Sharptail Grouse and Prairie Chicken Hunting in the Nebraska Sandhills

There is no hunting experience in North America quite like walking the Nebraska Sandhills for sharptail grouse and greater prairie chickens. The landscape is vast, treeless, and rolling — 20,000 square miles of grass-stabilized sand dunes stretching across central Nebraska. The birds are wild, the country is empty, and every covey flush against that huge sky is unforgettable.

The Birds

Sharp-tailed grouse are the primary prairie grouse species in the Sandhills. They are stocky, gray-brown birds that hold in mixed-grass prairie and flush with a distinctive cackling call. Sharptails are slightly larger than bobwhite quail and offer excellent shooting — they tend to flush at reasonable distances and fly in a straight line rather than the erratic zigzag of smaller birds.

Greater prairie chickens overlap with sharptails in parts of the Sandhills and are more common in the southern and eastern portions of the grass country. Prairie chickens prefer taller grass with more structure and are often found near agricultural edges where grass meets crop ground. They are slightly larger than sharptails and tend to flush in tight groups.

Both species are legal to harvest during Nebraska's grouse season, and the daily bag typically includes a combined limit of three birds.

Walking the Dunes

Hunting the Sandhills is physically demanding. The terrain looks flat from a distance, but up close, the grass-covered dunes are a constant series of climbs and descents. Footing is sandy and soft, and there are no trees for shade or reference. Bring plenty of water, wear comfortable boots with good ankle support, and be prepared to walk five to ten miles in a day.

The birds are scattered across the landscape in coveys of 8 to 20 birds. Finding them requires covering ground. Walk the ridgelines between dune valleys — sharptails and prairie chickens use these higher areas for feeding and loafing during midday. In the morning and evening, birds move to feeding areas around wet meadows, hay flats, and the edges of stock ponds where green vegetation and seed-producing grasses are available.

Dog Requirements

A bird dog is highly valuable for Sandhills grouse hunting. The grass is tall enough to hide birds completely, and without a dog, you will walk past coveys at close range without knowing they are there.

Wide-ranging pointing dogs work best in this open country. English Pointers, German Shorthaired Pointers, and Brittanys that can cover ground and handle big, open terrain are ideal. The dog needs to be in shape — the sandy footing and long distances are hard on dogs that are not conditioned.

A flushing dog like a Labrador or Springer Spaniel will also produce birds, though the flushes tend to happen at wider distances in open grass than they would in thicker upland cover. Whatever dog you bring, make sure it can handle the heat in early season — September grouse hunting in the Sandhills can mean temperatures in the 80s and 90s.

Early Season vs. Late Season

Early season — the first two weeks after the September opener — is a favorite for many grouse hunters. Birds are in family groups, have not been pressured, and hold well for pointing dogs. The downside is heat. Hunting in the morning and late afternoon, resting through midday, protects both you and your dog.

Late season grouse hunting — November through January — offers cooler temperatures and birds that have grouped into larger winter coveys. The birds are wilder and flush at greater distances, but when you find a big covey, the shooting can be spectacular. Late-season birds also tend to concentrate around the best remaining food sources, which makes them more predictable once you locate those areas.

Where to Hunt

McKelvie National Forest in Cherry County is one of the most accessible public land options for Sandhills grouse. Despite the name, it is primarily grassland with scattered pockets of planted pine trees. The mix of open prairie, wet meadows, and pine groves creates excellent grouse habitat, and the Forest Service land is open to public hunting.

Valentine National Wildlife Refuge holds both sharptails and prairie chickens across its 71,000 acres of Sandhills prairie and wetlands. Access is free and the habitat is managed specifically for grassland birds.

The Sandhills are also full of private ranch land, and many ranchers welcome hunters. Ask permission at the door — Sandhills ranchers are generally friendly to respectful hunters, and some of the best grouse hunting in the region is on private grass that has never seen a boot print.

Load the truck, bring the dog, and go walk some grass. The Sandhills grouse experience is uniquely Nebraska, and it is worth every mile.