Get altitude- they will start bunching up as the season gets later. You will probably have more success in McKelvie. If it is cold and/or windy, they will be in the natural bowls near the "military crest," just below the ridgeline. If it is still warm, they like to hang out on the North slope of the big East/West ridges. You will have to "pop up" from behind cover to get them, as it is near impossible to get in shooting range if they see you. Dogs are useful to retrieve, but of little help to find, as they typically will NOT hold for a point. You need to drive in on the two track at McKelvie for a mile or two. Four wheel drive with good ground clearance recommended. Once more- get altitude! Look for the biggest ridges, and then get just shy of the top. Once you get your altitude, be loathe to lose it. The first ascent of a big ridge will make your legs and lungs scream. Take a path that has you following a winding route to keep your altitude: you will quickly acquire a palpable disdain for going up and down- especially the up. As my mentor told me, the Sandhill sharpies are easier to kill than they are to hit. I was running an ounce of 9's out of .005 and .015. That is of course smaller shot than conventional wisdom, but as I bagged four turkeys this spring with that load, it made sense to use it on sharpies. As a wise man once said, "pattern fails before penetration." If I did my part, that load was devastating on sharpies.
PM me if I can be of any other assistance, including lodging in the area.
Mike
Beautiful photos! I'd love to hunt there someday, wherever in NE that happens to be.
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Brent,
Valentine National Wildlife Refuge and McKelvie National Forest in the Sandhills of North Central Nebraska. Be careful with seasons and species: ducks can only be hunted in certain areas of Valentine, and snipe cannot be hunted on
state managed areas. All of Valentine is notox. Lead ok in McKelvie, but of course not for waterfowl.
Thanks! I'm halfway to having a plan in the box. the weekend before Thanksgiving is looking like the best bet. It's a little too far for a 1-day event on my birthday next week.
I've never killed a sharptail. I'm not even sure I've SEEN a sharpie. So, I've got to have one. Bag limits and seasons are looking a little complicated but I'll get them figured out and I may have a Nebraska resident as guide.
