I head out for Nebraska tomorrow evening. It's going to be a 12 hour drive and I'm not sure I'll make it all the way there without having to pull over to sleep somewhere. I plan on hunting some less talked about public ground in the NW part of the state. Will hunt private as well if I'm able to meet any receptive landowners in the area. I'm excited. This is the last turkey hunt of the season. Two tags in hand and will buy a third if I'm able to fill the first two. I head back to Texas on Thursday after a short morning hunt (if necessary).
Good luck man keep us updated
Good luck and have a safe trip. Hope it's filled with lots of gobbles and a couple bangs
Yeah, good luck and may you have working gobblers.....
Denny
Good luck ...
Was there 2 weeks ago myself, hunting was tuff but I'm did fill my tag on public ground.
You never know what you'll find in those hills.
Good luck
Leaving Nebraska now, was fortunate enough to put two on the ground, and left the trip two days early completely satisfied without even considering a third tag. Birds are fired up and breaking up real good just within the last couple days is what I was informed of by the landowner. It's super soggy so hope you packed plenty of socks and good pair of boots or two while the other pair dries.
I am hoping to plan a trip to Nebraska for next spring, very excited to get out there and get after some merriams! Will be a dream hunt for me
Quote from: longbeard11 on May 21, 2017, 10:14:42 AM
I am hoping to plan a trip to Nebraska for next spring, very excited to get out there and get after some merriams! Will be a dream hunt for me
It is quite a place to hunt! Next year should be crazy since we saw tons of Jakes when we were there last week.
Best of luck!
Nothing this morning/early afternoon and then it started to rain. Seems to have cleared up now. Not really liking the areas I chose to hunt and may switch it up tomorrow to an entirely new location depending on whether or not I can get a bird to fire off from the limb this evening. I'm having to hike in nearly two miles before I can even get to the habitat the birds should be living in, except for one spot that I'm trying this evening.
Gave you a pep talk over on the Nebraska forum lol.
Good luck! Rootin for you!
In my experience, a two-mile hike eliminates most of the competition and the birds should not have had much hunting pressure. Then again, if there's not much sign that there are any turkeys there a two-mile hike becomes just an exercise event. Best of luck in your late season effort and keep us posted on your success or lack thereof.
Good luck!
Well, I changed things up today. I actually slept in. I drove all through the night Saturday/Sunday AM to get to Scottsbluff. Hunted/scouted hard, but no dice down there. Didn't even make it out of bed this morning until well after sunrise, ate my complimentary breakfast, and headed north to Harrison. Got up to the WMA, but as soon as a crested the highest ridge (which looked like a very promising place to roost a bird), the rain started and forced me back down the mountain. I ate lunch in town, called a Nebraska biologist that recommended staying another day where I'm at. So that's the plan. Raining right now currently. If the weather breaks, I'll climb the mountain again before dark and listen. If not, it's going to be a super early morning as it will take me 45 mins just to get back up there. I want to be up there before the first gobble, so I have time to setup if the bird/birds are a long ways off. Certainly won't be fun in the dark, but I'm committed to getting at least one. If tomorrow morning is a bust, I will do some scouting to the south along the Niobrara River and talk to some landowners. The woman running to hotel stated that a hunter talked to a rancher a couple of weeks ago down on the river south of town that allowed access to his land.
Was just up that way and there were birds covered everywhere, WMAs included. So even if luck isn't on your side for finding a ranch owner, you're sure to find a birds on public land. PM me if interested in some more details.
PM sent. Unsure if it went through as it isn't showing up in the "sent messages" folder. I went into a little further detail about my hunting so far, but to cut to the chase, I'd appreciate any information you have for me. Thanks
Replied. Twice. And sent phone number for contact, there was plenty of birds up that way, now let's get you on one.
I never got it. I'm not sure what's going on with the messaging on here. Send me an email if you don't mind. Justinmalin07@hotmail.com
That's where it came through for me so I sent it straight to your email already.
