Nebraskaland

38 Nebraskaland • June 2026 In a colorful bit of prose, O'Connell wrote an article in 1927 from the point of view of a prairie chicken pleading its case before "the court of public opinion." " To d ay, Yo u r Ho n o r, we are faced with extinction," O'Connell wrote, representing the impassioned bird. "The White Man has come in ever increasing numbers, pushing farther and farther westward until today there is no place left for us. Not only is it impossible for us to find suitable places where we can obtain food and build our nests — worse than that, Your Honor, it is impossible for us to find a place where White Man will even let us rest in peace and security. There is only a handful of us left." With so little wildlife on the landscape, much of the magazine's content focused on the agency's successful efforts in establishing fish populations. The pages showed photos of people holding their catch, the fruits of stocking efforts that had taken place since the agency's creation as the Nebraska Fish Commission in 1879. It also spread conservation messages to help wildlife, with the most important messages earning mention on a full back-page cartoon to drive home the message. T h e v a l u e o f h a b i t a t , whether leaving it or creating it, was a prime topic in the 1950s, likely in response to the ever-increasing intensity of agriculture that followed World War II. During that decade, articles written by wildlife biologists and others — based on what they believed to be the truth at the time — often p r o m o t e d p l a n t i n g s o m e species of trees and shrubs that are now considered invasive. Several stories in the 1950s stumped for creation of the Soil Bank program, including some by Mel Steen, the Game and Parks director, who wrote the soil bank plan while in Missouri. As habitat and even pheasant numbers declined, the writers encouraged feeding game birds to get them through the winter and installing flushing bars on horse-drawn mowers to give birds warning to get out of the way. While conservation was a primary topic in the first issues, not all wildlife was looked upon favorably. Along with free-roaming housecats, some species were identified as "enemies of wildlife" — crows, goshawks, sharp-shinned hawks and turtles among them. Any species perceived to be harmful to game animals was frowned upon. All insects were considered to be a nuisance, and getting rid of them was seen as a benefit of having game birds. While the words have had an impact, Nebraskaland imagery has surely done its part for developing the public's appreciation for wildlife. Artist C.G. "Bud" Pritchard joined the staff in 1949, bringing wildlife scenes to the cover and natural history articles until his retirement in 1974. As camera technology improved, staff photographers — the first of whom were hired in 1957 — brought high-quality photographs of countless species to the pages. TOP: A greater prairie-chicken dances on a lek at Burchard Lake WMA in Pawnee County. ERIC FOWLER, NEBRASKALAND BOTTOM: Nebraskaland artist "Bud" Pritchard shows his "Wildlife in One Reel" illustration depicting pheasants. NEBRASKALAND

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