond and Stream
Joe Rydell, a fisheries biologist for
the Game and Parks Commission’s
northwestern district, has played a key
role in the planning and execution of
the aquatic habitat and access projects
at Fort Robinson State Park. A guide for
those looking to explore the depths of
Fort Robinson’s fishing opportunities,
with Rydell’s insights, follows.
Ice House Ponds
At the western edge of Fort
Robinson, the Ice House Ponds are
situated just one-half mile from U.S.
Highway 20. From a gravel parking lot,
anglers access the ponds by crossing a
footbridge over the White River, which
receives the overflow from the ponds.
With depths approaching 12 feet, the
ponds required no excavations during
the renovations.
North Pond (2.5 acres) — The first
pond anglers encounter after the short
hike over the bridge is a dandy. To
complement the existing largemouth
bass and bluegill population, Rydell
said stockings of yellow perch, channel
catfish, rainbow trout and crappies are
planned. Three angler access pads
and a canoe-kayak launch were added
during the recent renovations.
Middle Pond (1.4 acres) — As
with the north pond, the middle is
managed for warmwater species and
has a similar population of species
and stocking plan. Note that in fish
stocking reports, the middle pond is
referred to as the Ice House Diversion
Pond.
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
25
The 20-acre Carter P. Johnson Reservoir, Fort Robinson State Park’s largest impoundment, and Crazy Horse Pond, at right, are
located on Soldier Creek. Improvements are scheduled for both.
South Pond (0.5 acre) — As the
farthest pond from the parking lot, the
south pond requires a hike of about a
half-mile over a trail that was cleared
by a bulldozer during the renovations.
Because it is directly fed by cool water
from the spring, it is being managed
for brook trout only and has received
two years of stockings. Rydell said
many of those fish have had some time
to grow and some should be more than
12 inches long.
“It’s a pretty challenging fishery.
It has brushy terrain, and no angler
access features. It’s more for the
experienced angler,” Rydell said.
Cherry Creek System
By turning east from U.S. Highway
20 at the entrance of the park’s main
campus and traveling gravel road
for 1.2 miles, visitors encounter the
Cherry Creek ponds, both of which
were drained and renovated in 20192020.
Cherry Creek Pond (2.6 acres) —
The main pond sits near the road, so
anglers can have their line in the water
after a short walk from the vehicle.
26
Nebraskaland
• October 2021
Since renovation, the primary goal has
been to establish a smallmouth bass
population, with yellow perch and
bluegills also on the stocking schedule
for this year. If those species do well
enough, the plan calls for adding
channel catfish and black crappies.
“Until the smallmouth grow a little,
there’s not much worth fishing for in
Cherry Creek. It will take a few years
to get those populations established,”
Rydell said.
Regardless, it is not too early for a
visit to its new boardwalk pier or a
float from one of its two canoe-kayak
launches.
Cherry Creek Diversion (0.5 acres)
— Nestled just behind the Cherry
Creek Pond to the west is its diversion
pond. Directly fed by the cold water of
a spring, the pond is being managed for
trout. It already has had two stockings
of brook trout. Rainbow stockings also
are in the plan, mainly to alleviate
fishing pressure on the brookies,
Rydell said.
“Even with two-fish bag limit on
brook trout, we anticipate that pond
getting a lot of pressure,” he said. “It
is sure to be popular among anglers
working on the Trout Slam.”
Grabel System
About a mile southeast down the
road from Cherry Creek Ponds are
the three Grabel Ponds. Fed from a
spring that originates nearby, the
water becomes warmer as it travels
northward through the ponds.
Through the years, five ponds have
been consolidated to three. The south
and middle ponds were the subject of
extensive renovations in 2019-2020.
Amply stocked, these ponds provide
promise to anglers of many skill levels.
Grabel South (1.75 acres) — Similar
to Cherry, the first pond in the system
is directly fed by cold spring water
and is managed for trout. Moreover,
because the pond was deepened, it can
hold more fish than before. Rainbows,
brookies and tigers have been stocked
so far, and cutthroats are in the plan.
Recent improvements to the pond
included a handicapped-accessible
covered pier and concrete canoe-kayak
launch.
Grabel Middle (2.3 acres) —
Similar to the south pond, the middle
was deepened and supplemented with
habitat structures. Rainbow and tiger
trout have been stocked. Plans call
for the addition of smallmouth bass,
rock bass and bluegill. Visitors also are
enjoying new angler access pads and a
canoe-kayak launch.
Grabel North (1.7 acres) — It is
the one pond in this series that was
not renovated, and unfortunately, a
broken dam board this spring caused
devastation to the fishery as almost
all of the water drained from the pond.
Prior to that, the pond challenged
anglers to catch largemouth bass,
bluegills, crappies and channel
catfish from its stump- and cattailladen banks. The pond has now been
added to the final phase of the aquatic
habitat project, and officials are sure it
will once again complement the park’s
superb fishing opportunities after
renovation.
Carter P. Johnson
Reservoir
Located 3.2 miles west-northwest of
U.S. Highway 20 on Soldier Creek Road,
the 20-acre Carter P. Johnson Reservoir
is the largest of Fort Robinson’s
impoundments and features the
most diverse fish population. It has
long received annual rainbow trout
stockings and has a sizable population
of largemouth bass, many of which are
lunkers, in addition to bluegills.
Other species include rainbow
trout, cutthroat trout, channel catfish,
crappies and rock bass. A wooden
pier serves anglers of many ages and
abilities, and the unpaved gradual
slope on the east end of the pond
serves as a ramp for small electricpowered boats, kayaks and other nonmotorized watercraft.
The reservoir, which was created
by damming Soldier Creek, has
been scheduled to receive a major
renovation during the second phase
of the aquatic habitat project.
Construction was delayed, however,
when the Department of Natural
Resources reclassified the 480-foot
dam as high-hazard and in need of
fortification because of danger to
campsites downstream along Soldier
Creek.
Funding has since been secured
to include dam improvements in
the project and officials hope the
construction can get underway next
year. If so, the lake will be drained and
salvaged fish will be moved to other
sites within the park.
Crazy Horse Pond
Located
one-half
mile
eastsoutheast of Carter P. Johnson
Reservoir is the 1.4-acre Crazy Horse
Pond. As it stands, it is not considered
much of a fishery. It has not been
stocked, and fishing opportunities
are almost exclusively limited to the
largemouth bass and bluegills that
make their way downstream from
Carter P. Johnson Reservoir.
Phase two of the Aquatic Habitat
Plan calls for transforming the pond to
a prime destination for anglers willing
to hike. The plan calls for developing a
half-mile non-motorized trail from the
Carter P. Johnson Reservoir parking
lot.
“It’s already one of our most scenic
ponds and will be quite an attraction
when finished,” Rydell said.
Stringers with rock bass hang from kayaks at Carter P. Johnson Reservoir.
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
27
The Wood Reserve Ponds, situated along the Middle Fork of Soldier Creek on U.S.
Forest Service property west of Fort Robinson, reward anglers who don’t mind a
hike.
White River
This waterway, which begins as a
clear, babbling coldwater stream west
of Fort Robinson, assumes an entirely
different appearance before its turbid
waters enter South Dakota north of
Chadron and flow into the Missouri
River 220 miles later.
Those wanting to target trout in
the White River would be wise to
visit the Open Fields and Waters sites
along White River Road west of Fort
Robinson. Brooks, rainbows, cutthroats
and browns all reside in those waters.
Downstream, within the park,
Rydell said anglers find brown trout
and an occasional channel catfish,
along with white suckers and creek
chubs. Rydell said the White River’s
trout habitat ends in Crawford, where
anglers can access the river at the
city park. East of there, think catfish,
suckers and chubs.
with reproducing populations of
browns and brookies, are popular
among anglers. They can be accessed
from the parking and camping areas
about 6 miles from U.S. Highway 20.
