two days IN THE SADDLE

by Lou Ell Following in the footsteps of the pioneers, we blazed a new trail through the rugged Pine Ridge

THE AREA beside the ruts of the old trail seethed with activity. Youngsters on horseback rode in fast. More bounced out of a big Old West covered wagon. A three-seated buggy, drawn by a team of prancing Morgan horses, wheeled out of the ponderosa with another load. Shouts rang through the cool forest just as they did years ago when other covered wagons, horsemen, and foot JULY, 1963 3  

OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   travelers made their way across plain and rugged timberland from Alliance to Chadron in the 1870's.

IN THE SADDLE continued

Don Berlie of Chadron, his 14-year-old wrangler, Roger Sanford, and I were mounting up on a pilot saddle trip through the tumbled, forested hills, buttes, and canyons of the Pine Ridge. The group of young people had simply accompanied us on the first few miles of our journey, and they would break away before sundown. The three of us would continue on, camp in the forest of the Pine Ridge that night, and arrive at Fort Robinson, 30 miles to the west, sometime the next day.

"I believe I've mapped a clear trail through the Pine Ridge," Don explained. "If I have, I can offer every Nebraskan and tourist the chance to ride the pioneer trail horseback. For my money, there isn't a prettier, more historic spot anywhere. We'll be riding through National Forest land most of the time."

'Where are we now?" I asked.

'You're standing in the ruts of the old Chadron-Alliance trail," Don grinned. "They were put down in the 1870's when the trail was heaviest used. We'll see more of them on the trip. Right now we'd better get to the chuck wagon before those kids eat up all of the grub."

A blackened coffee pot and Dutch oven gave out enticing smells. Don was nearly mobbed as he carried the Dutch oven from the fire to the tail gate of the chuck wagon for serving.

"This is a trial run for the chuck wagon, too," he said, handing me my plate. "The wagon will be spotted about midway on the trail when the real trips start."

Half an hour later, our teenage escort, followed by chuck wagon and buggy, began the 12-mile trek back to Chadron, and the three of us were alone. Roger handed me the reins of my mount. "Dakota," a beautiful Morgan, was one of Don's best and capable of long, steady hours on the trail. I swung aboard, and we were on our way.

As we wound through the heavy timber, climbing toward the west, I felt as isolated in the ponderosa JULY, 1963 5   as I ever have in mountain country. The breeze, searching through the needles, whispered of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Sioux that had once claimed the territory. Moved back in time, I wouldn't have been surprised to have heard an Indian whoop come from the depths of the dark, tree-filled canyon up ahead. There was no doubt about it, this was Indian land, once boiling with the unrest of the untamed frontier.

two days IN THE SADDLE continued

In a spot of sunshine on a hillside, two mule deer, feeding on buckbrush, tossed their heads in alarm at the clop of our horses' hooves. A single bound and they were lost in the spotted shadows of the ponderosa.

As evening approached, we wound along a ridge and dropped down toward East Ash Creek to our campsite. After the five-mile ride, I dismounted stiffly, my nether regions unconditioned for a long day in the saddle. For several minutes after my feet struck the ground I waddled somewhat like a duck, 6 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   much to the amusement of my saddle-hardened companions.

"Keep walking/' Roger advised in his slow, friendly-as-the-West way. "I'll take care of Dakota."

Camera slung on my shoulder, I moved through the tree fringe, striking along a rock-strewn slope out into the open to a photographer's paradise. The clouds had ballooned into tremendous mounds.

That night, our simple supper over and a small fire driving back the chill, we were treated to an electrical display from the clouds. Stabbing streaks of blue-white lightning sparked from cloud to cloud and slammed down on the plains far to the northeast. The slopes of the Pine Ridge flickered in and out of silhouette, but the storm was so far away the thunder of it reached us as only a faint whisper.

"I'm glad it's missing us," Roger voiced our collective thoughts. "It looks like we'll sleep dry tonight."

Later, warm in my sleeping bag beneath a clearing sky, I could hear a coyote yapping a couple of canyons away. The night breeze rustled hauntingly through the pines. The (continued on page 34)

JULY, 1963 7  

WINDFALL on the Salt

Small investment yields crop of outdoor fun on former farm land

OVER 3,000 ACRES of recreation land and water at bargain prices is the newest bonanza opening up in NEBRASKAland. Rolling farmland in southeastern Nebraska is being turned into lakes of gold, with outdoor fun the newest crop. This is what Nebraska sportsmen are getting in the first five lakes of the Salt Creek flood-control project in Lancaster County. And there are more on the way.

Two of the Salt Creek lakes are already finished and will open this year for thousands of eager fun seekers. Three more are being built and will swing into action in 1965. Still others are on the drawing board for possible future construction. All are located south of Lincoln in Lancaster County, giving the area a real recreation shot in the arm.

A roaring outboard is replacing the tractor. Lonely fields are becoming dotted with new tree plantings. Fingerling bass, bluegill and channel catfish are filling out and should be ready for the creel this fall. Experimental northern and walleye fingerling plantings have also been made. Skiing, camping, and sun bathing are also on the fun agenda. All this is possible because Nebraska sportsmen added their six cents worth to what was originally planned as a series of small detention dams to control flooding.

None of the lakes have been named as yet, and still carry Corps of Engineers' numbers designated in planning. Lakes Nos. 4 and 8 of the project were completed last fall and have been filling this spring and summer. Three more, Nos. 2, 9, and 12, are scheduled for construction in 1963. Additional reservoirs will be built in 1964 and 1965. One, No. 17, has been built on Antelope Creek within the city limits of Lincoln.

Lake No. 4, located 2V2 miles west of Sprague, holds 325 surface acres of water at the conservation pool level. It has been designated as a boating lake, and will have facilities for power boaters and water skiiers in addition to camping and picnicking. Construction this year includes a boat-launching ramp, picnic and recreation facilities, and access roads on the additional 475 acres of land. The lake has been stocked with bass, catfish, and (continued on page 30)

9

BULLY FOR BULLHEADS

This battler has no respect for age, taking a hook with vengeance

TAKE ANY fisherman from 8 to 80, add a rod and reel, a can of worms, and mix in one pond or stream and chances are you'll come up with a batch of bullheads. From teeming eastern Nebraska to the wide open spaces of the west, there's almost sure to be a body of water that has some of these whiskered members of the catfish family ready to take your offering.

Fishing techniques for bullheads are relatively easy. Just rig up your outfit, drape the worms around a hook, cast out, and sit back and wait for takers. But don't settle down too comfortably, for when a bullhead takes your offering he lets you know in a hurry. A pound or so bullhead will battle with the best of them. Within a few hours you should have plenty for a good meal. On good days, you'll have a creel full in no time at all.

Because of their abundance and the simplicity with which they can be caught, bullheads are often a child's introduction to fishing. Kids are innately unable to sit still for any length of time. But get them in on a bullhead pond and there will be little time for horseplay.

It's almost as if bullheads know this, for they give youngsters plenty of thrills and then some. None of this nibbling and playing with the bait for them. They are obliging and strike with considerable vigor and don't give up until ready for the frying pan.

This doesn't mean, however, that bullheads are looked down upon by adults. Bullhead anglers come 10 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   from every walk of life and talk up their favorite catch with plenty of enthusiasm. And for good reason, too. Bullheads provide top-notch pleasure and thrills, are exceptionally good eating, and can usually be caught from early spring through late fall.

Equipment for fishing in lakes and ponds generally consists of a casting outfit with a short glass or metal rod, 10- to 20-pound test line, a small sinker, long shank hooks from Nos. 2 to 6, and sometimes a bobber. Stream bullhead enthusiasts use a cane pole. This rugged rig allows them to horse their catch out of a hole before he gets a chance to tangle the line in the underbrush.

