Upland4Ever
New member
Has Nebraska become a waterfowl state, do to the lack or wild birds and lack of state wildlife agency. So is it still a pheasant state.
What state is Nebraska
- Thread starter Upland4Ever
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pineridge uplander
Banned
Nebraska like most states that were once known for great upland hunting is struggling. There are still areas in the state with pretty good bird hunting, just few and far between it seems. It has always been a great state for waterfowl, weather you are hunting the platte river from Morril all the way to the mouth at the Missouri river, plus you have the Sandhill prairie pot hole region and the Missouri river corridor, all are great for waterfowl.
Then you have some awesome turkey hunting through out the state, and the deer hunting is usually great, but the last couple of years with EHD out break it has taken a hit, not to mention with the Game and Parks allowing hunters to take 2 bucks, kind of stupid in my opinion, would be better to harvest does and allow some real whoppers to grow!
So to say Nebraska is a pheasant or waterfowl state would not be fair, I would say it is a " Hunting State". Well, it's really a football state, but everyone knows that.
Lot of people are turning to waterfowl. It takes a finite resource, (small acreage), there are lots of them, a lot of hunters are softer, more inclined to the social aspects of duck hunting, many of us are old,(like me!). It's harder to get new upland members, You can drive 30 miles from downtown Omaha and have a great duck or goose hunt. Upland, first you have scout it, get permission, drive an hour or more to find acceptable country. Worst case, I can buy, build and develop a duck club, virtually at home. The COST of making upland habitat, where now, where there isn't any for miles, is daunting. I have hunted Nebraska since 1968, in those days, I have seen thousands of duck in the Rain Water basin fly around and return to pot holes, unmolested by pheasant hunters, who paid no attention. Very seldom saw duck hunters there either! Pheasant were the celebrated game. That's all the public in towns ask about..... at the daily cease-fire for the Cornhusker football game on Saturday. You could hunt all day on Sunday, it was easier to bring in the dogs and sit in the Rancher's family room, for the "game", than get permission to hunt, during those Saturday hours, after, you were invited to run them out of windbreak around the feedlot! There were a lot of them.....must have been paradise, seems like it now.
Upland4Ever
New member
So most of your hunting now is waterfowl? What kind of dog?
Never said I have gone to the dark side! I do have a Lab these days, after 45 years of pointers and setters. But he likes upland birds as well as me! I am shopping around for a pointer and setter I like, I think I have one or two more in .
I always thought of Nebraska as an upland bird state. My travels waterfowling never took me there. Not because there were no birds there but I had better waterfowling out my back door here.
But, like O&N said, it's easy to create quaility waterfowl habitat. Not so with upland birds. Upland birds are much more picky.
But, like O&N said, it's easy to create quaility waterfowl habitat. Not so with upland birds. Upland birds are much more picky.