Cutthroats also have been stocked
where the forks unite.
“The further upstream you go, the
better chance you have to get into
brook trout,” Rydell said. “The browns
kind of outcompete them in the lower
stretches of each of those branches.”
He noted the south fork is a little
easier to fish than the middle, with
more pools and accessible spots void
of overhanging vegetation.
The fishing opportunity for the
5-mile stretch of creek from the Carter
P. Johnson dam to the confluence of the
White River is limited to whatever fish
may escape from the reservoir, he said,
and it is not as popular of a destination
as the upper end on the Wilderness.
Soldier Creek
Wood Reserve Ponds
Three branches of this creek, which
exist on the federal Soldier Creek
Wilderness, merge into one before
entering Fort Robinson.
Both the middle and south forks,
28
Nebraskaland
• October 2021
When visiting Soldier Creek
Wilderness, it is worth the hike to
these five ponds, each less than a halfacre, which are heavily stocked with
trout — rainbows, tigers, cutthroats
In and near Fort Robinson State Park’s 22,000 acres are many opportunities for anglers.
They include the park’s 10 fishing ponds, Soldier Creek and the White River. TIM REIGERT, NEBRASKALAND
and brookies. A parking area is located
at the end of Soldier Creek Road, 6.25
miles from U.S. Highway 20. The hike
is another mile, as the crow flies, along
the Middle Fork of Soldier Creek.
was named. If it is fish you seek, do not
bother. The outlet structure was long
ago damaged and removed, so nothing
remains but a marshy area void of
game fish.
Lake Crawford
Other desƟnaƟons
Another site on Fort Robinson that
shows up on maps is Lake Crawford,
which is located between Grabel
Ponds and the community for which it
Within a short drive of Fort
Robinson’s headquarters are even
more fishing opportunities. They
include Squaw Creek at Ponderosa
Wildlife Management Area (9.9
miles), Whitney Reservoir (17 miles),
Sowbelly Creek at Coffee Park (28
miles), Monroe Creek and a pond at
Gilbert-Baker Wildlife Management
Area (29 miles), and numerous ponds
on the Oglala National Grassland. If
one seeks permission, there are other
coldwater stream fishing opportunities
on private lands in the region.
Whatever the choice, anglers are sure
to come away from “Nebraska’s fishing
state park” with tales of success. And
don’t worry: On the rare occasion the
fish are not biting, there are plenty of
other things to see and do. N
Fort Robinson’s Fishing History
Just as rich as the fishing opportunities
at Fort Robinson is the history of its
ponds. Make plans to read about their
storied past in the November issue.
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
29
Outdoor Nebraska
By Renae Blum
As trees change and Halloween celebrations get underway, take some time
to enjoy the crisp, fall air and all that the outdoors has to offer, from
wildlife viewing to fishing, hunting and park events. N
What To Do in October
View bats
Throughout the month
Statewide
Bats get a bad rap, but they’re
actually beneficial, allowing
farmers to use less pesticide
because of the number of
pests they eat. This month,
appreciate
them.
Head
outside and wait patiently
until just after the sun sets.
Watch for something that
makes fast turns and beats
its wings rapidly — it’s
probably a bat!
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
Attend Arbor Lodge’s
signature centennial event
Oct. 1-2 | Arbor Lodge State Historical Park
As Nebraska’s first state historical park, Arbor Lodge is
a fitting place for the final signature event celebrating
Nebraska’s state park centennial. Saturday will be
a family day, with educational stations, tours of the
lodge, living history reenactors, scavenger hunts, tree
tours and more. See Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov
for details. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
Fish for trout at Long Pine Creek
Throughout the month | Between Bassett and Ainsworth
This small, coldwater stream provides trout habitat year-round, and its
beauty, with canyons and ponderosa pines, also makes it an attractive spot.
Bring your favorite bait and give it a go! JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
Enjoy the pheasant
season opener
Hunt for edible
mushrooms at
Indian Cave
Oct. 30 | Statewide
Throughout the month
Indian Cave State Park
Gather friends and family and experience
the fun of a frosty October morning
pheasant season opener. For a statewide
view of upland hunting conditions, as well
as advice on areas with the best potential
for a successful hunt, check out the 20202021 Upland Game Bird Hunting Outlook
at OutdoorNebraska.org/Upland.
With good rainfall and tree diversity, Indian Cave
State Park is a great place to hunt mushrooms.
Search for hen-of-the-woods and chicken of the
woods, which both like oak trees, and oyster
mushrooms, which grow on a variety of hardwood
trees year-round in this park. For help with
identification, check out Mushrooms of the Midwest
by Michael Kuo and Andrew S. Methven.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
30
Nebraskaland • October 2021
JULIE GEISER, NEBRASKALAND
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
31
Restoring the Endangered
Blowout
Penstemon
on Turner Enterprises’
Spikebox Ranch
By Gerry Steinauer, Botanist
“Blowouts are sort of like anchovies
— you either love them or hate them,”
wrote the late Nebraskaland writer Jon
Farrar. Among the blowout lovers are
“ranch children who for generations
have slid down a blowout’s steep
A blowout penstemon
flowers on the leeward
side of a recently
created blowout in
the Hunt Pasture on
Turner Enterprises’
Spikebox Ranch.
McKelvie National Forest
GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
Fawn Lake Ranch
Spikebox Ranch
Nebraska National Forest
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Estimated
current range
of blowout
penstemon
This map illustrates blowout penstemon’s range in
Nebraska and where penstemon work mentioned in
this story has been conducted.
TIM REIGERT, NEBRASKALAND
32
Nebraskaland • October 2021
sandy slope [and] artifact hunters
who currycomb them hoping to find
an 11,000-year-old Clovis projectile
point exposed by the wind.” Among
the blowout haters are “Most ranchers
[who] wage war on their blowouts. To
some, they are seen as unsightly, maybe
hint at poor range management such
as overgrazing and as lost grazing. …
To some ranchers blowouts are like
dandelions in an urban lawn.”
lowouts are wind-excavated, bare sand depressions in
Sandhills dune prairie and the sole habitat in our state
for the endangered blowout penstemon (Penstemon
haydenii). Since settlement, blowouts have become
extremely rare, resulting in the penstemon’s decline. In 2017,
Turner Enterprises, Inc., undertook a project to restore this rare
plant in a pasture on their Spikebox Ranch located in Cherry
County. Breaking Sandhills grazing tradition, they intensively
grazed bison to create blowouts in which they, along with
state and federal partners, planted blowout penstemon.
The project has been challenging to say the least. More
than once during the planning phase, the partners stood
gathered atop a high grassy dune, hands in pockets, boot
heels worriedly scratching the sand, pondering how they
B
could push bison grazing to the point where the sod-binding
grasses lost their tight grip on the sandy soils, allowing
the wind to set them to blowing. Also troubling was the
thought of how neighboring ranchers would respond to their
intentionally creating blowouts.
Despite the obstacles, the project appears to be on the road to
success: This past summer, blowout penstemon flowered in the
pasture, possibly for the first time in more than a century.
The Endangered Blowout
Penstemon
Blowout penstemon grows in the Ferris Dunes in Carbon
County, Wyoming, and the Sandhills of north-central
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
33
Blowout penstemon seeds have a hard coat allowing them
to survive for decades buried in sand. GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
Nebraska — and nowhere else on Earth. The species cannot
tolerate competition from other plants, thus its predilection
to grow on bare, mostly un-vegetated sand. A short-lived
perennial, it often forms multi-stemmed clumps reaching
up to 2 feet in height. Its pink to milky blue flowers, which
have a sweet fragrance reminiscent of vanilla, grace the open
sands from late May through June.
