HUNTING AND FISHING

by Mabell Cox

Entry T75 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Hunting and Fishing in the early 1900's.

Neighborhood Fishing Party on a Sunday
afternoon in early 1900's

Fishing was in the early 1900's just as it is now

Hunting and Fishing have always been
excellent in the Sandhills. The Indians had
found this out long ago as evidenced by the
many arrow points and shards found in the
area. The rolling hills of grass and the
abundant water supply provided a perfect
habitat for all the wild life. Deer, antelope,
prairie chickens, duck and geese were plenti-
ful.

When the first white settlers came, hunting
and fishing were a means of providing food
for a family, not just a sport. Later hunters
came and made a lucrative business of
shooting prairie chickens and ducks and
selling them as a commercial product. A bit
later, hunting the prairie chickens became a
popular sport and many dignitaries from the
east came out to the Sandhills just for this
sport.

As might be expected all of this rapid
killing took its toll and the bird population
dropped. It became necessary to have game
laws limiting the number of birds taken.

Today hunting is a favorite sport and the
patient hunter can usually bag some birds or
a deer.

The many Sandhill lakes provided a wealth
of fish for the early settlers and it was not at
all unusual for several families to go together
for a day of fishing and picnicing. In those
early days the fish provided a welcome
change in the diet of the homesteader. Today
the lakes still do the same for the fisherman
and it is a very popular sport. It seems that
many people prefer the fresh caught fish to
the frozen ones found in the stores. These
Sandhill lakes abound in perch, blue gills,
bass, pike and bull heads. The Dismal and
Loup Rivers offer some excellent trout
fishing. If you come away without a catch you
can always tell about the one that got away
or say they weren't biting that day.

Another water sport that is catching on fast
is canoeing and tubing. The Dismal River is
ranked as one of the more difficult rivers in
Nebraska. The Middle Loup just north of
Mullen is lots of fun and an easy trip.