Worms or beef liver are the most popular baits. Cast either out and let the bait offering sink to the bottom or take slack out of the line, prop the pole on a forked stick, and sit back and wait for a taker.

Since bullheads travel in schools, fish an area for 15 to 20 minutes. If nothing happens, move on to another spot. Sooner or later you'll hit the jackpot.

When fishing lakes, cast out, then retrieve the line slowly, stopping every few feet until you get action. The windy side of a lake is more productive as the waves stir up food organisms, attracting hungry bullheads.

In stream fishing, fish the holes and backwater areas where your whiskered prey dines at leisure on food carried down by the current. Use the same types of baits, moving from one likely-looking spot to another.

Bullheads are their own worst enemy and often overpopulate a lake or pond to the point where they become stunted and are not worth catching. The number of eggs in the saucer-shaped bullhead nest will number 10,000 or more and since the parents guard the nest there is little predation. The young bullhead starts off life with plenty of competition for food from his thousands of brothers, sisters, and cousins.

At one time bullheads were popular for stocking in farm ponds, but this kind of thinking has gone the way of the Model T. Temporary relief for a pond having too many bullheads can be had by removing the majority of (continued on page 41)

JULY, 1963 11

Seeing NEBRASKAland

by J. Greg Smith

IN ARRAY of sight-seeing pleasures await you on the NEBRASKAland vacation trail. Here the scenery is as varied as it is unique. Blended with each vista is an array of old and new West attractions guaranteed to keep you spellbound the summer round.

History is dealt out in generous helpings. Such famed sights as Scotts Bluff National Monument, Pioneer Village, Fort Kearny, Chimney Rock, and Arbor Lodge are yours for the seeing. Prime museums are always nearby to tell NEBRASKAland's Wild West story, including Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, the West's show place, and the State Historical Society museums in Lincoln and Fort Robinson.

A string of frontier fort sites take you back to the days of the bloody Indian Wars, including Forts Kearny, Robinson, Hartsuff, McPherson, and Niobrara. Fort Robinson is as it was in the 1870's, and offers outstanding tourist facilities. Fort Kearny is being developed and already sports a mammoth stockade. Hartsuff will also get special treatment, beginning this summer. Homestead National Monument at Beatrice, and Brownville, the Missouri river town the 20th century passed by, relive the era of sodbuster and showboat. Hastings' House of Yesterday and the nostalgic Union Pacific Museum in Omaha are prime vacation spots.

And there are special attractions, headed up by the world-famed State Capitol Building in Lincoln and equally famous Boys Town in Omaha. The University of Nebraska's State Museum and Planetarium is a must-see spot. Also in Lincoln is the newly 12 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   opened Sheldon Art Gallery, among the finest anywhere.

You'll be spellbound the summer long by a unique array of real West attractions

NEBRASKAland's vacation trail is ever-changing, new vistas spreading out before you as you head from the verdant Missouri, accross the lush Sand Hills, and on to the Pine Ridge. In between are such inspiring scenes as the rugged Snake River and Sears, Smith, and Snake falls. The butte-studded Pine Ridge is a cooling haven, in sharp contrast to nearby Toadstool Park and the awesome Badlands. Up for special attention are Halsey National Forest in the heart of the Sand Hills and the Wildcat Range in the panhandle.

Featured on these eight pages are some of these prime attractions. They're shown with only one purpose in mind—to make you want to see and appreciate the real thing. The NEBRASKAland vacation trail is waiting. Take it soon.

THE END JULY, 1963 13            

SOURDOUGH SWEET TOOTH

Mouth-watering pioneer grub just the way you like it is yours for the making by Bob Morris

THERE'S NOTHING that recaptures the Old West quite as well as a steaming pan of sourdough bread fresh from the oven. Sticking to your ribs, warming you all over after a day on the trail, it brings back the days of the chuck wagon, homestead kitchen, and covered wagon.

You're not limited to just bread with sourdough. A tempting array of old-time favorites can be made this centuries-old way. Golden man-sized flapjacks, solid yet light as a feather, covered with melting 20 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   butter and rose hip honey, are the makings of a hearty outdoor breakfast. Biscuits rising in a round pan fresh from the Dutch oven need only a steaming mug of coffee to start the day. A good cook can even rustle up a batch of rolls or doughnuts if he's a mind to.

Sourdough was the mainstay of the pioneer. A trapper leaving for the headwaters of the Platte would be as lost without his sourdough starter as his trusty rifle. To the cowboy it ranked in importance with his saddle and the homesteader treasured it as much as the sodbuster plow.

Man does not live by bread alone, at least that's what some eastern dudes figured. NEBRASKAland's frontiersmen knew different. Through necessity, their diet was limited to the few basic items that could be easily carried from one place to another without danger of spoilage.

Perhaps its individuality as much as anything else endeared sourdough to the pioneers, the same as it will you. The basic makings are equal amounts of water and flour mixed together in an earthern crock and allowed to "sour" for a period of 48 hours or more. A metal container isn't desirable as the acid in the starter corrodes the metal. Flour and water combine to release yeast cells and bacteria, leavening the mixture to which the starter is added and giving it a tangy flavor.

By adding other random items, different tastes can be had. Since every flour-water combination is going to be slightly different anyway, to say nothing of the various "extras" that are added, a starter, once made, is kept for years. It's perpetuated by the addition of more flour and water. An old hand at the game doesn't consider his starter to be in its prime until it's at least six months old.

Once your starter is started—when the mixture bubbles—you're in business. Now you can make flapjacks, bread, rolls, or biscuits. The first step is to remove a portion of the starter and mix it with two cups of flour and let the mixture sit overnight.

The next morning you are ready to proceed. Add about a teaspoon of baking soda to the batter. This neutralizes the acid and allows the batter to rise. Since the acidity of each starter can vary, the amount of baking soda used is up to the individual's sense of taste. A good rule of thumb, however, is that the batter will foam up and look like meringue when the right amount of soda has been added.

In making flapjacks, the starter-flour-soda combination is added to two cups of water, one or two eggs, two tablespoons of sugar, and V2 teaspoon of salt. This is enough for about a dozen six-inch flapjacks. You can make more by adding more proportionate ingredients to the basic starter. Too, the flapjacks can be varied by mixing in blueberries, cornmeal, or cinnamon.

For bread, rolls, and biscuits, the same ingredients are used except the amount of flour is increased to make a stiff dough. The dough is then quickly kneaded. None of this fancy kneading, mind you, just a few flaps and whacks and it's ready to go. Cut the dough into loaves, place in pans, and allow to stand in a warm place to rise. Don't fill a pan more than half full as the batter goes up like a balloon. Biscuits can be either dropped or shaped, and popped in the oven right away.

Baking is done in a warm oven for from 40 minutes to an hour. Biscuits, of course, will cook much faster. When a straw jabbed into the finished bread or rolls comes out dry and at least as clean as when it was inserted, the bread or rolls are ready for eating.

In every case, only a part of the starter is used. The remainder is brought back up to its original volume by the addition of more flour and water. Some pioneer cooks even advocated pouring leftovers back into the starter (continued on page 31)

JULY, 1963 21

by Marvin Tye

THE MISSOURI RIVER, a history-rich stream that flows almost 400 miles through some of Nebraska's richest terrain, is rapidly becoming one of the playgrounds of the state. Hundreds of boating enthusiasts trailer their craft to the river for a week end on water each year. And the number is growing. Authorities say that the Missouri possesses outstanding potential for recreational development that has only begun to be tapped by outdoorsmen.

