I thought this spring turkey season never would arrive. The regular shotgun season opened Saturday.
Seasons already are open for archers and youths using shotguns. The spring turkey season closes May 31.
Here are some early season tips to help you bag that tom before your buddies have dusted off their decoys.
Dispersal: For much of the early season, turkeys are just starting to break up from winter flocks. This can make for exciting times in the field. We are just starting to see the dispersal phase hitting much of Nebraska, where hunters are seeing smaller groups of toms, hens and toms strutting for hens. Turkeys can respond well to the call as the frustration of a lackluster love life takes hold.
Roost the toms: Toms can change roosting locations rapidly this time of year, but one thing is certain: If you know where he is roosted the night before, he likely will be there early the next morning. Roost sites are fickle. Once we put a bird to bed, we need to take care to sneak into position in the morning. A bird that has been spooked while on the roost is all but impossible to call in right after it hits the ground. Once a tom has roosted, I generally spend time talking to him to let him know the location of this would-be date.
People are also reading…
More than once, that tom left the roost, came to the spot I last called from and strutted all morning in hopes for that hen. In the morning, I like to sneak within 100 yards of the roost and set out my decoy. Once hidden, I slowly let out a few clucks and sleepy yelps. Once he starts to gobble, I may back off a bit unless I am competing with other hens. If he sits on the roost and gobbles too long, he may attract other hens and ruin my plans.
Once he knows you are there, read the bird to determine how much calling is needed. As he wakes up, so does my calling, which will get a bit more aggressive. Ideally, he will fly down and be in view of my decoy. This is when a good decoy is worth its weight in gold.
Decoys: I place decoys so the hen is facing away from where the tom will approach. Too often a tom will enter the field and hang up if the hen is looking at him but not responding. For jakes or strutting toms, I face decoys toward the incoming tom, to look more aggressive. I don’t like jakes or toms that look too aggressive as I think they can scare away all but the most aggressive toms.
Strutting zones: These are favored hangouts where toms like to spend late-morning hours waiting for receptive females to stop by. Find these open locations and hang out all day. Toms will be by soon, especially as they begin to break up from larger flocks. Scouting can help find these areas, which can be productive each year.
Feeding areas: These are great bets as both toms and hens are eating now before the mating storm. Large, open grain fields next to wooded areas can be a good bet any time of day. Find a shady spot, place a decoy and enjoy an afternoon of rest and relaxation.
Early season hunts can be exciting and the most productive. Remember to make sure of your target, be safe and enjoy this awesome spring turkey season. It’s bound to be a memorable experience you will want to repeat.
The best places to catch fish in the Lincoln area in 2024
Walleye
Crankbaits are a popular lure when fishing for walleye at Lake McConaughy State Recreation Area in Keith County. While the state's biggest lakes are the best habitats for walleye, area anglers can find keeper-sized (15-inch or larger) walleye at Czechland and Yankee Hill lakes. Branched Oak, Wanahoo, Stagecoach, Wildwood and Conestoga are other lakes where you can expect to catch walleye.
White bass
A doll fly jig tricked this white bass at Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County. While the commission's guide had nothing to say about Lincoln area lakes, Yankee Hill Lake WMA had the best gill net rate in the region, with about half of those fish in the 12- to 15-inch range.
Wiper
Daryl Bauer, fisheries outreach program manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, holds a Master Angler wiper he caught at Swanson Reservoir in August 2011. Branched Oak Lake is the place to catch the white bass-striped base hybrid near Lincoln, with some larger than 25 inches. But remember that all wipers caught there must be released immediately.
Bluegill
Any body of water in Nebraska that is too big to jump across probably has some bluegill in it. Homestead Lake had the highest 2023 catch rate for bluegills in the survey's trap nets, followed by Meadowlark, Stagecoach and Redtail. If you want fish 8 inches or larger, try Conestoga, Czechland Hedgefield and Redtail.
Crappie
An angler releases a crappie caught on a fly in a Sarpy County private pond. In the 2023 survey, Memphis Lake had the highest catch rate. For larger fish, try Oxbow Trails, Yankee Hill and Branched Oak.
Largemouth bass
Eli Kurrus of Gretna holds a largemouth bass caught at a pond in Cass County in June 2019. Hedgefield had the highest catch rate, with many of the fish larger than 15 inches. Bowling, Meadowlark, Stagecoach and Holmes lakes should also be good for targeting bigger fish.
Channel catfish
Channel catfish are the most widespread and common of the large catfish in Nebraska. East Twin had the greatest number of sampled fish. For eating-sized catfish, the commission says to try Stagecoach, Pawnee and Branched Oak. For larger catfish, try Meadowlark or Wildwood (a catch-and-release lake for channel cats).
Blue catfish
Branched Oak and Pawnee lakes continue to be the places to go near Lincoln for blue catfish. Anglers can find fish from 20 to 35 inches from the 2015 stocking at Pawnee.
Flathead catfish
Richard Hagen caught this 89-pound flathead catfish — the state record — in the Missouri River in June 2020. Branched Oak Lake has trophy-sized flatheads in excess of 40 inches, but remember you must immediately release any that you catch there.
Saugeye
The commission's report says saugeye, a sauger-walleye hybrid, are doing well in Southeast Nebraska. If you are after legal, 15-inch or larger saugeyes, head for Olive Creek Lake. But if you're after a master angler saugeye, try Pawnee Lake.
Northern pike
A northern pike is guided into a landing net at Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County. Some of the pike in Lake Wanahoo are now over 40 inches, and the commission says additional stockings have added recruitment. All pike you catch there must be released immediately. If you catch a tagged fish, please report it to ngpc.fishtags@nebraska.gov.
Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout are stocked across Nebraska in city ponds and state park lakes, including Lincoln's Holmes Lake in the spring, fall and winter; and at Bowling Lake's south pond in the fall and winter.
