Hunting Forum

If anyone has hunted in the Chadron area, like south and east of Chadron I would like to hear what the terrain is like. Can you get back off the roads with a game cart ?  I'm 75 years young and ground blinds make the full day hunt less painful.

Would appreciate any info you can add. Am planning a archery hunt in that area spring of 2013

Thanks

It is very hilly and rocky in places with small valleys and some flats, but you won't have to go far off the road to get one, you probably wouldn't want to being that the trees are pretty dense in some places. You can probably push your cart out of sight of your pickup and set up your blind and have a good chance at one. If I may make a suggestion, Ft. Robinson in Crawford is not far from there and that terrain would be much easier if you have trouble with rough country. There are probably even more turkeys there.

Thanks Guy I'll be archery hunting there in late March, and will look into the area you suggested. I did hear that area may have burned last summer. Have you heard anything like that?  Do you live in and hunt that area ?

Thanks again for your reply, and any other info will be welcomed

Some areas are burned some are not. I was up at Ft. Rob and shot a fall turkey this year. Most of the good ground near the creeks weren't affected. The only tricky thing there is hunting in hunting areas. Most are clearly marked and the people at the info building will give you a map of designated areas. The fire took out quite a bit, but there is still a lot of land that didn't burn. I live and hunt around Alliance, but I go up in that area to hunt turkeys.

Thanks for the tips on hunting Ft Rob.  Always great to get info from "natives" that know the area. Do you archery hunt turkeys ? If so might see you there.  I'll let you know on this thread how I do. Right now have a motel in Chadron. This is first trip to this area. Last year hunted north of Ainsworth on the Niobrara River. Did good but seemed to be more hybreds and I passed on alot of birds before getting some nice white tail feathered  ones

The middle of archery season runs along with shotgun season, and with the tag I buy, I can use either. I'm what I would call a "beginning" archery hunter, and if I have the chance to get it with a bow, I will, and if not, the shotgun will get the job done. I am not really big on turkey hunting, I'm more into 4 legged critters, so I guess I wouldn't know a hybrid from any other. I hunted up on the Niobrara my first year with a buddy. It rained the whole time and I never got a shot, but two years ago my buddy shot a national record turkey up in that area. There is no shortage of birds up around Chadron/Ft. Rob though. And you might see me. Not sure what days I would be hunting, but its not much of a drive for me, so I just go up there if I'm not busy.

Thanks for your reply..In addition for the love of hunting turkeys, I do alot of "four legged critter " hunting too. While I'm there, I will be looking at the possibility of hunting Antelope with a bow during the rut or pre rut this fall. How does that look for public land hunting ? Are there waterholes  or windmills, or Alfafa patches on public land ? 

If you are going to be turkey hunting the first week of bow season, let know and maybe we can hook up. I would be glad to help you stick a bird with your bow. I have room in my ground blind for another hunter

If you were to go on public land around here I would suggest you be the first hunter there. They get a little skittish on public land. I have seen some around Ft. Rob., Oglala Grasslands have a lot of goats, but bring your walking boots if you go there. I only hunt private land for antelope, so I don't know much about the goats up there. I have never seen anything worth putting on the wall in either area, but I haven't been to the grasslands very often.

Thanks for your reply.  Doesn't sound very promising for speed goats with a bow.   I just thought that rifle season is after the rut that maybe a guy would have a chance on one by decoying or setting up on waterholes, or holes in fence etc in late September. Non-residents can only hunt goats in NE with a bow

Good Luck and great hunting