Fall Turkey Hunting in Nebraska



There was one day of duck hunting and then the weather turned really nice with clear skies and southerly flow.  What is a person to do?  The logical thing is to head out for some turkey hunting north of Fort Calhoun at one of my favorite farms.  Striking out last spring was hard to swallow, but in the fall the turkeys bunch up in large flocks and all you have to do is find out where they are running.  That is the hard part.

Last summer an article was reviewed in a popular hunting magazine.  The recommendation was to find the flock,  run into the flock and bust it up.  Then hunt down each bird individually.  In the terrain where the hunt took place, that was not possible.  The hills are really steep and 50% of the farm is timber with steep hills.  Finding them will be the first problem, but trying to bust up a flock and then hunt the birds  one at a time or wait until they flock up again would not work on this ground.  Trying to run up the hills would be asking for a coronary.

The landowner called me the night before and told me about seeing a flock of 35 to 40 birds south of his storage shed.  They had appeared around 3 PM.  I waited until 11 AM.  The drive took about 45 minutes, and I was on site within an hour.



The first spot was my favorite. Notice the two big oak trees and the ground was covered with sign of deer and turkey.  I had no luck here after an hour.



The second spot was a spot that had always produced birds.  It just called for a lot of patience.  This area was surrounded by oak trees which shed a lot of acorns.  The deer and the turkey are always hanging around.  It was here that the second attempt for the day was made.

Notice the big oak tree just off of center.  The deer and turkey come up the steep side of the hill and they feed through the area.  I sat here about  one hour and saw 15 deer, but no turkey.  It is called hunting, not shooting.

It was time to move on.  Driving south to the open pastures and just field glassing the terrain, produced no evidence of movement and no evidence that the birds had been moving through.

The third spot was behind the storage shed and up the road from the house.  I never want to hunt this close to the landowner's home, even though he had given me permission many times to set up across the road from a big oak tree.

You can see the road at the bottom of the picture and right behind the big tree is an open gate that leads down into a pasture.  The terrain is really steep and the turkeys will come up to the tree through the gate and walk down the road.  They turn into the timber below before getting to the farmer's home. 

It was a really nice day.   I hid in the shadows surrounded by some tall grass with a tree behind me.  Trying to stay awake was a problem with the pleasant atmosphere and the gentle warm breeze from the south. Small hens then appeared right behind the tree.  They were obviously this year's hatch.  I passed up the shot.  Behind them came some bigger birds.  Then out from behind the tree stepped a really nice big hen.  She was immediately dispatched.  Upon arriving home, I took the necessary steps to put her in the freezer.  She will be tasty.

I took off my leaf suit as I was getting ready to drive home.  The farmer and his wife had just pulled up and took the picture for me.  Notice their dog in the background.  If you park at their house she will hang out with you in the woods.  I prefer not, and drive some distance on the farm so that she stays at home. 

Wild turkey is one of our favorites when it comes to wild game, and when we have guests over this is their favorite too.



The big suppliers are starting to put out their Christmas Inventory.  Sales are going on non stop.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.    Hank

 

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The Small Ducks are Down and the Big Ones Will Follow

My wife and I were on Safari to Kenya and Tanzania when the duck season opened in Nebraska.  Checking e-mails while on the trip the opening was absolutely fantastic and it kept getting better.  The duck composition was mostly made up of gadwall, widgeon and green wing teal.  As reported by some of the well known hunting magazines these ducks had a really big increase in the hatch for this fall.

Next was my elk trip to Colorado after getting back from Africa and in the meantime it appeared that the club would shoot ever duck along the Missouri Flyway.  What had happened was the wetlands along the Missouri River had dried up due to the drought and our club had 40 acres of open water.  The birds migrating down the river could stop on the river or come over for some rest and relaxation among some very friendly decoys and hunters.  The way the spread was set up was the best this club member had ever seen. 

The top picture is looking straight east, and the next one is looking north easterly.



