special parks issue
NEBRASKland
May 1977 60 Cents
NEBRASKland
VOL. 55 / NO. 5 / MAY 1977 Published monthly by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Sixty cents per copy. Subscription rates $5 for one year, $9 for two years. Send subscription orders to NEBRASKAland, Box 30370, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503. commission Chairman: Kenneth W. Zimmerman, Loup City North-Central District, (308) 745-1694 Vice Chairman: Don O. Bridge, Norfolk Northeast District, (402) 371-1473 2nd Vice Chairman: William G. Lindeken, Chadron Northwest District, (308) 432-3755 Gerald R. (Bud) Campbell, Ravenna South-Central District, (308) 452-3800 H. B. "Tod" Kuntzeiman, North Platte Southwest District, (308) 532-2982 Richard W. Nisley, Roca Southeast District, (402) 782-6850 Arthur D. Brown, Omaha Douglas-Sarpy District, (402) 553-9625 Director: Eugene T. Mahoney Assistant Director: William J. Bailey, Jr. Assistant Director: Dale R. Bree staff Chief, Information & Education: W. Rex Amack Editor: Lowell Johnson Editorial Assistants: Jon Farrar, Ken Bouc, Bill McClurg Contributing Editors: Bob Grier, Faye Musil, Roland Hoffman, Butch Isom Art Director: Michele Angle Earrar Illustration: Duane Westerholt Advertising: Cliff Griffin Circulation: Juanita Stefkovich Copyright Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 1977. All rights reserved. Postmaster: if undeliverable, send notice by form 3579 to Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Box 30370, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503. Second class postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska MAY 1977 Contents FEATURES A COMMISSIONER LOOKS AT CONSERVATION 6 ADVENTURES WITH WHISKERS/Junkyard Killdeer 8 A VIEW OF THE WEST 12 NEBRASKA PARKLANDS 19 State Parks 22 Recreation Areas 25 Wayside Areas 28 Historical Parks 31 Fees Nebraska State Park System 35 GHOSTS OF FORT ROBINSON 36 QUILTING ART-A TIMELESS CRAFT 38 RENOVATION OF A REFUGE 42 NOTES ON NEBRASKA FAUNA/NORTHERN PIKE 50 DEPARTMENTS SPEAK UP 4 TRADING POST 49 COVER: While everything at Arbor Lodge State Historical Park at Nebraska City is attractive, this garden or south view is particularly pleasing, from spring to fall. Photo by Bill McClurg. OPPOSITE: An infrequent late spring and summer visitor to Nebraska is the common egret. This large, white bird relies on a fish diet, so is found around water, most likely in the Platte Valley. Photo by Gary Zahm.
Speak Up
Enough Snakes!Sir / To all of the rattlesnake protectors: There is a place for all creatures on this earth, true enough. How about your home, not mine! I guess our rattlers aren't as well mannered as those in large cities. They don't even have to be provoked into striking. Contrary to some people's belief, rodents are not their only prey.
If we could hibernate during snake sea son it would be fine, but we have to go out to the fields and grasslands to earn a living. I know that someone who has never lived around rattlers, with small chil dren to protect, may look upon snake hunts as bloodthirsty. I really think, though, that the environment could keep on an even keel with many fewer snakes than we have in this area.
As the saying goes, "always sweep your own back step first." However, I'll bet there's not a rattlesnake coiled on yours!
Terry Eads Mitchell, Nebraska White Birds?Sir / I have always enjoyed "NEBRASKAland", and I believe I have an interesting item. The subject matter is two white blackbirds. Arthur Hanshaw of Parks, Ne braska shot and mounted them. In the spring (April) of 1922 at Laird Colorado, he shot a female white blackbird and mounted her. Then in the fall (September) of 1937, he shot and mounted a male while blackbird. He is 76 years old and in his lifetime has seen but one other (also at Laird, Colorado) in the fall of 1941.
He is a sportsman. Started hunting, fish ing and trapping when still a child. I think you would find it worth your time to in terview Mr. Hanshaw of Parks. I even looked up in the Guinness Book of World Records; they have nothing on albino blackbirds.
Please let me hear from you-have you ever heard of white (albino) blackbirds?
L. Steele. Security, Colorado Carp BoostersSir / Many fishermen abuse the carp, but we believe that the carp ranks among the top fish fighters in Nebraska. For example, Jack and I were fishing at Gavins Point Dam this past summer and we found out how ferocious a fighter the carp really is. I had just baited up one of my rods and an chored it down with 3 big rocks, then I went over to check my other rod. All of a sudden the rod I had just baited up went through the rocks, pushing them away and into about two feet of water. Jack had the only chance to save my best rod and reel. He jumped into the water and brought out my rod, then we fought in a 21/2-pound carp. We couldn't believe how powerful a carp that size can be. Most fish that give a fight like that would weigh 5 pounds.
We have seen many people waste the carp. People catch them and kill them and throw them on the bank. I hope this ar ticle makes a lot more fishermen realize that the carp can be a real challenge to catch, and is good eating too. So next time you catch a carp and you don't want it, give it to somebody that does or release it back into the water. Don't waste the carp for it is too good a fish to be wasted.
Larry Carder and Jack Hale Emerson, Nebraska Saved the DaySir / While we were on a fishing weekend trip last fall at Silver Creek, our four-year old grandson caught the biggest "prize" of all. He had his own pole, rigged up espe cially for him by Grandpa. The adults were very busy doing some serious fishing so he was directed to an area by himself where he could practice casting. Suddenly he hooked onto something and he tugged, pulled and heaved; the adults, meanwhile, giving mild verbal assistance thinking his line was snagged in a tree. When he pulled his catch into shallow water, it turned out to be the stringer that held the most and largest fish caught that day-and it had come loose from the lake bed and he hooked it as it went by him. Needless to say, he had several adults running to his aid when they saw those fish! All were saved and he was the hero of the day.
Mrs. Alvin Arnold Beatrice, Nebraska Garbage Heads!Sir / Enclosed is a photo I took after pheasant season last year. The garbage was thrown over the fence into my field by some "friendly" hunters. I enjoy hunting myself and am happy to let hunters onto my property and into my fields if they ask to hunt and are responsible. However, I question whether mixing alcohol with guns makes responsible hunters! I also wonder how these same hunters would like someone throwing garbage into their NEBRASKAland yard. If some hunters wonder why farmers and landowners are unhappy with them, the above photo clearly shows we do not appreciate hunters who do not respect our property. Thank you for letting me "Speak Up". I do enjoy NEBRASKAland very much.
Walter Biermann Wisner, Nebraska We Want Trout!Sir / The Game Commission must be very proud of itself for establishing such a large retail trout market at Two Rivers, selling them for 40 to 50 cents each. According to "Afield and Afloat" 33,000 rainbow were put in there in June but to my knowledge none were stocked in Verdigre Creek at Royal. Northeast and north-central fish ermen's permit fees helped establish the rearing ponds at Royal and I think these people are entitled to have a few (maybe 300 to 400 per week) stocked in their natu ral habitat of Verdigre Creek. NEBRASKA Iand stated a couple of years ago that trout, if not caught, would starve to death in Two Rivers in 30 days because of no natural food. Fishing there could not be considered sport fishing. For the trout it is a choice—die of starvation or grab a hook and take your chance. The fishermen from the Omaha—Lincoln area deserve a piece of the action, but so do the people in northern Nebraska.
Don Kinney South Sioux City, Nebraska Sharp EyeSir / While reading the December 1976 NEBRASKAland, I was looking at the pic ture of "Three mule deer does stand sil houetted by waning afternoon sun" on page 30. I believe that the caption would better read: "Two mule deer does and a whitetail doe stand silhouetted by waning afternoon sun". Have another peek at the doe on the left; small ears and fan tail. Kind of looks like a whitetail, doesn't it? Come on you guys, what do you think?
Let me know if you agree with me. Keep up the good work on one of the best magazines around. Give your photogra pher a raise, but, hang that guy that wrote the caption by the thumbs until January's issue comes out.
Terry Taulborg Omaha, NebraskaUnfortunately, you are right, and after hanging up the captioneer, we elicited a humble "I'm sorry" from him. (Editor)
Eastern BoosterSir / In a few years I shall be taking early retirement from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and hope to devote more time and effort to wildlife and habitat in your state. I am impressed with your state and its people. Local contact is my father-in-law who, in cidentally, has been a professional Santa Claus for over 50 years, bringing joy and laughter to many. A state with such people must be proud. My NEBRASKAland Maga zines find their way to work for all to see and read what Nebraska is like, in antici pation that if only one easterner goes that way on vacation he will be as impressed as me, with hopes that they will return for another visit. Or, lure others to see the varied topography of Nebraska and the historical sites that have played such a big part in making this nation as great as it is. True, it all* started with our original colo nies here in the east, but it's where the west begins that is so fascinating.
Alexis G. Wollovest Windsor, Connecticut. Friends AfieldSir / We are writing in behalf of the tourist business in Nebraska, especially in the fall of the year. Opening day of hunting sea son finds all the hotels, motels, and avail able rooms filled with hunters from many states. For the most part, they are a pretty good bunch of fellows. It was through the season that our family became acquainted with a lovely bunch of people and we think that Nebraska has a real good name 900 miles away in Danville, Indiana. It all began about 13 years ago, one fall day when my husband was harvesting milo and a car pulled to a stop on Hiway 136 at Franklin, NE. The car load of seven hunters got out and approached the com bine. They were looking for an area to hunt. After visiting awhile, my husband told them he would go with them the fol lowing day. From that time on we have made the fall of the year a time to look forward to.
Last summer our family was invited to spend a few days at one of these gentle man's homes in Indiana and we had a lovely time. We have moved to Holdrege, NE since the first meeting and they have followed us to this area also. They went home with only half their possession limit, but they didn't seem to be disappointed at all. We hope that the Nebraska people and hospitality will be long remembered as a bright spot on the USA map.
Subscriptions to NEBRASKAland Maga zine were sent a couple of weeks ago to Indiana and I know they will enjoy it as they are great nature lovers. Keep up the good work on the magazine.
