[Guest]

I'm from Arkansas and this was my first pheasant hunt. When we arrived in Nebraska, we started asking locals about how condititions were and what the hatch was like. Everyone said that this should be a banner season. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way. In two days, twelve of us shot a total of 28 birds (which included a few chukar). Members of our party who have been hunting the same area for 30+ years said that this was the worst harvest they'd ever seen.

Don't get me wrong - I had a fantastic time. However, the action was a bit slow.

 

[NE M12]

Sorry your trip wasn't all you expected. I had the opposite experience this past weekend.

On Saturday we hunted with 6 guys and on Sunday we hunted with 4 and on both days we all limited out.

I'm from Nebraska and I've hunted the same area for over 30 years and this was one of the best opening days I've every been part of.

To be fair, since I'm from here I have a lot of friends who own land to hunt on and I have some land myself so we had an advantage over people who were coming in from out of state. But the birds are out there this year.

 

[gbottger]

What area were you hunting in that your numbers weren't up? Numbers in Northeast Nebraska were up 57% from last year and from talking with people after opening day, most saw more birds this year then they had in the past five. Were you hunting private or public land? The public land north of Highway 20 is loaded with birds and many parties had some of the best hunts ever up here.

 

[Sneaky_Pete]

Tom - Could you tell us where you hunted? I'm in NE myself - first time Pheasant hunter so I don't know my way around yet, but Gbottger has certainly pointed me in the right direction.

Gb - I'll be heading over to Kearney this weekend to Cabelas and making my way back to the big 'O'. I'm looking at heading North either the week before Thanksgiving or the weeks shortly there after. A friend of mine's father owns a farm so I'm trying to get hooked up there. He says the Pheas are plentiful at the farm this year too... He's about the same distance from me as you so it's a roll of the dice whether I can get over to the farm. Either way I know since I don't have a dog I won't bag out unless the Pheas are easy and I a lucky shot so I'll most likely head North. I'll keep in touch w/ ya so maybe if you have the time we can hook up.

 

[gbottger]

Pete - No problem. I'll be out hunting just about every weekend this month. I have a group coming up this weekend, then an 2 off weekends and a Monday and Tuesday hunt on the 17th and 18th.

I plan on spending a few weekends sitting over my goose spread if there are any moving. Everything is freezing up quick up here with temps in the teens and twenties. With any luck this snow will pan out for this weekend and tie those birds down a little.

Just my opinion but if you get access to a family farm. TAKE IT!!!! You can't pass those up. If not, let me know when your heading this way and I'll setup the where for you and maybe even get out with you.

 

[Gene]

I just returned from a hunt in NE this weekend. We had our limit by 1pm each day and by 930am on Monday. I have not seen that many roosters in a very long time. Good dog work and great hunting.

 

[BradleyGT]

Gene - sounds like a great weekend. What part of NE did you get all of your roosters? Did you get any quail?

 

[gbottger]

We hunted hard the past two days and did pretty good. The high grass is very dry and the dogs were having a hard time getting points on the birds before flushing. We shot 4 wall hangers in 2 days. Talk about awesome big old nasties.

Tuesday was a better day then Monday due to some heavy fog Monday night. We had some moisture on the grass and had a few 3 dogs on one bird points and couple of doubles that made the entire two days worth it.

24 birds went home with the boys and all were happy and tired. They said they had never seen anything like the cover we hunted and were not sure they ever wanted to hunt cover like that again.

Hunted behind American Pointers for the first time and had a great time. Beautiful dogs with long tails rock hard in the air was a very cool site to see.

Hen numbers looked out of this world. One patch had 11 hens and one big old nasty that will be the wall. Birds are still flushing 70 yards out but we were lucky and got more then out share to sit tight and offer excellent points and some excellent shooting.

 

[Gene]

BradleyGT-
I was hunting north of Grand Island about 80 miles, sand hills with pivots and picked corn--dirty corners and cattails and some CRP. Birds were in pockets and when you hit them there would 10 or 12 birds over half roosters.
We got at least one quail every day, good big coveys with healthy birds but we didn't hunt quail only shot them when we hit a covey.