Three blinds made of steel are sunk in the ground with padded seating, a rack for guns, they are heated, and you can cook in them.  There are three that run in a row and ten people can comfortably shoot in each one.  This is truly gentleman hunting.  The blinds are buried in the ground and run north to south.  Water surrounds them on three sides, and it cannot get much better than this.

My time finally came when a trip to Tekamah was made and the club had harvested as many ducks by the first of November as they did all last year, and the Mallards had not even started migrating.  This does not count the Canada Geese that seem to be increasing each fall in big numbers.  What is interesting about the geese is the size of the bird.  They are really really big and there has been several shot this year that weighed in at 15 pounds.  For our area this is a really big Canada.

There is John with a really big Canada

The action was overwhelming.  Each time a flock came by they locked up and came into the setup, and in all the years hunting this spot this was a first for me.  By 10:00 AM hunters were starting to leave with their limits.  What was now starting to show was some migrating mallards.  This is just going to get better.

Kieth with another nice big Canada

The action slowed by 11:00 AM, but leaving was out of the question as the Canadas started showing up and the action picked up again.

By 2 PM, the lake was starting to go calm as the wind was starting to make a shift and it was time to pick up and clean some birds.

The bag for the day.  Missing is 20 additional duck and 4 Canadas as four hunters left before noon with limits of ducks and some Canadas.

My schedule has put me out of the action for the next few days, but a front is moving down and there should be some excellent decoying and shooting of Mallards.

Outstanding sales going on continually.  Check out each one of these outdoor suppliers for great buys.

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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The Third Time is the Charm for Elk



With great determination and full of hope, the trip was made to Hayden, Colorado and Smith Rancho for an Elk hunt.   Leaving on Saturday at noon and driving to Sidney, Nebraska was the first stop.  Here a giant steak was devoured at the famed Dudes Steak House, known for fine beef and good drinks.   Rather than spend the night at the hotels just off the interstate, right across the street from Dudes is the Americas Best Motel.  The price was really low and it worked out fine.

The owners of Smith Rancho had given excellent directions to the ranch so  it was easy to find by merely following their directions.  As you move into the mountains it is really hard to get lost.  I arrived at the ranch and the Smiths were very hospitable.  At 3:30PM everyone was getting ready to go hunting.  I was introduced to my guide who I really enjoyed on this trip.  My gear was stowed in the bunk house and it was off on the hunt.

My guide wanted to know my hunting background and experiences hunting elk.  If we got one this time it would be the first for me.  He assurred me that the ranch had a 90% plus success rate and nice size bulls.  This was not a horseback trip.  Instead we mounted the "iron horse," as it was called.  A Chevrolet 4 wheel drive suburban was our method of transporation.  We drove on a dirt road up the mountain.  To my left was a really big open meadow.  The guide said that the elk would come down from the mountains just below the snow line to the meadow in the evening.  We moved up to a vantage point and studied the terrain for sign of elk.  They were everywhere.  It was almost like being in Estes Park where they roam the city. Using a spotting scope we could study the movement and determine location before we started down for a shot.

Looking down to the meadow where the elk come to feed in the evening.  To the left elk were either lying down higher up or slowly grazing as they moved down to the meadow.  We needed them to get down to the road or just above for a shot. 

A distraction from some traffic took place as we were just off a county road that cuts through the ranch.  The elk started moving down toward the meadow, but when a pickup truck came by, they stopped and headed back up the mountain.

Some of the scenery off in the distance.

The elk were just below the snow line when they started down to the meadow below.

The next morning we were up well before daylight.  At first light we headed back up the road where we were on the evening before.  The elk were thick in the meadow and were running toward the high country.  As we came around the corner where the road was very crooked, there stood a group of 10 to 15 cows with a nice bull just slowly starting up the hill.  Immediately they took off up the mountain.  Out of the vehicle I jumped and laid the rifle on a fence post.  The cows were in the way, and the opportunity was beginning to fade quickly.  All of a sudden the bull turned to the right and a space opened up for a shot.  Meat was on the table.

