I was thinking about hitting western Nebraska for a turkey hunt this year on my way back from Wyoming but I can't seem to find very much info about fall turkey hunting out there. Every thread on here and most on other sites has been about spring hunting. On the NE Game and Parks website they say that fall participation has been falling the last couple of years. Has anyone on here done a fall hunt in west/northwestern NE?
Fall hunt in Nebraska
- Thread starter JDH
- Start date
Since it doesn't seem like very many people have done the fall hunt guess I'll change my approach... Based on your spring experiences in western NE would we be able to have a good public land hunt and see some birds in the fall?
publichunter1
Well-known member
Sorry, I've never hunted either but wish you the best of luck this fall.
Fall turkey hunting in Kansas seems mostly an opportunity type hunt for most outdoorsmen. Perhaps like a predator hunt in the west.....I'll get a tag just in case I run across one.....
I specifically hunt for (hopefully known patterned) birds in Kansas during the fall. Spot and stalk, intercept travel lanes or bust up and call back have all worked for me. Personally I haven't brought myself to shoot a fall hen (legal in Kansas), so have taken young of the year or one of the boys of spring that made it through.
Hope it works out for you to add another adventure to your already planned one.
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
Depends on your time frame. Turkeys are in the hills (public land), however, if snows hit then they will go low (private land).
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
Thanks for the replies everybody.
pointingdogs - That's good info to know. I will look into talking to some landowners. I will be out there way before deer rifle season so maybe that will help my chances on getting onto some private if needed.
I live in SW NE, and yes there are very good opportunities for fall turkey. Several walk in properties south of I-80 have abundant turkey. The properties along the rivers have turkey. You should be able to get multiple turkeys per permit or buy multiple permits. There is a fair chance of getting access on private land, so bring your on x maps. I would recommend checking out the OFW walk in hunting page on the game and parks website, and then viewing them in google earth. Look for canyons, stands of hardwood trees, and cedar. Much of the harvest is poults, which are tender and delicious. You may consider hunting with your bow for a challenge.
Those hens that you seeing would be mature hens with their young of the year, or barren hens hanging together. Those poults that hatched early in the season are nearly as large as their mothers, and nearly impossible to determine gender as the young jakes heads are still gray like a hen, and no protruding beard yet. Birds of the year will weigh anywhere from 5+ to 8 pounds, whereas a mature hen might go more like 10-14 pounds. By next spring, those young jakes will be pushing upwards to 14 pounds.
Staying separate from the hens or hens/poults groups will be the bachelors hanging out together at this time of the year. Later as we get into full winter mode, these three groups will start to be found together. Winter roosting flocks in south central Kansas can number into the hundreds of birds.
I find that finding the birds in the fall is much more difficult if I am searching new territory. Field crops are still standing in early fall, and the CRP plots are up tall this year in Kansas. The trees are still fully leaved out so its easier for the birds to be stealthy.
Roosted birds will still make some tree helps, but the number and volume of gobbles is quite reduced. I get the feeling that one reason for fewer birds gobbling is simply due to the fact of few mature toms surviving the 2 months of spring season hunting.
If you are seeing the hen/poult groups, I would suggest you try the tried and true tactic for hunting these birds.......the bust em up and call em back move. Sneak in close, and then intentionally bust the flock. Some hunters will even fire a shot into the air to startle the flock. The more points of the compass the scatter, the better. Then settle in to act the Mommy hen calling her poults back, and the kee kees of the scattered poults will start to get closer and closer to you. Throw out some " kee kees " of your own and even if you choose to not shoot, you will have a great day afield interacting with these crazy stupid and crazy smart tasty treats.
Staying separate from the hens or hens/poults groups will be the bachelors hanging out together at this time of the year. Later as we get into full winter mode, these three groups will start to be found together. Winter roosting flocks in south central Kansas can number into the hundreds of birds.
I find that finding the birds in the fall is much more difficult if I am searching new territory. Field crops are still standing in early fall, and the CRP plots are up tall this year in Kansas. The trees are still fully leaved out so its easier for the birds to be stealthy.
Roosted birds will still make some tree helps, but the number and volume of gobbles is quite reduced. I get the feeling that one reason for fewer birds gobbling is simply due to the fact of few mature toms surviving the 2 months of spring season hunting.
If you are seeing the hen/poult groups, I would suggest you try the tried and true tactic for hunting these birds.......the bust em up and call em back move. Sneak in close, and then intentionally bust the flock. Some hunters will even fire a shot into the air to startle the flock. The more points of the compass the scatter, the better. Then settle in to act the Mommy hen calling her poults back, and the kee kees of the scattered poults will start to get closer and closer to you. Throw out some " kee kees " of your own and even if you choose to not shoot, you will have a great day afield interacting with these crazy stupid and crazy smart tasty treats.
You ncould definitely tell that there were poults in the flocks. I'm starting to think it is a result of the spring harvest. We watched numerous flocks completely feed through an area without seeing any birds with beards.
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
Talked to my friend in Chadron yesterday. Still Tons around... just NOT with the family groups.
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
DRS
Well-known member
We're you just looking for gobblers, which is fine. I thought the fall tags were either sex.
