28 Nebraskaland • October 2024
pull the trigger as they fl ew by.
Common snipe is similar to a
mourning dove in size, and at times
rival these athletic fl iers with their
constant maneuverability. When they
set their wings to land, they resemble
teal. Their wings cup suddenly, and
they turn on a dime as they dive to the
ground. If fl ushed from the ground,
they move away from the shooter
like a bobwhite. Their unbelievable
camoufl age makes them nearly
impossible to see on the ground and
forces the shooter to stay at a constant
ready position when walking.
And don't dare shoot more than one
on the rise: with their mottled brown
bodies, it's hard enough to fi nd one
downed bird in the marsh.
Taking on the traits of these various
game birds, common snipe quickly
became one of the most challenging
birds we have ever hunted.
Then, after the hunt, came the fi nal
test of the day. How would they be
on the dinner plate? Because of their
comparative size to dove, we fi rst
attempted to clean them the same
way, breasting the birds with nothing
more than our bare hands.
However, after cracking a second
breastbone, which is less hardy than
a dove's, we applied a pair of shears
to the birds the same way many do
when cleaning doves. The results were
excellent, with us having a pile of
breasted birds in minutes.
Lastly, we simply pan-fried the
breasts in butter, salt and pepper. We
wanted to taste these birds in their
simplest table fare form, and were not
disappointed. We devoured them and
readied ourselves for the morning.
Day 3
Because the birds work the marsh
throughout the day, there was no
reason to wake up early. With overcast,
but steady weather continuing, we
arrived at the wetland mid-morning,
pockets full of non-toxic shot in our
grasp, and went to work.
The birds in the area were wary,
having been shot at the day before,
but we were still able to pick up several
birds by day's end. This prompted even
more of our snobby friends back home
to question what we were doing in the
fi rst place. Another hunter watching
our shoot from his pickup truck seemed
Three lesser yellowlegs, fi ve stilt sandpipers, six killdeer, one short-billed dowitcher and two least sandpipers fl y across a
Rainwater Basin wetland in York County. None of these birds are legal to shoot and are not easily identifi able from a distance.
Research is critical to common snipe hunting. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
