season . To trade, I said I'd cook for him
— we had a deal.
Public Grouse
A year later, Rick and I met with
Ross and his friend Megan Beach, now
of Oregon, out in western Nebraska
on a Friday late afternoon. We went
to dinner in Scottsbluff , at a great
restaurant called the Flyover Brewing
Company, to get acquainted and to
go over the plan for the weekend. It's
always a little awkward hunting with
strangers for the fi rst time, but when
you know you're going to be handling
fi rearms around each other, you make
an eff ort to break the ice quickly.
The plan was to get up early the next
day. We would hunt in the morning,
take a break for lunch and then hunt
again until one of us couldn't walk
any longer in the afternoon. I was
mentally prepared to cover ground that
weekend. While most of the terrain in
Nebraska isn't as dramatic as some
other states', don't underestimate the
Sandhills' gentle slopes. I did get on
the treadmill a few times leading up to
the hunt, and I was so glad I did.
On Saturday morning, we were on
the road as the sun came up. Ross drove
us south from Gering, and we passed
44 Nebraskaland • November 2021
Gear for Grouse Hunting
The prairie grouse season starts Sept. 1, and temperatures could be scorching during the fi rst half of the month and chilly as
the season progresses. Wear layers that you can easily take off . Also, choose a lightweight, well-ventilated hunting vest to wear.
Expect to cover ground. In some Open Fields and Water sites, there also could be elevation. Light, comfortable hiking shoes
will do. Sandburs are a nuisance out this way, especially for hunting dogs, but it's not enough for hunters to wear chaps.
Grouse like open grasslands and short brushland habitat, which are relatively easy to walk.
With all the walking, hunt with a lighter, easy-to-carry gun. Grouse are not hardy birds and are easy to knock down — that is, if
you don't miss. Earlier in the season, Rick and I do well with our 20-gauge over-unders with modifi ed chokes in both barrels and
6 shot.
Shooting instructor Greg Preston of Omaha said, "Over pointing dogs, improve cylinder to light modifi ed is best, and if they
are getting up a little wild, use modifi ed in the bottom barrel and improved modifi ed on top. For a single barrel gun, modifi ed is
the best all-around choke."
LEFT: Megan Beach of Oregon and
Ross Juelfs discussing where to
walk next.
OPPOSITE: The author bags a
sharp-tailed grouse.
