Nebraskaland

Nebraskaland November 2021

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1422281

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48 Nebraskaland • November 2021 smiling wide and giving me a high fi ve. "I'm so excited for you!" We found the bird, and Rick took a picture. He was just as happy for me as I was for myself. Both he and I were surprised by how many birds we saw, just in that one CRP lot. We continued on to the next fi eld, where Rick redeemed himself and shot his fi rst sharpie, too. Ross got his second bird in the bag. We had lunch at a charming roadside diner called the Double L Country Store and Café, located on Highway 71 near Harrisburg. The Double L had great food: fresh farm-to-table cooking, ice cream, old-fashioned sodas and baked goods. Its gift shop was full of interesting knick-knacks. We went over the morning's events. Temperatures got warm that afternoon, and although keen, Beaufort sat out the rest of the day. He was 14, after all, and his role that weekend can be best described as "honorary." That was another thing that surprised me: You don't need a dog to be successful hunting sharp-tailed grouse in this area. Ross brought Beaufort along mostly for the company, and because his senior dog still loves to go out. "I've tried retiring him many times," Ross said. The remainder of the day proved to be as productive, although more birds fl ushed wild. Ross and Rick ended up shooting their limits, and I got one more sharpie in the bag. Unfortunately for Megan, she was never in the right place at the right time. Still, I don't think she minded. An accomplished hunter, Megan was just happy to be out and meet new hunters. As for Rick and me, we were absolutely stoked about our day. The weather was beautiful, the company was second to none, and we were happy to see birds on public ground. That night, I prepared a dinner of French sorrel soup, summer heirloom tomato salad, goose confi t with Cumberland sauce, sautéed seasonal mushrooms and wild elderberry panna cotta for dessert. We stayed up late talking — a couple of us had trouble waking the following morning. Missed Opportunities and Other Ones The next day, we hunted on private rangeland for prairie chickens. I couldn't tell you how big the property was, but it sprawled for miles in all directions; I could see Lake McConaughy sparkling in the distance. The scenery was spectacular — it was cattle country as you would imagine it in Hollywood cinema. However, we saw few birds, and the ones we did view did not hold well. I still kick myself when I think about that Sunday hunt. Toward the end Scouting Before you hit the road, make sure to bring your Nebraska Public Access Atlas. And although not necessary, I've found the onX app helpful in marking and saving my favorite hunting and foraging spots, as well as being able to see property lines. You could also download maps ahead of time to use in areas with poor data coverage. When you get to Scottsbluff /Gering, drive those county roads. Map sheets 3 and 4 show the general area where we hunted. A good number of those Conservation Reserve Program areas shaded in red hold grouse. John Laux, Nebraska Game and Park's upland habitat and access program manager, said: "Out in that part of the state, grouse commonly use CRP fi elds, which are typically undisturbed and provide better cover than adjacent rangeland, especially during dry years like this one. That all being said, they do hang out in some short or sparse cover at times. You are generally looking for large blocks of grasslands — mostly void of trees — with shin to knee-high grasses that provide suffi cient cover for concealment. This structure is typically the key to fi nding grouse." Furthermore, look for areas with good plant diversity of grass intermixed with broadleaf plants and patches of bare ground, Laux said. "These broadleaf plants attract insects, which are an important food source for grouse early in the season. Many broadleaf plants also produce seeds and fruit. Native shrubs are another thing to look for — they provide shade during hotter parts of the day and food resources as well. And during dry periods, grouse often key-in on the fruits and succulent leaves of some forbs." Topography is also important. "Throughout much of the sharptail's range in Nebraska, they prefer choppy topography and are usually found at the higher elevations, which is generally where you will fi nd good plant diversity and cover that is more patchy and intermixed with bare ground," Laux said. R A sharp-tailed grouse feather resting between blades of grass.

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