In the early 1900s, blowouts were abundant in the
Sandhills, and a botanist described blowout penstemon
as “one of the more common and typical species” of this
habitat. At the time, perhaps millions of plants grew
scattered across the dunes, but remarkably, by 1940, the
plant was thought to be extinct. A wetter climate beginning
in the early 1900s, coupled with settlers’ control of wildfires
and their later use of conservative grazing practices with
lower stocking rates and cattle rotated between pastures,
had eliminated most blowouts.
Fortunately, blowout penstemon was re-discovered in
1968; however, surveys conducted through the early 1980s
located only 600 plants. Soon thereafter, it was listed as
federally endangered. By the mid-1990s, botanists had
located a few thousand additional plants in the Sandhills
and discovered the Wyoming population, consisting of about
8,000 plants.
In the late 1980s, ecologists began planting greenhousegrown blowout penstemon seedlings into blowouts on
national wildlife refuges, national forests and private ranches
in the Sandhills. At the time, establishing populations from
seed was deemed infeasible due to lack of an abundant seed
source. Plus, the hard-coated seeds were thought to take
decades to germinate in the wild. In the greenhouse, seeds
were acid-treated to break down the seed coat and stimulate
germination.
Hand-planting greenhouse-grown blowout penstemon
had limitations. Growing the seedlings was time-consuming
and expensive, and many of the seedlings did not survive
transplanting into blowouts. The greatest issue, however,
was that most blowouts today are inactive with little blowing
sand. Stable sands meant that over time prairie grasses and
wildflowers invaded the blowouts and out-competed the
planted penstemons, leading to their decline. Staff at the
Sandhills Blowouts
Over millennia, grass cover on Sandhills dunes
has waxed and waned in response to climate,
grazing pressure and fire. About 8,000 years ago,
for example, a 3,000-year-long mega-drought
descended upon the Great Plains, withering the
dune-stabilizing grass. The sands set to blowing,
and Sahara-like naked dunes slowly rolled across
the land. After the drought ended, vegetation
re-stabilized the dunes.
By comparison, the 19th century was a
period of relative dryness, with wildfires and
roving bison herds still active on the land. The
dunes were stable, but grass cover was sparse
compared to today. J.H. Snowden of the 1857
Warren Expedition wrote that the dunes were
“much broken by and cut by winds, supporting a
very scant vegetation.” Blowouts were common
in the Sandhills.
Euroamerican settlement of the Sandhills,
which began in the late 1800s, brought dramatic
changes to the landscape. Wildfires were
extinguished quickly, the bison were extirpated,
and, later, conservative methods of cattle grazing
were implemented. These factors, along with
a wetter climate beginning in the early 1900s,
has led to dense grass on the dunes and to very
few blowouts. The dunes are now at a level of
stabilization where only extreme, prolonged
drought would cause widespread blowouts.
Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Garden County
and other conservation lands tried to stimulate blowing
sand by intensely grazing cattle and using heavy equipment
to scrape grass off blowouts. These efforts mostly failed. If
the blowout penstemon was to survive in the Sandhills, a
practical method of creating and maintaining blowouts was
sorely needed.
The Spikebox Ranch Project
Bison grazing Sandhills dune prairie on the Spikebox Ranch.
34
Nebraskaland • October 2021
BOB GRIER, NEBRASKALAND
On a summer day in 2016, I was with several Turner ranch
managers and biologists on their 142,000-acre Spikebox
Ranch. As we contemplated bison lazily grazing a high dune
having a few scattered blowouts, our conversation naturally
drifted to bison and blowouts. Based on years of observation,
the managers suggested that if one was inclined to create
blowouts through heavy grazing, bison might be better
suited to the task than cattle.
They explained that unlike cattle, which favor low
ground, bison prefer grazing and loafing on high dunes
where blowouts tend to develop. On top the dunes, bison can
scan for approaching predators and, with luck, they catch a
breeze to ward off flies. Compared to cattle’s broad, flat hoofs,
bison have sharp-edged hoofs that more easily cut through
sod. The staff surmised that if a bison herd were confined
A recently created, active blowout in the Hunt Pasture.
GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
to a pasture with high, loose-sanded dunes for an extended
period, blowouts would likely develop.
I mentioned the blowout penstemon’s decline and its need
for blowouts. The lead manager ran with the thought and
by day’s end, we had a handshake agreement to intensively
graze bison in a pasture on the Spikebox Ranch to create
blowouts in which we would plant blowout penstemon.
By the following year, a plan was in place. A 250-acre
section of the Hunt Pasture containing old, grassed-over
blowouts was fenced to facilitate the project. The pasture’s
size was thought to be small enough to allow bison, over
time, to eliminate the grass cover and start the sand blowing.
Key to choosing the Hunt Pasture was its central location on
the ranch, so that if the blowouts slowly migrated in coming
decades or centuries, they would stay confined to the ranch.
“Before we could start the project, there were issues we
had to get our heads around,” said Carter Kruse, director
of conservation for Turner Enterprises. “What were the
ecological pros and cons? The production consequences?
Fencing and water needs? And especially concerning for the
then Spikebox manager, Terry Purdum, how do we keep bison
in a near grassless pasture long enough to create blowouts
without over-stressing them?”
Kruse said their biologists were excited about the
project from the start; but Purdum, who is a member of the
local cattle ranching community, was worried about how
neighbors and friends would perceive Turner Enterprises for
creating blowouts.
Partners in the Spikebox project included the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, which all shared
expertise in blowout penstemon ecology and restoration.
The Forest Service donated penstemon seed harvested from
populations on the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest and
grew penstemon seedlings for the project in a greenhouse
at the Charles E. Bessey Tree Nursery at the Bessey Ranger
District of the Nebraska National Forest near Halsey. The
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
35
Turner Enterprises’
Nebraska Ranches
Turner Enterprises, Inc., established by
entrepreneur and conservationist Ted Turner,
owns five Nebraska Sandhills ranches totaling
445,000 acres, on which they run 9,000 bison.
Its ranches are managed primarily for Plains
bison conservation and production, but also
for hunting, fishing and conservation of
imperiled species and plant communities. “We
sometimes will compromise bison production for
conservation, but overall our management is a
balancing act,” said Carter Kruse.
Recently, the corporation formed the Turner
Institute of Ecoagriculture, Inc., a public charity
and agricultural research organization whose
mission is to research, develop, practice
and disseminate sustainable strategies and
techniques for conserving ecosystems, agriculture
and rural communities. This past June, the
80,000-acre McGinley Ranch, which straddles the
Nebraska/South Dakota border, was the first
of the Nebraska ranches to be donated to the
Institute. Entry into the Institute ensures the
long-term conservation of these biodiversity-rich
grazing lands.
Although the Institute qualifies for tax
exemptions, all taxes will continue to be paid and
the lands will remain working ranches. “We’ll keep
striving to be good neighbors and good stewards
of the unique Sandhills landscape,” Kruse said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Brooke Stansberry (left) and U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist
Greg Wright harvest blowout penstemon seed on the McKelvie National Forest. GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
Greenhouse-grown blowout penstemon seedlings stand
ready for planting in the Hunt Pasture. GERRY STEINAUER, NEBRASKALAND
36
Nebraskaland • October 2021
Fish and Wildlife Service and Game and Parks funded the
growing of the seedlings.
“We appreciate the help of our conservation partners,” said
Kruse. “Our ranches must fend for themselves financially,
and partnerships help us implement our conservation efforts
faster, at a larger scale and with a greater chance of success.”
In 2017, the modified Hunt Pasture was grazed for the first
time. A herd of several hundred bison was kept in the pasture
until little grass remained, at which time they were moved to
other pastures. When grass returned, the bison were moved
back. When forage was especially sparse, usually in winter,
the bison were supplemented with hay and mineral that was
strategically placed to force them to trail through forming
blowouts in their journeys from food to water.
In the fall and winter of 2018 and 2019, the partners sowed
a total of five pounds of penstemon seed in Hunt Pasture
blowouts, and in May of 2019 and 2020, they planted several
hundred greenhouse-grown seedlings in the blowouts.
