Justin Haag, Nebraskaland Magazine

07/27/2026

During one of its recent nighttime excursions, an American badger passes by my camera trap and displays some of its distinct characteristics: the boldly marked face, the pigeon-toed strut with strong forearms and long claws, a nose in the air that is 800 times more powerful picking up scents than that of a human, and, of course, a little dirt on that nose from digging adventures.

After capturing photos of this character, I was inclined to feature badgers on this week’s Panhandle Afield radio segment. Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/justin-haag-330294672/panhandle-afield-american

07/17/2026

Disc golf, anyone?

In parks throughout Nebraska, and far beyond, visitors are finding entertainment in slinging plastic toward metal.

07/16/2026

World Snake Day, I see!

Here's a recent photo of a bullsnake and one of its most fascinating features -- the forked tongue. Snakes don't flick the tongue just to creep people out. They're picking up tiny scent particles and moving them to the highly sensitive Jacobson's organ at the roof of the mouth for decoding.

By this point in the encounter, that decoding had no doubt determined I was more likely to be a predator than prey, and the snake was surely wanting to get as far away from me as it could. After snapping a few photos, I watched it slither away in pursuit of more inviting scents than what I was emanating.

07/08/2026

Summer sunsets hit different at the lake.

📍Box Butte Reservoir

06/30/2026

Nothing runs (and jumps) like a deer.

06/30/2026

I'm trying to get better at thistle identification and enjoyed writing this story about them.

Not all thistles are created equal!

While some thistle species can become invasive and outcompete native plants, others play an important role in Nebraska’s ecosystems, providing food and habitat for pollinators, birds and other wildlife. And some are simply beautiful.

Before you reach for the w**d killer, learn how to tell the difference between the good, the bad and the pretty: https://brnw.ch/21x3JZW

Photo and blog by Justin Haag

06/29/2026

The view from above drives home how fortunate we are that the South Fork Fire did not enter Fort Robinson State Park’s primary complex of buildings (or Crawford, for that matter). We owe a debt of gratitude to the firefighters for protecting lives and structures.

These photos were taken June 24. I look forward to seeing that black turn to green!

A note about drones: Even though the Temporary Flight Restriction has been lifted in the area of the wildfire, the public lands on which it burned require special authorization year-round. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, for instance, requires pilots to obtain a Special Occasion Permit. Information about how to apply can be found at outdoornebraska.gov.

06/25/2026

It was comforting to see some green returning to the scene during Wednesday's visit to Fort Robinson State Park.

The drive up Smiley Canyon was fascinating, if not necessarily scenic. Never before had I been able to see the floor of the canyon so well, as it is usually concealed by thick vegetation this time of year. I wasn’t living in northwestern Nebraska when wildfire burned through that part of the park in 1989.

The burros were opting for new forage emerging in the black rather than the unburned areas of the pasture.

And, as I wrote in a post last week, prickly pear cacti are tough — and pretty. They do a fine job of representing the western Nebraska spirit.

Saw evidence of a lot of hard work by park employees and others making the best of things. Better days ahead.

06/18/2026

A burrowing owl prepares for takeoff.

06/15/2026

There’s always a bright spot, right? With the Panhandle’s vegetation growing short in drought, the blooming plains prickly pear (Opuntia polyacantha) is standing "tall" and seems more noticeable than usual.

It’s a plant designed to perform in times such as these. The big pads with a waxy protective coating store water while a shallow root system takes in any moisture that might come in a sudden rainstorm. And, as the most painfully noticeable characteristic of any cacti, the spines serve as a deterrent for any herbivores looking for a snack.

Some of the pads on these plants are showing wrinkles, an indicator that they could use a drink. Join the club, prickly pear. Join the club.