NEBRASKAland Articles

An estimated 1,000 Pawnees served as military allies of the United States between 1864 and 1877. By Mark van de Logt The warm summer air on July 30, 1868, was thick with bullets, arrows and the noise of charging Lakota warriors as Major Frank North sought shelter under a low cliff. Cut off from the rest of his command of Pawnee Scouts, his situation was dire. Then, Ke wuck oo lah la shar, which translates to Fox Chief, arrived with …

The two-tier duck bag limit system allows hunters to choose a bag limit that doesn’t require them to accurately identify ducks on the wing. By Eric Fowler Prior to 2021, Brandon Black had never hunted ducks. Rusty Rautenberg had, but only occasionally with family. Darin Hahne hadn’t since he was in college. An invitation from a seasoned hunter convinced the trio, all of whom work at Elkhorn Valley Schools in Tilden, to get into, or back into, waterfowl hunting. Their …

Do you need to print your hunting permits? By Jeff Kurrus On your next pre-hunting season shopping trip, do you need to add printer paper to the list? Or can you simply access your permits through your mobile device? In Nebraska, it depends on what you’re hunting. Print Big When hunting Nebraska’s big game species — deer, elk and antelope — a printed permit must be carried on your person while hunting. Go Mobile This is where it gets easy. …

A celebration of the ways seeds transport themselves around the world and onto our pants and pets. Story and photos by Chris Helzer We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of a perfectly pleasant walk through a woodland, wetland or prairie and you glance down to find your pant legs covered with sticky seeds. “Well, dadgum,” you exclaim, “would you look at that incredible seed dispersal adaptation!” “Golly,” you continue, “those little hooked spines sure are effective at catching …

Story and photos by Eric Fowler When Kevin Fierro came to the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in the fall of 2020, he knew little about rowing, much less that the school had a club crew team. “I’d only seen those types of boats maybe twice in my life on TV,” said Fierro, a graduate of Grand Island High School, who like many Americans, only see the sport every four years when the Olympics roll around. This fall, Fierro will …

By Jeff Kurrus Angler Ryan Glatter coaches high school softball in Omaha. In Nebraska, softball season happens to be played during the fall, which doesn’t necessarily align with one of his favorite times of the year to fish. So, when he has a morning here, or a few afternoon hours there, he has to maximize time. The following are several ways Glatter fits in fishing during the dogs days of August afternoons to the cool mornings of late September. Rainouts …

By Ryan Sparks It is the time of year when hunters start thinking about deer and preparing for the upcoming season. A part of that process is placing trail cameras to take an inventory of the deer on the property you hunt. The right trail camera in the right spot can be the key to tagging the buck of a lifetime. But getting a trail camera placed just right is easier said than done. Trees rarely grow perfectly straight, and …

An Annual Cicada Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist During the dog days of late summer, the reverberating call of the scissors grinder cicada (Neotibicen pruinosus) begins late in the afternoon and continues into dusk. Emanating from high in the trees, individual calls initiate softly and build to a loud, shrill, “WHEE-oo WHEE-oo” crescendo lasting about 20 seconds. Sometimes, it’s a lone call; other times, it’s a cacophony, an apparent horde singing in a shrieking chorus. Some find the …

By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska We take for granted that roads will be marked to show directions and hazards. That wasn’t always the case. Early highways were more of a do-it-yourself affair for private groups and local communities. Private organizations began promoting “automobile trails” in the 1910s and ’20s. A group would navigate a cross-country route along local farm roads and then promote this dirt-road path as a “highway.” Local communities eager to attract motorists then marked the route …

Story and photos by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley The 29th Annual Northern Ponca Tribe Powwow is Aug. 11-13, 2023, with grand entries — ceremonial entrances to the grounds by tribal dancers — at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday. The powwow grounds are located 1 mile west of Niobrara on Highway 12: If coming from the east, turn left at the Ponca sign, located across Niobrara State Park, and follow the pavement. All dancers and …