PairOfLabs
Active member
I returned to Denver Saturday night after 3 days hunting and scouting western Nebraska. Starting from scratch after not hunting this area since 2019, I started scouting/hunting as soon as I crossed the CO/NE line on Hwy 23 just past Venango. I was working toward Ogallala where I had 2 nights reserved. I was checking or hunting the walk-in properties in map sheet 13. I got a late start out of Denver so I did not start scouting/hunting until 12:30. I ended up hunting only 3 fields with no bird sightings and put X (avoid) on 14 spots on the map. With the ongoing severe drought, many of the CRP sections had been mowed or otherwise had not grown. Many unirrigated crops were failures. I hunted my 2 labs together twice and the pup Tucker once by himself. Let's just say that he's a work in process.
A hunting buddy met me Thursday night after driving back from Minn. We spend Friday trying to get out of the severe drought area on the Gov. drought map, and southeast toward Beaver City in map sheet 26. We were primarily scouting for future trips and found the area much better from a cover standpoint. We thought multiple walk-in areas were suitable to hunt but ended up hunting only one field on the way back toward Ogallala, with my buddy missing a long shot at one rooster, our only sighting.
On Saturday we were joined by two more buddies from Denver. The dog count was 2-GSP, 1-Brittany, and my 2 labs. We got a slow start and hunted two walk-in properties around Ogallala with 2 grouse bagged. Two of us lightly hit the one rooster we saw but it hit the shelterbelt behind us running like the wind and the dogs couldn't pick it up in the dry scenting conditions. Due to the temp getting up to 65 and the wind howling I headed back to Denver on I-80/I-76 mid-day, aborting my plan to hunt south through NE. In 3 days of driving/scouting/hunting I personally saw only 3 roosters and no hens. My 2 buds Saturday reported one hen flushing wild ahead of them but I did not see it.
Pretty grim report. On the bright side, no injuries to old hunters or dogs and no motel room damage from the pup. The tenants of the room next door probably didn't appreciate some of his middle of the night guard-dog barks.
Tom
A hunting buddy met me Thursday night after driving back from Minn. We spend Friday trying to get out of the severe drought area on the Gov. drought map, and southeast toward Beaver City in map sheet 26. We were primarily scouting for future trips and found the area much better from a cover standpoint. We thought multiple walk-in areas were suitable to hunt but ended up hunting only one field on the way back toward Ogallala, with my buddy missing a long shot at one rooster, our only sighting.
On Saturday we were joined by two more buddies from Denver. The dog count was 2-GSP, 1-Brittany, and my 2 labs. We got a slow start and hunted two walk-in properties around Ogallala with 2 grouse bagged. Two of us lightly hit the one rooster we saw but it hit the shelterbelt behind us running like the wind and the dogs couldn't pick it up in the dry scenting conditions. Due to the temp getting up to 65 and the wind howling I headed back to Denver on I-80/I-76 mid-day, aborting my plan to hunt south through NE. In 3 days of driving/scouting/hunting I personally saw only 3 roosters and no hens. My 2 buds Saturday reported one hen flushing wild ahead of them but I did not see it.
Pretty grim report. On the bright side, no injuries to old hunters or dogs and no motel room damage from the pup. The tenants of the room next door probably didn't appreciate some of his middle of the night guard-dog barks.
Tom
