Outdoor notes: Join City Nature Challenge to help document wildlife

LINCOLN, Neb. – The 2021 City Nature Challenge invites individuals to explore and document wildlife where they live.

The event started in 2016 as a competition between two cities to see how many different wildlife observations they could document using the platform iNaturalist. Since then, this community science event has grown and this year more than 400 cities are set to participate worldwide.

Anyone with a camera and access to iNaturalist can participate. Access to iNaturalist is available as a smartphone app or online through iNaturalist.org.

This City Nature Challenge is a great way for individuals to connect with their local environments. It also provides a huge amount of data with which researchers and scientists otherwise would not have access. This includes biodiversity data for urban environments, including records of species in places where they previously had not been documented.

The City Nature Challenge takes place in two parts. The first part, the observation period, runs April 30-May 3. This is the time to observe wildlife, take photos and start uploading them to iNaturalist.

Those making observations in the participating cities of Lincoln or Omaha will have their observations count toward that city’s total. Individuals outside of a participating city can join the City Nature Challenge 2021 Global Project on iNaturalist.

The second part of the City Nature Challenge is the identification period, which runs May 4-9. During this time, anyone across the globe can help identify observations through iNaturalist. Sorting through all of that data is just as important as collecting it. So, if you are familiar with local plants, animals or fungi, we can use your help. There will be virtual “identification parties” May 4-7 from noon-1 p.m. for anyone who would like to join.

The results from the City Nature Challenge, locally and globally, will be announced May 10. For Lincoln’s City Nature Challenge, all observations in Lancaster County will count toward the totals. For Lincoln’s event, prizes will be provided for the following categories: most observations, most identifications, best photo, and most unique observation. Other prizes also will be raffled.

To learn more about Lincoln’s City Nature Challenge, visit outdoornebraska.gov/citynaturechallenge/ or contact [email protected].

Lincoln’s City Nature Challenge is organized by Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, Pioneers Park Nature Center, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, Morrill Hall: University of Nebraska State Museum, Nebraska Extension, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The Xerces Society, Lincoln Community Learning Centers, Lincoln City Libraries, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever of Nebraska.

Hunters Helping the Hungry receives Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund Grant

LINCOLN, Neb. – Hunters Helping the Hungry has received a $10,000 grant award from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund to aid the program in helping Nebraskans in need.

These funds will be used to cover some deer processing costs, supplementing cash donations. Additional cash donations from individuals and businesses still are needed to bridge the gap between the desire by hunters to donate additional deer, and costs to process deer. Low HHH funds have required limiting deer donation since 2017.

The HHH program is funded solely by tax-deductible contributions. Each year the program invites deer processors to apply, and contracts with selected lockers to accept donated deer from hunters. The ground venison produced is distributed by charitable organizations to those in need.

Learn more about the program and how to support it at OutdoorNebraska.org/HHH.

Hinze is junior high champion at 51st Cornhusker Trap Shoot

DONIPHAN, Neb. – Zach Hinze of Republican River 4-H defeated Kahne Packer of 5 Clovers 4-H in a shoot-off to win the junior high competition in the 51st Cornhusker Trap Shoot on Thursday.

Hinze and Packer each had broken 97 of 100 clay targets at 16 yards earlier in the day at the Nebraska Trapshooting Association home grounds. In the shoot-off, Hinze hit all 25 targets, while Packer missed one.

Reilly Forsyth of La Vista Middle School won a shoot-off over Chole Hogan of Lincoln’s Scott Middle School to win the ladies’ competition. Norris 1 won the junior high team title while 5 Clovers 4-H won the 4-H team championship and Ashland 4-H 2 took the ladies’ team crown.

On Thursday, 835 junior high shooters competed.

On Friday, more than 1,400 senior high students are expected to shoot 75 rounds of 16-yard targets. They will shoot 75 handicap targets Saturday, and the combined scores of the two days will determine the overall champion, the Cornhusker Cup winner.