Since the early days when it was used as a highway into the unexplored West, the mighty Missouri has been a favorite with boaters. Now more boats than ever before ply these waters, and the variety of rigs would stagger the imagination of the old riverboat captains.

Easing downstream in a sleek 16-foot outboard runabout, the modern-day navigator passes many 22 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   boats similar to his own and many strikingly different. There's a family group drifting leisurely downstream in a houseboat. Their craft, powered by twin outboard motors, provides all the comforts of home for a week end on water. Another group with the same idea heads upstream in a faster-moving craft with most of the same conveniences. Their cabin cruiser contains beds, tables and chairs, a refrigerator, and even a stove for preparing meals on board.

The air boat is being seen more often on the Missouri, too. This speedy craft, pushed along by an airplane propeller, is the only one capable of navigating some of the smaller streams. But it is on the Mighty Mo itself that this boat comes into its own. Skimming along the surface at more than 30 miles per hour, it takes the sight-seer rapidly from the towering timbered bluffs in the north to the broader valleys and gently rolling hills in southern Nebraska.

A partial listing of facilities that could be utilized by the boater include Decatur Boat Club marina, Marsh marina near Tekamah, and Tyson's marina in Harrison County. The Omaha area offers Florence marina boat basin, Omaha Boat Club ramp, Mason Enterprises' small-boat ramp, and the Omaha municipal docks. Small boat facilities are also located at Blair and Bellevue.

On down-river, you'll find Plattsmouth municipal docks, Equity Union Grain Company terminal loading facilities near Rock Bluff, and Wogans Landing and a small-boat ramp on the Missouri near U.S. Highways 73 and 75.

Nebraska City offers the Boat Club ramp, J. F. Leftwich and Company terminal, the Game Commission's public boat-launching ramp, municipal dock, JULY, 1963 23   Consolidated Blenders, Inc. terminal, and Bartlett Grain Company terminal.

BIG RIVER BOATING continued

Others include two ramps near Minerville, Peru Sportsman's Club ramp, Brownville Boat Club ramp, floating docks at Brownville, Brownville grain terminal, two small boat landings near Shubert, a small boat landing near Fargo, and small boat ramps and docks near Rulo. The boater usually is given permission to use these facilities if he asks for it.

The Game Commission has constructed ramps at Omadi Bend and Brownville. Construction of a marina has begun at Nebraska City. Plans to develop more launching sites are scheduled in the future.

Sprawling Lewis and Clark Lake, the Missouri River impoundment formed by Gavins Point Dam, attracts boaters from several states. This 40-mile-long lake with more than 100 miles of shore line offers plenty of room for the boater who likes to feel that he is in the land of wide-open spaces. This area is most heavily used and probably one of the best developed on the river.

The Game Commission maintains public boat-launching sites at three points on the lake. These are at Santee, Weigand, and South Shore. State campsites complete with tables, fireplaces, water, and other facilities are found at South Shore, Weigand, Bloomfield, Miller Creek, and Santee areas. Supplies and boats for rent can be obtained at the Weigand concession. More development is slated for the future. A proposed resort at the Devil's Nest area near Weigand would feature lodging and meals, a marina, and other facilities.

Although the sportsman utilizes the big river, there is still room for the many commercial tow 24 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   boats. These work horses moved 2.5 million tons of products last year. This was 44 per cent more than was carried in 1961 and set a new all-time record. In 1953 only 152,000 tons were transported. Business is booming and it is predicted that more than five million tons per year will soon be moved.

These figures do not include local short-haul traffic in gravel, sand, and waterway improvement materials. Downstream traffic accounted for 81 per cent of the 1962 tonnage and consisted chiefly of grain, alfalfa pellets, animal products, and chemicals. Steel, petroleum, chemicals, molasses, and building materials compose the upstream-bound cargo.

For safety's sake, the outboarder should never fail to yield right of way to a barge. The slow-moving craft are deceptively dangerous. A barge's big wake will sometimes swamp a smaller boat. Although it is moving at a slow speed, the barge has no brakes. Momentum will ram it into any boat stalled in its path. If possible, the boater should pull over to shore until the barge passes.

Boating on the river can be a pleasant and safe experience. The wise outdoorsman will soon learn to avoid the hazards that do exist. One of the most important things that he should know is how to read the water. In straight stretches, deep water is darker and near the center. On curves, the deepest part is on the outside. Shallow water is usually lighter colored and ripples easily. A break in the current, eddies, or turbulent water often mark obstacles beneath the surface. Flat, calm water often marks a shallow bottom.

Buoys mark shallow water or dangerous underwater obstructions. Facing upstream, the red buoys are placed on the right side. The black buoys are on the left. The boater should stay to the left of the red buoy and to the right of the black buoy when going upstream.

Swimming and skiing are not recommended in some parts of the river. After a hard rain, the river is sometimes filled with debris, and only a very strong swimmer could stand much fighting against the strong current. Like any river close to large centers of population, parts of the Missouri are as yet polluted.

The boater does not have to go far to find oil and gas for his craft. Service stations at any of the towns on shore will bring these products to the water if called by telephone.

Nebraska's biggest waterway has come a long way since the days of Lewis and Clark, mountain men, and river paddle wheelers. Today it has taken on a new significance, not only because of its booming commercial enterprises, but as a boater's mecca boasting unlimited horizons. Give the Missouri a try this summer.

THE END JULY, 1963 25

AN ITCH IN TIME

Arm yourself for the season-long invasion of the summer pests

SOUND THE bugles and give the alarm, it's bug-fighting time in NEBRASKALAND. The enemy's forces are closing for a blitzkrieg with the target your hide. Mosquitoes, chiggers, flies, and ticks will all be in on the attack, and unless the wanderer afield girds himself with repellents and the know-how of counter-attack, he'll end up with welts, itches, and possible serious infections.

First comes the wood tick. He lurks in trees and brush and drops on you as you pass. He crawls leisurely to a feeding place, favoring scalp, ears, underarms, and similar areas. He buries his head completely in your skin, and once entrenched, is tough to remove. In other words, he's a stinker.

To get rid of this uninvited guest, touch his tail with a hot match, and the tick will either back out or the hot seat will kill him. Then you might be able to pick him off, but if any resistance is felt, don't pull. Painful infection can occur if his body pulls loose from his head and it stays buried in your skin.

Ticks are quite resistant to repellents, and the best preventative is to conduct a search every hour or two to determine if you've collected any. Since they don't imbed themselves until some time after they land on you, they can usually be brushed off. One good bet is to wear a wide-brimmed hat to keep the pest out of your hair.

If an imbedded tick already filling with blood is found, coat him with a layer of nail polish. This will kill him. Well-moistened tobacco will prove effective, too. After removal, treat the wound with a good antiseptic.

Before retiring, go over every inch of your body. Something that looks like a small skin mole that wasn't there before is likely a tick. Examine and rid your clothing and yourself of ticks before you enter your tent or car. They can drop off and remain hidden for days. Then you find one on your skin later and wonder where he came from.

The tiny red chigger lurks in grass and weeds. He s a particularly obnoxious little pest, because his presence develops into a small red splotch that is guaranteed to itch. The irritation can persist as long as two weeks if untreated.

Any part of the body is vulnerable to chigger attack. He favors areas where clothing is tightest, such 26 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   as around the waistline and at the sock tops. The chigger won't venture past a repellent barrier, though, so use it liberally before you start out. If an itch develops later, cut the air off with a nail-polish coating, castor oil, or Nupercainal ointment well rubbed in. Any one of these will relieve the irritation, kill the chigger, and you'll heal in a couple of days. Nupercainal ointment is especially soothing to insect-bitten skin, as it provides a very mild anesthesia.

