Best Counties in Nebraska for Turkey Hunting

Nebraska has turkeys in nearly every county, but some areas consistently produce better hunting than others. The state sits at the intersection of three wild turkey subspecies — Eastern, Rio Grande, and Merriam's — and each inhabits distinct regions with different terrain and habitat. Here is where to focus your spring and fall turkey efforts.

Eastern Hardwoods: Southeast Nebraska

The southeast corner of the state holds the best Eastern wild turkey populations and offers classic timber-based turkey hunting. Nemaha, Richardson, Pawnee, and Johnson counties are the heart of Eastern turkey range in Nebraska.

These counties are defined by the timbered drainages of the Big and Little Nemaha rivers, the Big Blue, and the Missouri River bluffs. Mature hardwood forests — oak, hickory, walnut, and cottonwood — provide excellent roosting habitat, and the mix of agricultural fields, hay meadows, and timber creates ideal strutting and nesting areas.

Hunting here feels like hunting anywhere in the traditional Eastern turkey belt. Call a bird off the roost in heavy timber, work him through the hardwoods, and set up where a logging road or field edge gives you an opening. Public land options include Indian Cave State Park and several WMAs along the Missouri River bluffs that hold strong turkey numbers.

Platte River Corridor: Central Nebraska

The Platte River and its tributaries are the backbone of Rio Grande turkey habitat in Nebraska. From Grand Island west through Kearney, Lexington, and North Platte, the cottonwood galleries along the river hold thriving Rio populations.

Hall, Buffalo, Dawson, and Lincoln counties are all strong options. Rios roost in the big cottonwoods along the river, fly down at first light, and often strut in adjacent hay meadows and crop fields where visibility is high. This is decoy country — open terrain means gobblers need a visual target to commit, and a hen-jake spread in a flat meadow can pull a bird from 300 yards.

Rio Grandes in the Platte River valley are vocal birds that respond well to calling. They are accustomed to relatively open landscapes and will cover ground quickly when they hear what they think is a willing hen.

Pine Ridge: Northwest Nebraska

The Pine Ridge region in Dawes, Sioux, and Sheridan counties is home to Nebraska's Merriam's wild turkeys. These birds inhabit the ponderosa pine forests, open meadows, and ranch land of the escarpment that defines the Pine Ridge.

Merriam's are arguably the most beautiful of the three subspecies, with bright white-tipped tail feathers that make them instantly recognizable. They are also generally the least pressured, as the Pine Ridge is remote and receives modest hunting traffic compared to eastern Nebraska.

Hunt the edges where pine forest meets open meadow. Merriam's gobblers roost in tall ponderosa pines and fly down to strut in openings and along forest roads. The topography of the Pine Ridge — ridges, canyons, and draws — creates natural travel routes that concentrate turkey movement.

Spring vs. Fall Seasons

Nebraska offers both spring and fall turkey seasons, and each has a different character.

Spring season is the traditional gobbler hunt — calling birds and targeting strutting toms. Spring runs from mid-March through late May, giving hunters a long window across the progression from early courtship to peak gobbling to late-season nesting.

Fall season varies by unit and typically runs from October through December. Fall turkey hunting is less about calling and more about patterning birds on food sources. Flocks of hens and young-of-the-year turkeys feed in agricultural fields, and fall hunting allows either-sex harvest in most units.

Subspecies Distribution

Understanding which subspecies lives where helps you plan your hunt. Eastern turkeys are found from the Missouri River west to roughly the center of the state, concentrated in the timbered river drainages of the southeast. Rio Grande turkeys dominate the central third of Nebraska, particularly the Platte, Republican, and Loup river systems. Merriam's turkeys live in the Pine Ridge and the northwest corner.

There are overlap zones — particularly along the Niobrara River in north-central Nebraska — where hybrid birds occur. But for a dedicated turkey hunter looking to pursue all three subspecies, Nebraska is one of the few states where you can do it on over-the-counter tags in a single season.