The junior high results are:

Top 20 Individuals – 1. Zach Hinze, Republican River 4-H, 97 of 100 (won shoot-off); 2. Kahne Packer, 5 Clovers 4-H, 97; 3. Gavin Kuck, Norris, 96; 4. Wyatt Debrie, Gibbon, 94; 5. Ashton Marshall, Westridge MS, 93; 6. Wyatt Widman, Arlington, 93; 7. Kain Combs, Exeter-Milligan, 92; 8. Tyler Marshall, Lincoln Mickle MS, 92; 9. Lane Johnson, La Vista, 92; 10. Ben Peters, Ogallala, 91; 11. Colton Barry, Norris, 91; 12. Dane Newman, St. Joseph 4-H, 91; 13. Carson Alexander, Norris, 91; 14. Conner Parrish, Lincoln Irving MS, 91; 15. Henry Prokup, 5 Clovers 4-H, 91; 16. Michael Bartu, Exeter-Milligan, 91; 17. Kohen Burda, 5 Clovers 4-H, 90; 18. Cooper Hayek, 5 Clovers 4-H, 90; 19. Kaiser Himmelberg, Ashland 4-H, 90; 20. Isaac Bruna, Beatrice, 90.

Top Six Ladies – 1. Reilly Forsyth, La Vista MS, 87 of 100 (won shoot-off); 2. Chloe Hogan, Lincoln Scott MS, 87; 3. Logyn Jarman, Loup Valley 4-H, 87; 4. Gianna Ellis, 5 Clovers 4-H, 86; Emma Huntley, Bennington, 85; 6. Isabelle Roth, St. Joseph 4-H 85.

Top Three 4-H Teams – 1. 5 Clovers 4-H (Kahne Packer, Kohen Burda, Gianna Ellis, Carter Neukirch, Cooper Hayek), 451 of 500; 2. Platte Valley 4-H, 430 of 500; 3. Republican River 4-H, 416 of 500.

Top Ladies Team – 1. Ashland 4-H 2 (Mackenzie Almquist, Madison Almquist, Addison Rist, Claire Campbell, Sara Thiellen), 332 of 500; 2. Minden 2, 310; 3. Burwell 293.

Top Six Junior High Teams – 1. Norris 1 (Gavin Kuck, Zach Hennecke, Brody Schmidt, Carson Alexander, Owen Davis), 447 of 500; 2. Norris 2, 418; 3. Lincoln Middle School 1, 413; 4. North Platte Middle School 1, 410; 5. Ogallala, 406; 6. Lincoln Scott MS Gold, 404.

Menking is individual champion at 16 yards at Cornhusker Trap Shoot

DONIPHAN, Neb. – Benjamin Menking of Fremont won a four-person shoot-off Friday to win the individual title in the 16-yard competition at the 51st Cornhusker Trap Shoot.

Menking was one of four shooters to break all 75 targets earlier, then, in the shoot-off, he was perfect on 25 targets.

Morgan Krinke of Lincoln Pius X won the ladies’ title with a perfect 25 score in a three-person shoot-off after shooting a 73 earlier. The high school team crown went to Millard West A, on the strength of 75s from Peyton Anderson and Ben Wilweding, with a 361 score out of a possible 375. Papillion-La Vista Monarch Lady won the ladies team title at 330 and Ashland 4-H 1 won the 4-H team championship with a 350.

There were 1,406 shooters from Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado, Missouri and South Dakota competing on Friday. On Saturday, competitors will shoot 75 handicap targets. The high school shooter with the highest combined score from the two days will earn the Cornhusker Cup trophy as the overall champion.

Friday’s results in the 16-yard competition are:

Top 20 Individuals – 1. Benjamin Menking, Fremont, 75 (won shoot-off); 2. Michael Day, Bellevue West 1, 75; 3. Ben Wilweding, Millard West A, 75; 4. Peyton Anderson, Millard West A, 75; 5. Cayden Newman, Douglas County West Platinum, 74; 6. Drake Pietryga, Millard West A, 74; 7. Trenton Srajhans, Fillmore County 4-H 1, 74; 8. Johnny Gustafson, North Platte Gold, 74; 9. Garret Tachovsky, Blue River 4-H Red, 74; 10. Adam Kotas, 5 Clovers 4-H 1, 74; 11. Leonardo Ruiz-Juvera, Omaha Creighton Prep White, 74; 12. Clint Mumm, Ashland 4-H 3, 74; 13. Vincent Kuehlthau, Papillion-La Vista Monarch 1, 74; 14. Patrick Glesinger, Papillion-La Vista South 1, 73; 15. Wyatt Nelson, Elkhorn South Blue, 73; 16. Randy Koke, Ashland 4-H 1, 73; 17. Dalton Nielsen, Blair Gold, 73; 18. Mason Gerdes, Raymond Central Gold, 73; 19. Tyler Uhri, Falls City, 73; 20. Jarrett Koch, Beatrice 1, 73.

