14 Nebraskaland • April 2024
By Jeff Kurrus
BE OPEN TO OPEN FIELDS
IN THE FIELD
Matthew Marx, of Gretna, pulls a johnboat across Open Fields and Waters land after a morning turkey hunt and fishing trip.
JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
Hunting or fishing on Open Fields and Waters land requires
work. Sometimes a lot of it. Even so, looking for birds to hunt
and fishing holes to cast a line on a patch of OFW land should
be a spring rite of passage.
Follow these steps:
1. Search for accessible land in the newest installment of
Nebraska's Public Access Atlas. There, you will find where
these lands are located and how they can be accessed.
2. Use some sort of mapping app, such as Google or OnX, on
your phone to scout the land before spending an ounce of gas
money. What you're looking for are creeks, ditches and draws
with roosting timber for turkeys, either on the OFW land or
on adjacent land where talking a bird into walking across the
road is possible.
If fishing, how far is the parking area from the water? Too
far for a kayak or small johnboat? Is the land accessible by
bank?
3. Once a spot is located, spend an afternoon scouting. Are
there bird signs — feathers, scat, tracks or birds themselves?
Also, is there a place where hunters or anglers regularly
park? These can be found by looking for any sort of human
remnants. You might just have the place to yourself.
4. On the day of your trip, be patient if others are around.
Spring birds are just as active at noon as early in the day.
Use a fellow hunter's impatience to your advantage by not
leaving the woods before noon.
When fishing, be prepared to target various species and
bring along hiking boots to beat any traffic.
OFW lands remain underutilized by many hunters and
anglers, so don't be one of them.
