Looking for as much advice or help I can get on some good public land to hunt. I took off from MI mid may last year to hunt some of the sw reservoirs. I was going in completely blind. They weren't talking at all. I managed to ambush one a day before tornadoes started landing around us so I said let's go home. So looking to try again this spring. Would we be better off going earlier in the season? Any calling or decoy tactics to try?
Nebraska turkey hunting
- Thread starter lostriverproductions
- Start date
ElkTrout
Veteran member
Earlier in the season you can find the toms pretty fired up! They tend to be grouped together a little more. So if they are not on a property you can hunt it may be difficult. But a lot of times later in the season they are more spread out and broken up. The toms are searching for second cycle hens and can cover some ground. It is a roll of the dice. Decoys definitely help and can bring s curious Tom a long was. Locator calls like a owl hooter or crow call can help locate them on the roost. Yelps, clucks and purrs are all very effective. Frequency and volume all depend on what I hear the hens doing at the time. I try to mimic there habits. Hope some of this helps. This has been my experience in Kansas and Colorado the past couple years. Good luck!
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okielite
Banned
I prefer to spot and stalk in open country. I really enjoy watching them that time of year, even more then shooting them to be honest. There are a lot of birds in the NW corner of the state.
Thanks, we couldn't even get them to shock gobble last year but going 30 days into the season on public land that did not surprise me. Hunting out there is defiantly way different then IN/MI, but will give it another go this year.
Hilltop
Veteran member
In years past I have had great luck on the smaller public sections in the eastern and central part of the state. Almost every one of them with a creek or a river will have turkeys... The earlier the better with these Nebraska birds. May 1st, give or take a week, is usually very good.
I hunted pretty much the entire season last year on private land in Nebr. Last year was a super late spring. The turkeys tended to be flocked up later into the season last year. Even on non- pressured private land the turkeys were flocked up in large groups and didn't want anything to do with calls, decoys, or blinds during most of the season. They made lots of noise but had daily routines and would pretty much ignore decoys..especially decoys with blinds near them. Once they started breaking up they tended to have more to do calls and decoys. From what I saw the turkeys tended to scatter from their winter locations and giant flocks once hens started nesting. I am guess things can change from year to year but if it's a late spring it can be tough with decoys and calls.
NE69
Active Member
Super mild winter so far. 60's next 10 days so I expect the flocks will be breaking up early. I don't think you would have any trouble getting on private in SW Nebraska if you stop and ask. They just aren't hunted heavy and we have a ton of birds. If they gave permits away they still would be over populated. It is really amazing how they are dispersed through out the hills and canyons miles from the rivers and some stay all winter in those loacations while others flock up on the river bottoms till spring. I will post back on here once they start to spread out. I might even shoot one this year with an old muzzy shotgun I picked up.
swampokie
Veteran member
Are the birds rios or merriams? Hybrids? Ive been wanting to hunt Nebraska for a while now but other trips seem to get in the way every year.
Fink
Veteran member
Rios in the southern half of the state. You don't get into the Merriams until the northern and western boundaries.
Reflex
Active Member
Actually, most of the birds are hybrids, with the exception of the NW corner of the state (Merriams). Very few pure strain Eastern's or Rio's. You can call them what you want I guess, but they still gobble and eat the same. The SW area of the state is loaded with turkeys. The public land around the reservoirs holds LOTS of birds, but you can certainly find permission on private land as well.