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/654753
APRIL 2016 • NEBRASKAland 49 Locations to Hunt: The Loess Canyons located in south-central Nebraska have ample hill and deep canyon hunting. In Lincoln County, more than 8,825 acres of land is open to the public for hunting as part of the Open Fields and Waters Canyon Access Initiative. Hunters also flock to the Pine Ridge and Wildcat Hills regions of the Panhandle, which feature thousands of acres of public land. Forest The forest hunt is unique because it is a test of patience, even more so than hunting farms. You will know when turkeys are on the ground, but because of the woody acoustics, it may be tough to pinpoint exactly where birds are when they start responding to you. Because of this, you will have to move extremely slowly when hunting in the woods, for birds will quite often work their way around you – later in the season they may completely circle you – before coming within gun range. If you move quickly, you'll probably see birds, but it will be their backsides as they are running away. A couple of good options for hunting in the woods are focusing on decoy placement and where you set up. Try to place your decoys in areas that the sun can hit on your decoy on clear days. In these open areas, where toms will often scratch for food, travel through and strut, these decoys are rays of sunshine for toms that are all alone and in desperate need of company. When breeding is at its peak, use a hen and jake decoy combination; mature gobblers seldom tolerate a jake putting the moves on any hens in the neighborhood. Luring a two- or three-year old bird is easy using this approach – these may not be the dominant bird in the area but may still be a nice long-beard that is looking for a hen that the dominant male hasn't claimed. Also be sure to match the camouflage of the area you're hunting as well; if possible, use a blind. Creek corridors, which feature deciduous trees, often attract high turkey traffic while small groups of gobblers can be found in upland pines and cedars. Also think about setting in an area where there are big thickets or small hills where you can change location, even if it's not a long distance, to fool a bird that is hesitant to coming in to your decoys. This is where camouflage becomes a big key as well. Locations to Hunt: Some of the most popular notable areas of the state for pursuing turkeys is in the timbers of national forests and adjacent wildlife management areas and private property. Turkeys can be found in the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest near Valentine, the Pine Ridge Ranger District near Chadron and the Bessey Ranger District near Halsey. Tom turkeys move across a cut corn field near Wahoo.