Mr. & Mrs. Virgil Schmidt Holdrege, Nebraska
A COMMISSIONER LOOKS AT CONSERVATION
Game Commission chairman Ken Zimmerman's view on habitat
EACH YEAR, wildlife numbers, particularly small and upland game, decline further in Nebraska. With this decline, however, more and more Nebraskans have become concerned about the future of the state's wildlife and have asked what can be done.
Before you can solve a problem, you must know its cause. In the case of declining wildlife populations, the cause can be attributed primar ily to the loss of wildlife habitat in the state.
Since I began hunting in Nebraska over 35 years ago, there have been some major changes in the use of the land. One place that I hunt contains less and less hedgerow each year. The farmer I hunted with theorized that the quail would just move on down to the creek or across the road to another hedgerow. This may have been true in the past, but now the one across the road is gone, and the creekside cover has been dozed out and leveled. Last year another farmer I hunt with, who is a genuine con servationist and sportsman, made no provision to protect his beautiful grass waterways and brush patches. When he put cattle on his stalk ground, the cattle ruined them, as well as the good fence rows, thus destroying the year around cover of the pheasants and quail.
There used to be diverted acres or soil bank program which held in reserve a large amount of land in the state. This land retirement program had a lot more benefits then many people real ized. Thousands of acres of Nebraska land were planted to native grasses or to legume crops such as sweet and red clover. This provided year-around protection for the land from wind and water erosion. In addition, the legume crops added nitrogen to the soil for crops in the future as well as increasing the organic matter present in the soil. These lands also acted as bird hatch eries for Nebraska's number-one game bird, the ring-necked pheasant. When these programs were discontinued and the land put back into food production, down went the habitat needed by the pheasant to reproduce and live, and down went Nebraska's pheasant population. The reason? No income is derived from land when it is not used, if government payments stopped.
Another change that took place in agriculture is the way the farmer grows crops. There used to be diversified farming operations that grew corn, soybeans, alfalfa, native grasses, oats and wheat all on one section of land. Today, it is not un common to see 640 acres of corn in one field. For wildlife, this change has been dramatic. It is important for wildlife to eat, and while corn does provide food, wildlife habitat must also in clude nesting cover, travel lanes, roosting areas and loafing spots.
Studies conducted by the Game and Parks Commission indicate that wheat and oats are the primary production areas for pheasants in Nebraska. Those diversified farming operations of the past, which included small grains, pro vided a great variety of nesting, roosting and feeding areas for wildlife, all within a short dis tance. As we went to larger farming units which only grow one or two crops, wildlife populations dropped.
Another way wildlife has been affected in Ne braska is in how agricultural crops are harvested. Alfalfa is a preferred nesting cover for pheasants. It used to be that the first cutting of alfalfa was later, and some pheasants were produced in these areas. Today, the farmer harvests his alfalfa crop earlier when the protein content is higher. As a result, the pheasant does not have a chance to complete its full nesting cycle. This, plus the fact that we are using swathers and are night cutting alfalfa, means that we are losing a lot more birds to alfalfa harvesting than ever before.
We can't bring back the land retirement pro grams of yesterday, the small diversified farming operations, the late cutting of alfalfa, or even many of the shelterbelts and hedgerows which once existed. (Continued on page 45)
NEBRASKAland
Adventures with Whiskers the prairie vole
Junkyard Killdeer
MEET MY FRIEND the killdeer. I call him my junkyard killdeer because that is vVhere i we first met. I was traveling one day from Crete, going to Ashland to visit my great uncle on my mother's side of the family. There are mostly corn and milo fields around so I follow the creek bottoms whenever I can. It's a lot safer than walking out in the open where a hungry hawk or fox can see me. When I got close to Lincoln I started fol lowing Salt Creek. It's kind of pretty along the creek, even though man has cut a lot of the trees and pushed up the banks. I must have been gawking at the big state capitol or something. Before I knew what was happening I bumped into something big
When I finally got on my feet I saw
that the bird was a killdeer and I had
stumbled into her nest on the
edge of the city dump. Killdeer eat
mostly insects and once in a while a
snail or crayfish so there was nothing
for me to worry about. It was kind of
exciting, like being
in a hospital where all the new babies
are born. The father killdeer
was off feeding so I stayed
and talked
She told me killdeer are not as fussy as most shorebirds. A meadow, pasture or even a plowed field will do for a nest. In fact they make the best nest because the parents can see danger a long distance away. Their eggs are the same color as the ground and all the odd shaped spots help them to blend in with the pebbles the parents gather for the nest. Nesting in a dump is nothing new for a killdeer. In fact, over 50 years ago a man found a nest in broken glass and bottles near Lincoln and wrote about it in a book.Who knows that killdeer could have been the great, great grandmother of my junkyard killdeer.
If a stray dog or a man comes too close to a killdeer's nest the mother or father will lure the intruder away by acting like it has a broken wing. The mother killdeer wanted to get up and stretch
After 25 days the eggs start to hatch. The parents carry the pieces of egg shell away so they won't attract predators. When all the chicks are out and dry they scurry off into the grass where they can hide. They look like little fluffy balls on top of two tooth picks.
I wished the junkyard killdeer good luck and went on my way. In a few days the family would be busy hunting for insects.
A VIEW OF THE WEST
THE LAND IS like a wise old man-it has things to say, stories that it must tell to those who listen. Sometimes those who do listen act as agents to pass on stories. How they tell the land's yarns are different.
The tales of personal challenge and hardship are seen in the weathered and gnarled hands of a western Nebraska rancher. The ruddy face and suppressed tenseness of a wheat farmer before a big storm at harvest time portrays the persistence found only in rural Nebraska. Then there is the quiet talking of cowboys with their horses at sunset. All of these lifestyles transmit something with a special rever ence. They portray the story of man and his land—a way of life.
I met an individual who, with his art and action, portrays this way of life with and for the land. Doug Marcy of Hay Springs is a western artist out to portray a way of life "with reverence," as he says. Doug
Pick-Up Man .. . The world spins as you be come enveloped in a world of bucking vertigo. The sounds of the crowd are all blended to form a roar accompanied by the syncopation of stomping hooves on packed dirt. A buzzer sounds and the pick-up man is there welcoming you back to the real world Readying . . . There are times of quiet con tempi a tion -giving nervous a tten tion to your equipment, but most of all just think ing of those few seconds when the world is upside down, jumping in blurred spasms, sometimes culminating in a bone-jarring impact when ground suddenly meets rider
says of his art: "You've got to capture the real times of western life out here. It's important that my pictures are real, not the shoot'em-up, ride'em-hard pictures that give a falseness to the whole thing". Doug began western art seven years ago, and it has been his art that has told a story about a land and its people here in western Nebraska.
There is a feeling that pervades Doug's ranch-house studio. One can sense the mellow yet intense feeling of what it is to be a Nebraska rancher. You know that things here, like in his art, are essential and real. "Western Nebraska living is and should be the living out of a feel ing—a need to listen to the land," says Doug.
"The land sets the stage for a way of life out here", Doug contin ues. "It's wild at times, and at other times it's so quiet. To me, cowboys doing their thing epitomizes the best of the west, so to speak. The rodeo is always a factor in my art. Rodeo is western Nebraska life, in a way. There are times of wild action followed by the solitude of walking away after being bucked off a horse. There's a feeling between a man and his animal. This to me is the thing that is the west and holds the spirit of western Nebraska life. Rodeo is a yvay of life."
Doug's medium, like his subjects, are simple yet adequate. He uses only a pencil to capture action and subject, all in extreme detail. Here is the west of today as seen and portrayed by a young artist—the west in all its moods.
Shoeing Time . . . Excitement done, there are still the important things to be done in the quiet of the family ranch
things that calm and soothe the body, spirit and mind
Fiddlin' and Pickin'. . . The sound of whoops and hollers,
the tapping of boots, and the good natured slaps of friends
are among timeless scenes that endure in western Nebraska
From Paint to Paper Towels
HAVE YOU EVER had guests for a week? You cleaned house especially well and purchased extra food (even those special items you never buy). An extra effort was made to fix the leak in the bathroom. But, the week passed quickly, and great times were had by all.
Balancing the checkbook at the end of that month was a shock, though, wasn't it? Those special food items are normally not purchased for good reason. And, the utility bills seemed especially high. On top of that, all the extra fingerprints on the walls just didn't wash off, and now you really want to paint instead of waiting like you planned.
The people of Nebraska invite themselves, their rela tives, neighbors, and people from near and far, onto State Park lands week after week after week. Great times are had by all, but checkbooks have to be balanced!
To provide for your own guests' visits, you didn't buy a fancy new car, a color television, or expensive jewelry. You bought practical items: food, utilities, toilet paper, soap and paint. The Parks Division of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, in its job of operating and maintaining the various state park areas, purchases huge quantities of many of these items each year. In preparing this yearns $316 million Operations and Maintenance Bud get, expenses were divided into five categories: Personal Services, Operating Expenses, Operating Supplies and Materials, Travel and Capital Outlays.
Over 60% of this budget is for Personal Services-the employees of the State Park System. It includes everyone from the superintendent who is responsible for the total operation and maintenance of a park to the young summer temporary who picks up trash.
Operating Expenses include the many day-to-day items-postage, telephone bills, vehicle repairs, cleaning, and the largest single item for many of us, utility bills, in cluding heating fuels, electricity, and water. The Parks System required almost $130,000 for utilities this year. Next to employee wages, Operating Expenses are the second biggest budget item, requiring $570,000 this year or 16% of the O & M budget.
Operating Supplies and Materials include those items used by employees working on the park area or by people using the park area. During 1977, Parks Division will bulk purchase some 32,000 rolls of toilet paper and 300,000 paper towels, 70,000 garbage bags, 10,000 pounds of grass seed, 5,500 bars of soap, 2,100 gallons and 400 pounds of various cleaners, 7,800 quarts of oil, 3,600 gal lons of paint and 4,500 light bulbs . . . just a sampling of the items needed to run a park. Supplies comprise nearly 10% of the budget or $360,000 for this year.
Travel is the smallest expenditure category, costing about $56,000 this year. Gasoline and oil expended "on the area" is not included in this category. Major ex penditures involve rental of automobiles from the state's Transportation Services Bureau for use by superinten dents traveling on or off their areas and for expenses for personnel traveling away from their areas on park business.
