Nebraska sharptails.

I have been to Nebraska twice for sharptail this year..one trip got canceled.
Hunted North west and North central.
Did not have good luck at all.
Talked to other hunters not seeing birds.
You guys have any luck?
 
Roy B said:
I am heading out to hunt sharptail for the 1st time and just looking for a few tips and also wondering if I should plan on light loads or heavier? I will be using a 20 auto but will have my 1187 12 for backup.
I am going to be roughing it in a tent and plan on being out there until at least next Friday weather permitting.
I forgot to add that im taking my 1 year old who has hunted pheasant and quail but never been out west. She is a work in progress but points and no birds get past her nose.She is a lab/wirehair mix.
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Hey Roy B
How did you do sharptail hunting?
 
We found a few but we worked hard for them and we mostly found singles and pairs.
It was worth the trip just to watch the dog work although they did find a porcupine.
 

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Also good job and nice bird.
Agreed it is worth it to watch the dogs work.
Mine were getting frustrated near the end....funny how they can share that same emotion with us.
 
The setter belongs to my friend who went with me. He is a beauty. I have a 14 month old lab wirehair mix that is going to be a rock star.
 

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I’ve driven from one end of Nebraska to the other and straight up the center… it looks right, no people, why are there not birds especially sharpies and chickens everywhere. It’s the best kept secret or a total mystery
 
Quailnerd said:
I’ve driven from one end of Nebraska to the other and straight up the center… it looks right, no people, why are there not birds especially sharpies and chickens everywhere. It’s the best kept secret or a total mystery
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I reached out to a biologist to try and get some insight. Not sure if weather events (I know they had some heavy hail and rain) did a number on the young birds maybe.....waiting to hear back.
I had stopped and talked to a couple that had at least 6 dogs and they only got 2 sharpies in 2 days. I did not even see birds...tough year.
 
RussnHunter said:
I reached out to a biologist to try and get some insight. Not sure if weather events (I know they had some heavy hail and rain) did a number on the young birds maybe.....waiting to hear back.
I had stopped and talked to a couple that had at least 6 dogs and they only got 2 sharpies in 2 days. I did not even see birds...tough year.
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Not just this year I’m talking big picture, it’s surrounded by productive states?
 
There have been a number of reasons for the decline of prairie grouse and even more, pheasants.
With PG there seems to be a trend of decline over a big area. The Dakotas and especially Montana have been a gradual decline for a couple years. My friend told me Montana was bad where he hunted this year. There are areas that are still really good but overall it's been in a decline.

Pheasants haven't had good conditions for several years! We had hail and not just a couple stones but storms where it hails for 30 minutes, torrential rains and floods during nesting and then drought, the winter of 22-23 we had lots of snow and really cold weather. Birds in South Dakota survive this but the difference is habitat!
Farmers farm fence line to fence line and road ditch to road ditch. CPR was taken out for crop production. Farming today is much cleaner than years before because of herbicides and combines are better and don't leave as much in the field. There is not much of an area for them to hide, nest, and survive in and predators numbers are huge! When you see a coyote almost everyday when out and about you know there are a bunch around!
I'm not knocking the farmer, they are trying to make a living in a tough occupation.
Overall it just a combination of things and just plain bad luck. Hopefully this year will be better.
 
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