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/654753
APRIL 2016 • NEBRASKAland 23 NEBRASKAland Visitor and Last issue's winner of the Visitor drawing was Lucas Kleinschmit of Fordyce, Nebraska, who found the burying beetle on page 38. 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 pages 20, 23, 24-31 or 70. Burying beetles (Nicrophorus sps.), a type of carrion beetle, feed on dead animals. These large black beetles with orange banding on their elytra range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches in length, depending on species. There are 11 species of Nicrophorus beetles in Nebraska, including the Margined burying beetle (N. marginatus), shown, and the American burying beetle (N. americanus), which has been on the Federal Endangered Species list since 1989. Burying beetles are important to the environment, helping recycle organic material. Scent organs on their antennae help to quickly locate fresh dead animals. They then literally bury their food by excavating under it, to protect it from other insects and animals. Females stay in the underground chamber, tending the larvae that feed on the dead animal until the larvae pupate and emerge as adults. Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Bowfishing for Carp By Dylan Tegtmeier If you're like me, maybe you're not the best fisherman in the world, but you're pretty good at archery, and you love a good fried carp. Then bow fishing is the sport for you. There are many bow fishing kits you can buy at sporting goods stores but it's rare to find these for less than $50. Again, if you're like me and you're creative and hate spending money on something you can make, you could easily make your own bow fishing kit for less than 10 bucks! Imagine watching a 15-year- old kid row his kayak up to the dock toting a stringer of 11 carp, and across his lap sat an old bow with a rusty tin cup where the stabilizer should be with a string coming out of it going up to an old hunting arrow. Yep, that was me not but a couple years ago, and here is how I did it. First and foremost, you'll need an old bow to use as your bow fishing bow. Next just find a bolt that will fit the stabilizer hole, usually a 5/16 X 24 size bolt will work. Next find a container to hold your fishing string. I used a rusty old tin can for this, but you could use the bottom half of a pop bottle or even a plastic cup. And just drill a hole toward the top of the container where your stabilizer bolt will fit through and screw your stabilizer and cup onto your bow. Now you need some bow fishing string, which you could buy a good 25 yards for 10 bucks, or you could use any other light weight string that you think could hold a monster carp. Just tie one end of the string to the bolt that is screwed into your bow and tie the other end to your bow fishing arrow. I would suggest buying a bow fishing arrow. They're already rigged up for the task and are much safer than making your own arrow. But if you really want to make your own bow fishing arrow, you'll need an old hunting arrow, a light washer with a diameter twice that of your arrow, a bow fishing arrow tip, and some duct tape. Start by drilling out the center of the washer so your arrow can easily slide through it. Then drill a smaller hole on the edge of the washer where you will attach your bow fishing line. You've just made your arrow slider, now you'll need a slider stop. Depending on the type of arrow rest you're using, this can be tricky. If you've got a whisker biscuit or drop away you shouldn't run into many problems. I just wrapped an inch-wide section of duct tape around the nock end of my arrow until it was stacked thick enough that the slider couldn't come off. Now, with your stopper and slide on the arrow, screw your bow fishing tip to the end, and you are ready to go. You may want to add some weight to your arrow to make it fly slower. With any bow fishing, the arrow doesn't need to go very fast, in fact, it's best if it doesn't fly at warp speeds because any damage or knots in your string or apparatus will cause very dangerous situations if you're shooting too fast. To add weight to your bow fishing arrow, just put some sand in the shaft and screw your tip back on. Always remember to only work with what you feel safe with. Visit OutdoorU.org and start your own pathway to exciting and memorable experiences in the outdoors. Get outside and see what the Nebraska outdoors has for you. ■ in o unt and e See the step-by-step process of making your own bowfishing equipment. S m e The author poses with a carp he shot from his kayak. PHOTO COUTESY OF DYLAN TEGTMEIER