Capital Outlays are monies expended for the pur chase of maintenance equipment such as pickups, mow ers, tools and office equipment. Some of this money is used to expand the supply of available equipment, but most of it is used to replace worn-out equipment. This year about $230,000 will be spent, 7% of the O & M budget.
Parks' money comes from you, the taxpayer and park- user. About 20% comes from the "Park Cash Fund" which is money collected from park fees such as for camping, cabins or swimming pools. The other 80% comes from the state General Fund, which is money collected from state sales and income taxes. Neither of these funds is allocated by the Game and Parks Commission, but by the people through the Governor and state senators. Fees collected in the parks are re-budgeted in essentially the same manner as general tax monies.
Like the family home, it takes money to operate a park. The level of that operation depends on the funds allotted.
Modern or primitive, isolated retreat or family fun spot, you can pick your pleasure from among 92 park areas
NEBRASKA PARKLANDS
Photo by Lou EilPICTURESQUE trails, sparkling lakes, meandering rivers, convenient campgrounds, secluded fishing holes, rustic cabins, rugged buttes, pine studded hills ... all this and much more make up Nebraska's state parks system.
There's something for virtually every outdoor recreation-minded Nebraskan, and well over 7,000,000 people take ad vantage of these offerings each year. For a week or a weekend, there's a state park area within easy reach of most any Ne braska community, from sprawling Lake McConaughy near Ogallala to Victoria Springs near Anselmo to Lewis and Clark Lake near Crofton to Wildcat Hills near Gering to Indian Cave in the southeast corner.
The state parks system, operated by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, encompasses 92 areas that dot the state to afford close-to-home recreation to Ne braskans. These areas fall into four dis tinct categories, based on the type of ac tivities and facilities provided—state parks, state recreation areas, state wayside areas, and state historical parks.
State parks are the "Hiltons" of the sys tem. They offer an all-inclusive package of recreational opportunities and facil ities. The list runs the gamut from swim ming pools to horseback trail rides and from comfortable cabins to modern campgrounds.
Recreation areas are generally keyed to a specific use, varying from scenic back packing to water sports. Depending on that use, they may or may not be highly developed and range in size from Cham pion Lake's 3 land acres to Medicine Creek's 6,726 land acres.
Wayside areas cater to day-use, primar ily by travelers for such things as picnick ing. They are usually relatively small areas, located along highways.
Historical parks (8 in all) reach into an entirely different arena. They preserve and interpret Nebraska's unique historical heritage, not only for today but for future generations as well. These sites range from frontier forts (Atkinson, Hartsuff, and Kearny) to Scout's Rest Ranch, home of the legendary frontier scout turned showman, William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Historical parks also provide outdoor ex periences from picnicking at Arbor Lodge to camping at Ash Hollow.
Depending on the weather and other factors, park facilities are generally open from late May to early September. Day use and primitive camping are permitted at many areas year-round.
Many areas accommodate campers with facilities ranging from primitive to ultra modern. Fees are charged at some
Tiny Champion Lake to
sprawling Lewis and Clark
Lake, state park areas span the
length and breadth of
Nebraska, offering every type
and description of outdoor
recreational experience
sites and are based on the type of conve niences offered. All camping is on a first come, first-served basis and is limited to stays of 14 days on any one area, except at wayside areas where the limit is two days.
Housekeeping cabins are available at four of the five state parks and at Victoria Springs State Recreation Area. Reserva tions are accepted for two or more nights and must be made directly with the park superintendent. One-night stays are on a first-come basis.
If you're planning a trip to one of the major park areas, though, try to schedule your stay for a time, other than a holiday period for a quality park experience. These are super busy times at many of the popular areas.
Pets are permitted on state park areas, but dogs must be kept on leash except in designated dog training areas or in areas open to hunting. Other household pets are permitted under physical restraint.
Fishermen and hunters, too, can pur sue their sports on many state park areas. However, hunting is permitted only on certain areas and dates are restricted.
Park-goers can enjoy a vast variety of things to see and do, things like boating, fishing, trail rides, camping, water skiing, hiking, swimming, backpacking, and birdwatching. Or, they can simply loll in the sun, freed briefly from the cares of day-to-day living. Early risers can absorb the unparalleled beauty of a sunrise over the plains and the spectacular gifts of a bountiful Nature.
From the verdant valley of the Missouri to the undulating sandhills to the chis eled terrain of the Wildcat Hills, Nebraska advances unexpected scenic vistas, in triguing history, and warm hospitality. And, the state park areas nestle amid it all. They beckon anyone with a taste for outdoor fun and adventure to partake of the many offerings.
Family fun spot or isolated retreat, there's a state park area to fill the bill. So, plan now for good times ahead, and pick your own particular place in the sun from among Nebraska's 92 park areas awaiting your pleasure.
STATE PARKS
Photos by Bill McClurgFOR OUTDOOR experiences at JU their finest, Nebraska's five state parks are the answer. Located within five hours driving time of any Nebraska community, they of fer 26,000 acres of some of the most spectacular scenery in the state.
Four have guest cabins, and three have swimming pools. All provide camping. Activities include trail rides, hiking, fishing, sightseeing, historic tours, hunting, backpack ing, and more.
The largest is Fort Robinson near Crawford with over 21,000 acres. Snuggled in the shadow of the Pine Ridge, history abounds at this sto ried outpost. You can spend the night in the lodge, which once housed the cavalry of bygone days. Here, the gallant Cheyenne, under Crazy Horse, made their last des perate bid for freedom. Tours are conducted throughout the sum mer, and you can even enjoy rep ertory theater at the Post Playhouse. Activities galore combine to make a stay at Fort Rob a memorable ex perience.
Chadron State Park, Nebraska's oldest, lies just a few miles east of Fort Rob. An up-to-date recreational com plex, it was established in 1921 and en compasses 840 acres of picturesque Pine Ridge country. At an altitude near ing 4,000 feet, the humidity is low and nights are cool, an added plus with many visitors.
At the opposite corner of the state, Indian Cave straddles the Richardson Nemaha county line. Nebraska's newest park, its 3,000 acres embrace some 3 miles of wooded Missouri River bluffs. It is still in the swaddling stages of de velopment, but visitors can enjoy its rich past and unique flora as they hike, picnic, or primitive camp. Horseback trail rides are available.
Upstream some 200-plus miles. Ponca State Park perches atop the picturesque bluffs overlooking the mighty Missouri on Nebraska's northeast border. Estab lished in 1934, Ponca offers a complete recreational complex that emcompasses
836 acres of scenic rolling hills and hardwood forest. Here, the visitor can relive the adventures of Lewis and Clark, the intrepid explorers who opened the West.
Neighboring Niobrara State Park ac- cords much the same facilities as Ponca. Located at the juncture of the Missouri and Niobrara rivers, it is slowly suc- combing to those rivers and is destined from relocation. Meantime, though, it is business as usual, and visitors can still enjoy its many attributes, which include a swimming pool and peaceful lagoon.
Fun for all and all for fun, that's what the state parks have in store. For a many-faceted vacation in Nebraska's great outdoors, the state parks have it all for you. They extend an invitation to ex- periences that can last a lifetime, but you'll want to do it again and again and again.
RECREATION AREAS
Outdoor fun is only as far away as your closest SRA. There are 57 of them sprinkled around the state, with attractions from put-and-take fishing to hiking and camping in the wild country
OUTDONE IN size and developments only by the state parks, Nebraska's 57 recreation areas comprise the largest category in the State Parks system. Almost all of them offer some sort of water oriented recreation, from the put and-take trout fishing at Two Rivers near Valley to mammoth reservoirs like McConaughy near Ogallala. Virtually every area boasts some thing that sets it apart from all the others.
Victoria Springs near Anselmo has justly been dubbed one of the prettiest spots in Nebraska, and it is the only rec area that provides cab ins. As one would suppose, it takes its name from the springs on the area. In the heyday of the spas, Victoria catered to a diverse clientele, and its springs were hailed iar and wide. Its waters were even bottled for sale across the nation. Off the beaten path, Victoria remains as a charming place to get away from it all.
Two other favorite spots are Lewis and Clark Lake north of Crofton, with six areas, and Lake McConaughy with five. Created by one of the mainstem dams on the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark stretches upstream for over 20 miles. It combines the picturesque river bluffs with all manner of water sports to serve a wide area. Diago nally across the state, Big Mac offers much the same facilities on its over-100 miles of shoreline. There, Kingsley Dam holds back the waters of the North Platte River, creat ing a vast water playground of visitors each year. Five of the state hook-and-line fishing records were hauled from Big Mac.
Extremely popular Fremont Lakes
celebrated its golden anniversary as
The rugged grandeur of the Wildcat Hills dominates all horizons at the rec area of the same name south of Gering. This picturesque area more than fills the bill for the most avid backpacker and primitive camping buff. Buffalo and elk roam the rough terrain of the adjacent state game refuge, offering a possible glimpse of the shaggy critters that once spread like a blanket across the plains. Wildcat is also an area laden with his tory, for the range heralded the chang ing country to the westbound pioneer, as the prairies rise to meet the Rockies. Scotts Bluff National Monument and museum are just a few miles away.
Campers who want to sample life in
Another charming but often overlooked area is Dead Timber north of Scribner. Along with the standard fare, this scenic Elkhorn River spot also boasts a native grass museum.
The Salt Valley lakes around Lincoln have been a boon to outdoor recreation in the southeast. The seven rec areas in the complex provide 7,675 acres of land and 3,780 acres of water to lake-hungry southeast Nebraskans. The largest is Branched Oak at 3,961 land acres and 1,800 water acres. In their short lifespan, the Salt Valley lakes have become the state's most heavily used areas, drawing well over 2 million visitors each year.
Recreation Areas ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Alexandria Lakes 4 mi. E. Alexandria 394 46 R u Concession. Important Oregon Trail site at nearby Rock Creek Arnold Lake 1 mi. S. Arnold 18 22 R On upper reaches of Loup River Atkinson Lake 1 mi. W. Atkinson 36 14 R u Upper end Elkhorn River Bluestem 21/2 mi. W. Sprague 483 325 A Popular Salt Valley lake Bowman Lake Vi mi. W. Loup City 23 20 R West edge Loup City on Middle Loup River Box Butte 91/2 mi. N. Hemingford 612 1,600 A u On Niobrara River near scenic Pine Ridge Branched Oak Lake 3 mi. N. Malcolm or 4 mi. W. Raymond 3.795 1,800 A 4 u Largest lake in Salt Valley Complex Bridgeport Bridgeport 127 70 A u Sandpit lakes on North Platte River Brownville Brownville 23 Riv. River access, historical river town Champion Lake Vi mi. W. Champion 3 11 On Frenchmen Geek Conestoga 3 mi. S., Vi mi. W. Emerald 486 230 * - A Cottonwood Lake Vi mi. £., Vi mi. S. Merriman 180 60 A u West edge of Cherry County, sandhill country Crystal Lake 11/2 mi. N. Ayr 33 30 R Animal Research Center east of Hastings Dead Timber 4 mi. N., IV2 mi. W. Scribner 150 50 R Native grass museum, centennial tree planting Enders Reservoir 5 mi. E., 4V2 mi. S. Imperial 3,643 1,707 A • u On Frenchman Creek, modern restrooms Fremont lakes 3 mi. W. Fremont 401 269 A 2 u Rental boats Gallagher Canyon 8 mi. S. Cozad 24 400 A On Tri-County Irr. Canal Hord lake 2 mi. E. Central City 64 20 R u Station on Overland and Morman Trails Johnson Lake 7 mi. S. Lexington 50 2,061 F A u Modern showers Kearney Va mi. E., 1 mi. N. Fort Kearny State Historical Park 130 24 F R u Pioneer Village nearby Lake Maloney 6 mi. S. North Platte 132 1,000 A u Buffalo Bill Ranch nearby Lake McConaughy 5,492 34,700 Eagle Canyon 4 mi. N. U.S. 26, on Eagle Canyon Road P A u Southside Lake Mac, scenic area Gate 13 3V2 mi. S., 14 mi. W. jet. Nebr. 61 and 92 P A u Large cedar tree planting Martin Bay 12 mi. N. Ogallala 120 A u Concessions nearby, at north end of dam Omaha Beach Vi mi. S., 18 mi. W. jet. Nebr. 61 and 92 100 A u Near Clear Creek Waterfowl Refuge Otter Creek 3/10 mi. S., 12 mi. W. Jet. Nebr. 61 and 92 5 0 A u Boats, concessions nearby Lake Ogallala 9 mi. NE Ogallala 339 320 A u Concessions nearby Lewis and Clark 15 mi. N. Crofton 1,221 7,349 Bloomfield A Access to Lewis & Clark Lake Deep Water A Access to Lewis & Clark Lake Miller Creek A Access to Lewis & Clark Lake South Shore A Access to Lewis & Clark Lake Wiegand East A u Concession, scenic shelterbelts Wiegand West A Scenic shelterbelts Long Lake 20 mi. SW Johnstown, county road 30 50 A* u Secluded primitive campsite Long Pine 1 mi. N. Long Pine 154 Scenic canyons Louisville Lakes Vi mi. NW Louisville 142 50 R u Platte River access Medicine Creek 2 mi. W., 7 mi. N. Cambridge 6,726 1,768 A u Rental boats Memphis Lake Memphis 160 48 R Rental boats, site of old ice plant Merritt Reservoir 25 mi. SW Valentine, county road 6,147 2,906 A 4 u Concession, Nat'l. Forest, Ft. Niobrara and Valentine Nat'l. Wildlife Refuges nearby Minatare Lake 4 mi. E., 4 mi. N. Scottsbluff 812 2,158 A 5 u Waterfowl refuge, concession, Scottsbluff Nat'l. Monument nearby Olive Creek V/i mi. SE Kramer 438 175 A* u One of Salt Valley lakes Pawnee 2 mi. W., 3 mi. N. Emerald 1,906 740 A 3 u Near Lincoln, State Capitol, U.N., etc. Pibel Lake 9 mi. S.,1 mi. E. Bartlett 43 24 R Secluded Sand Hills lake Ravenna Lake 1 mi. SE Ravenna 53 30 R Primitive camp area on South Loup River Red Willow Reservoir 11 mi. N. McCook 4,320 1,628 A u Rental boats, concession Riverview Marina Nebraska City on Missouri River 37 A River access Rock Creek 4 mi. N., 1 mi. W. Parks 165 50 R u Rockford 7 mi. E., 2 mi. S. Beatrice 286 150 A u Mud Creek Watershed Project Sherman Reservoir 4 mi. E., 1 mi. N. Loup City 4,721 2,845 A u Stagecoach 1 mi. S. Hickman 412 195 A* 5 mph boating near area Swans on Reservoir 2 mi. W. Trenton 3,957 4,973 A u Two Rivers 1 mi. S., 1 mi. W. Venice 644 320 s Concessions, fee trout fishing Verdon lake 1 mi. W. Verdon 30 45 R Near Indian Cave State Park Victoria Springs 7 mi. N. Merna or 7 mi. E. Anselmo 64 6 R Boat rental, housekeeping cabins Wagon Train 2 mi. E. Hickman 720 325 A* u 5 mph boating Walgren Lake 5 mi. SE Hay Springs 80 50 R Waterfowl refuge, Old Jules Country Wildcat Hills 10 mi. S. Gering 893 Game refuge with buffalo and elk R~Nonpower or electric power. A-All craft allowed. N-Nonpower craft only. A*-Restricted 5 mph boating. S-Supervised. U-Unsupervised. P-Primitive Camping. F-Camping fee.
WAYSIDE AREAS
Pastoral settings enhance appeal of Nebraska's 23 SWA's for the traveler and picnicker
RELAX AND break the tedium of a long drive, or just get away from the hustle for a few hours spent pick nicking with the family. You can do just that at any of 23 state wayside areas.
From simple Republican Valley with its 3 acres to deluxe Mormon Island with its 153 acres, these pleasant roadside stops offer a respite from the hectic pace. For the most part, their offerings are plain: picnic tables, fireplaces, water, and sani tary facilities, although there are a couple of notable exceptions. Two I-80 areas, Mormon Island and Windmill, provide intensely developed camping facilities with parking pads, showers, lakes for swimming, fishing and non-power boat ing, and room aplenty for just loafing.
Both are part of the "Chain of Lakes" that was formed when fill material was taken to build the superhighway. Located at the Grand Island Interchange (U.S. 281), Mormon Island draws its name from history, for several Mormon families wintered on the island during their west ward trek of 1884.
Situated at the Gibbon Interchange, Windmill was also a stopping place for early day travelers. It gets its name from the locale, Windmill Crossing, where the Pawnee forded the Platte River during their annual buffalo hunts. However, modern-day travelers will find an assort ment of antique windmills on the area to pique their fancy. The largest stands over 60 feet high and has a 20-foot wheel with over 200 wooden blades. First raised in the 1890% it was rebuilt for the park.
Most of Nebraska's waysides are lo cated on other highways and byways, however. Scenic Cochran SWA, south of Crawford on Nebr. 2, nestles on the edge of the Pine Ridge. Nebraska's first way side area, Blue River, just off U.S. 6 south of Milford, remains highly popular.
Chalkmine SWA, south of Scotia, gives visitors the opportunity to tour one of the few shaft mines in the state. Available for day-use only, explorers should carry flashlights, since visibility is limited to light from the entrances. The cave main tains a 40° temperature all winter and re mains 20° cooler than the outside air in the summer.
HISTORICAL PARKS
History comes to life at state's eight SHP's. From flamboyance of Buffalo Bill's ranch at North Platte to verdant elegance of Arbor Lodge at Nebraska City, you can glimpse the yesterdays that went into making up Nebraska's rich and colorful past
Photos by Bill McClurgNEBRASKANS enjoy a rich heritage, and the state's eight historical parks preserve small pieces of that heri tage not only for today but for genera tions to come as well. Several areas offer the ordinary aspects of park life, like pic nicking at Arbor Lodge and camping at Ash Hollow. For the most part, though, the emphasis is on presenting a kaleido scope of Nebraska's fascinating yester days . . . from frontier forts to homes of the famous.
Fort Atkinson at Fort Calhoun was the first such outpost west of the Missouri River. It was built in 1820 on a bluff over looking the river on a site recommended by Lewis and Clark. It was one of a string of forts proposed to stretch from the Mis souri to the Yellowstone to protect the fur trade. Still undergoing development and interpretation, visitors are welcome to explore the site and tour the museum.
Some 28 years later, construction be gan on Fort Kearny to protect traffic on the Oregon Trail . . . emigrant wagons, overland stages, prospectors, huge freighting caravans, and finally, railroad construction crews. It was a bustling mili tary installation for over 20 years, but its usefulness declined. It was abandoned in 1871 and torn down. Today, several struc tures have been reconstructed, including the stockade. There is a visitor center museum on the area.
Fort Hartsuff near Ord was an active military post for oniy seven years (1874 81). Built on the North Loup River to pro tect both the white settlers and friendly Pawnee from the Sioux, Hartsuff was an infantry post with a garrison of fewer than 100 men. Unlike Atkinson and Kearny, though, many of the original buildings still remain, and several of them have been renovated.
Probably the most flamboyant charac ter to emerge from the Old West was one William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Freighter, Pony Express rider, Army scout, Indian fighter, and finally show man, Cody took the West to the East when the West was still wild. In doing so, he conquered continents. Scout's Rest Ranch, the home he built at North Platte, was his retreat from the world. Now a historical park, stuffed with Cody memo rabilia, it vividly recalls those dashing days of yesteryear.
At Nebraska City, the stately home of
another famous son recalls his contribu
tions to the state and nation. Arbor
Lodge, with its verdant, tree-laced
grounds, was the home of J. Sterling Mor
ton, founder of Arbor Day. journalist
turned politician, Morton was the first
Nebraskan appointed to the U.S. Cabinet, serving as Secretary of Ag
riculture under Grover Cleveland. Arbor Lodge reflects the deep con
cern with nature that Morton promoted throughout his life. A gath
ering place for many of the notables of his day, the lodge has 52
rooms, decorated with many period furnishings and art.
