Barry Reutzel made a quick stop before heading to Branched Oak Lake, grabbing two packs of cold hot dogs at the store.
Minutes after he and his dog Shadow pulled into a cove, they were met by a slender great blue heron. The bird careened into the water nearby.
Feeding time.
“Hey, Harry,†hollered Reutzel. "Gonna try to help."
Harry the Heron earned his name from the lake's regulars and has been a fixture around Branched Oak Area 5 during warm months for the past three years. But recently, something like seaweed and netting became tangled in his beak, and his fans are convinced it's inhibiting his ability to hunt and fish.
“He’s kind of an icon out there and people look for him,†said Reutzel, a former state senator who is now retired. “It’d be a shame to lose him for something that could be readily fixed.â€
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On Friday, Reutzel pulled out his packs of hot dogs and started tossing them toward the bird, which strutted around in shallow water no more than 50 feet away.Ìý
One hot dog for Shadow, the rest for Harry.
The scene happens daily, with Branched Oak regulars helping as well.
Nebraska Game and Parks employees tried luring the bird with bait and catching it with a net gun. They failed, and Harry flew nearly a mile away.
Once they watched it feed, they decided the bird wasn't in serious distress, said Pat Molini, wildlife manager for Game and Parks' southeast district. Besides, continued attempts to capture the bird could harm it.
Nothing prohibits people from feeding the heron or other wild animals at Branched Oak. However, Molini said, “I’d caution well-intentioned people that it’s not always a good thing to feed wildlife.â€
Reutzel plans to keep helping until Harry is freed, along with others who routinely toss the bird gizzards, hot dogs and fish.
An avid fisherman, Reutzel remembers feeling frustrated when nothing would bite.
“I could watch (Harry) from 30 yards away on a hunt, and he’d have half a dozen fish anytime he wanted. He was real good at it.â€
Now even the dead fish Reutzel throws in the water will float there as Harry tries to get them, Reutzel said.Ìý
Molini said it’s important to note that polluting the lake area can harm the creatures there.
“Trash and line and netting left behind — even a small plastic pop bottle lid — could be detrimental to wildlife."