Turkey Hunting

The Hunting: 
Spring shotgun season begins the Saturday closest to April 15th. From the opener and until around the 25th of April, blind hunting is important as the birds are still in fairly large groups. Between April 25th and May 8th-10th birds are henned up in the early morning but great run and gun calling can be had in the late morning/early afternoon. Hens generally start sitting around May 8th, leaving lonely gobblers and the best run and gun calling from then until the end of season May 31st. Although high temperatures later in the month can slow down gobbling earlier in the day, so we recommend the run and gun hunts finish by May 20th, if feasible with your schedule. 

Accommodations:

You will stay in our well-appointed farmhouse that sits on one of the ranches to be hunted. Accommodations are two hunters per bedroom with a bathroom on each floor. Home-cooked meals are prepared by our camp cook. In 30 years of doing this, we have learned that a clean, comfortable home that sits on one of the hunting ranches makes the most relaxing, enjoyable, and memorable hunt as opposed to the common “hotel hunt”, “trailer hunt” or “bunkhouse.” The ability to share the moments around camp along with the time afield is one of the main reasons that our hunters come as strangers and leave as friends.

A typical day:

Well before light, you’ll wake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee as you gather your gear. Continental breakfast is out and available for anyone needing a bite before heading to the woods. Hunters will drive anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the ranch being hunted. Two hunters will ride to the hunting area with one guide. One hunter will be set in an area with blind and decoy while the other will hunt with the guide unless both hunters prefer to hunt alone, or together. Please just communicate your wishes with your guide. After the morning hunt, the big meal of the day is prepared. During hot calling times, some hunters will head back out immediately to find callable Toms whose hens have left to lay. During slow mid day calling, hunters can relax a bit before heading out to look and listen prior to a late afternoon/evening hunt. The evening meal is soup/sandwich/casserole type to accommodate the various times hunters come in during this long day/short night hunt. 

Early season blind hunts require very little physical ability as the walking distances to blinds are short. Run and gun hunting later in the season in this country is relatively easy but you should be prepared to do some walking, like 2-4 miles per day.

Arrival/Departure: 

Please arrive the afternoon/evening before your hunt, hunt three days and plan on departing the morning after the third hunting day.

Weather:

Shotgun season in April will see temps ranging from 40-degree mornings to 60-degree days. In May temps warm up to as high as the 80’s at mid-day. Rain is possible at any time during the season.

Success:

Our success rates for a two bird hunt range from 150-200%.

client reviews:

“Good accommodations and food -my guide James was great and all the guides were friendly and helpful-all the hunters killed turkeys or had opportunities-fun trip!”
- Ernest J., April 2022
”Six of us hunted the last week of the Shotgun Season of 2022. We were welcomed to the ranch house by our guides and ranch staff. We had very comfortable accommodations and the food was great and plentiful! Our weather was good and we only had one day with a little rain.
Our Guides worked hard to ensure good hunts and ample opportunities to harvest birds. They knew their properties well and we were positioned in the morning to connect with gobbling Turkeys. While all of us did not take birds, we all saw and/or heard Turkeys. Like Turkeys everywhere, some wanted to play, others did not. We all had a great time. All of us agreed that the Ranch needs to add hunting properties to their inventory to improve chances to harvest a bird. Given another opportunity, I would rebook a hunt with PKR. The overall experience was great and I look forward to a return trip.”
- Alan K., May 2022

Licensing: 

Turkey permit(s) and one habitat stamp are required per hunter at an estimated cost of:
One bird: $153.00
Two bird: $281.00

Non-resident tags are limited. We will contact you for your application information prior to the release date. We will purchase your permit and stamp for you as soon as they are available for purchase it insure that you get one and in the correct management unit.

Meat care and trophy prep:

We will freeze your bird for you for transportation home. The meat can be either taken with you or legally donated to us. If you leave it with us, rest assured it will go to good use. If there is one thing we have perfected in 30 years and 3000 birds, it’s good turkey recipes.

2023 Turkey Hunt Pricing and Dates

$2495, One-Bird Hunt
$2895, Two-Bird Hunt

Season Dates

Mid-April through the end of May.

What’s Included

-Fully outfitted hunt
-2x1 guide service
-Meals
-Lodging
-Transportation while hunting
-Field prep of your trophy

Not Included

-5.5% Nebraska state sales tax
-Hunting license/habitat stamp
-Gratuities
-Transportation to/from camp before or after the hunt
-Taxidermy

Available Airports:

Sioux City Iowa, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Grand Island, Nebraska: 2 ½ hours.
Sioux Falls South Dakota, 3 hours. (Highly recommended)
Omaha, Nebraska: 4 hours hours