Nebraska hunt

[RAJ]

I'm planning our first Nebraska hunt this spring. We're planning on heading to the NW corner of the state.

Does anyone have any info on a place to stay and any public ground? I've got a little info from the Nebraska park's HSOforum.

Thanks...Rob

[sticknstring]

Can't help you out with the NW corner... but the NE game & parks webpage is very helpful in locating public land/walk-in areas and provides aerial maps as well. You should be close to the Pine Ridge area so finding a place to hunt shouldn't be a problem. When do you plan on going?

[RAJ]

We are heading to the pine ridge area. I think we're going in the middle of April. Not sure yet. Gotta see when we can get off work....

[Hotspotter]

Pine Ridge isn't what it once was, being a very accessible area with lots of public land, in a state with reasonably priced over the counter tags.

I wouldn't bother too much trying to find areas where turkeys have been from locals, unless you're getting on private land. The first 2-3 weekends out there sees some pretty intense hunting pressure, and most of those birds have been beat-back or killed.

I would focus on all-day hunts that start with a hike or camp made a long ways from the truck. Bring a backpacking tent or bivy sack with your gear and hike it in late afternoon. Spend the night out near where you'll be hunting, and you'll have the advantage of hearing the birds go to bed that night, as well as being ultra close to them the next morning. The biggest benefit, is that most hunters here, unless very familiar with the area, won't be able to hike more than 1/2 mile or more to these sites in the dark. You'll have the deep areas to yourself at least early morning.

Buy a Forest Service Road Map, and do some serious work on Google Earth before you head out. Have several core areas. Don't stay on dead ground for too long. Once you find birds however, stick with them. Remember too that just because there's a road on the map, that doesn't mean it's passable/usable for anything but a horse. Use the aerial photography and talk to FS staff about road closures. A little bit of snow/rain changes things in a hurry.

There should be some good greenery coming off of the big fires out there a few years back. These areas, esp. in the deep valleys should hold some birds if they haven't been hunted hard already.

A big snow will reset the clock, prepare to hunt differently (flock hunting) if that should occur.

Good luck,

Joel

[huntmup]

RAJ, I purchased a Nebraska Atlas & Gazetteer six years ago before heading to Pine Ridge for our first NE turk hunt. We took the time to check out some state parks and WMA's between Springview and Valentine. We are yet to make it to Pine Ridge.

If you find the right state park that we did, the birds in that area winter there. We were very fortunate to gain access to private property adjacent to that park.

Like sticknstring said the NE game and parks are very helpful.

In NE most state parks are open to hunting and camping.

Looking forword to another good hunt this year.

Dan

[RAJ]

Thanks for the tips..!!

I'm not sure if we'll go to NE or SD now. I don't care where we go. It will be fun either way.

[sticknstring]

Both the 1st & 2nd license application deadlines have passed for SoDak but you can still get one over-the-counter archery tag or surplus prairie tags if any are still leftover. Nebraska is unlimited over-the-counter tags up to 3. Good luck!

[RAJ]

really..??

a group of my firends went to SD last year and bought over the counter. I know they hunted on a indian reservation also (if that makes a difference)

[Hotspotter]

Big difference! The reservations each control their own hunting situations, but there are lots of them throughtout the state with good populations of birds.

Check out the South Dakota Game and Fish page.

Joel

[elevatorguy]

You can still also get a Black Hills tag anytime by going to the SD Game and Fish site. And I am not sure if you can get them over the counter out there as I have always got mine online. And Normally the are very quick getting them to you. Mine took about 8 days this year to get. Cost is $85 and there is tons of public land and great places to stay that are very reasonable.

[RAJ]

Has anyone camped in the standing rock indian reservation? I was looking for a campgrond and everything is out of the reservation. My friends went there 2 years ago and they drove from mobridge, which was about 40-50 miles away from where they hunted. Lots of birds though.