The Penstemon Returns
Surprisingly, blowout creation in the Hunt Pasture was
more difficult than anticipated because the project had taken
place during several of the wettest years in recorded Sandhills
history, which caused grass growth to outpace bison grazing.
About half the pasture remains prairie-covered; in the
remainder, however, grazing has stressed the deep-rooted
grass and strong winds have sculpted the exposed sand into
blowouts with bare sand slopes to their leeward side.
During the summer of 2021, Turner Enterprises’ ecologists
surveyed the Hunt Pasture and found 60 flowering blowout
penstemon plants and 40 seedlings. To flower, the penstemon
must be at least two years old. The flowering plants were
located in areas where seed was sown, but no greenhouse
seedlings were planted. It appears that few, if any, of the
greenhouse plants survived the winter of 2020-21; excessive
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
37
Blowout Penstemon
on McKelvie
and Bessey
For more than two decades, the U.S. Forest
Service has been reintroducing blowout
penstemon on the Samuel R. McKelvie National
Forest and the Bessey Ranger District of the
Nebraska National Forest, both located in the
Sandhills. Twenty-eight acres of active blowouts
within the forests’ expansive dune grasslands
now support roughly 30,000 penstemon
plants. “Our livestock permit holders help us
create small blowouts for the penstemon by
manipulating their cattle to congregate near
or trail to certain water tanks where the plant
is growing,” said Greg Wright, a Forest Service
biologist. “Private ranchers could use this method
to restore the penstemon on their lands with no
measurable loss of grass or grazing production.”
Before 2016, the McKelvie and Halsey
penstemon populations were established using
only greenhouse-grown seedlings. In that year,
Wright, out of curiosity, scattered seed leftover
from starting greenhouse plants, into a blowout
on McKelvie. To his surprise, when he returned
to the site the following summer, he found
seedlings. Wright then harvested more seed and
sowed it into other blowouts. Through this effort,
he discovered that successful germination and
seedling establishment depended on placing
the seed in parts of the blowouts with extensive
blowing sand. The sand’s abrasive action wore
away the seeds’ hard coat, speeding germination.
Wright then evaluated the effectiveness of
using seed versus greenhouse plants. He found
scattering seeds was more cost effective in
large blowouts and less reliant on a person’s
knowledge of where exactly to place greenhouse
seedlings to ensure their survival. He stressed
that using seed works only in blowouts with
active blowing sand and will not work in small,
inactive blowouts, such as those found on many
ranches. Wright’s discoveries have made largescale blowout penstemon restorations, such as
those occurring on the Spikebox Ranch, far more
economically and ecologically practical.
“This is a plant we really need to conserve,” said
Wright. “If extreme drought ever sets the dunes
to blowing, seeding blowout penstemon might
slow the dunes’ progress. It’s one of the very few
plants adapted to growing on blowing sand.”
blowing sand either uprooted or buried them. The partners
have learned that in extremely active blowouts, the better
approach to establishing the blowout penstemon is to
scatter abundant seed and let nature decide when and where
seedlings sprout and take hold.
Although fewer penstemon plants than expected have
38
Nebraskaland • October 2021
A drone photograph shows the Hunt Pasture as it appeared in July of 2021.
established in the Hunt Pasture, Greg Wright, a wildlife
biologist with the Forest Service with extensive experience
restoring the penstemon, remains optimistic. “I think we
are seeing the beginning of an exponential growth curve
for the penstemon population in the Hunt Pasture,” he said.
Wright believes that there is a “sweet spot” for blowing
sand — enough to scarify and then bury penstemon seeds to
allow them to germinate, but not so much to cover or uproot
seedlings.
Heavy grazing in the Hunt Pasture will continue for
another year or two, until more blowouts are created, and this
may prevent seedlings from flourishing. In the meantime,
more penstemon seed will be sown, and once more blowouts
are established, grazing will be reduced, slowing the
movement of sand, and the penstemon will hopefully thrive.
In the future, when prairie plants begin to move back into
the blowouts, the managers will again use intensive bison
grazing to re-initiate sand movement.
To date, Spikebox staff have received no negative comments
regarding the Hunt Pasture blowouts, even though they
are clearly visible from a county road. “I understand why
ranchers have worked to reduce blowouts, but, in all honesty,
we’re glad to have these blowouts back on the ranch,” said
Kruse. “Blowouts are a vital part of the Sandhills ecosystem
and could be important habitats for reptiles, insects and
other organisms. We just don’t know.” He added that because
the Hunt Pasture occupies a minute fraction of the ranch and
that it continues to be grazed, the project has had no affect
on the ranch’s bison production or economics.
Turner Enterprises has begun a second blowout penstemon
project at their Fawn Lake Ranch, also located in Cherry
County. This past winter, intensive bison grazing began in
DAKOTA ALTMAN AND ETHAN FREESE, PLATTE BASIN TIMELAPSE
their 300-acre Hayden Pasture. Once open sand appears,
blowout penstemon seed will be scattered. Greenhouse
plants will not be used.
“This project is a unique challenge for me,” said Fawn
Lake Manager John Halstead. “Such intense grazing to
promote blowouts is a total paradigm shift from how the
Sandhills have been grazed in recent history and is counter
to everything I have been taught about range management.
Still, I’m excited for the chance to work with such a special
plant.”
The project partners hope that the Fawn Lake and Spikebox
ranch projects will increase awareness of the blowout
penstemon, encourage other ranchers to become involved
in its conservation, serve as a model for future penstemon
projects and, most critically, help ensure an endangered
plant’s survival. N
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
39
Sarpy County’s Namesake Was
“A Legend In His Own Time”
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
he namesake of Sarpy County, Peter Sarpy (18051865) was an important trader whose career spanned
Nebraska’s fur trade and territorial periods. This 1852
portrait by St. Louis artist Manuel Joachim de Franca is
part of the Nebraska History Museum collections.
“Sarpy’s life is not easy to chronicle for he became a legend
in his own time,” writes historian John Wickman.
Sarpy was born to a French Creole family, probably in St.
Louis. His early life is poorly documented, but it appears that
at age 19 he traveled up the Missouri River to present-day
Nebraska. He worked at the American Fur Company’s trading
post near Bellevue. The company brought manufactured
T
The 1852 portrait of Sarpy at the top of this page is shown
after its 2011 restoration by paintings conservator Kenneth
Bé at History Nebraska’s Gerald R. Ford Conservation
Center. History Nebraska 292P-1
40
Nebraskaland
• October 2021
goods upstream by keelboat, traded for furs with local Native
American tribes and sent the furs back to St. Louis. Later, he
operated his own trading post, eventually trading with white
settlers arriving in the area and operating ferries across the
Missouri, Elkhorn and Loup rivers.
Young Sarpy was known for his fierce competitiveness
and was loyal to his employer, John P. Cabanne. Acting on
Cabanne’s orders, in 1832 Sarpy and others illegally seized
a competitor’s keelboat. The action got Cabanne and Sarpy
temporarily kicked out of the territory. Sarpy spent time in
Colorado and returned home to St. Louis for several years.
Court documents digitized by the St. Louis Freedom Suits
Legal Encoding Project revealed what today is the most
shocking chapter of Sarpy’s life. While in St. Louis, Sarpy
enslaved a man named Andrew. But Andrew was legally
a free man. In 1839, Andrew’s mother, Celeste (also legally
free), appeared in court on Andrew’s behalf to sue Sarpy for
trespass and false imprisonment. The complaint alleged that
Sarpy had “with force and arms assaulted the said plaintiff …
and beat and bruised and ill treated him and then and there
imprisoned him … ”. Andrew feared that Sarpy would take
him out of Missouri, where, presumably, it would be even
more difficult to prove his free status. By then, Sarpy had
already built another trading post at Bellevue.