My first bull elk. He made it over the crest of the hill and died within 20 feet of the top after cresting.

I had not even been at Smith Rancho 24 hours before I harvested a nice bull elk.  This was a truly amazing experience.

With my guide Scott.  He did an outstanding job of putting me on the game.

For more information on Smith Rancho go to their website www.smithrancho.com.  As for me, it is time to start hunting ducks and there are some turkey tags to fill.  With all the issues taking place with deer, I am going to pass this year.  Anyway, the freezer is almost full of elk.



Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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Fatal Viruses In Iowa's Deer Population

The following article is reprinted from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. (http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx)

Two diseases affecting deer in Iowa are being closely monitored heading into the fall of 2012.

The first disease, Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease, or EHD, has been widely reported throughout Iowa and neighboring states. Losses due to EHD occur annually, usually at low levels and in localized areas. In dry years it can be worse as deer are more concentrated around water, and since the disease is spread by a biting midge, more deer can become infected.
It is important to know that deer being affected by EHD will be temporary. EHD will only remain active until rain disperses the deer by providing more watering areas or a heavy frost kills the midges.

EHD causes high fever in infected deer and also causes the cell walls in their heart, lungs and diaphragm to weaken and burst. The deer are attracted to water to combat the fever and dehydration due to the hemorrhaging. Most deer die in 1-4 days after being infected with EHD.

The last widespread outbreak of EHD in Iowa was 1998. The impact on hunting was minimal overall, but localized areas could see reduced numbers.

The second disease, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease affecting deer and elk. It is caused by an abnormal protein - known as a prion - that essentially eats holes in the brains of infected animals. In the latter stages of the disease, animals appear disoriented, lethargic and emaciated. They often exhibit excessive thirst, salivation, urination and drooping head and ears. It is always fatal to the infected animal. Anyone seeing a deer exhibiting these symptoms should immediately contact the Iowa DNR.

It is important to know that CWD is spread by direct and indirect contact as the prions are shed in the bodily fluids of infected animals and can remain infective for years in the environment.

CWD was first discovered in northeastern Colorado in 1967. Since then, CWD has been detected in free-ranging populations in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. It has been detected in captive facilities in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, and in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.

The Iowa DNR was informed by Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory that a deer from a shooting preserve in Davis County tested positive for CWD. The National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames confirmed the positive test and Iowa is implementing its CWD containment plan. None of the other samples submitted tested positive. Beginning this fall the DNR will be working with hunters and landowners in this area to collect samples from hunter harvested deer. Testing will continue in other parts of the state as well.

Iowa has tested over 42,500 wild deer and over 4,000 captive deer and elk as part of the surveillance efforts since 2002 when CWD was found in Wisconsin. Samples are collected from all 99 counties in Iowa; however the majority are taken in the counties nearest to areas where CWD has been detected in other states. Samples are collected voluntarily from hunter-harvested deer at check stations and meat lockers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is keeping a close eye on the deer population as a disease spreads across the Midwest.

"What we are doing is an important part of the national CWD surveillance and monitoring effort," said Dr Dale Garner, bureau chief for the wildlife bureau. "It is needed to give us a good picture of what is going on within the deer population."

Hunter participation was completely voluntary and the DNR thanks all hunters that assisted with the CWD surveillance by providing deer heads for testing.

Note: It should be pointed out that this testing for the CWD agent is not a food safety test. At this writing, it is not believed that humans can contract CWD by eating venison; however, the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommends that hunters do not eat the brain, eyeballs, or spinal cord of deer, and that hunters wear protective gloves while field dressing game.

Also, hunters cannot transport into Iowa the whole carcass of any cervid (i.e., deer, elk, moose or caribou) taken from a CWD endemic area within any state or province. Only the boned-out meat, the cape, and antlers attached to a clean skull plate from which all brain tissue has been removed are legal to transport into Iowa.



Great sales taking place at each of these outdoor suppliers

Good hunting, good fishing and good luck.  Hank

 

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