With her welt-raising abilities, the female mosquito needs no introduction. She seems the most numerous of all summertime pests. Battalions of stingers march forth at dusk and wage their war through the night. If you're camping on one of their battlegrounds, suspend closely woven cheese cloth above and around your cot or sleeping bag. As an added precaution, use a tent with a sewn-in floor and a net doorway. Close them at bedtime and treat the interior with a mosquito-killing spray. If your tent has no floor, spray the bottom wall next to the ground, and it will help keep the pests out.

Outside, wear long-sleeved shirts and full-length pants in mosquito territory. The cloth moves when you do, and the lady loses her beak if she tries to drill through it. If your face and neck sweat profusely, repellent may not last long. Fishermen drape their hats with cheesecloth, letting it hang down over the shoulders and chest. Commercial head nets are available if you want something more substantial.

Lesser evils, but little more tolerable to the outdoorsman, are ordinary flies. They hum about refuse piles and garbage pits, crawl with germ-laden legs over fresh food. They land on your bare neck and you twitch just when a big trout rises to your lure.

To combat flies around camp, burn empty food cans in the fire before you throw them in the garbage can. Put other garbage in the can and keep it covered. Flies are not a great problem if no carrion is around to attract them. Tent wise, anything that will keep out a mosquito will do the same for a fly.

Before embarking on an outing, go prepared with any of the good insect repellents now commercially available. The liquid types are best known. Somewhat easier to apply, although considerably more bulky, are the spray-can applicators. The old powders, smudge-pots, and other makeshift bug dispellers have become quite passe with the advent of the more effective repellents available.

You can get repellent-impregnated cloths in a pocket-sized plastic case. Simply wiping the cloth over neck, ears, and other exposed areas deposits enough killer to do the job without flooding the skin.

An old-timer would have eliminated ticks and chiggers with powdered sulfur sprinkled through his clothes. Or he would have gone still further and coated his face with a smelly mixture of citronella, kerosene, and balsam gum.

Man's battle against bugs has been going on ever since the Garden of Eden, and it's a sure bet that it'll be waged for years to come. But have heart. Thanks to science, we seem to be gaining ground. At least we don't stink of balsam gum and kerosene anymore.

THE END JULY, 1963 27

the SALTY SACRAMENTO

by D. B. McCarraher Senior Fisheries Manager

THE SACRAMENTO PERCH, the newest member of Nebraska's growing family of imports, is a primitive creature of yesterday trying to exist in the jet age. Practically driven out of his ancestral home in California by competition from other fish, this stubby-tailed member of the sunfish family is taking up housekeeping in the Sand Hills with gusto.

Unique among its kind, the Sacramento was originally found in great abundance in central and northern California where it remained isolated in waters void of other fish for centuries. Why the species existed in this tidal-basin area and not others throughout the country has puzzled fishery technicians for years. As far as can be determined, these finicky imports are survivors of an ancient variety that may have been living in California before the Rocky Mountains were formed.

But when man started fooling with nature the Sacramento perch was one of the first victims. Other fish introduced into his home range gobbled up the perch's eggs before they had time to hatch. Ill-equipped by nature to cope with this, the Sacramento started losing out and soon disappeared from much of his home territory. Unlike other members of the sunfish family, he does not build nests for his eggs and offers no form of paternal care for his young. Without protection, the fry have little chance with other hungry fish.

Possibly the only thing that has kept the Sacramento from complete extinction is his ability to live in alkaline waters. This is one of the perch's strong points and one of the big reasons fishery technicians have high hopes for him in those Sand Hills lakes that are high in alkaline content.

There are reasons for the Sacramento's popularity with technicians. Fresh-water fish can withstand alkaline waters only up to a certain point before they dehydrate and die. Likewise, a marine fish 28 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   placed in fresh water absorbs more water than it can take and expires from drowning. The Sacramento perch, on the other hand, has a much wider range of tolerance than other game fish and can take these toxic salts better

This hardy immigrant thrives when others roll over and die

Just how strong a salt content this perch can survive in has not been firmly established. Experimental releases are being made in Sand Hills lakes of varying salt content to determine his tolerance.

Through many of the Sand Hills' 1,700 lakes are a part of a fisherman's paradise, there are those that remain unproductive because of alkalinity. An underlying layer of sodium, potassium, and salty compounds in present throughout this 20,000-square-mile region. In lakes that have no regular inlet or outlet, these salts are not flushed out, so to speak, and remain in these shallow basins.

The relationship between the alkaline content of these lakes and fish populations is tied directly to a toxic salt, sodium bicarbonate, which occurs in concentrations of from 50 to 50,000 parts per million. Most fresh-water fish, such as bass, bluegill, walleye, and crappie, can survive in water containing up to 500 parts per million. Several species can tolerate levels up to around 1,000 p.p.m. Beyond that they cannot survive.

Over 500 lakes in the Sand Hills are too alkaline to support present game fish. They are located primarily in Garden and Sheridan counties. Some are so high in these compounds that they are bitter to the taste and their banks are lined with salt-like crystals. Previous game-fish stockings proved complete failures.

Comparing the alkaline salts of Nevada's alkaline lakes supporting perch with those in the Sand Hills gave hope for a successful introductory stocking program. In 1961 a total of 856 perch were obtained for experimental purposes. All but 58 were released in four Sand Hills lakes with the remainder, from three to seven inches, kept at the Valentine Hatchery for breeding stock. Preliminary studies were encouraging but due to a lack of past life history knowledge, work has moved along at a slow pace.

Thirteen lakes were included in the 1962 stocking program with the bulk of nearly 8,000 releases coming from the Valentine Hatchery spawners and the remainder from Nevada and another Cherry County lake in Nebraska. Reproduction from several of these lakes was encouraging, giving hope for an even larger program this year.

With little in the way of competition, the Sacramento are progressing well. They are highly prolific egg layers. A problem, however, that is hampering research work on these newcomers is that the fish scatter throughout a lake after spawning and are hard to find with normal netting procedures used by technicians.

So far, studies indicate the perch may eventually take over these borderline lakes and provide top angling pleasure. In addition, these newcomers do equally well in fresh water and show strong possibilities for new reservoirs where competition from other fish is at a minimum. They may also have a place in the farm-pond program as an alternate to the bluegill which is now stocked in conjunction with bass. Some select stocking will be done this year with this in mind.

Within a year or two Nebraska anglers should be able to add this gamester to their ever-expanding list. In addition to their outstanding taste, the new-comers have other good angling qualities. They grow to a fairly large size with some up to four pounds to be expected. Major fishing periods will be available for shore-line anglers.

There is still a long road ahead. Only time will tell how well the Sacramento will become established. But preliminary results indicate the poor cousins from California may turn out to be rich uncles in NEBRASKAland.

THE END JULY, 1963 29

WINDFALL

(continued from page 9)

sunfish with additional releases scheduled. Anglers will be able to fish this lake in 1964.

Slightly smaller at 315 acres is Lake No. 8, situated 2V2 miles east of Hickman. Game fish have been stocked and development work is under way. The site offers 550 acres of additional land surrounding the lake.

Scheduled for construction this summer are lakes 2, 9, and 12 with completion expected by fall. They will then start filling, and development work should have them ready for use in 1965. Lake No. 2 is five miles west and three miles south of Sprague and will have a conservation pool of 175 acres plus an additional 325 acres of land. One mile south of Hickman is the site of the 195-acre Lake No. 9. It has 340 additional land acres. Lake No. 12, situated two miles north of Denton, is 230 acres at conservation pool level plus 485 acres of land.

Add all five acreages up and you've got 1,240 acres of water; 2,175 of land. This is a 3,415-acre windfall for recreation enthusiasts here.