Top Six Ladies – 1. Morgan Krinke, Lincoln Pius X, 73 of 75 (won shoot-off); 2. Kaylynn Sieber, Marshall, Minn., 73; 3. Haley Johnson, Gordon-Rushville, 73; 4. Jayden Shigley, Lincoln East, 71; 5. Lucie Hemminger, Lincoln Northeast 1, 71; 6. Madelynn Oden, Lincoln Southeast, 71.

Top Three 4-H Teams – 1. Ashland 4-H 1 (Randy Koke, Parker Dimmitt, Dylan Siemers, Mollie Konen, Garrett Plambeck), 350 of 375; 2. Ashland 4-H 3, 349; 3. 5 Clovers 4-H 1, 349.

Top Three Ladies Teams – 1. Papillion-La Vista Monarch Lady (Cameron Sopinski, Audrey Irvine, Vesta Fitton, Scotlyn Kincaid, Carrie Hirschfeld), 330 of 375; 2. Norris Lady, 300; 3. Lincoln East Black 1, 299.

Top Six High School Teams – 1. Millard West A (Drake Pietryga, Brandon Fish, Aiden Alward, Peyton Anderson, Ben Wilweding), 361 of 375; 2. Beatrice 1, 358; 3. Douglas County West Platinum, 357; 4. Elkhorn South Blue, 357; 5. Blair Gold, 357; 6. Papillion-La Vista South 2, 352.

Jim Carlisle Memorial Second Generation Individual (traveling trophy) – Haley Johnson, Gordon-Rushville, 73

For more information, visit cornhusker-trap.com.

Blue River 4-H’s Lorenz wins Cornhusker Cup in shoot-off

DONIPHAN, Neb. – Austin Lorenz of Blue River 4-H won a four-person shoot-off and captured the individual crown – the Cornhusker Cup – at the 51st Cornhusker Trap Shoot on Saturday.

Lorenz, a senior on the Crete-based team, broke 72 of 75 handicap targets at 25 yards earlier in the day. That scored combined with his 73 at 16 yards on Friday at the home grounds of the Nebraska Trapshooting Association for a winning two-day score of 145 of a possible 150.

It came on a dusty, windy day when shooters battled 20 mph winds that gusted to 30 mph all day. But Lorenz was ready, no matter where the targets flew.

“I knew I had to stay on top of them and keep my head down,” he said. “I just had to keep prepared for that.”

He figured his first-day score was solid enough to keep him in the hunt for the title. “I knew I had a chance,” he said. “I knew it was a number that would take some doing to beat.”

Finishing second, third and fourth overall to Lorenz in the shoot-off were Jarrett Koch of Beatrice, Peyton Anderson of Millard West and Tyler Valgora of Omaha Skutt, each with 145s.

Kaylynn Sieber of Marshall, Minn., won the ladies’ overall title. Millard West won the high school team championship, 5 Clover 4-H was the top 4-H team, and Papillion-La Vista was the ladies’ team champion.

The three-day event drew 835 junior high and 1,406 senior high shooters.

Results from Saturday’s senior high competition are:

Overall

Top 10 Individuals – 1. Austin Lorenz, Blue River 4-H Red, 145 of 150; 2. Jarrett Koch, Beatrice 1, 145; 3. Peyton Anderson, Millard West A, 145; 4. Tyler, Valgora, Omaha Skutt Black, 145; 5. Mitchell Pierson, Lincoln Southeast Zulu, 143; 6. Ben Wilweding, Millard West A, 143; 7. Vincent Kuehlthau, Papillion-La Vista Monarch 1, 142; 8. Trenton Srajhans, Fillmore County 4-H 1, 142; 9. Cayden Newman, Douglas County West Platinum, 142; 10. Cooper Mentzer, Douglas County West Platinum, 142.

Top Three Ladies – 1. Kaylynn Sieber, Marshall, Minn., 137 of 150; 2. Morgan Krinke, Lincoln Pius X, 135; 3. Abby Johnson, North Bend, 135.

Top Three 4-H Teams – 1. 5 Clovers 4-H (Adam Kotas, Mitchell Thompson, Colby Homolka, Sawyer Kune, Nathan Patak), 665 of 750; 2. Blue River 4-H Red, 667; 3. Ashland 4-H 1, 665.