Coming home birdless. Don't come to farm country without a popup. I was 300 miles from home before I realized I had left mine behind. Was on a roost with 20 birds this morning, but there was no where to setup. God, it feels like losing and I hate losing! I play to win and I guess I'm not old enough or haven't killed enough turkey to measure winning by a different metric than punching tags.
Tough luck, but it'll just add to your determination for the next trip.
Quote from: JMalin on May 25, 2017, 10:23:32 AM
Coming home birdless. Don't come to farm country without a popup. I was 300 miles from home before I realized I had left mine behind. Was on a roost with 20 birds this morning, but there was no where to setup. God, it feels like losing and I hate losing! I play to win and I guess I'm nyot old enough or haven't killed enough turkey to measure winning by a different metric than punching tags.
I enjoyed following along with your trip, and was wishing you luck along the way. It is very tough to go into an area that vast totally blind --trust me, I have done it.
Lots of guys make trips like that and come home humbled. At least you were brave enough to post while the outcome was still uncertain.
That is some beautiful country. I bet you would go back if you had the chance, now wouldnt ya?
Quote from: JMalin on May 25, 2017, 10:23:32 AM
Coming home birdless. Don't come to farm country without a popup. I was 300 miles from home before I realized I had left mine behind. Was on a roost with 20 birds this morning, but there was no where to setup. God, it feels like losing and I hate losing! I play to win and I guess I'm not old enough or haven't killed enough turkey to measure winning by a different metric than punching tags.
A little humble pie is good for the soul grasshopper.
Look at the unfilled tags not as defeat, look to them, rather, as a gift. For in defeat lies many lessons, possibly the lesson that will lead to greater victory in the future, not just in hunting, but in life, love or career.
Savor the lessons.
Quote from: Hooksfan on May 25, 2017, 08:13:44 PM
Quote from: JMalin on May 25, 2017, 10:23:32 AM
Coming home birdless. Don't come to farm country without a popup. I was 300 miles from home before I realized I had left mine behind. Was on a roost with 20 birds this morning, but there was no where to setup. God, it feels like losing and I hate losing! I play to win and I guess I'm nyot old enough or haven't killed enough turkey to measure winning by a different metric than punching tags.
I enjoyed following along with your trip, and was wishing you luck along the way. It is very tough to go into an area that vast totally blind --trust me, I have done it.
Lots of guys make trips like that and come home humbled. At least you were brave enough to post while the outcome was still uncertain.
That is some beautiful country. I bet you would go back if you had the chance, now wouldnt ya?
The pine ridge was gorgeous. The Gilbert-Baker in particular. My last day and a half was spent in the McCook area. I never heard or saw more than two hens up north. Weather may have played a factor. I'm sure the birds aren't as concentrated in the ridge country either as they are down south. I spent too much time sitting on private land I was told was "a sure thing" when I should have been hunting the birds I had scouted on the WMA. I may very well go back the 30-31st. It's borderline crazy to drive 20 hours roundtrip when I only have 48 total between my shifts at the fire department, but I just know I can pull a bird or two from that roost with decoys and a popup blind. I watched them for over an hour the previous morning and saw their routine/habits/travel route. Now that I know the exact tree they are in, it should be like stealing candy from a baby. It'll be some work to hike in a shotgun, three rigid body decoys, and a popup and stool the mile or more they are away from where I'm able to park, but the terrain itself isn't near as daunting as the pine ridge was.
I had one of the toughest hunts I've ever been on this year in Nebraska bad weather was a major factor as well pressured birds I was thankful to use one of my tags it was close to being a bust.
McCook area was loaded when I was there a few years back but Bankleman a lil further west was ridiculous!!!
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Ain't no turkeys left around Benkleman - don't go there.
Well its always pretty tough going in new to out of state public land. Your trip sounds somewhat like my two trips to North Kansas in 2015 and 2016. Hunted hard for a week each time and only had one chance on the 2nd trip with potential to pull the trigger and I ended up messing that one up. But, I really enjoyed hunting new and different terrain and finding and having some interactions with turkeys.
We go to McCook and Benkleman every year. It's nuts at times
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