Sarpy disputed the charge and the case dragged on until
Feb. 2, 1841, when the court found Sarpy guilty, freed Andrew
and (presumably) awarded the $200 in damages Andrew had
sought.
Back in Nebraska, Sarpy became known for his ability
to gain the respect of Native tribes in the region. He was in
contact with tribes within several hundred miles of Bellevue.
Like many fur traders, he married a Native woman. This
certainly helped solidify his trading relationships — Peter
and Nicomi remained married for the rest of Sarpy’s life.
As a businessman, Sarpy adapted to changing times.
By the 1850s he was operating a ferry across the Missouri
River, serving a growing number of emigrants heading
west along the trails. In 1854, the year Nebraska Territory
opened to Euroamerican settlement, Sarpy bought a 165-ton
This 1894 oil painting by Ad Albrect is based on an 1850s sketch by Stanislas Schimonsky. It shows Bellevue near the end of
its trading post days, but the Missouri River bluffs seem to have grown to legendary proportions in the retelling — much like
Sarpy himself. History Nebraska 300P
steam ferry and played a prominent role in negotiating land
Sarpy died in Plattsmouth in 1865. His body was returned to
cessions by the Omaha and Oto tribes. In 1857, the Nebraska
St. Louis for burial, but it’s said that his wife Nicomi remained
legislature named Sarpy County in his honor.
in the Plattsmouth area. N
“Sarpy lived the life of a minor frontier baron,” writes John
Wickman, who says Sarpy was known for his hospitality and
Visit History Nebraska’s website at history.nebraska.gov.
for his love of “fast horses, fine hunting dogs,
and a considerable interest in the pleasures
of liquor.”
Throughout his life, Sarpy cultivated a
reputation for both generosity and ruthlessness.
Missionary Samuel Allis described him in ways
that reveal as much about the time and place
as about the man himself. Allis said that Sarpy,
“although sometimes rough and uncouth, was
a high-toned gentleman, who exerted a great
influence among the whites as well as the
Indians. He was particularly generous to white
men of distinction and wealth, also to the
Indians when it paid well, but exacted every
penny of his hired men and others who earned
their living by labor. Still he was generous to
the needy … He was all that could be wished
for a man of the world, except the habit of
intemperance.”
These sources say nothing about Sarpy’s 1841
Bellevue, Nebraska Territory, from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper,
conviction for false imprisonment. Perhaps the
June 5, 1858. Contrary to the caption, there is no evidence that the
Bellevue trading post existed prior to 1823. History Nebraska 13000-50
story didn’t follow him out of Missouri. Peter
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
41
A Second Chance
A Retired Wildlife Ecologist Gives Back
by Renae Blum
t first sight, a plains pocket mouse makes a lasting
impression.
There’s only one word for it: cute. It’s tiny and delicatelooking, with small ears and fur-lined cheek pouches.
Retired wildlife ecologist Mike Schrad can identify one in
seconds, as he does on this cool October morning, striding
through a restored prairie near Wood River, Nebraska.
He lifts one from a live trap baited with oatmeal and
birdseed, and hands it me to warm in my palm while he takes
notes. My hand cups easily around it.
This creature is one of five small mammals Schrad will find
and release out of 80 traps on this particular morning (better
A
than average numbers, he tells me). The plains pocket mouse
is of particular interest, though. The eastern subspecies is
an at-risk species that relies on prairie habitat, and Schrad is
helping document its presence in Nebraska, along with other
small mammals.
His work could inform future management practices
statewide and help conservationists understand what kind
of habitat Nebraska’s small mammals need to thrive. Schrad
also is finding plains pocket mice in places they’ve never been
documented, adding to our understanding of this elusive
species.
But Schrad, age 71, isn’t your typical researcher. While he’s
Mike Schrad,
a master naturalist
volunteer, leads a
small mammal trapping
effort at the Nature
Conservancy’s Platte
River Prairies in Nebraska.
Also assisting are Sarah Lueder
and Kate Nootenboom (Hubbard
Fellows, left and right) and
volunteer Laura Connelly
(background).
CHRIS HELZER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
A plains pocket mouse caught during small mammal trapping at the Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies.
CHRIS HELZER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
42
Nebraskaland • October 2021
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
43
Schrad records data about one of his finds on a foggy October morning at the Platte River Prairies, located in south-central
Nebraska. EVAN BARRIENTOS
One of the Sherman live traps that Schrad puts out
overnight, baited with oatmeal and birdseed.
RENAE BLUM, NEBRASKALAND
44
Nebraskaland • October 2021
doing professional-level work for several organizations in the
state, it’s all for free, on his own time.
It’s fun for him, Schrad said, and he enjoys being outdoors.
But that’s not his only motivation.
“When I retired, I wanted to get back to field work,” Schrad
said. “I was looking for an organization I could volunteer for,
and that’s when I found the Master Naturalists.”
He’s referring to the Nebraska Master Naturalist Program,
which offers training and volunteer opportunities to anyone
interested in the natural world. As part of his training,
Schrad sat in on a presentation about Nebraska Game and
Parks’ Natural Legacy Project, a blueprint for conservation of
Nebraska’s at-risk species.
Kristal Stoner, the program manager at the time, told the
group that they were in need of volunteers willing to help
them find and record these species. “That kind of rang a bell
with me,” Schrad said.
He approached Stoner, and they realized his skills would be
a great match for one of the program’s needs: monitoring Tier
1 species of small mammals, or those identified as species of
greatest conservation need — including the plains pocket
mouse.
Currently, Schrad traps three times per year, in spring,
summer and fall, typically for four nights each season. He
arrives at first light the following morning to inspect the
traps and record data. Then, Schrad uses those numbers to
calculate results, including species diversity, species richness
and relative abundance.
“And then we use those numbers to see if it answers our
questions,” Schrad said. “For example, the management
question — are there differences in these numbers when you
hay a pasture, or burn it, or manage it strictly by grazing.”
He has probably saved Nebraska Game and Parks tens of
thousands of dollars for surveys, said Melissa Panella, Game
and Parks’ wildlife diversity program manager and program
manager for the Natural Legacy Project. Game and Parks has
limited funds to pay for surveys and monitoring, so Schrad’s
work fills an important gap, she said.
Seven years in, Schrad has volunteered with multiple
groups, including Pheasants Forever, the University of
Nebraska at Omaha and the Nature Conservancy, and he’s
placed about 5,000 traps.
“He’s very generous with his time,” said Chris Helzer,
the director of science at the Nature Conservancy, who has
worked with Schrad since the beginning. Their particular
project looks at how small mammal populations differ
between two areas, a 60-acre remnant of virgin prairie and a
100-acre tract of restored prairie next to it.
So far, the plains pocket mouse seems to prefer the virgin
prairie, but other small mammals appear to like the restored
prairie better. To Helzer, it’s further evidence that through
prairie restoration, we can expand isolated patches of virgin
prairie into larger areas benefiting a diverse range of species.
“Our property is pretty small and insignificant by itself,”
Helzer said. “But we’ve shown, I think, that the potential is
there for de-fragmenting prairies anywhere we want to work
on this in Nebraska.”
Both he and Panella see Schrad as a unique volunteer,
someone with subject matter expertise who approached them
first, looking to help with no expectation of pay. Someone like
this is a rare and incredibly helpful find: Panella looks back to
a recent time that Game and Parks needed help documenting
the state’s river otter population, before removing river otters
from Nebraska’s threatened species list.
“We didn’t have a volunteer; we ended up bringing on a
graduate student for a two-year project,” she said.
That’s a typical length of time for surveys like these, but
Schrad is committed for the long term. He envisions another
10 years of documenting the plains pocket mouse and at
least five more years with the Nature Conservancy.
“Anytime we have an opportunity to do a long-term
monitoring project, that’s a huge benefit,” Panella said.
