NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1028906
OCTOBER 2018 • NEBRASKAland 17 NEBRASKAland Visitor Last issue's winner of the Visitor drawing was Tom Ourada of Plattsmouth, who found the cicada shell on page 53. Readers are encouraged to contact NEBRASKAland within 10 days after this issue's publication with the correct page number and name of this issue's "Visitor" – a critter found in Nebraska. We will then gather the correct entries and draw one to win a NEBRASKAland mug. To enter each month, write: NEBRASKAland Visitor 2200 North 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503 Or e-mail: Tim.Reigert@Nebraska. gov with "Visitor" in the subject line of the message. HINT: This issue's visitor is not on page 13, 17, or 55. Cicada Shell The cicada spends most of its life underground, feeding on tree roots. When it is ready to mature, it crawls out of the ground and up a tree. What happens next is amazing! The shell, or exoskeleton, of the cicada will split down its head and back, and the cicada starts to wiggle, eventually pulling its entire body out of its own shell. This extraction is actually the end of a hormone driven process, called molting. An insect's exoskeleton is rigid and doesn't expand as the insect grows. When an insect has outgrown its exoskeleton, it will separate from that exoskeleton and grow a new one underneath. The insect's body swells causing the old exoskeleton to split, and the insect crawls out, leaving the old exoskeleton behind. Its new exoskeleton is pale and soft, but will darken and harden over the next several hours. Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of Agriculture. DIY Rod Cases By Justin Haag Slamming car doors, shifting cargo, stumbling feet. Each has been unkind to my fishing rods more times than I care to admit. After a fly rod somehow broke while riding freely in my truck bed this spring, it was time to take action to keep it from happening again. Of course, many excellent rod cases are available from retailers. After some research, though, I found a simple design created from a favorite inexpensive building material – PVC pipe. Not only is two-inch PVC likely able to withstand your abuse, it can simply be cut to whatever length your rod's sections are. After cutting to length, just add end caps – one affixed with PVC glue and one not. Some use screw-in caps, but I found the slip-on variety to be adequate. Foam glued inside each end cap will absorb shock from the rod moving back and forth. Finally, consider some finishing touches. A plain white case will protect just as well as one with a fancy paint job but might not suit your tastes. I aimed for a natural look. To do so, I scraped the pipe with a coarse rasp and gave it some sanding to simulate wood grain. A coat or two of wood stain finished the job. Maybe you want to add handles and a strap to ensure the end cap doesn't get lost. As long as the case protects the rod, it's beautiful in my book. ■ By Eric Fowler A record 300,000 acres of private land is open to public hunting and fishing through the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's Open Fields and Waters program this year, bringing the amount of land open to public access to about one million acres. The program pays landowners to allow access for hunting, fishing and trapping, and provides incentives for habitat improvements to benefit fish and wildlife. As of Sept. 5, there were 280,000 acres of land enrolled for the 2018-19 program year, including grasslands enrolled in the USDA's Conservation Reserve Program for upland game hunting and other grasslands and woodlands in which hunters can pursue deer, turkeys and other game. An additional 20,000 to 30,000 acres of tall wheat stubble, also good for pheasant hunting, was expected, which will put the total acres up considerably from the 257,000 enrolled in 2017-18. Funding for the program comes from hunting, fishing and fur-harvest permits, habitat stamps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentives Program, excise taxes paid on firearms and ammunition through the Pittman- Robertson Act and conservation groups such as National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. The Commission's Public Access Atlas details land enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters program, as well as all other public lands open to hunting and fishing. Printed copies are available at Commission offices and permit vendors, as well as online at OutdoorNebraska.org/ PublicAccessAtlas. ■ ate t leaving More Open Fields Acres PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG