Nebraska Merriams - Semi Live

Joe2Kool

Joe2Kool

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Gonna try this and see how it goes! Using a hot spot from my phone that is. If you know me and my computing disabilities, you know what a challenge this will be! :) :)
Trip from TN Monday was mostly uneventful. Made it to Lincoln Monday where we stopped and spent the night with our friends. This family gets bigger each year! See attached pic!

Somewhere in there, we stopped at a Popeye's for lunch. We were approached by a lady who asked us if we knew where the meat packing plant was. Hmmm. Told her we weren't from around here...She then proceeded to tell us her boyfriend worked there, and some of the guys that worked there had green cards. (Oh no. She's wearing one of those tops with the shoestring that ties it together in front...don't look down!) But the green cards weren't for working, it was because they had mold. (C'mon, hurry up with the chickebn sandwich!) And the green color matched the color of her house...(Order for Joe...Oh, thank goodness!!!)

After Popeye's, Greg came up with a new marketing strategy...spicy going in...spicy coming out! :)

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Made it to the cabin today. Got settled in and went out for an evening scout.

Had one gobble a few times from a distance, and could see him on the way in but lost him, and he never showed up.
Greg roosted a flock of 18 so we're studying maps and phone pics to make a plan for tomorrow morning. Betting they fly down on the same side they flew up on. Fingers crossed!

Tailgate pics tomorrow!
 
There were 18 birds in the group that Greg roosted, with 2 gobblers. Now there are 17 and 1!

We studied where they went in last night. Studied the maps. And was able to pick out what we thought was the exact tree they roosted in. And we were right!

Got in about 45 minutes before sunrise and set up. Greg about 100 yards SE. Me, about 125 yards NE. They hit the ground...going NW. Well fiddlesticks! :) But 4-5 hens stayed in the tree. When they flew down, the pulled the rest of the group back!

I ranged the back side of a fan at 52 yards and passed. A few minutes later, Greg got a 35 yard kill shot! I tried to catch up to a couple other gobblers I could hear in the distance, but couldn't. Good first morning!

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The things you make a man do Joe just to keep up with you! Keep me posted! We are leaving early Friday morning headed that way!
 
Typically we've not had much luck calling. Today we had to opportunity to watch, from a distance of 2-300 yards, a group of hens, a single gobbler, and a gobbler with hens while we called to them. Absolutely no response at all!

But, Greg was able to watch a single gobbler go to the roost, and I roosted 1 gobbler and 7-8 hens in the exact same tree as last night. Guess where we'll be in the morning!! :) :)

Attached is the picture from Lone Pine - a good morning listening point, or evening glassing point. Roosting tree is just on the other side of the pond.

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Didn't go quite as planned this morning. Sitting at the same spot as yesterday morning and at fly down, they went the other way. Caught up with them, but spooked them into another canyon. Watched 6 hens and 1 gobbler go in the canyon. Set up at different ends, and after about 3 hours, Greg walked the bottom. Only 4 hens came out. Hmmm. Guess the other 3 and the gobbler made it out under the radar. Oh well, that's hunting.

Here's a pic of the canyon setup.

Gonna take a nap and go out to roost some birds. Or even better, shoot some! :cool: :cool:
 
Have you hunted that country before Joe? Ive got to say, I much prefer the looks of things where there are some trees! Unless you start slamming them tomorrow, my plan is to be in old familiar ground Saturday morning. I know its not gonna be like it was 10 years ago when I was there last, but surely its not as desolate looking as where you are! One good thing about having 10 trees on 10,000 acres is you KNOW where they are coming back to roost!
 
Rather uneventful afternoon until about 30 minutes before sunset. Greg was siting at Lone Pine and had spotted a small group with a gobbler, and a lone single gobbler about a mile away. At sunset, I hadn't seen anything so I took off towards the single. I left my gear on a fence, along with my headlamp on (1, so I could easily find it, and 2) provide a meeting spot later :) ) Within a few minutes, I was on him,, and another single. I coyote yelled to see if they would gobble, and that started two packs of yotes howling. Worked well for pinpointing the gobbler, but kinda eerie being within a couple hundred yards of two coyote packs. So I put a couple shells back in the old 870. :) Oh, did I mention I was between them?

Anyway, studied the maps and we're gonna set up on the group Greg roosted. We feel better about our setup options as far as getting in and finding a good spot in the dark.

BTW, these birds still don't speak southern. Just not much response...

No pics tonight.
 