Relics of Nebraska's long-ago past blend with remnants of recent history to make Ash Hollow near Lewellen a truly unique area. Arch eological excavations at Ash Hollow cave indicate early man used the area as much as 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. An important stop on the Oregon Trail, road-weary pioneers rested and repaired wagons and equipment damaged in the dangerous descent of Windlass Hill just upstream. Ruts etched by thousands of wagons are still visible. Near Ash Hollow is a still undeveloped historic site, Blue Water Bat tlefield.
Champion Mill on the Frenchman River is the last water-powered mill in Nebraska. The three-story structure operated from 1884 to 1969, although flour-milling had to be discontinued during World War II because of labor shortages.
Another area awaits development—Rock Creek Pony Express Sta tion at Fairbury, where Wild Bill Hickok launched his gun-fighting career in a controversial "shootout" with neighbors.
FEES . . . NEBRASKA STATE PARKS SYSTEM
Published by NEBRASKAland Magazine, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Text by Liz Huff Additional copies of Nebraska Parklands may be obtained from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503 Game and Parks Commissioners: Chairman: Kenneth W. Zimmerman, Loup City North-Central District, (308) 745-1694 Vice Chairman: Don O. Bridge, Norfolk Northeast District, (402) 371-1473 2nd Vice Chairman: William G. Lindeken, Chadron Northwest District, (308) 432-3755 Geraid R. (Bud) Campbell, Ravenna South-Central District, (306) 452-3800 H. B. (Tod) Kuntzeiman, North Platte Southwest District, (308) 532-2982 Richard W. Nisley, Roca Southeast District, (402) 782-6850 Arthur D. Brown, Omaha Douglas-Sarpy District, (402) 553-9625 Director: Eugene T. Mahoney Assistant Director: William J. Bailey, Jr. Assistant Director: Dale R. BreeALL FEES listed are subject to change. For more infor- mation or to make reservations, contact the individ- ual park superintendent. Reservations are accepted be- ginning January 1 for the following season on a first- come basis.
Advance reservations may be made for two or more nights, and an advance deposit for two nights is required. Deposits cannot be refunded for cancellations or failure to appear. No one-night reservations are accepted, but units may be rented for one night on a first-come basis. Check-in time is 4 p.m., and check-out fime is 11 a.m., unless other arrangements are made with the superintendent, superintendent.
All camping is on a first-come, first-served basis, and stays are limited to a maximum of 14 days, except state wayside areas where the limit is 2 days.
FORT ROBINSON STATE PARK Camping: $1.50; electrical hookup, 50$ Group Camping: 25T per person Cabins1: Two-bedroom, $16; three-bedroom, $20; four-bedroom, $24 Lodge: Double bed, $8; two twin beds, $10 Brick Houses2: Five-bedroom, $40; six-bedroom, $46; seven-bedroom, $52 Group Multi-Use Facilities3: Full facility, $50 per day Extra Beds: Rollaway, $2; crib, $2 Horse Trail Rides: $2 Horse Stall Rental: $2; $3 with hay Put-and-Take Trout Fishing: $2 CHADRON STATE PARK Camping: $1.50 Group Camping: 25$ per person Cabins1: Two-bedroom, $14-$16 Group Multi-Use Facilities3: Full facility, $100 per day kitchen and dining only, $40 per day Extra Beds: Rollaway, $2; crib, $2 Horse Trail Rides: $2 Swimming Pool: Adult, 75$; child, 35T Boat Rental: $1 per hour; $3 all day NIOBRARA STATE PARK Camping: $1.50; electrical hookup, 50$ Group Camping: 25$ per person Cabins1: One-bedroom, $12; two-bedroom, $16 Group Multi-Use Facilities3: Full facility, $50 per day; kitchen and dining only, $20 per day Extra Beds: Rollaway, $2; crib, $2 Horse Trail Rides: $2 Swimming Pool: Adult, 75$; child, 35$ Boat Rental: $1 per hour; $3 all day PONCA STATE PARK Camping: $3; electrical hookup, 50$ Group Camping: 25$ per person Cabins1: Two-bedroom, $16 Extra Beds: Rollaway, $2; crib, $2 Horse Trail Rides: $2 Swimming Pool; Adult, 75$; child, 35$ INDIAN CAVE STATE PARK Horse Trail Rides: $2 VICTORIA SPRINGS STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50; electrical hookup, 50$ Cabins1: Two-bedroom, $16 Extra Beds: Rollaway, $2; crib, $2 Boat Rental: $1 per hour; $3 all day FREMONT STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50-$2 per night; electrical hookup, 50$ JOHNSON LAKE STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50 per night KEARNEY COUNTY STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50 per night Group Camping: 25$ per person LAKE OGALLALA STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $3 per night; electrical hookup, 50$ LOUISVILLE STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50 per night Group Camping: 25$ per person TWO RIVERS STATE RECREATION AREA Camping: $1.50-$2 per night; electrical hookup, 50$ Group Camping: 25$ per person Put-and-Take Trout Fishing: $2 per person MORMON ISLAND STATE WAYSIDE AREA Camping: $3.50 per night, including hookups WINDMILL STATE WAYSIDE AREA Camping: $3.50 per night, including hookups 7. $2 discount per night on cabins occupied for two or more nights 2. 570 discount per night for bricks occupied for two or more nights 3. Check with superintendent for reservations and details on facilities
The Ghosts of Ft. Robinson
TODAY I ROAMED through the streets of Old Fort Robinson, pausing a moment to absorb quiet peace within the realm. How different, I thought, as I gazed at the Colonel's mansion, a lonely brick home; forlorn, and sagging a bit at the window ledge. No gaiety of officer's parties, no gala entertainment for the riders in the Cavalry Review. No, not even anxiety over the restlessness of the Redskins pervades its air now. Nothing but peace and quiet, at last.
I heard the wind stir in the huge cottonwoods lining the streets, cottonwoods so old that their branches shook hands with each other above my head. I looked up. It seemed that the winds were singing and I stopped to listen to their song.
The melody began tinkly, spritely, for the winds sang of the days when the fort was the most beautiful, thriving, pulsating spot in Nebraska. They sang of the fair la dies in their party dresses and the young officers trying to woo them. The aire began as graceful as the waltz and gathering momentum, became as rousing as the quadrille.
Suddenly the winds were silent. For a moment noth ing could be heard, nothing but an awful stillness. But they began again. The mood had changed. The tempo had increased and they sang wild and wide, the cries of blood-thirsty savages caught in their throats. They sang of battle after battle, cruel and cunning, battles of a war which could only end in the suicide of a proud race, a noble race, which had fought to the last able man for a way of life they had loved.
I felt a chill creep over my flesh. I looked up to see the sun shining on the buttes towering above the fort—the Red Cloud Buttes. During the years long gone, Indians had stood quietly among those buttes, sulking, brooding, watching the ever-increasing force at the Post and wondering what life had left to offer them.
Down below the buttes, Red Cloud waited at the agency. For what, he was not certain. Long before, he had realized the folly of resistance. A beaten and broken man, his once defiant spirit had been crushed with the knowledge that for his people there would be no future save that which would be perpetuated on the Trail of the Happy Hunting Ground. He waited, knowing he was watched by the fort soldiers, knowing that he was in fact a prisoner in his own camp. Unable to help, he watched the still proud and youthful Crazy Horse set out alone to the fort to talk.
Crazy Horse, the last hope of the Sioux, had been summoned by the soldiers to come in to talk peace. He had been led to believe that he would be allowed to come and go. Not even the subordinate officers who led him in knew that when he arrived at the fort he would be placed under armed guard and later spirited away to the Dry Tortugas off the coast of Florida. But Crazy Horse sensed, when the guards began to surround him, that something was amiss and he seized the sword of the nearest cavalryman. His friend, who had accompanied him, jumped to intervene and pinioned his arms to his side. It was then that an overly excited soldier bayo netted the only threat of resistance, Crazy Horse.
Crazy Horse's body was taken that night; stolen, the soldiers said. His parents had been seen leaving the fort with his body and it is supposed that they buried him in the Red Cloud Buttes near the fort, for on the following morning the soldiers found them calm and stoicly serene, quietly going about their daily affairs at the agency. To this day his remains have not been found. Some claim he was buried on Pepper Creek, some say near the Slim Buttes close to Pine Ridge, but no one really knows; only the cottonwoods know and they will never tell.
For many years thereafter, troopers were leery of walking the midnight guard, as rumors kept asserting themselves with uncanny authority that the ghost of Crazy Horse walked abroad at that time of night, seeking revenge.
Indeed, the blood of Crazy Horse that spilled on the ground continued to cry out to his people—a foreshadowing of the bloodiest of battlegrounds in all his tory. Since the essence of time is unknown to the Redman, each Indian in the years that followed felt again and again the degradation and the futile humiliation of the tragic and untimely murder of the last of their great leaders. They heard the cry and knew that their defeat would be only in annihilation. And so it was—at the Battle of Wounded Knee.
Now, the summer season will soon return and the ghosts will absent themselves as with the dawn. They have no desire to intrude on the peace and quiet that the vacationers expect as they arrive by the hundreds each year. These happy people will be delighted by the music in the winds, yet they will hear no story. But when Autumn comes and the leaves of the cottonwoods turn yellow and fall, the ghosts will once again return to stalk somberly among the memories of yesteryear.
Quilting Art A Timeless Craft
One active group caught up in this revival is the Lincoln Quilters' Guild, composed of 80 people, men and women, young and old, all dedicated to preserving and promoting quilting as an art. The Guild was first formed in 1973 by 4 women who shared a love of quilts and quilting. In the short span of four years the group has grown large enough to present quilt shows at the Lincoln Community Playhouse, Sheldon Art Gallery ("Quilts From Nebraska Collections"), and most recently at the Nebraska Center where the Guild featured its Bicentennial Quilt, "Nebraska is America," as well as those quilts pictured here. The current project of the Lincoln Quilters Guild is a three-day "Quilt Symposium 77," to be held on the campus of Nebraska Wesleyan, July 21, 22, and 23.THIRTEEN! An unlucky number? Not for the bride-to-be in early America. That was the number of quilts she had ready in a chest to take to her new home; 12 quilts, pain stakingly made over the years, which served as needlework practice for her new role as homemaker. She'd been taught to thread a needle and sew a straight seam by the time she was four years old. Her first quilt pattern was a simple one, a four-patch made from scraps she found in her mother's patch basket. As her skill increased, she worked more complicated patterns, often developing designs of her own. When she completed her quilts, she packed them carefully away in a chest until she had 12. The 13th quilt was the most elaborate and beautiful of all, often made of applique and used only for "good." Traditionally, it had a heart quilted into it to symbolize the love on which her forthcoming marriage would be based. In some localities, the bridal quilt was not made by the bride, but by her friends and relatives. Each would make a separate quilt block, and before the wedding, they would gather to sew all the blocks to gether, add the backing and filler and quilt it before presenting it to the bride. This was a very festive and special occasion, much like the traditional quilting bee, so much a part of the so cial life of 19th Century rural America.
The craft of quilting is an ancient one. It is thought to have originated in the Far East as early as the 11th Cen tury. The knights who took part in the Crusades wore quilted garments under their armor. By the 15th Century, quilting was a well-established form of needlework. In Europe, bed draperies and wall hangings were quilted for warmth as well as beauty. Banners which were carried into battle were appliqued with emblems and symbols. Queen Elizabeth of England enjoyed needlework so much that it was a favorite pastime of the ladies in her court. When Europeans settled Ameiica, it was only natural that they brought with them their quilted garments and bedcoverings.
The winters in colonial America were severe and the homes were drafty, creating a real need for warm clothing, bedcovers and wall coverings. Since fabrics were scarce and had to be imported at great expense, they relied on their ingenuity, as they did so many times in the development of their country. They raised their own flax, spun the thread and wove the cloth into a rough but sturdy fabric called homespun. The colonists also spun wool into yarn and wove it into cloth which they colored with dyes made from vegetables, berries, roots and bark. Gradually, specialties developed, but more often than not the same woman who tended the field of flax also harvested it, spun the thread, wove the cloth, pieced the top and quilted the coverlet.
Cloth was a precious commodity, so as a garment was outgrown or worn out, the good parts were salvaged, tucked away in a scrapbag, and cut up to sew with other precious scraps until a large enough section was ready to make into a bedcover. These first quilts were filled with whatever was available, which frequently was corn husks and grasses. As the blankets wore out, the holes and thin parts were covered with patches, often again and again, until they were a coverlet consisting completely of patches. Thrift was the byword which led American women to use a running stitch in their quilting, rather than the European backstitch, because it used less thread.
Near the end of the 18th Century, with the invention of the cotton gin and the manufacture of fabric making material more readily available, quilts took on a new look. Although they were still a necessity, they became an outlet for a woman's artistic expression. As she sat before the fire in the evening, she sewed together the pieces of fabric into patterns and designs. These patterns were usually de veloped and named after the things most familiar to the needleworker—her family, nature, the Bible, even the politics of the day. Some students of quilting would go so far as to say that the growth of the country can be traced through the development of the patchwork quilt. The frontier expe rience is reflected in the names of patterns like Rocky Road to Kansas, Fence Row, and Indian Hatchet. Patterns taken from nature were popular Honeybee, Colonial Tulip, Falling Star, Pine Tree, Rose of Sharon, and Rising Sun. The Bible had a great influence on the lives of early settlers, and names of patterns were often taken from favorite passages; names like Job's Tears, Jacob's Ladder, Star of Bethlehem, and Garden of Eden. Even politics got into the act as early quilters gave such names to their patterns as Tippecanoe and Tyler Too, 54-40 or Fight, Lincoln's Platform, and Union Square. Patterns were used again and again, and were passed down through families. Hence we find patterns with kinship names like Mother's Dream, Grandmother's Favorite, Sister's Choice, and Aunt Eliza's Star. When families moved westward, they took their ideas and dreams with them. Women from different back grounds met and exchanged patterns, often giving them new names. A good example is the Variable Star pattern which became an Ohio Star, and later a Texas Star. Sometimes names were changed intentionally, as in the case of a pattern named Wandering Foot. A superstition had grown up around that pattern which led a mother to fear that if her son slept night after night under a quilt with this pattern, he might develop a wanderlust, leave home and never return. Eventually this led to the changing of the name from Wander
Photos by Steve O'Hare
A Timeless Craft
ing Foot to Turkey Tracks. The same sort of stigma became attached to a pattern named Drunkard's Path, also named Rocky Road to Dublin, be cause it was thought to have a bad in fluence on impressionable youth. An other superstition which was widely accepted was that only God could create a perfect thing. Quiltmakers, so confident in their needlework abilities, frequently stitched in obvious mis takes so as not to anger the Almighty; a triangle was turned upside down, a single leaf was made in blue instead of the usual green calico, or a block was inserted sideways.
The invention of the sewing ma chine and the eventual manufacture of warm blankets led to a decline in the art of quilting. "Homemade" now became the descriptor for handmade, reflecting a preference for ready mades. A few dedicated and skilled craftswomen carried on the art of quilting, but for the most part it dis appeared for a time.
The Album or Presentation quilt was a unique and interesting form that has been revived today. A group of friends got together with fabric and patterns and formed quilt blocks, trading the right colors and shapes of fabrics. When the blocks were com pleted, each creator signed her name in ink or embroidered it into the block, usually in the center. The blocks were then sewn together and presented to the minister, a visiting dignitary, or a friend. Today's Friendship quilts are made on the same principle, although usually each woman provides her own fabric for the quilt. One woman gives each of her friends some of the fabric which she has purchased. Each friend in turn cuts a quilt pattern of her own choosing from this material, forms the block and embroiders her name or initials on it before presenting it to the purchaser of the fabric. When the qui Iter receives a block from each of her friends, she sets all the blocks to gether, forming the friendship quilt. Sampler quilts were often made of all the patterns collected by a quiltmaker over the years. When a quilter saw a new pattern that she liked, she duplicated it in her own fabrics. She then filed this block away to use later as a pattern. Often, an old trunk would disclose a hundred or more patterns in a collection which eventually the practical homemaker might join into a usable quilt top.
Prior to the actual bee, women worked for months fashioning quilt tops from their scraps and old cloth ing. Then, when the weather was such that they could travel to a distant home, the hostess would send out word that a quilting bee was in order. Because families often lived far apart in remote areas, the bee was looked forward to all through the long winter. The women would arrive early in the morning, each bringing a dish of food for the festivities which would follow. They would get right to work, putting the quilt together, backing it, adding the filler, and placing this fabric "sand wich" into the wooden frame. As they sat and stitched, they exchanged gos sip and renewed friendships, needles flying, while the little children played under the quilt frame. The hostess and sometimes those women who weren't as skilled in fine stitchery, were in charge of preparing the food. The noon meal was often just a hint of the good food to be served at the evening NEBRASKAland meal, when husbands and young men joined the party. By then at least one quilt had been completed. After the evening meal, there was usually a dance, ending a day of fun and friend ship. The quilting bee was a chance for young men and women to meet.
Quilts varied in style and appear ance from one part of the growing country to another. Those found in New England were necessarily warm, durable, sturdy and no-nonsense. The most colorful and intricately stitched were made by the Pennsylvania Dutch, while the exquisite patterns on the quilts found in the South reflected leisure spent in perfecting needlework.
Many consider the crazy quilt among the most unique to appear in American patchwork. The early crazy quilts were simply usable scraps of fabric of varying shapes and sizes, salvaged from worn garments, pieced to gether indiscriminately, making the quilt larger and larger. Then, at the close of the 19th Century, the elegance so typical of the Victorian household led to substituting practical wool pieces with the fancy satins, brocades and velvets of the day. The pieces were sewn to a backing and the seams covered with fancy embroidery stitches. Often the pieces themselves were decorated with painted or embroidered flowers, the perfect opportunity for the skilled needlewoman to display her talent in fine stitchery. The usual filler was eliminated be cause these elaborate throws were "show-offs," to be placed in the parlor rather than used for warmth.
The art of quilting is experiencing a grand revival in the 1970/s. Young women who are looking for an outlet to express their creative and artistic skills are turning to needlework, re working traditional patterns and in troducing new designs. Those tired of mass-produced items and the plastic look are finding satisfaction in the re discovery of creating a quilt.
RENOVATION OF A REFUGE
Project uses natural drainage and pumping over several years to minimize fishing disruption
LAKES ON THE Valentine National Wildlife Refuge have a history of high waterfowl use and excellent bass, bluegill and pike fishing. This area has been the object of annual forays by numerous of the state's anglers, and its reputation was well deserved. How ever, in recent years, lake quality has deteriorated dramatically due to high carp and bullhead populations.
The rough fish problem was originally created when a ditch was cut from Gordon Creek to Hackberry Lake in the 1930's in an attempt to maintain water levels in the refuge lakes for waterfowl during dry years. This ditch allowed carp and bullheads to move into the refuge lake system. Subsequent spring rains created extremely high water levels, and individual lakes became a chain of lakes connected by low, flooded meadows. This connection of high water allowed fish freedom of movement from lake to lake, resulting in rough fish establishing themselves in many of the lakes on the west portion of the refuge.
In 1967 and '68 the situation worsened when game fish populations drastically declined due to winter kill. The resultant reduction of predator fish allowed carp and bullhead populations to expand to a tremendous level. Large rough fish populations created highly turbid conditions in the lakes by stirring the bottom mud. Light penetration was reduced, and thus, production of important aquatic plants that young waterfowl and game fish need for food and survival, no longer existed.
Once a lake becomes out of balance and rough fish take over, seldom will equilibrium be restored naturally. In 1974, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service formulated plans to restore the refuge lakes to their previous production levels.
Congress had appropriated general fund tax money and established the Valentine refuge in 1934 for the primary purpose of waterfowl production, and the Fish and Wildlife Service is therefore obligated to manage the refuge for our waterfowl resource. They felt that to make their manage ment efforts successful, renovation of many of the refuge lakes would be necessary.
Another important function of the refuge is for the taking of northern pike eggs to supply state and federal hatcheries. Thus, some of the lakes are managed for maximum pike production. In order to reach the annual goal of pike eggs, removal of rough fish be came necessary.