“That’s much more informative than just that snapshot in
time.”
For Schrad, his small mammal work has meaning beyond
personal enjoyment and the valuable data it’s yielding. It’s
something he once never imagined he could do.
Sixteen years ago, Schrad was diagnosed with stage four
colon cancer, with a dim prognosis. Today, for reasons he
can’t explain, he’s cancer-free and enjoying retirement to the
fullest. He has a message for other cancer patients: Never
give up.
“They should always have hope,” he said. “And if it’s not
hope to survive for 50 years, hope that you can make it to
somebody’s next birthday, or whatever it might be. Just keep
plugging away.”
Which he plans to continue doing for as long as possible. N
Mike Schrad records data on a vole he collected at the
Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies in 2013.
CHRIS HELZER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
45
Start Them
Young
By Eric Fowler
W
hen you take children
hunting, you better have a
checklist.
Warm clothes? Check.
Warm boots? Check.
Snacks? Check.
Diaper bag? Excuse me?
Baby food? Beg your pardon?
Pacifier? Are you nuts?
Jesse and Casey Campbell of Grand
Island aren’t nuts, but that’s what
their packing list has included since
they took their son, Harris, hunting for
the first time — when he was 2 months
old.
By the time Harris
went on that goose
hunt in February
2020, Harris already
had been ice fishing.
And a few weeks
later, he went on his
first rabbit hunt. Not
quite 2 years old now,
the toddler has added
fishing,
camping,
and turkey, sharptailed grouse, prairie
chicken, pheasant,
quail and squirrel
hunting to his list of escapades. He’s
even been to a sandhill crane viewing
blind and noodling for catfish in his
parents’ home state of Illinois.
His outdoor-loving parents have
taken “start them young” to an entirely
new level.
THE CAMPBELLS met at the
University of Illinois while Casey
was finishing graduate school and
Jesse a bachelor’s degree. Casey took
46
Nebraskaland • October 2021
a job as a civil engineer with Ducks
Unlimited and moved to Nebraska in
2014. The following year, Jesse made
the move and is now the director of
communications for a law firm.
Casey grew up hunting and fishing
in southern Illinois and continued both
of those pursuits in Nebraska. Jesse
fished and camped while growing up
on a small farm near St. Louis. She had
wanted to try hunting, but never had
the opportunity. Once in Nebraska,
she began tagging along on hunts with
Casey nearly every weekend, bringing
her camera for the
first year. “He didn’t
burn me out, but he
tried hard,” Jesse
said.
In spring 2016,
she put down the
camera and picked
up a shotgun. “Once
we had some success
turkey hunting, I
think she was pretty
well hooked,” Casey
said.
Each
season
opener that followed,
the two headed to the field together.
They married in 2018 and, a year
later, their first child was on the way.
That joy was accompanied by a fear
for Jesse, who describes herself as an
adult-onset hunter. One thing she likes
most about hunting is spending time
with Casey.
“When I was pregnant, I was very
concerned about how our hunting
lifestyle would change,” she said. “I
didn’t necessarily want to be restricted
ABOVE: Casey and Jesse Campbell, with Harris on her back, watch for incoming ducks while hunting from a blind in the
Rainwater Basin last fall. OPPOSITE: Jesse takes a break to give Harris his bottle. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
to being home with Harris all of the
time and feeling left out because I
wasn’t hunting if Casey was hunting. I
couldn’t necessarily imagine going by
myself, either.”
As the due date approached, hunting
seasons opened, and Jesse and Casey
kept going. She was dove hunting at 27
weeks pregnant, pulling on waders and
slogging through a Rainwater Basin
marsh for early teal season at 29 and
30 weeks, tagging two turkeys at 31
weeks, and heading back to the marsh
at 33 weeks for the regular duck opener.
By then, her body was starting to tell
her to take it easy, but her mind didn’t
want to listen, so they found a way for
Jesse to keep duck hunting. “I have
the greatest husband in the world: He
pulled me around in a layout boat so
I could shoot ducks,” she said, noting
slight modifications were made to the
boat to accommodate her baby bump.
They took several more trips to the
marsh early that duck season, with the
last coming at 36 weeks. “My waders
wouldn’t fit anymore,” Jesse said with
a laugh. A short walk on the opening
day of pheasant season that same late
October week was her last hunt before
Harris arrived Nov. 27, 2019, a week
late. At 9 pounds, 6 ounces and 22.5
inches, he was a Boone & Crockett
baby, Casey said. He joined their
6-month-old Labrador retriever, Luna,
at home.
TWO WEEKS LATER, with
grandparents in town to watch
Harris, the two were back in the field,
joining friends in their goose pit. If
Harris’ grandparents weren’t all in
Illinois, they would be happy to watch
him so the couple could hunt. But
they are.
So, their solution was simple: Take
him along.
“I think it’s becoming more of a
cultural norm, where my generation is,
October 2021 •
Nebraskaland
47
Harris gets a kiss from the Campbell’s black Labrador retriever, Luna, while sitting in Casey’s waders.
ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
Harris inspects a grasshopper Jesse caught for him after a squirrel hunt in
August. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND
48
Nebraskaland • October 2021
‘Well, this is what I want to do, so my
kid’s just coming with me,’” Jesse said.
Because this was their passion, they
wanted to find a way to do it.
They talked logistics, locations,
types of hunts and safety — with
each other and with one of Casey’s
coworkers, who has taken her two
young boys hunting and fishing since
they were babies. That first trip to the
goose pit was a last-minute decision
that required a quick trip to the local
sporting goods store to find baby-sized
earmuffs for hearing protection. Harris
slept in his car seat in the blind that
day, right through the shooting.
Before that first rabbit hunt a
few weeks later, they found a used
backpack child carrier online for $20.
Casey threw the pack and Harris on his
back, and they were off.
AS SOON as they got started that
year, most hunting seasons ended.
But turkey season was just around the
corner, giving Casey time to customize
those bright-blue earmuffs and a new,
better but still-blue backpack with a
camo paint job. Casey also fashioned
a bug net to cover Harris in the carrier.
At this point, Harris was still in the
“potted plant stage,” not wanting to
move around and sleeping more often
than not, and things were fairly easy.
But when he woke up, it was feed-menow screaming.
“Of course he likes to wake up
when birds are like 60 yards away and
working in,” Jesse said.
That was the case on his first trip to
the turkey woods, when he woke crying
when a gobbler was nearly within bow
range for Casey. Jesse harvested a jake
on opening day of shotgun season,
but Harris woke up and spoiled dad’s
chance at a tom 10 minutes later. On
their next hunt, Harris woke with one
gobbler at 30 yards and another at 60.
“And this turkey, no joke, could not
help himself and kept shock gobbling
and would not take a breath,” Jesse
said. “They didn’t run away probably
because they’ve never heard that
sound before. It was hilarious.”
The laughter, while internal, may
have caused Jesse to miss the closer
bird, but Casey tracked them down and
harvested both. Jesse connected soon
after when another tom came in while
Harris was sleeping.
Plenty of fishing, camping and
hiking trips followed. Harris began
his first full hunting season with the
Aug. 1 squirrel opener, riding on mom’s
back.
They learned quickly that Harris
prefers upland hunting to sitting in
the duck blind. He likes being on the
move, watching the world go by and
watching Luna work. “As soon as you
stop moving, he’s upset about it and
wants you to keep going,” Jesse said.
They take turns carrying him,
sometimes deferring to whoever’s
back hurts less, on upland hunts, hikes,
mushroom hunts or fishing trips. Last
fall he weighed 21 pounds, making
grouse hunting in the Sandhills a
challenge. So was keeping balance
when Harris started swaying back and
forth while singing the E-I-E-I-O part
of “Old MacDonald,” as Casey found
out while slogging through a muddy
field on a mushroom hunt this past
spring. By last summer, Harris was 25
pounds.