Top High School Teams – 1. Millard West A (Drake Pietryga, Brandon Fish, Aiden Alward, Peyton Anderson, Ben Wilweding), 687 of 750; 2. Douglas County West Platinum, 683; 3. Beatrice 1, 678; 4. Lincoln Southwest Blue, 677; 5. Omaha Skutt Black, 674; 6. Lincoln Southeast Zulu, 667.

Top Three Ladies Teams – 1. Papillion-La Vista Monarch Lady (Cameron Sopinski, Vesta Fitton, Carrie Hirschfeld, Audrey Irvine, Scotlyn Kincaid), 600 of 750; 2. Norris Lady, 596; 3. Omaha Duchesne Dash 1, 594.

Handicap

Top Three Ladies – 1. Nicole Buettner, Lincoln Northeast, 72 of 75; 2. Cori Combs, Exeter-Milligan, 68; 3. Annlynn Casey, Omaha Duchesne, 67.

Top Three Individuals – 1. Austin Lorenz, Blue River 4-H Red (won shoot-off), 72 of 75; 2. Tyler Valgora, Omaha Skutt Black, 72; 3. Jarrett Koch, Beatrice 1, 72.

Top Three 4-H Teams – 1. Blue River 4-H Red (Austin Lorenz, Hayes Andelt, Brennen Stone, Brock Steuben, Garret Tachovsky), 324 of 375; 2. Cougar 4-H, 322; 3. 5 Clover 4-H 1, 321.

Top Three Ladies Teams – 1. Omaha Duchesne Dash 1 (Kate Denman, Shaelynn Vaughn, Annlynn Casey, Izzy Jansen, Madi Meduna), 301 of 375; 2. Norris Lady, 296; 3. Lincoln Southwest Green, 284.

Top Six High School Teams – 1. Lincoln Southwest Blue (Ethan Ernst, Trevor Hall, Kolby, Muir, Noah Taylor, Tanner Muff), 332 of 375; 2. Millard West A, 326; 3. Omaha Skutt Black, 326; 4. Douglas County West Platinum, 326; 5. Elkhorn Red, 322; 6. Beatrice 1, 320.

Yardage Winners

18-19 Yards – 1. Lane Johannes, Arlington 2, 68 of 75; 2. Jaxson Stark, Lincoln Southeast, 66; 3. Cambry Everett, Lincoln Southwest, 66; 4. Alex Geiser, Gothenburg, 65; 5. Anthony Tripp, Omaha Creighton Prep, 65; 6. Camden Ham, Bellevue East 1, 64; 7. Ben Briseno, Grand Island Northwest 9, 64; 8. Roper Wetzel, Loup Valley 4-H 1, 64; 9. Dylan Woodward, Lincoln Northeast 2, 64; 10. Brock Steuben, Blue River 4-H Red, 64.

20-21 Yards – 1. Carson Downs, Louisville 4-H, 68 of 75; 2. Sam Scott, Cougar 4-H (Omaha Gross), 68; 3. Kolby Muir, Lincoln Southwest Blue, 67; 4. Ryder Kahny, Madison County 4-H 1, 67; 5. Andrew Mount, Western Nebraska 4-H, 67; 6. Merrick Pelan, North Star 4-H Blue, 67; 7. Tyler Neimier, Bellevue East 1, 66; 8. Sam Thamm, Elkhorn, 66; 9. Wyatt Nipp, Omaha Creighton Prep, 66; 10. Randy Schochenmaier, Omaha Creighton Prep, 66

22-23 Yards – 1. Hunter Gilbertson, Waverly Maroon, 70 of 75; 2. Dylan Siemers, Ashland 4-H, 70; 3. Jordan Elsasser, Elkhorn Red, 69; 4. Sawyer Kunc, 5 Clovers 4-H, 69; 5. Tanner Coble, Colorado 4-H, 69; 6. Remington Stoner, Rock Port, Mo., 69; 7. Andrew Schmaderer, Omaha Creighton Prep Blue, 69; 8. Dalton Bures, Diller-Odell, 68

24-25 Yards – 1. Mitchell Pierson, Lincoln Southeast Zulu, 71 of 75; 2. Peyton Anderson, Millard West A, 70; 3. Clyde Stenglein, Douglas County West Platinum, 69; 4. Brennan Teter, Oak Creek 4-H, 69; 5. Cooper Mentzer, Douglas County West Platinum, 69; 6. Ryan Foster, Douglas County West Platinum, 69; 7. Tyler Uhri, Falls City, 68; 8. Levi Lennemann, Young Guns 4-H 1, 68