Nebraskaland

June 2026 • Nebraskaland 53 Loron Bunney, pictured below, was a game warden from 1925 to 1965. He was also a photographer, capturing many images for Outdoor Nebraska during his career, including the cover for the second ever issue of the magazine, a Brittany spaniel after a successful grouse hunt. N ebraskaland Magazine has long been known for its excellent photography. Indeed, photos have been present on its pages since it began as Outdoor Nebraska in 1926, including the first issue, which had a photo on the cover and 13 more inside. Who captured the first cover image of a child wearing a straw hat, sitting on a stream bank, baiting a hook tied to his fishing line, tied to a twig is not known: There is no photo credit for that image or any in the issue, and no negative or print exists in the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's extensive photo library. The identity of the child is not known, either. We do know who captured the photograph of a Brittany spaniel, resting on its master's shotgun with three prairie chickens it had retrieved during a hunt featured on the second cover: Loron Bunney. Bunney had at least three more photos in that issue, including a landscape of Scotts Bluff National Monument reflected in what is now known as Terry's Pit, photos of the new Rock Creek Hatchery, and anglers happily displaying their catch. At the time, Bunney was in his second year as a game warden with the Bureau of Game and Fish, a job he would hold for 40 years and do so well that an award given annually to a current officer now carries his name. Bunney was also a dedicated hunter and one of the state's top trapshooters, and penned a few articles on that subject and others for the magazine. But he was also a photographer, and a good one. A profile of the officer in the Summer 1951 issue said: "Many of the pictures appearing in past issues of Outdoor Nebraska were taken by Bunney." In 1949, Bunney even captured a photo of two whooping and three sandhill cranes in flight along the North Platte River somewhere west of Lake McConaughy. At the time, there were believed to be just 35 whoopers left in North America. The second issue of the magazine perhaps told the story of where some of the photos published in the decades to follow came from: "Pictures Wanted: The editor of Outdoor Nebraska desires good pictures of fish and game. If you have a good picture of your fishing trip, send it in. Or, if you have a picture of a Nebraska lake or stream or bit of scenery, send it in. All pictures not used will be returned." There have been photos in nearly every issue of the magazine. Many, especially photos of happy hunters and anglers with their bags, were likely contributed by readers. Others may have been captured by the magazine's editor, or camera- toting Commission biologists or wardens. Some were provided by the University of Nebraska or local newspapers. It wasn't until 1957 that Outdoor Nebraska hired its first photographer, Fred Gibbs. His first credited photos appeared in the fall issue. Gibbs was hired in advance of the magazine's transition from a quarterly to monthly publication in 1958. In April 1958, he was replaced by Gene Hornbeck, who served several roles on the staff, including photographer-writer and chief of photography, until 1969, when he left to become the outdoor editor for the Omaha World-Herald, a position he held until 1990. Hornbeck mostly photographed and wrote about hunters and anglers pursuing fish and game around the state, but also photographed landscapes and wildlife. Lou Ell was the next photographer to join the staff. His photos and stories first appeared in 1961, and he served as chief of photography before retiring in 1978. Ell excelled in all fields, including landscapes and wildlife, and with a background in studio photography, was innovative in that work. (See Old-School AI on page 59.) The Photographers

• Cover