They didn’t take him deer hunting
in 2020, not wanting to chance Harris’
crying preventing a harvest. Instead,
they took turns hunting solo or with
other friends. Jesse found she enjoyed
it as she became more comfortable.
They also didn’t take him out in the
bitter cold, despite having enough
wool base layers, mid layers and
warm puffy suits to make Harris look
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Jesse duck hunting at 33 weeks.
First goose hunt, age 2 months.
First rabbit hunt, age 3 months, and
a successful turkey hunt (below),
age 4 months.
Harris runs back to the parking lot alongside Casey and Jesse at the end of a squirrel hunt in August.
like “a marshmallow.” The exception
was when they went to their friends’
goose pit, where heaters softened the
cold. Harris was a hit with the other
hunters. “All of them interacting with
Harris while he’s hunting has been
pretty funny,” Jesse said. “They all like
to brag that he’s the youngest hunter
they’ve ever been with.”
He didn’t go turkey hunting during
the spring 2021 season either. He had
been walking since just before his first
birthday and sitting still in a blind is
not something he wants to do. The
same was true for fishing this spring
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and summer. Keeping him contained is
somewhat easier now that they own a
fishing boat, but Harris would rather be
in the water. He did catch his first fish
at Keller Park State Recreation Area in
June, hooking a small largemouth bass
while reeling in a Hula Popper his mom
had cast for him.
It has been an adventure.
“We’ve just taken him along and seen
how it’s gone,” Jesse said. “Each season
has been totally different, because
developmentally, he’s totally different.”
“As he matures and we come across
different challenges as far as taking
him to do stuff, then we’re having to
come up with solutions on the fly,”
Casey added.
Still, it hasn’t been easy, but Harris
appears to have made things easier
than other babies might have. Take
a look at Jesse’s Instagram page,
@jessehcampbell, and the website she
created, parenthoodoutdoors.com, and
you’ll see a happy baby.
But Harris sets the schedule. “There
have been hunts that ended early
because he’s not happy, but you just
know it’s going to be whatever it’s
going to be that day, and however long
you get to hunt is however long you
get to hunt,” Jesse said. “We’re just
happy to be out doing it.”
“That’s just kind of part of it,” Casey
added. “First and foremost is just
making sure he’s enjoying himself.
Jesse and I can go out and shoot ducks
another day if he’s not. We make the
experience as good as we can for him.
He’s priority one when we’re afield.”
THINGS WILL be way different
this year with a walking and talking
toddler. Trips to their duck blind in
the Rainwater Basin, which stands
in water with no floor, are likely out
unless they can find a Pack ’n’ Play
that floats, they joke. With Harris’ love
for water, however, Jesse thinks it will
be hard for him to understand why
Mom and Dad are standing in it and he
can’t play in it.
Making sure Harris keeps his
earmuffs on also will be a challenge.
He’s done well on that front so far. “If
he forgets he has them on, it’s fine,”
Jesse said. “So getting them on and
then distracting him as soon as you
put them on so he doesn’t rip them off
is the key.”
Harris loves to point out birds, and
Jesse says they are excited about
having another spotter in the blind.
The identification skills will need to
be developed, however, as every bird
he sees, no matter whether it is a
duck, cardinal or sparrow, is a “duck.”
And while he might not practice it,
he is already learning that you must
be quiet when hunting. While on
vacation in Florida this summer, he
was trying to catch baby geckos. “He
was whispering to me, ‘Shhhhh,’ and
pointing to where they were,” Jesse
said. “It was super adorable.”
The Campbells did more upland
hunting than ever last year, and even
though Harris would rather be on his
own than in the carrier, there likely will
be more of that this year, Casey said. It
won’t be long, however, until Harris is
too big to carry and too young to walk
along. They hope by that point he will
be content sitting in a waterfowl or
turkey blind. They are taking it one
season at a time.
“I definitely wouldn’t trade it for the
world, and it’s going to be interesting
to see how this goes,” Jesse said.
No matter what happens, they are
laying the groundwork for creating
another hunter. “But at the same time,
if he isn’t as passionate about it as we
are, that’s kind of how it’s going to be,”
Casey said. “We’ll figure out what he’s
passionate about and pursue that.”
So do people tell them they are nuts?
“All the time,” Casey said. N
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Camping, age 6 months.
A spring hike, age 6 months.
First grouse hunt, age 10 months.
First fish (below) age 17 months.
MIXED BAG
THE LAZY EUROPEAN
Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus
While I’m quite fond of traditional white-tailed deer
shoulder mounts, European mounts — showing just the skull
and antlers — are a spectacular alternative.
For my first European mount, I removed the head and as
much hair as possible, boiled the “stuff ” attached to the skull
on the stovetop, picked the rest of the fat, sinew and meat
away with a pair of pliers, then prepared to fill out my divorce
papers because of the odor in the house. There had to be an
easier way. And there is.
First, remove the head but, instead of trying to remove the
hair, bury the skull in the ground with the antlers exposed.
Then cover the antlers to protect from sun and mice damage.
Next, remove the skull from the ground in one year. The
skull will not bust through the winter, and there will be no
odor when you pull it from the ground. Simply wash off the
mud and debris with a water hose and set out to dry.
If the antlers have faded, apply small amounts of furniture
polish, starting at the base, until you get the color you desire.
The longer you leave the skull in the ground, the less work
that has to be done. So if you happen to shoot a buck that you
just can’t wait to show off, then you have several options. But
if you have plenty of time, there’s no lazier way to show off
your trophy.
Bury the head, leaving the antlers above the surface.
Cover the antlers to protect from sun and mice.
Remove the skull. The longer in the ground, the less work.
The finished
European
mount.
Hose the skull, then set out to dry.
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MIXED BAG
SO YOU WANT TO BE A METEOROLOGIST
By Martha Shulski
I spent part of my early childhood
in southeastern Nebraska and loved
watching the weather with my dad,
who grew up in Otoe County. After,
what was to me, a scary summer
night in the basement with my family
listening to the crackling sounds of a
battery-powered radio issuing tornado
warnings, I was hooked on becoming a
meteorologist. I wanted to learn how
tornados form, about all the different
types of clouds and why it is so darn
windy in Nebraska.
If you are this person, or know
someone who is, there are some
things to consider about careers in
meteorology. First, it is not the study
of meteors, which I’m often asked.
Second, there is more to meteorology
than becoming a weather forecaster.
This is probably the question I was
asked most often in school when I told
people I was majoring in meteorology
— “Oh, so you want to be on TV?” I did
not, but that is certainly one path.
There are both private businesses and
public agencies that hire operational
meteorologists, from television
stations to the National Weather
Service. Many of these positions
involve weather forecasting. Energy
companies have a strong interest in
future weather conditions, both locally
and elsewhere, to understand potential
energy demand. Agricultural interests
are strongly tied to the weather and
some firms hire this expertise. There
is an accreditation you can obtain
to become a Certified Consulting
Meteorologist. This way you can be
an entrepreneur and develop your own
specialized company.
Lightning and thunderstorm north of Chadron in Dawes County.
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If research is what interests you,
there are multiple pathways. Often
what is most helpful in these careers is
education beyond a bachelor’s degree.
Federal or private labs hire a range of
meteorologists — from space weather
to marine weather. If a doctorate is
in your future, there are research and
teaching careers to educate and train
the next generation of scientists. Or
maybe you’ll find yourself in the role of
state climatologist and help run a state
weather network.
It’s a pretty good gig, I must say.
Regardless of career, you’ll always be
able to join the venerable conversation
we all have about the weather.
Martha D. Shulski, at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the director of
the Nebraska State Climate office.
JUSTIN HAAG, NEBRASKALAND
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MIXED BAG
RAPTOR MASS
MIGRATION
By Joel G. Jorgensen
The term “migration spectacle”
in the Great Plains usually conjures
images of clouds of snow geese,
swarms of sandhill cranes or hordes
of red-winged blackbirds. Rarely is the
term associated with a bird of prey in
Nebraska. However, every autumn a
mass migration of Swainson’s hawks
takes place during a very brief period.