Creation of Dams 4 and 8 is an example of what can be done with limited funds for recreational purposes in conjunction with a federal watershed project. Total cost to the government for construction of these two reservoirs was about $1,500,000. As strictly flood-control reservoirs they would have little other value.

Through provisions of the Salt Creek Act, as passed by Congress, local interests could, by paying for the small added acreage involved, and agreeing to operate the areas for wildlife and recreation, make possible reservoirs that have conservation pools of good depth rather than shallow silt pools.

Flood-control programs such as this use detention dams to store water temporarily in times of runoff. No more flow is released than the stream channel below will handle. The water recedes to siltpool level as the reservoirs empty. For flood control purposes they are ideal, but for recreation the lakes are too shallow. By raising the spillway, the silt-pool becomes a conservation pool with sufficient depth for fish and water recreation. The added cost of doing this is small. On sites 4 and 8 of the Salt Creek project it was only six per cent of $84,000.

Small as it is, however, there is usually no way this added cost can be underwritten by the watershed district alone. Some other source must supply the funds to pay the added cost. On the Salt Creek project it was paid for by Nebraska sportsmen out of their Game Fund. Developments for park purposes will be charged to the Park Fund, and boat-launching ramps to the Boat Fund. Thus every activity pays its share, as provided by Nebraska laws.

The surrounding land, when not flooded, is available for outdoor recreation and wildlife. Since flood storage 30 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   is temporary, the land area is usually dry, generally around 90 per cent of the time or more.

When the entire project is completed, Nebraska sportsmen will have a series of lakes providing top-notch recreation. A world of fun will open up to anglers, boaters, swimmers, campers, and sun lovers, all because the Game Commission could add its six cents when the project was planned.

THE END

SOURDOUGH

(continued from page 21)

as well as potato water and vinegar. The arguments, pro and con, on this theory sometimes make the Little Big Horn battle look like a PTA meeting.

Constant use and replenishment is necessary to keep a sourdough starter in good condition. If not used often enough, the starter forms so much acid it in time destroys itself. To halt this process, keep the starter in the refrigerator. Before using the starter again, however, allow it to warm up at room temperature and add flour and water to get the process going. Cowboys and homesteaders kept their starter from freezing in extremely cold weather by taking it to bed with them at night.

Such drastic means of preserving sourdough may sound odd but 100 years ago a good strain of the dough was worth plenty. Each was passed from one generation to another as a valuable family heirloom, and there are those Nebraskans who can point with pride to a starter that came up the Chisholm Trail with the first herd of longhorns.

In those days, the owner of a good starter was in constant demand as a cook and a cow outfit would pay a cook $5 to $10 a month more than even top hands. He was always treated with considerable respect. The cook's success depended on his starter, the drovers figuring any fool could fry steak, boil coffee, or heat beans.

Cowpokes could tell a good cook without even tasting his first meal. If the newcomer could mix bread off the top of the flour sack they knew he was a real pro. This was done by putting some starter into an opened 48-pound sack of flour and gradually adding to the starter until the desired amount of dough was accumulated.

Preparing meals three times a day, seven days a week on the trail for a string of hungry cowpokes gave a cook little time for experiments. But once back at the winter camp, he often tried new ways of preparing sourdough grub, sometimes with surprising results. He discovered that cakes could be made by kneading sugar and raisins into a lump of dough, and that sourdough was the ticket for doughnuts, fruit turnovers, and pie.

Nothing's more fun, and certainly more tasty, than whopping up a batch of sourdough, be it for flapjacks, bread, or biscuits. There's something special about it all, a chance for you and the kids to be a part of the Old West. Be sure to make plenty. You'll keep coming back for more.

THE END JULY, 1963 31

Fishing the FLOWING WELLS

Angling bonanza has put this cow town on the map to stay by H. Ott 32 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   Our reader writes...

YES, SIR, THE Old Lady's sitting in the golden chair as far as fishing is concerned. With her rockers straddling the flowing-well belt right on the front porch of the Sand Hills, she really has it made.

Maybe you've never heard of the Old Lady and her flowing wells. Well, pull up your stool, pardner, and give a listen. The Old Lady is the little cow town of Amelia in Holt County about 23 miles down the road from Atkinson. She's no great shakes for looks—only two stores and a filling station—but when you're 80 years old it can be excused. The Old Lady is still spry and keeps up with the best of them. And when it comes to likely water spots and fishing she has more than meets the eye. The finny realm she queens is dozens of man-made ponds. Within a five-mile radius of the old girl's claim are more than 25 of these little angling paradises loaded with almost every species of fish.

Way back about the time Amelia was settled an old homesteader decided to put down a well. When he hit water after drilling only a 100 feet he almost swallowed his cud. Up came the purest water he ever tasted. It kept coming, too, year after year, never varying from its cool 52° temperature, winter and summer.

Well, the idea caught on and soon the valley was lined with flowing wells from one end to the other, all pumping out this purest of pure water. Besides being fine for cows and cowboys, the sparkling water was piped into the houses and made a dandy natural refrigerator for food.

OUTDOOR Nebraska proudly presents the stories of its readers themselves. Here is the opportunity so many have requested—a chance to tell their own outdoor tales. Hunting trips, the big fish that got away", unforgettable characters, outdoor impressions—all have a place here. If you have a story to tell, jot it down and send it to Editor, OUTDOOR Nebraska, State Capitol, Lincoln 9. Send photographs, too, if any are available.

This is how things stood until about 15 years ago when ranchers started having a little free time on their hands between the early calf crop and summer haying. Knowing how good that water tasted to them and cattle, they figured that the fish would cotton to it, too. All they needed was a way to get enough water in one spot to help the finny clan set up housekeeping.

Building a pond is no problem to these folks. Choosing a spot is first—generally a gentle depression of an acre or more back on the west 80. It takes just a short time to "doze" it out and put in the dam. Then, with an experienced driller ramrodding the operation, the well goes down in hours.

As the pond fills, the rancher does some heavy thinking. What kind of fish should he stock? If he's the sporty type, he'll probably take a close look at bass or northern pike. If he's a hearty man at the table, perch, bluegill, crappie, and bullhead will get the nod. Some ranchers play the field and put in a variety. Others specialize. Where one man raises Herefords and bluegills, another is noted for his Angus and bass. They say there's a rancher who breeds Brahmas and bullfrogs, but that's hearsay.

Fishery technicians from the Game Commission come out and decide what species will do best in each pond. When the happy day arrives and the fish truck shows up to stock the pond, it's like Christmas in July. Everyone crowds around as the little critters are put in their new home. With any kind of luck, the rancher and his family can start pulling in good-sized ones by the following spring.

Problems can crop up wrangling fish the same as with beeves. Sometimes they are so involved it is necessary to call in fishery technicians for help. Take the time maverick carp got mixed up with Bill Sammon's crappie and bluegill. After going into a huddle with the technicians it was decided to clean out the whole pond. Following a settling period it was reseeded with bluegill and catfish. This worked too well. The bluegill multiplied by leaps and flops so Bill introduced a few northerns to thin the clan.

Other things like flooding, drainage, and rustling turtles come up occasionally, but everyone agrees these are slight compared to the enjoyment involved. In fact, some ranchers are getting so much fun out of their new herd of finnies that they're adding a second pond to try more species.

Ranchers and their families around here don't have to take off for miles to get in on top fishing anymore. They still travel some, but when there is just an hour or so between chores or after school, they just mosey down to their own private lake.

Yes sir, Amelia may be old as cow towns go, but with her flowing-well water and fish she's keeping her vitality. At the rate she's going, she'll probably outlast Miami and Long Beach.

