When to hunt Nebraska

[Texscala]

I have a really good friend who moved to Nebraska a few years ago and wants me to visit next year and take him hunting. My buddy has never hunted before but is going to get a license when we come down and hunt . He has a lot of people that are really into hunting or at least have land and has permission for us to access a lot of land in and around Kearny. I know we will do some duck hunting (his coworker is a big duck guy) and he has already got permission to hunt some land where there are prairie chickens.

My question is when do those who have hunted upland in Nebraska recommend hunting the state. I would love to try and go after a few species like quail and pheasants and the seasons look long but I am not sure if the bird hunting is better at certain times of the year.

Prairie chicken and wood duck as well as goose would be my top three birds to take but I am open to suggestions.

I am coming from Utah where I hunt mostly chukar, and forest grouse so it will be fun to hunt on something a little flatter.

I have a great little French Brittany that came out of Nebraska and this will be her third season. So she should do okay handling birds as she has learned a lot over the past 2 years.

Thanks for any advice.

Here are a few pics of us Utah.....oops looks like I can't post pics yet.

[Ty Stromquist]

IMO the northeast section of the state has plenty of pheasants.

[Texscala]

What I am trying to figure out is what month to come out. I have the spots I will be hunting for the most part already figured out. I am trying to see what dates would allow me to hunt the most species and be successful.

[Ty Stromquist]

Second week of Nov right before the rifle hunters tear up the countryside.

[BoB_25]

Originally Posted by Ty Stromquist

rifle hunters tear up the countryside.

Nice.

[Texscala]

Originally Posted by Ty Stromquist

Second week of Nov right before the rifle hunters tear up the countryside.

Thanks that is the kind of info I am looking for. Any specific reason you like these dates? Are the birds holding better this time of year? Weather better?

Thanks again for the help.

[Evenflow]

If you want prairie chickens and wood ducks, I would come as early in the season as you can. I would suggest the last weekend in October, pheasant season will be open, and then you can chase some prairie chickens and hopefully, they are not too wild by then, and you also stand a good chance at some good waterfowl hunting as most of the marshes, etc. should still have open water. Check out the game and parks website for hunting dates, etc.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Homepage

[Texscala]

I have been looking at the dates and putting together an a spread sheet that shows me when the seasons overlap.

I assume that even though the seasons may be open the hunting for some species is better at certain times of the open dates. In Utah they open chukar up in late Sep but most of us don't start working them until there is snow on the ground in late October (too hot for the dogs and too many snakes).

Thanks again for the info. If I manage to take either a wood duck or a prairie chicken they will be going on the wall. If I take both I will probably have to make a decision but I will decide that if it happens.

[Texscala]

one more post be fore I can put up some pics so.....

[Texscala]

33 mile of hiking and all we had to show for it was

Hunting these is more about the experience than the harvest. Shot at 11,300 feet of elevation. 11 miles from the nearest man made structure.



This gal was taken off the mountain 20 min minutes from my apartment.


ruffed country


chukar country


big blue


chukar limit


My dog last week




Utah marshes








That is probably more than y'all needed. I hope to come visit and have a great trip next fall.

[BoB_25]

This would be my favorite pic.

Originally Posted by Texscala

My dog last week

Outstanding pictures.

IMO, chukar is the best upland bird a person can eat!

[BPbowhunter]

Awesome pictures!

[Texscala]

Originally Posted by BoB_25

This would be my favorite pic.




Outstanding pictures.

This one was taken by an amazing photographer that I hunt with occasionally. The guy does amazing stuff with his camera.

[tc_topshot]

Wow, those are some great pictures!

As for hunting, well wood ducks, Our crew always has great luck early season. I see prairie chickens all the time around my place, so I don't no on that one. Just be careful handling them while cleaning in early season, their favorite food is poison ivy Berries.

[kaiserduckhelm]

Great stuff, good luck on your trip to the land of flat water.

[tjm]

Don't know much about wooduck. Prairie chickens tend to be spookier than pheasants to begin with, so earlier in the season before they group up. I would pick the first week in November for a combo of pheasant, quail, and chickens. If you don't already know, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get. It can be rather warm the first couple weeks of november, or it could be snowing.

[flatcoats]

if your looking for chickens, roosters, quail, and wood ducks....you have to come earlier than later IMO. it just depends, whats most important to you? wood ducks, early. chickens, early. pheasants and quail on private land, id say you cant beat cooler temps, thick cover, and snow. but if youre hunting upland on public the earlier tends to be better than the later.

[Texscala]

Chickens and Wood ducks are number one on my list. One of these would make the whole trip. I can get pheasant and quail other places but the other two are very high on my to do list. If I can add pheasant and quail to the trip that would be great but I would rather take one chicken than a limit of pheasant.

[BPbowhunter]

If you want chickens and woodies I would definately say earlier. Like mid-october.

[flatcoats]

if it would make youre trip to shoot a chicken and woodie id come as early as the duck season in the area youre going to hunt opens, and the chickens will already have been open for awhile.