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
more open areas of the WMA and you may kill a few doves. But as popular as Wood Duck WMA is to hunters, the area's recreational opportunities don't end here. Spring brings a different kind of life – the promise of fruit in late summer and early fall. White bouquets of elderberry flowers grow fragrant along road ditches and trails in May, while foliage on hibernating trees begins to sprout. Wild plum thickets fully develop in summer, showing off small, olive-like green fruit. Grape vines grow wild along the Elkhorn's oxbows, tendrils whipping, wrapping and reaching the tallest points of host trees. Morel mushrooms may be found growing in the woods' sandy soil. Wood Duck's oxbow lake, once called Loe's Lake, offers some fishing, including bullhead, carp, bluegill, sunfish and bass, while catfishing is good on the Elkhorn River. Fruit picking is a highlight for many locals in late summer and fall, when the skins of juicy, sun-ripened wild plums turn from orange and yellow to blush-red. Grape vines burden low bushes with heavy canopies, laden with clusters of inky black fruit ready to be cut with old pocket knives to take home for grape jelly and juice. Song and game birds love elderberries, while two-legged browsers may prefer to make pies, jam or wine . Gooseberries are abundant, too. The summers also mean playing in the sandy Elkhorn River, to cool and wash off dog-day itches. Frogs and toads hide under the shade of bright green vegetation, not waiting to be caught by inquisitive girls and boys. Though Wood Duck is mostly flat and does not boast the great vistas and views of other WMAs, the fiery sunrises and sunsets that reflect upon the marshes are sights to behold. Its seemingly misplaced wedge of Sandhills is big enough to make you feel like you're out in the real thing. ■ Top: Daisy fleabane can be found at Wood Duck Wildlife Management Area in Stanton County. Middle: A young opossum climbs a tree to get away from the photographer. Bottom: Elderberries ripen in late summer and fall. They can be used to make all kinds of desserts, beverages and preserves. APRIL 2016 • NEBRASKAland 45