THE END. JULY, 1963 33

WHERE TO GO

ON THE TRAIL

(continued from page 7)

the eerie silhouetted form of a big-horned owl sailed by camp, flickering the stars of the Big Dipper with his passing. Sounds and sight blurred out, and when I opened my eyes, it was morning.

Though somewhat stiff when I mounted up, I was eager to get out on the trail again. Don had folded his map and was carrying it in his hand as we rode along.

"We cut across the next ridge here," he said with confidence. Five minutes later we came abruptly against the end of a box canyon.

"Slight miscalculation," he grinned. "Guess my trail isn't quite as clear as I figured."

We backtracked to the point where we'd taken the wrong turn, and the next try was more accurate. The trail dropped down to the valley floor on the north side of the Pine Ridge, and wound along the base of the bluffs.

"We're making good time," Don reported optimistically. "If this keeps up, we'll be in Fort Robinson about noon. Without pushing, a regular dude outfit could leave Chadron about seven in the morning, have chuck-wagon chow at noon on East Ash Creek, and sleep in a soft bed at the fort that night."

We turned up a cow trail that led into a narrow canyon leading back up to the heights of the Pine Ridge. The trail broke out on top of another ridge, and on its western edge, Roger reined up sharply.

"Look at that view," he said, his voice full of the appreciation and pride that is reflected by natives of the Pine Ridge. Don and I pulled up beside him, and for a few minutes, simply sat and looked.

The pines stopped abruptly at the edge of the bluff, which tumbled head-long to the floor of the valley, almost 500 feet below. To the north, patterned round with the regular shapes of tilled fields and pasture land, Crow Butte exploded from the open plain. It was 34 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   on its ramparts, legend says, that a party of Crow warriors out-tricked the Sioux.

Beyond Crow Butte, rolling farm and grassland spread into the distance toward the state's northernmost border. To the south, the continuing arm of the Pine Ridge swept in a great arc toward the northwest, leading into Nebraska's Badlands and Toadstool Park. Caught at the center of the arc, the buttes of Fort Robinson rose dramatically from the plain. The valley of the White River, for which the red man battled so savagely and lost, lay between.

''We'll trail down near Crow Butte," Don said. There's a spot where we can water the horses, and you may want some pictures."

Once the Morgans got their fill, we crossed the valley floor and rode into a pasture on the east edge of Fort Robinson, where we let the horses pick their way through the yucca-dotted prairie toward a break in the bluffs. Through this slot, Mackenzie Pass, named for the first commanding officer of the fort, streamed the gold hunters of the 1870's, heading from Sidney to Deadwood in the Black Hills, the dreams of riches spurring them on.

A shout from the foot of the hill snapped me from the past. The present "Commander" of Fort Robinson, Park Superintendent John Kurtz, was riding up the hill. Knowing of our trek, he had come out to meet us. We all stayed at the fort that night. Don and Roger made the return trip to Chadron the next morning.

Making our way through the Pine Ridge of today was like child's play compared with the treks of the pioneers. But the spirit of breaking trail, one that other Nebraskans and tourists can soon follow, was an absorbing experience. I had ridden paths of history, breathed the scented air of the butte-studded ponderosa, felt the easy rhythm of a good horse beneath me, shuttled from the present to the past and back again. That's adventure for me, adventure that could be yours.

THE END Looking for better used and new outdoor equipment to buy? Check Outdoor Nebraska's classified ads. IN LINCOLN CONGRESS INN 1901 West "O" Street, Highway 6 GREAT PLAINS 27th and "O" Street Capital City's Finest JULY, 1963 35

VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE

Waterfowl, anglers find this Sand Hills spot irresistible

NESTLED IN the Sand Hills 30 miles west of Valentine, the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge boasts the largest concentration of varied bird species in NEBRASKAland. Over 200 varieties call the 71,041-acre sanctuary home during some period of the year.

But the resting, nesting, and feeding haven for waterfowl isn't limited to migrants. Pheasants, sharptails, and prairie chickens are found in the rolling hills. Mule deer, whitetails, and now antelope can be seen. Over 11,000 acres of lakes and potholes support a variety of fish and fur bearers. Some of the finest angling in the Sand Hills can be found at the 10 lakes open to fishing, with northerns, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and perch offering plenty of action.

Valentine is a strategic link in the chain of 270 national wildlife refuges in the United States. Established m 1935, the Cherry County site sports 34 lakes and numerous small ponds. During the summer, it becomes a natural incubator as broods of blue-winged teal, mallard, gadwall, shoveler, and pintail 36 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   dot the waterways. Canada geese nest here and redheads, ruddies, and canvasbacks are sometimes seen.

Great blue herons and double-crested cormorants gather in large numbers for nesting. Other birds not so widely found in other parts of the state, such as white pelicans, black-crowned night herons, the American bittern, long-billed curlews, avocet, sora rail, sandpiper, phalarope, killdeer, and western willet may be seen.

In one year, 26,064 ducklings were raised to maturity at Valentine, making it one of the important refuges in the country. Migration peaks of 333,000 ducks have been reached, indicating the role the refuge plays in the waterfowl picture. Banding is done in co-operation with programs in the United States and Canada. Information collected is used to determine waterfowl migration patterns, populations, and to set hunting regulations and bag limits.

The refuge is administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Interior. The vast sanctuary lies within a transition zone.

May, September, and October are usually the best months for observing bird life. Spring migrants are abundant in May while early fall flights can be seen in September. More waterfowl may be observed in October than at any other time.

Refuge headquarters is 30 miles south of Valentine. It may be reached by taking State Highway 483 off U.S. Highway 83. The latter highway passes through the eastern part of the refuge. Both roads have made access an easy matter for the 16,000 people who visit the site annually.

Overnight camping facilities are available on Dewey Lake east of the headquarters building. Drinking water, picnic tables, and fireplaces are provided for campers. No open fires are permitted. This regulation protects the habitat of refuge wildlife as well as nearby livestock. Hunting, of course, is not permitted and fishing is allowed only during daylight hours. Boaters are limited to rowboats and smaller craft, the outboards disturbing the birds.

Cattle grazing on the refuge helps to maintain suitable habitat and nesting cover for waterfowl and upland game birds. Approximately 57,000 acres are now being grazed. About 30 neighboring ranchers use refuge lands. One-fourth of the area's income from grazing proceeds, about $100,000, is returned to Cherry County for maintenance and improvement of schools and libraries.

Valentine is the ideal spot for family recreation. Dad can fish while the rest of the family observes the largest concentration of varied bird species in NEBRASKAland. It's a fascinating place, offering a close look at wildlife in the wild. Valentine's a vital link in the migrating waterfowl program, a link that becomes more important every year.

THE END JULY, 1963 37

WHERE TO GO

SPEAK UP

To Buy A Gun

"A current issue of a national magazine brings to mind several questions that have nagged me for some time. From two advertisements in the September issue of OUTDOOR Nebraska it seems that I may choose a shotgun, send the money, and receive the merchandise with no questions asked. Is this true in Nebraska? Then, whether I am 10 years old or 60, never having fired a shotgun in my life, I may register my gun, buy a hunting license, and take to the field. There I may shoot waterfowl—or, if I am unlucky and forget my bifocals, a hunter or farmer. If the above is true in Nebraska, isn't there something wrong with our hunting regulations? OUTDOOR Nebraska is good and we enjoy the information in it about our state not found anywhere else."—Mrs. Paul Heineman, Plaiismouih.

The right to possess firearms is the inherent right of the American people. For that reason it is possible to purchase certain firearms, such as shotguns and rifles without any government supervision or restrictions. Nor is it necessary for any citizen of the United States to register firearms in his possession.