Although important, wild lands and their fish and wildlife-related recreation are secondary to waterfowl pro duction and northern pike egg-taking operations on the refuge. In most cases, refuge purposes and recreation are compatible, but renovation of most lakes wili be necessary to com plete management plans; and in doing so, some good fishing will be temporarily lost.
This renovation project will be accomplished in three phases. The first phase is the physical removal of as much water as possible from the lake. Lowering of the lake is accomplished by using a 16-inch Crisafulli pump system that transfers in excess of 10,000 gallons of water per minute into the lake below.
Once the lake is pumped to near dryness, remaining fish are killed chemically with rotenone. This chemical biodegrades in a few days and is non-toxic to humans. Efforts will be made whenever feasible to salvage game fish from all lakes before renovation.
After renovation, fisheries biologists carefully check the lakes to determine the success of their intensive efforts. Frame and gill nets are placed in the lake for many hours to be sure no fish inhabit the lake. Once the lake is determined "fish-free", the third and final phase begins—restocking.
Renovation work began in 1975 when Hackberry Lake was lowered to 31/2 feet of depth, and surface area reduced from 680 acres to about 150 acres. At the rate of nearly 11,000 gallons per minute, it required 51 pump ing days for water to be reduced to a level that could be chemically treated for total removal of fish.
Success of the rotenone treatment was confirmed when nets were placed in the lake for 656 net/hours and no fish were found. In the spring of 1976, several gallons (many thousands) of flathead minnows were stocked as forage species for bass, bluegill and pike, which will be stocked later. Renovation will be staggered over an 8 to 10-year period so as not to eliminate all fishing recreation on the refuge. West Long Lake was next, being pumped and renovated in August of 1976. Tentative management plans also call for renovation of Watts Lake in 1976, 1977, Pelican in 1978, Whitewater in 1979, Dewey in 1980, and Clear Lake in 1981. Renovation of these lakes is based on the drainage pattern, according to their sequence by elevation, but the schedule could vary depending on climatic conditions and availability of funds.
COMMISSIONER LOOKS AT CONSERVATION
(Continued from page 7)We can, however, recognize where the problems affecting wildlife exist and try to solve those problems in a realistic manner.
The Game and Parks Commission, with the assistance of farmers, ranchers, businessmen and sportsmen, took that big first step in solving Nebraska's wildlife problem by conducting a Habitat Conference in 1975 in Lincoln. From that conference, a plan to include wildlife in Nebraska's future by providing adequate wildlife habitat was developed.
No plan is of any value if it can't be implemented. In the case of the Wildlife Habitat Plan, the biggest obstacle to implementation was money. In the past, it has been the sportsmen, Nebraska's hunt ers and fishermen, who paid the cost for wildlife management in the state. It was again felt that sportsmen would have to become the leaders in the initial step of the habitat plan and pay the increased costs. A bill was written for sizeable in creases in hunting and fishing license fees, and the incorporation of a fee for a habitat stamp. The bill was passed by the Legislature and, as most sportsmen know, it is costing more to hunt and fish in Nebraska this year.
Will we lose license sales because of the increased costs? I personally feel we won't lose many hunters if they truly understand what we are trying to accomplish. We may lose a lot of "shooters". The hunter puts a lot more into the game than the price of his license. He feeds his dog all year, trains him, and tries to keep informed as to what is going on around him pertaining to environment, habitat, etc. He is not the same breed as the "shooter" who takes only the easy birds, which really aren't much fun anyway. You get them, then the hunt is over and you go home, missing the real fun of the hunt, which is a combination of watching your dog work, instructing your son in the signs that wildlife leave, the difference between your dog's and a coyote's tracks, and all the other stones that can be
WHITE STAG Van Tent
Reg. Sole $179.95 $169.50
* ( #ON-057-SVT ) - - WHITE STAG #20036
Van Tent. A uniquely designed tent that forms a
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Nylon Shell Sleeping Bag
Reg. Sale $25.88
$22.88
• ( ION-057-HGB ) - - HUNTER "Glacier 2"
sleeping bag with 70 denier blue ripstop nylon
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Cooler
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Reg. Sale $149.95 $137.50
• ( #ON-057-STB ) - - "Oakwood" #20041
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Reg. Sale $166.50
$149.95
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Army Style Pup Tents
Standard Model 5 x 7 Pup Tent
Reg. Sale $24.95
$21.99
• ( #ON-057-PTA ) - - Model 605 pup tent,
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Deluxe Model 5 x 7 Pup Tent
Reg. Sale $29.88 $26.88
• ( #ON-057-PTB ) - - Model 608 deluxe pup
tent. 5' x 7' size with full 7' across the ridge.
Deluxe quality high thread count 7 oz. canvas.
Has rear window. Zipper screen door with front
flaps, sewed-in floor. 42" center height.
Complete with poles, stakes and guys. Shpg.
wt. 13 lbs.
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SURPLUS CENTER
Inflatable Rubberized Boats
******
( 2-Man )
• Inflatable, rubberized boats for family fun,
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( ION-057-RR2 )
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( ION-057-RR4 )
4-man size, dual
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( #ON-057-RR6 )
6-man size, dual
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$44.50
$59.98
$89.95
( 6-Man )
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$9.95
( 10 lbs. )
WHITE STAG
"High Lake" Tents
"HIGH LAKE 2" Hikers Tent
Shpg. wt 6 lbs
$34.50
• ( #ON-057-HT2 ) - - STAG'S "High Lake 2"
is ideal for 1 or 2 hikers. 5x7' floor size with
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Waterproof roof and walls are made of flame
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• Screened, 3-way zipper front entry with
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"HIGH LAKE 4" Hikers Tent
Shpg. wt. 7'/2 lbs.
$44.50
• ( #ON-057-HT4 ) - - STAG'S "High Lake 4"
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Dept. ON-057
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WHITE STAG Jumbo Bag
Reg. Sale $23.88
$21.88
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jumbo size bag is 38" x 79" finished size with
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THERMOS Jug/Cooler
Combo
• ( ION-057-JCC ) - - Urethane foam
insulated 43-qt. ice chest and 1 -gal. jug. One
piece seamless sanitary liners. Drain on chest,
food tray, side handles. Jug has top spout.
Shpg. wt. 19 Ibs. Reg. Sale $26.88
Lincoln, Ne. 68501
told by just taking time to note them. The latter type of hunter will always buy a li cense and will aid hunting in many other ways, also. The shooter will complain about the lack of birds and not come back into the field until next year, and maybe not even then if he had to work too hard to get his birds.
Is it too late to help wildlife in Nebraska; especially the ring-necked pheasant? There is no denying that the bird popu lation is way down from what it used to be, but it is not as bad as many people think. Many times I hear the statement about driving 90 miles or so and never seeng a bird. I, too, drive that far and more five days a week and on many days never see a bird. Some days I see quite a few, es pecially early in the morning after a frost or some similar condition. This hunting season, some hunting friends and I were driving to a spot several miles away to hunt, and we happened to see some pheasants settle into a draw some distance away. We drove into the farmer's yard and found him under a tractor. He was nod ding his head affirmatively before we could ask permission, even offering to share the dripping crankcase oil with a handshake. He said there were four or five birds out there and we were welcome to hunt. We saw more roosters than that, but only sent one to his happy hunting ground.
The next morning we added one more hunter and one more dog to our party, so there were three in our car and two in the following car. It was a cold, frosty morning and just as we topped a hill we saw two lone trees decorated like Christmas with about 40 pheasants. We kept on going to get out of sight of the birds and plan our campaign, stopping about a half-mile away out of sight. The only problem was that the rest of our party thought we hadn't seen them, or that perhaps we were going to turn around and come back, so they hesitated too close to the birds and they all flew away-no birds in the bag. I have driven that highway many times and had never seen a bird in that area.
For those of you wondering how the additional money is going to be spent, I can assure you it is going to meet head on the problem of declining wildlife habitat. One major area to which money will be
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going is private landowners. Most farmers and ranchers enjoy wildlife, but many times they are forced to destroy wildlife habitat in order to make a living on the land. One hope of this program is that the habitat stamp will provide a means of sharing some of the cost of leaving or es tablishing wildlife habitat with the land owner.
There is a publication by the Game and Parks Commission entitled "Wildlife Habi tat—A Plan for Nebraska" which gives all the details. In summary, it indicates that 34 percent of the monies are earmarked for private land habitat development through the Natural Resource Districts on a cost share basis. Another 31 percent will go for acquisition of wildlife lands on a willing seller basis; 21 percent is allotted for man agement and development of Game and Parks Commission wildlife lands as well as public lands controlled by other agencies; and 14 percent is designated for wildlife habitat improvement through easements to preserve such things as streams and wetlands, farm pond habitat, trout streams, and check dams.
This plan isn't going to solve all of Ne braska's wildlife problems. However, it is a big step in the right direction. It includes local input and cooperation with the Nat ural Resource Districts of which many, like the Lower Loup NRD, have already been active in tree planting and wildlife habitat programs.
It also is a ground-level program which should have been in existence 20 years ago, because it is based on habitat which is the primary requirement that wildlife needs to survive. Each of us is going to have to ask ourselves, "How much is Ne braska wildlife worth to me?" For those of us who live the outdoors each day of the year and realize the value of our wildlife resources, any increased cost will only in crease our dedication to the wildlife re source and our respect for the sportsmen who pay the bill.
In the future, however, we will be look ing for help from all Nebraskans to the problem of declining wildlife. Wildlife is a public resource and is enjoyed by hunter and non hunter alike. For example, who doesn't enjoy seeing a ring-necked pheas ant or a white-tailed deer on the drive to work, on vacation, or on a Sunday after noon?
In addition, more and more people be sides hunters and fishermen are using our state's wildlife lands, which were pur chased by sportsman dollars. An example of this is Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area near Royal where campers, hikers, birdwatchers and other outdoor recrea tionists use the area as much as hunters and fishermen.
Hunters and non hunters alike must, therefore, realize that wildlife is a valuable resource to all Nebraskans and that every one must be willing to spend dollars for wildlife if it is to be a part of Nebraska's future.
Trading Post
Acceptance of advertising implies no endorse ment of products or services.
