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NEBRASKAland Articles

Paddlefish Snagging

A History of a Unique Fishery By Kirk Steffensen, Missouri River Program Manager Paddlefish are a group of ancient fish species with fossilized records dating back approximately 125 million years. They are one of the largest and longest-living freshwater fish species in the world, with a lifespan of 30-plus years, and are easily recognizable by their elongated rostrums — beaklike snout — and lack of scales. Filter feeders, paddlefish swim with their large mouths open and filter the microscopic plankton, …

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On the Move Again

Explore Fall Bird Migration By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist As summer vacations come to an end and a new season of Husker football begins, many birds have already begun their journeys from northern breeding territories to their southern wintering grounds. Songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl typically migrate at night, arriving to new locations to rest and refuel during the day. This is an exciting time for birders as our favorite locations can transform literally overnight from having almost no avian …

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Haunted Halloween

at Fort Robinson State Park By Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine Some say ghosts haunt the historical grounds of Fort Robinson State Park. Whether it is true, on one night in late October, the spooky side of the park will take center stage — and, judging from the previous year’s success, visitors are anything but scared away. The staff at Fort Robinson is gearing up for the park’s second “Haunted Halloween,” an event that features wagon rides, a chili feed and …

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Deer Fangs

By Brian Peterson In Nebraska, male white-tailed and mule deer are most recognized by their elaborate, showy antlers. While we all have observed deer or pictures of deer with antlers, have you ever encountered a deer with fangs or tusks — canine teeth? If you have, this is extremely rare, possibly a 1 in 10,000 occurrence. Both whitetail and mule deer have two lower “incisiform” canines which look and function like incisors and are used for foraging and browsing vegetation, …

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The Amazing Camouflaged Looper

My Favorite Insect Gets Even Better Story and photos by Chris Helzer It’s hard to pick a favorite insect, but I have anyway. It’s the camouflaged looper, which is an inchworm that turns into the wavy-lined emerald moth. The moth is pretty enough and I’m sure is fascinating in its own right, but it’s the caterpillar I love. The camouflaged looper feeds on flowers of many kinds. What makes it incredible, though, is that it also selects pieces of the …

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More Water for Wetlands

Story and photos by Eric Fowler Wetlands in the Rainwater Basin provide premier habitat for ducks, geese, shorebirds and other species during the spring migration. While in this part of south-central Nebraska, the birds fatten up for the rest of their journey to breeding grounds in the north, whether it be in the Sandhills or the prairie potholes of the Upper Midwest and Canada. But that is only the case when the wetlands are wet. This spring, during severe drought, …

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Rules of the Marsh

An ethical guide to public hunting Story and photos by Jeff Kurrus “I think we got a shot,” said hunting partner Todd Mills, peering through grass on the edge of a Rainwater Basin wetland as a flock of pintails made a turn below the tree line and were cupping their wings in our direction. “Eli, be ready,” I told my 9-year-old son. “Mills will make the call to shoot.” But when someone did shoot, way out of our range and …

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Dove Hunting the Sandhills

Story by Angie Kokes Photos by Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley Dove hunting offers generous bag limits and opportunities statewide. Although these birds can be hunted in almost every corner of the world, one of the most serene destinations to do so is in the Sandhills of Nebraska. If you can hear the melancholy tune of an old windmill creaking, you have found the ideal location to try your hand at bringing these tasty morsels out of the sky, while marveling in magnificent …

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The Butterfly Explorers

Story and photos by Renae Blum It had been a slow year so far. But not at this moment. Joanne Langabee calls out, “I’ve got an orange and a blue!” Her companion, Holly Hofreiter, responds almost immediately: “I’ve got a Peck’s” — short for Peck’s skipper. One butterfly after another materializes from the prairie grasses at their feet, just seconds apart, but the women aren’t fazed. They continue calling back and forth in a kind of butterfly shorthand, identifying new …

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Cicada Killer Wasps

By Julie Geiser Cicada killer wasps will start emerging from the ground anytime, but these docile wasps only have one thing on their minds: seeking out cicadas. Found across the U.S., these native wasps start to appear in mid-to-late July through August in Nebraska. Cicada killer wasps are approximately 2 inches long with black and yellow on their abdomens and amber-colored wings. When you hear male cicadas begin singing to attract their mates, adult cicada killer wasps will start to …

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