Injuries do occur through the use of firearms each year but still much less than those involved in highway accidents. At the same time fires and home accidents account for more injuries than firearms. The shelves of every store in the nation are lined with items that are of a potentially dangerous nature. Used properly, however, these same items are of a benefit to everyone.

Nebraska has a number of laws covering accidents and the illegal use of firearms. The Game Commission is in favor of a hunter safety course that would be offered to youngsters hunting for the first time. Unfortunately, it did not pass the last session of the legislature.—Editor.

One Fine Magazine

"My sister, Mrs. G. A. Stroh of Beatrice, sent a subscription for OUTDOOR Nebraska m»LShnstI?as Sift last year. It is one fine magazine. My father moved to Gage County, 38 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   Nebraska in 1884 when I was five years old. I left Nebraska on February 15, 1898 the morning after the battleship Maine was blown up in Havana harbor.

"I have lived in the East for most of my life and hunted in many states, but have never forgotten the fine days I hunted as a boy in Nebraska. Those were the days one could really get all the cottontails he could drag home. The real fun of it was when a half dozen of us would start out with six or eight dogs and hunt rabbits on horseback.

"My brother Marion and I used to get up early, go to the straw stack, and hide waiting for the prairie chickens to come in for the morning feed. As we walked to school we would find chickens that hit the wires along the railroad tracks. Some would be killed and others had broken wings. We would hide them there until we came home. The duck hunting was good along the Blue River in the spring and fall.

"I have been back to Nebraska many times since 1898. You folks have done a fine job of making hunting good for all who can take part in it. I will be 85 on my next birthday and life is so wonderful to me." —Evenlis C. Walker, Jamestown, Indiana.

Wrong Birds

"In the April issue of OUTDOOR Nebraska there are some mistakes in identifying birds in the "Birds of Spring" layout. I believe you have the rose-breasted grosbeak and purple martin reversed in your key. Also, isn't "c" on page 22 a brown thrasher instead of a thrush? I do so enjoy your wonderful magazine."—Wanda E. Lorenzen, Neligh.

Thank you for your corrections. In addition, there are three other errors. The nighthawk on page 20 should have been labled the common nighthawk. On the same page the red-headed woodpecker was mistakenly labled redhead and on page 23 the yellow-throated warbler should have been called the yellowthroat.—Editor.

Sand Hills Twist

"How did you manage to photograph the prairie grouse in the May issue of OUTDOOR Nebraska? I really enjoyed the article, "The Sand Hills Twist." In the pictures the grouse are so close it is amazing what a good photographer can do. I enjoy OUTDOOR Nebraska very much. Who doesn't?"—Dave Beranek, Dorchester.

Photographers Gene Hornbeck and Lou Ell used a Graflex with a 400-mm telephoto lens in getting these fine shots. The grouse were taken near Valentine and prairie chicken in the vicinity of Nebraska City. They used Tri-X and super pan B film with a shutter speed of 1,000th of a second. Their tent-like blinds were set up a day or two before shooting at the edge of booming and dancing grounds. Most of the shots were taken within 20 to 30 feet of the blind.—Editor.

COLLINS Resort "Midwest's Vacation Wonderland" On beautiful Johnson Lake Enjoy a wonderful vacation at Collins Johnson Lake Resort. —Lake-front cabins, both modern and semi-modern—Fishing—Boat and motors—Free boat ramp—Cafe. For reservations, call State 5-2298, or write to Elwood, Nebraska. Paved Highway 283, Elwood, Nebr. FRONTIER RESORT LAKE MALONEY on U.S. Highway 83 South of North Platte Cabins-Boats-Motors-Cafe Write for reservations Route 4, North Platte, Nebr. JULY, 1963 39

67 bullets for handloading send for complete list HORNADY MFG. CO. • DEPT. N • GRAND ISLAND, NEBR. Big Reloading Bargains Reloading Is Fun. You Should Have a Reloader . . . It's a fascinating hobby and cheaper than ever at these bargain prices. Pacific DL 110 Shotshell Loader Reg. $34.95 — special, $24.50 Pacific DL 150 Shotshell Loader Reg. $49.50 — special, $33.00 Pacific DL 250 Shotshell Loader Reg. $99.50 — special, $69.50 In 5 minutes you can be making perfect reloads. Come in for a free demonstration. Experts to advise your every reloading requirement. A complete line of cartridge reloading tools and equipment including SAC wads. CENTRAL GUN, INC. 544 N. 48th, Lincoln, Nebr. Open weekdays 'til 5—Thursday 'til 9, Saturday 'til noon.

OUTDOOR ELSEWHERE

Smarter Than Lassie

PENNSYLVANIA ... A large farm dog recently assisted in arresting a violator. Three hunters were seen by a farmer and his wife chasing a wounded doe. When called to stop by the farmer, the hunters took off. He ordered his shepherd dog to get them. The dog was off in pursuit, and caught one culprit by the leg and held him until captured.

Got Their Number

CALIFORNIA ... A goose hunter bagged two Canadas this season and came up with an unusual set of circumstances. The first was banded No. 518-31661. Two months later he shot the second. It was banded No. 518-31662. The lucky nimrod figures he had their number all along.

Toasted Owl

WISCONSIN ... A great horned owl used its taloned feet to pick up a skunk by the neck. After taking off, the big bird got hung up on an electric wire and the skunk's tail brushed another wire below. When the smoke had cleared it was necessary to turn off the power before the pair could be removed with the owl still clutching his prey.

Fugitive Angler

MISSOURI ... A angler's desire for recognition landed him in jail last summer in McDonald County. He claimed a $25 prize in a fishing derby. There his picture was taken and released to radio stations and newspapers. An alert FBI agent spotted the man as being wanted as a fugitive from Oklahoma and soon had him behind bars.

Rabbits Learn Fast

PENNSYLVANIA . . . When Bill Weeder started having trouble with rabbits chewing young branches from overhanging shrubs he placed a box trap nearby. That night he was surprised to learn the rabbits were climbing on the box in order to reach limbs previously out of their reach.

Blind Mans Bluff

ARIZONA... A deer hunter who filled out a success questionnaire reported he fired 27 times at 10 individual deer and missed all of them. His wife shot at least 8 times also missing each time. A P.S. added that he and his wife both went to an occulist and had their eyes checked and are now wearing bifocals.

Mans Best Friend

CALIFORNIA ... A Belmont resident was recently arrested and fined $50 for taking a pheasant out of season. When apprehended, he told the warden he was training his dog and not hunting. As the warden started to drive away the dog appeared carrying a pheasant.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS 15 cents a word: minimum order $2.50 DOGS AKC BLACK LABRADORS: Fast, birdy started males and young females. $75 up. Proven stud available. No male pups till fall. Kewanee Retrievers, Phone 26W3, Valentine, Nebraska. GERMAN SHORTHAIRS, setters, and pointers for sale. Write for prices and details about the dogs. Donald Sallenbach, M.D., Gibbon, Nebraska. BOATS FOR SALE: New 40 HP boat motor, electric starter, and generator complete with all controls, still in original carton—$418. Bob Forrester, Arnold, Nebraska. HUNTING CAMPS MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS early for goose shooting. Heated room for two shooters. Write Chet Bishop, Lewellen, Nebraska. DEER HUNTING PARADISE, Controlled deer hunting east part of Keya Paha hunting area. Very reasonable rates, selected camp sites, and hunting with guide service available. Irailer and tent accommodations at Four Corners Rod and Gun Club Recreation Area. Electricity available. For more information and reservations, write to: Mrs. Manfred Peterson, Secretary, Newport, Nebraska. Telephone 832-5185-Naper, Nebraska. GUNS NEW, USED, AND ANTIQUE GUNS —Weatherby, Browning, Winchester, Ithaca, coit, Kuger, and many others in stock. Buy, sen or trade. Write us or stop in. Also live ?£ - • £lan's sP°rting Goods, just off U.S. 136, Fairbury, Nebraska. MISCELLANEOUS NEBRASKA BRED and reared bobwhite quail and ringneck pheasants—Custom gunstocking. Nebraska6 FaFm' B°X 275' °verton' HANDY TO HAVE: The Hungry Sportsman's JMSh and Game Cookbook. All fresh-water nsn big game, small game, wildfowl, frogs, turtles mushrooms, etc. Over 400 recipes. $1 postpaid. Eddie Meier, Box 3030, Scottsuale, Arizona. 40 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA

BULLY BULLHEADS

(continued from page 11)

the fish in the lake by seining, allowing those remaining to grow to catchable size. But the bullhead's prolific breeding habits soon fill the pond up again and within a year or two the pond is right back where it started.