Classified Ads: 20 cents a word, minimum order $4.00. June 1977 closing date, April 8. Send classified ads to: Trading Post, NEBRAS KAIand, 2200 N. 33rd St., Lincoln, Nebraska 68503, P.O. Box 30370.
DOGSVIZSLA POINTERS, all ages. We also board and train hunt ing dogs. Rozanek Kennels, Rt 2 Schuyler, NE or phone (402) 352-5357.
IRISH SETTERS, German Shorthairs, Labradors (black or yellow) AKC $40.00, FOB Atkinson. We do not ship. Roland Everett, Atkinson, Nebr. 68713.
GUN DOG TRAINING, retrievers and all pointing breeds. Individual concrete runs. Retrievers worked on pigeons and ducks; bird dogs on pigeons and pen raised birds. Platte Valley Kennels, 925 E. Capitol Ave., Grand Island, NE 68801, (308) 382-9126.
AKC GERMAN Shorthaited Pointer puppies-6-month-old male and female-shots, wormed. Field Champion ped igree. Howard Wurst, 308 5th Street, Milford, NE 68405. Tele. 402-761-2813.
MISCELLANEOUSFISHING EQUIPMENT-New expanded line for serious fishermen. Standard and custom flies, lures, rods, pre pared bait, etc. Rod and reel repair. Catalog. Dawn, Box 30401, Lincoln, Nebr. 68503.
WILSON OUTFITTERS.....NEBRASKA'S ORIGINAL OUTFITTERS! Featuring Quality Canoe-Camping trips. There is a difference! Write Wilson Outfitters, 6211 Sunrise Road, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68510 for details.
CANOES AND CARRIERS for rent. Transportation, guides, instructions on request. Dryland Aquatics, 1832 N. Park, Fremont, Nebraska, 68025. (402) 721-5801 or (402) 721-1749.
BLUE SPRUCE-GRAFTED, guaranteed to be blue, grow them for a hobby, or as a business, resale potential terrific, trees come in containers, can be planted any time. For in formation write to: Ken Miller, Box 22, Nickerson, Ne braska, 68044.
DUCK HUNTERS: learn how, make quality, solid plastic, waterfowl decoys. We're originators of famous system. Send $.50, colorful catalog. Decoys Unlimited, Clinton, Iowa 52732.
FOR SALE-Browning over-under 12-gauge, $350.00 R. A. Haggart, Box 23, St. Paul, Nebraska 68873.
NIOBRARA CANYON canoe tours announces "Canoe the Niobrara 77"-Execellent canoe-camping trips by a local outfitter. Compare our prices with competitors Write or call Steve Durbin, NCCT, 841 Candice Street, Valentine, Nebraska 69201. 402-376-1269.
COLORADO mountain property, 40 Virgin acres, beautiful rock outcroppings, Aspen and Pine. Borders Pike National Forest, overlooks 11 Mile Reservoir and Collegiate Range. Secluded. Many potentially spectacular homesites. Ex cellent year-round access. Less than one hour west of Col orado Springs. Terms negotiable by owner. Trade for river bottom recreational land in Nebraska considered. 6499 Plateau Drive, Englewood, Colo. 80110 (303) 770-0745.
GUNS-Browning, Winchester, Remington, others. Hi powers, shotguns, new, used, antiques. Want Pre-1964 Winchesters. Buy-Sell-Trade. Ph. (402) 729-2888. Bedlan's Sporting Goods, Fairbury, NE 68352.
FAIRFIELD CAMPGROUND along Niobrara River-camp: ing, hiking, scenery, trailrides. Near ideal canoe water. Ca noe rental, canoe trips, car shuttle, river information. Con tact Loring & Beryl Kuhre, Johnstown, Nebraska 69214 Phone 402-497-3555.
FISH FOR SAL.E: Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Blue gill, Rainbow Trout and minnows for pond and lake stocking. Contact the Pleasant Valley Fish Farm, Route 1, McCook, Nebraska 69001. Phone (308) 345-6599.
DUCK HUNTERS ATTENTION: We have a limited supply of paper-asphalt-laminated burlap, ideal for duck blinds or boat camouflaging; width 40 inches, lengths up to 250 yards; price $1.25 per yard. Please add 20c per yard postage and handling for mail orders. May be bought direct at Ro man Packing Company, south Hi way 81, Norfolk, Ne braska or order by mail, address Roman Packing Company Box 702, Norfolk, Nebraska 68701.
LOG CONSTRUCTION-14 years, experience. Full round T & G Lodgepole Pine, precut, precision fit, year-around liv ing. Plettner Bros., Box 73, Waterloo, Nebr. 68069.
FOR SALE: Excellent recreation area on Pine Creek just two miles north of Long Pine, Nebraska. Seventy-six and a quarter acres in the tract. A quarter-mile of trout stream plus fishing privileges on an adjoining half-mile of creek. Canyon and timber land on both sides of the stream abound with deer and turkey. James G. Fredrickson Real Estate Agency, Long Pine, Nebr. 69217, Phone (308) 273 4584.
TAXIDERMYBIG Bear Taxidermy, Rt. 2, Mitchell, Nebraska 69357. We specialize in all big game from Alaska to Nebraska, also birds and fish. Hair on and hair off tanning. 4'/2 miles west of Scottsbluff on Highway 26. Phone (308) 635-3013.
CREATIVE Taxidermy. Modern methods and lifelike work manship on all fish and game since 1935, also tanning, rugs, and deerskin products. Joe Voges, Naturecrafts and Gift Shop, 925 4th Corso, Nebraska City, Nebraska 68410 Phone (402) 873-5491.
KARL SCHWARZ Master Taxidermists. Mounting of game heads-birds-fish-animals-fur rugs-robes-tanning buckskin. Since 1910. 424 South 13th Street, Dept. A, Omaha, Nebraska 68102.
NOTES ON NEBRASKA FAUNA NORTERN PIKE
Art by Neal AndersonESOX LUCIUS!! Most of us know this even-tempered fish (mad all the time) as the northern pike. Fortunately for Nebraska anglers, the disposition of this toothy critter is a trait that makes it one of our sportiest game fish.
The popularity of northern pike is illustrated by their wide distribution and concentration of anglers drawn to particularly good northern pike fishing waters. During the last 20 years, stock ings by the Fisheries Division of the Game and Parks Commission have expanded the distribution of northern pike from the Sandhills to many other waters throughout the state. Although fishermen no longer need to drive 200 or 300 miles to fish for pike in Nebraska, many anglers still travel to the Sandhills to pursue this tackle-busting game fish.
Although some fishermen use the name "pike" when talking about wall eye, the walleye is actually a member of the perch family (Percidae). The members of the pike family of fish (Esocidae) that might be found in Nebraska include the chain pickerel, grass pickerel and muskellunge in addition to northern pike. Grass pickerel are native to many streams and Sandhills lakes of Nebraska but rarely exceed 12 inches in length. Chain pickerel and muskellunge have been stocked in only a few locations in Nebraska. Last year a hybrid fish known as the "Tiger Musky" was stocked experimentally in a few selected waters. This vigorous fish may provide a new challenge for the trophy fisherman if it proves successful.
Most members of the pike family can be identified from one another by checking a couple of body character istics. They all have a row of sensory pores along the underside of each lower jaw. Muskellunge have 6 to 9 of these pores on each side, while north ern pike have only five. In addition, muskellunge do not have scales on the bottom half of the cheek and bot tom half of the gill cover. Northern pike have a cheek that is completely scaled and gill covers with scales only on the top half. Grass pickerel and chain pickerel both have cheeks and gill covers completely scaled. Since the introduction of chain pickerel did not prove very successful, it is doubtful any will be caught by fishermen.
The life history of northern pike begins as the lengthening days and warming winds usher in the spring thaw. Just as the ice begins to leave the lakes, usually in March, adult pike begin searching out zones of shallow, sunwarmed water, Invariably, mature males are the first to congregate in the spawning areas. Water temperatures at this time are a chilly 36 to 40 degrees. As the water warms to 40 or 45 de grees, many of the mature females move into the spawning areas with the males.
Spawning commonly occurs over flooded emergent vegetation where water may be only a few inches deep. As the female moves into the spawn ing area, she will usually join up with one or two males. As they swim along within close proximity, eggs and milt (fish sperm) will be released almost si multaneously. The female may release only a few eggs at a time. Several of these spawning acts might occur dur ing a two or three-day period before a female has completed spawning for the season. Male pike are usually two years old when they spawn for the first time, and it is unusual for females to spawn before they are three years old in Nebraska waters. No nest building is done and the eggs or young pike receive no parental care.
Growth of northern pike is relatively fast when compared to other fresh water game fish. As pike grow, their diet changes from microscopic plank ton organisms to larger aquatic insects and invertebrates/By the time a pike reaches two or three inches it is ready to take other small fish. Occasionally a pike will try to consume one of its brethren. After a little more growth the diet of pike will consist almost entirely of other fish. Occasionally they will also take frogs, toads, mice, small birds and ducklings, and even snakes that venture into the water.
In Nebraska waters with well established populations, northerns may reach a length of 8 to 12 inches in the first year after hatching. Pelican Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge has had a large population of northern pike for the last 13 years. Northern pike in this population reach an average length of 11.4 inches, 19.4 inches, and 23.6 inches after their first, second, and third year of growth. Occasionally a pike in Pelican Lake will reach the old age of 6 or 7 years and attain a length of 30 inches or more. In new lakes or waters with abundant forage fish populations, growth will be much faster.
The Game and Parks Commission awards Master Angler certificates to anglers using rod and reel who land a northern pike that is 10 pounds or larger. The catch must be verified by a hunting and fishing license vendor or by an employee of the Game and Parks Commission. In 1976 a total of 136 Master Angler certificates were awarded. The size of the fish for which these awards were presented ranged from the 10 pound minimum up to 29 pounds, 3 ounces. The 29 pounder is the current state record and was taken at Sherman Reservoir in March of 1976. The world record was caught in New York during 1940 and weighed 46 pounds, 2 ounces.
Original art of the northern pike was clone by Neal Anderson, and is for sale. He also will do other paintings on a commission basis. He can be contacted through NEBRASKALAND, P.O. Box 30370, Lin coln, Nebraska 68503.
