McCook, Nebraska: Republican River Hunting in Southwest Nebraska

McCook is the Red Willow County seat with a population around 7,500, making it the largest town in southwest Nebraska and the natural hub for hunters working the Republican River valley. The town offers full services, comfortable lodging, and easy access to Red Willow Reservoir and the surrounding agricultural and grassland habitat that holds pheasant, deer, and waterfowl in good numbers.

The Town

McCook has a proud history tied to the development of southwest Nebraska. The Senator George W. Norris Home, a National Historic Landmark, preserves the residence of the U.S. senator who championed rural electrification and reshaped the American West. Downtown McCook has restaurants, shops, and the kind of commercial infrastructure that makes it the go-to supply point for the surrounding rural communities.

Where to Eat

McCook has a solid restaurant selection for southwest Nebraska. Steakhouses serve locally raised beef, and family restaurants offer menus that cover breakfast through dinner. Several Mexican restaurants add variety to the dining scene. You will find enough options to avoid eating at the same place twice during a week-long trip.

Where to Stay

National chain hotels and locally owned motels along Highway 6 and Highway 83 provide a range of lodging options. Rooms are generally available and reasonably priced. McCook's position as a regional hub means the hotel inventory is larger than most towns on this list.

Where to Hunt

Red Willow Reservoir and the surrounding state recreation area provide waterfowl hunting opportunities during fall migration. The reservoir attracts ducks and geese moving down the Central Flyway, and the adjacent grasslands and crop fields provide feeding habitat. The area also holds deer and upland birds.

The Republican River corridor running through Red Willow County creates bottomland habitat that supports whitetail, turkey, and pheasant. The river-bottom timber and associated brush provide cover, while the surrounding agricultural fields offer food sources.

Red Willow County sits in the heart of southwest Nebraska's pheasant belt. The combination of irrigated cropland, CRP grassland, and native rangeland creates the mix of food and cover that ring-necked pheasants require. Opening weekend of pheasant season brings a steady stream of hunters to the area, but the county is large enough to absorb the pressure.

Why McCook Is a Reliable Southwest Base

McCook gives you the comfort and convenience of a larger town while putting you within minutes of productive hunting habitat. Red Willow Reservoir adds a waterfowl dimension that most southwest Nebraska towns cannot match, and the surrounding pheasant and deer hunting is consistently solid. For hunters who want to explore southwest Nebraska without sacrificing amenities, McCook is the obvious base camp.