If you are not in the right place at the
right time, it is easy to miss.
Swainson’s hawks are similar in size
and structure to our resident red-tailed
hawks, but one major difference is
that Swainson’s hawks undertake an
extraordinarily long migration twice
each year. Swainson’s hawks spend
the winter in southern South America,
primarily on the Pampas grasslands of
Argentina.
In spring, this species migrates
north through South and Central
America to reach their breeding sites
in the Great Plains and Intermountain
West of North America. Some birds
even nest as far north as the Yukon
or eastern Alaska, which translates
into a one-way migration of
7,000 miles or more.
As summer fades and gives way
to fall, Swainson’s hawks must
migrate back south to reach their
winter quarters. In Nebraska, the
main movement of Swainson’s hawks
occurs at the very end of September
or during the first few days of October,
often on the heels of a cold front. On
certain days, especially in central
Nebraska, dozens of Swainson’s
hawks may be seen overhead or in
open spaces, and sometimes groups
can number into the hundreds or even
low thousands. The largest groups are
often observed in and around recently
harvested soybean or corn fields where
birds settle in to roost during the
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If you are fortunate enough to encounter a flock of Swainson’s hawks in the fall,
take some time to appreciate the variation in plumage of these birds.
JOEL G. JORGENSEN, NEBRASKALAND
evening and are present the following
morning before they continue south.
Groups of these birds often will
follow the combines in the hopes
the disturbance exposes easy prey,
such as mice, voles and grasshoppers
— yes, these hawks readily
consume large insects.
If you are fortunate enough to
encounter a flock of Swainson’s hawks
in the fall, take some time to appreciate
the variation in their plumages. This
species has light, rufous and dark
phases or morphs. Light phase birds,
which are usually the most numerous,
have dark upperparts, a white belly,
a brown bib on the upper breast and
a white area on their head near the
base of their bill. Dark phase birds are
entirely dark brown, and intermediate
birds are mostly dark, but also have
variable rufous underparts.
The Swainson’s hawks’ migration
only becomes more spectacular as they
move south, and birds are increasingly
concentrated as the landmass narrows
through Mexico and Central America.
Like most raptors, Swainson’s hawks
rely on thermals of hot air that rise as
the sun warms the ground. Migration
over the ocean is not an option for
these birds because there are no
thermals. Flocks, or kettles as they
often are called, may number into
the hundreds of thousands until they
reach South America.
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MIXED BAG
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PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
Ice Fishing 1984. What started as a winter camping experience for my family
and friends morphed into a 40-plus-year fishing tradition. Early ice derbies
were held on area lakes. Area dam sites and Hanson’s Lake near LaPlatte were
popular as well. For a time, good friend Bazil Lazure hosted the event at his place
on Beaver Lake. For the past 10 years, we returned to Hanson’s thanks to the
gracious hospitality of George and Patti Flott. The winner takes home a 5-gallon
bucket full of prizes.
Pictured left is me and right is Phil Franco as we prepare our ice gear for the
event.
– Bob Hladik Sr., Omaha
Dead Timber fishing 1960s. A picture of me from
1966. As a high school kid from Dodge in the 1960s, I
used to drive to Dead Timber State Recreation Area to
fish. One day while fishing for crappie from a small
boat, a bullfrog swam out and took my red and white
bobber in its mouth, and then it swam back to shore.
This happened a number of times so I started fishing
for them. There were so many bullfrogs at Dead
Timber. This is a picture of success. The best part was
the taste of Mom’s frog leg dinner.
– Dr. Dave Mlnarik, Elkhorn
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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Nebraskaland • October 2021
Duck Hunting on the Platte 1929.
(Above, left) The year was 1929, and it was a bountiful one for my
grandfather’s family. This photo is of my grandfather, Lester Ernst
(center), and my great uncles, Roy (left) and Werner (right) Ernst, on
a duck hunt on the Platte River near Duncan. The crate on the ground,
directly in front of my grandfather, holds a call duck used to lure
waterfowl. And as you can see, the call ducks served their purpose well,
as 14 ducks were collected.
Even though I wasn’t alive at the time of this hunt, I have had the
pleasure of using live decoys on a barnacle goose hunt outside Amsterdam
in the Netherlands. Just like the photo taken in 1929 indicates, the live
decoys were an effective way of attracting game.
(Left) This photo was taken on the same duck hunt in 1929. It is of my
great uncle, Roy Ernst, wading through the Platte River.
(Above) My grandfather was an avid hunter as evidenced by this photo
of him just after a late 1929 goose hunt. He passed on his love for hunting
to my father, Game and Parks Commissioner Jim Ernst, and me. Now, I
have passed that love on to my son and daughter.
– John Ernst, Columbus
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THE LAST STOP
YEAR
4
CAN YOU BITE ME NOW?
By Eric Fowler
Technology, including GPS, the internet and smartphones,
has changed the way we do everything. Including the way we
hunt. I never imagined that technology would almost kill me,
though.
Through the years, technology has given me topographic
maps to find my way around the backcountry and satellite
images to find good locations for deer stands and decoy
spreads. And now there are apps that combine all of those.
But one thing those apps won’t show you is the location of
really big rattlesnakes.
In August 2019, I was on my fifth and final day of trying
to fill my cow elk tag in the Pine Ridge in northwestern
Nebraska. The next day, elk or not, I was headed back to
Lincoln. I was beat and decided to take a power nap before
taking one last walk.
I woke up, loaded my supplies and pulled up my binoculars,
looking toward the edge of a draw. “Holy cow!” Elk were on the
other end of this pasture!
My rangefinder said they were 1,200 yards away. My
hunting app said that put them on the right side of the fence,
but barely. Thirty minutes later, I was cancelling my tag.
On the way back to the truck, I pulled out my phone to look
at a satellite photo and see which finger I should take out of
the bottom of the drainage to get me there the quickest. It was
70 degrees, and I had a lot of work to do to get that elk on ice.
That’s when I heard it: the distinctive buzz and hiss of a
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rattlesnake. I wish someone would have had me on video,
because I would really like to know how high I jumped. And
how loud I screamed.
When I turned around, I saw the biggest rattler I had ever
seen, coiled and unhappy. It had been sunning itself on bare
ground. After taking a quick, really bad photo with my phone
— I didn’t have time to waste and wasn’t about to get close
enough to get a good one if I did — I was headed up the hill.
I often wondered how much trouble I would have been in
had I gotten bit. I was still more than a half mile from the truck
and it was all uphill. I didn’t have cell signal, and who knows
how far up the hill I would have had to go to get it. And I was
24 miles from Chadron, most of it on dirt, including 2.5 miles
of two-track ranch roads with two gates to open.
I asked my doctor about it when I was in for a physical last
spring. He said, “Probably a lot.” If I didn’t exert myself on the
way up the hill, started driving and met the ambulance on the
way, I might have made it.
I’m not sure my elk would have, but if I had found someone
who could go get it, at least I could have shared the waypoint
with them.
You hear of people walking into poles, holes and traffic and
getting killed because they had their noses buried in their
phones. I wonder if I would have been the first to die from a
rattlesnake bite for doing the same. I know one thing for sure.
The next time I plan a route, I will do it standing still.
September 1, 2021 — January 31, 2022
Nebraska is the mixed bag capital of the Great Plains – with diverse
hunting opportunities, long seasons, more than 1 million acres of publicly
accessible lands and high rates of hunter satisfaction.
Experience all of this – and make some great memories – as you work
to harvest all four upland bird species this season. Learn more about the
slam and the prizes you could win at
OutdoorNebraska.org/UplandSlam
October 2021 •
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Position: 626 (18 views)