Huntaholic said:
Have you hunted that country before Joe? Ive got to say, I much prefer the looks of things where there are some trees! Unless you start slamming them tomorrow, my plan is to be in old familiar ground Saturday morning. I know its not gonna be like it was 10 years ago when I was there last, but surely its not as desolate looking as where you are! One good thing about having 10 trees on 10,000 acres is you KNOW where they are coming back to roost!
Click to expand...
Yes, we've hunted it a few times. We kinda know the canyons and the bird's tendencies, but with only one in the bag, obviously not well enough. :) I'm interested in comparing notes and pics from your hunt. The most frustrating thing is we've found calling is almost futile. Whether it's the birds not responding, or poor calling, the result is the same!
 
I've noticed that with the increase in coyotes the past few years in Nebraska that "Mum" is the word for turkeys. The same thing holds true here in Colo. If they make noise they often get eaten. In fact, I found a pile of feathers below a roost tree in Nebraska last weekend! You might to the gobblers a favor by putting the slam on any coyotes you happen to run into!
 
jims said:
I've noticed that with the increase in coyotes the past few years in Nebraska that "Mum" is the word for turkeys. The same thing holds true here in Colo. If they make noise they often get eaten. In fact, I found a pile of feathers below a roost tree in Nebraska last weekend! You might to the gobblers a favor by putting the slam on any coyotes you happen to run into!
Click to expand...
I thought I was gonna get the chance to run into a few up close and personal last night while roosting the birds!
 
Results of an exciting morning are attached!

Set up on the roosted birds this morning. Each of us about 150 yards from them. They came off the roost and started towards Greg. Something spooked them and they turned around - likely that gun barrel pointed towards them! :) Then they headed towards me. At 80 yards, it was obvious there were 6 hens and 2 jakes. They moved along and I said we gotta go to the singles.

Walked about 200 yards and spotted one of them ~800 yards away. Through the canyon and up the other side I closed about half the distance, and he obliged by closing the other half. As I sat waiting, he started gobbling his fool head off. Realizing he was very very close, I popped over a little rise and there he was at 40 yards. A big boom and he tumbled over the edge of the canyon. 17-1/2 pounds, 7" beard, and 1" spurs.

Gotta love those pics with the buttes in the background! :cool: :cool:

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Bought another tag today. Quite an experience. First, the website to buy a tag was down today. So I called the Nebraska G&F. Today was a state holiday, meaning the offices were closed. And the Nebraska phone number rolls to a child development center where I could bid on used fishing equipment. Trust me, I can't make this stuff up! Finally got to talk to Tony - the only G&P person in the office today. Thanks Tony!!

Rather uneventful evening sit. I checked out a nearby WMA. Greg went to the southern peak of Twin Peaks, and despite being private land, his spot was taken (see attached pic). Greg was polite enough to move along to the northern peak!:D

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Quiet morning so far. Found a few hens on the roost but that’s about it. Just sitting here enjoying the medowlarks and blackbirds singing.
 
Greg roosted a gobbler on the WMA last night. Gonna have to change his name to the Roost Master!! Bird was as good as dead until some bonehead busted him out of the tree. At least it was a Kool ? bonehead!!??

Oh well. That’s hunting. Packed up and taking a nap for the drive to Lincoln.
 
Get thread, thanks for all the updates and pictures. Sounds like you had a good time, killed some good birds, and are coming home safe.
 
My sons just got back from hunting NW Kansas and said the numbers of birds is down but they got their birds after 3 days. Ticks are a real problem this year out there so be aware.
 
Made it through the storms around Grand Island last night. We always seem to get caught in a bad one driving back. Oh well, whaddya gonna do?

Anyway, kruising through St Louis now with an anticipated arrival time at home around midnight. Will have to "pretend to work" tomorrow. :) :) Work? HAven't thought about it in a week.

Anyway, all good hunting trips come to an end, but we had a fun week with lots more good memories, and a few more good sayings to add to our list. I guess the one for this trip, that was used a few times is "This game is about to come to an end real soon!"

Already got a week picked out for next year!
 
Pleasure meeting up with you Joe for lunch! We ended up coming home with 2 birds, both of those I called in like they were on a string. ;) I told you what the secret to calling them was, learn to master it and enjoy the rewards! We had to get off the public ground to even find birds. I never heard the first gobble on public dirt and for every gobbler track I saw, I saw 50 hunters trying to track him down. Nationwide they say hunter participation is down, I DONT BELIEVE THAT FOR A SECOND! I used to LOVE that area we were hunting, but if I am restricted to hunting public dirt I seriously doubt if I will ever go back.
 

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