26 Nebraskaland • October 2024
ast year I had the good fortune
of seeing thousands of Canada
geese during a Platte River hunt. I
watched my son shoot his fi rst
buck during the fi rearm season in Cass
County. I witnessed covey rises and
pheasant fl ushes. I watched the sun
rise on a Missouri River duck hunt,
and the sun set during more than one
raccoon hunt.
But the most memorable hunt, the
most absurd, is easily a Rainwater
Basin snipe hunt.
Day 1
It was never our plan to hunt snipes.
For many, this bird conjures thoughts
of fl ashlights, empty bags and
confused buddies. Even for our group,
the relationship with this bird was
sketchy at best.
My son and I were jump shooting
ducks in the Rainwater Basin, often
having a hard time fi nding birds
because of the dry conditions. On
many of our favorite areas, there was
just enough water for long-beaked
birds to dip into the shallow water next
to the mudfl ats, feeding on a variety
of insects and crustaceans, but not
enough to hold the number of ducks
we were wanting to sneak toward.
On one of these sites, duck numbers
were down but there were a number
of birds working the area that we
thought were snipes. The long,
straight, dark bill is the bird's most
recognizable characteristic, and we
could immediately see it in fl ight.
Unsure, we held our shots until we
could gather more information. So, on
the way home, I called a friend who I
knew would be open to any number
of hunting possibilities, common or
otherwise. I described the bird I was
seeing, and he told me I was looking at
common snipes.
A check of Nebraska's hunting
regulations told me the common snipe
was a legal game bird. Because my
young son and I planned to go the next
day, and it looked as if he might get
some shooting in, I could hardly sleep
that night.
Day 2
We glassed the marsh from the road,
fi rst checking for any ducks that might
have moved in. Quickly convinced this
had not occurred, we set our sights on
the long-beaked birds working the area
— acrobatically diving toward various
patches of water to drink and feed.
Then, for the next four hours, we
had the shoot of our lives. Well … at
least when we were quick enough to
L
By Jeff Kurrus
Becoming
a Snipe
Hunter
An Overlooked Game Bird