On the credit side of the bullhead ledger is the fact that many lakes too shallow to support other fish due to periodic winterkill are suitable to bullheads. Due to their tough nature, bullheads survive better under these conditions. Those that do fall victim to the ice leave room for the survivors to grow to respectable size. Sand Hills lakes fall into this classification and make up the majority of waters where two-pounders are caught.

Farm ponds under eight feet deep, shallow streams, and rain-water basins subject to winterkill are also good bets for lunker bullheads. The Nebraska record is a 3-pound, 3-ounce beauty caught by Mrs. Garnet Fanning in a Sand Hills lake.

Bullheads usually swallow the hook, giving anglers some problems in removing it. There are a number of sure-fire solutions to this problem, however. One is a small twig with a notch cut in the end. The stick is pushed down the fish's throat, freeing the hook from the gullet. Another is a piece of stiff wire about the thickness of a coat hanger that is bent together with a small loop at the end. The wire is dropped down until the loop engages the point of the hook. Then the bullhead is flipped over, belly first. As he passes over the top of the arc between the hands, the wire is pulled laterally and the fish is free.

Long-nose pliers are also popular as are a number of products designed for this purpose. Some degorgers are similar to forceps used by surgeons and work well on hooks deep inside a fish. A recent innovation is a commercially-made flip-over hook remover. A wire loop in the barrel of the pistol-like degorger is slipped over the hook. It is then pushed down over the shank of the hook as far as it will go. The loop is retracted into the barrel, reversing the hook and freeing it from the fish.

Some people object to bullheads because of a sharp spine in the pectoral and dorsal fins. Experienced fishermen have no trouble, but some children get stung. The hurt is temporary, but not dangerous. The bullhead's spines dull with age and adult fish are no problem.

Whether it be a youngster's first fish wiggling at the end of a line or a hefty two-pounder brought in by a veteran, no fish in Nebraska enjoys more widespread popularity than the bullhead. Though not classified as a game fish because of his fantastic abundance, he's a prize worth fishing for. Take as many as you want, any time you want, but try to get in on the fun soon. THE END

FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR FOR SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE SALE They meet in OUTDOOR Nebraska's Classified Pages Only OUTDOOR Nebraska offers you a state-wide active, buying audience. More than 27,000 OUTDOOR Nebraska's readers make your ad work overtime. At 15 cents per word, $3 minimum, it is the most economical way to advertise yet. For Fast Results Use OUTDOOR Nebraska's Classified Page WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY TO BUY JULY, 1963 41

notes on Nebraska fauna...

GARTER SNAKE

AS FLASHY and fancily colored as grandpa's elastic sock supporters, the garter snake is ^ perhaps the most abundant serpent in Nebraska. This fascinating creature makes himself at home in the wild or in the suburbs, and is usually unnoticed by the people around him.

Most frequently found around water, the small reptile feeds on worms, frogs, toads, salamanders, fish, and tadpoles. Unlike snakes that prey on chicken eggs, the garter snake goes quietly about his own business and is not often disturbed. Some make good pets. When first captured, he discharges unpleasant-smelling musk from glands at the base of the tail. Some are docile. Others strike vigorously m self-defense. Many will flatten out when alarmed This makes the colorful pattern of tfceir bodies stand out even more.

The garter snake is marked with a series of longitudinal stripes. The position of these in relation to scales and dark pattern helps to distinguish one rinan°Ihf The rows are «™ted upward tT h6 SS" A description stating that the stripe is on the third and fourth row means that the stripe 42 OUTDOOR NEBRASKA   is on the third and fourth rows of scales above the ventrals. Most garter snakes have two very small white or yellow spots on top of their heads.

Equally at home in the wild as in your back yard, this flashy dresser is our most abundant serpent

Four species are found in Nebraska. They are the plains garter snake, Thamnophis radix; the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirlalis parietalis; the wandering garter snake, Thamnophis ordinoides vagrans; and the western ribbon snake, Thamnophis sauritus proximus.

Of the four found here, the plains variety is most abundant. Growing to a maximum length of about 40 inches, he is distinguished mainly by black bars on the lips, double alternating rows of spots between the stripes, a row of black spots below the side stripes, and a row of dark spots on each side of the abdomen. The longitudinal stripes are located on rows three and four. Some specimens are so dark that some of the markings may be hard to see. The dorsal stripe may be bright yellow or orange. Lateral stripes are greenish or bluish. Scales are keeled in a maximum of 21 rows. There is a single anal scale.

Plains garters are found throughout the Great Plains from Kansas and Missouri to Illinois and the Canadian Northwest. After mating in April and May, this variety brings forth 13 to 14 young in late summer or early fall. These are born alive. Average length is seven and a half inches.

During the cold winter months the plains garter hibernates. Look for him in post holes, old gopher holes, or even beneath sidewalks in abandoned real estate projects. Ant hills are also utilized. Sometimes several can be found in the same hole.

The red-sided garter snake often follows even intermittent streams far into arid country. This bold explorer ranges from the prairie provinces of Canada to Oklahoma and New Mexico. He is found throughout Nebraska, often considerable distance from water. Large specimens are sometimes vicious. Average size is 20-26 inches, although specimens up to 46 inches have been recorded.

Red or orange bars vary in intensity, so some of these garters are redder than others. In many, red is. confined to skin between scales. The general color is olive, brown, or black. The dark pigment sometimes invades much of the belly. Lateral stripes are on rows two and three. All three stripes may be yellow, orange-yellow, bluish, or greenish. All scales are keeled and there is a single anal scale.

Another variety, the wandering garter snake, is found only in Sioux County in the state's northwest corner. All his scales are keeled at the middle of the body. He has a single anal plate and three light longitudinal stripes. The lateral stripes are on the second and third rows. An upper row of scales encroaches upon the median stripe.

The wanderer is medium size, smaller than the plains or red-sided garters. His color is grayish-olive or brown above with two rows of small black spots between the median and lateral stripes. The lateral stripes are pale yellowish brown. The median stripe is a brighter yellow and some of the lower scales are edged with black.

Other areas where this snake makes his home are Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Usually found in the water or nearby, this restless critter may wander far afield, especially in regions of high humidity.

Another rare variety is the western ribbon snake. This serpent is found mainly in the southeastern part of the state. He has three longitudinal light stripes. The lateral stripes are on the third and fourth rows. The predominant color is brown or black without distinct spots. Nearly one fourth of the body is made up of the tail, the maximum length of this snake reaching 27 inches. The ribbon snake is more frequently found around water than any of the other species.

Although sometimes a vicious fighter, the garter snake is not poisonous. All varieties here are members of the family, Columbridae, which includes the vast majority of the world's snakes. Basically shy, he minds his own business, and is seldom seen, but is an interesting part of the Nebraska scene.

THE END JULY, 1963 43

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