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Photo Courtesy Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Enders WMA offers the opportunity to hunt turkeys, pheasant and quail. To hunt turkeys at Enders WMA in the springtime, you may purchase up to three permits over the counter or online at |
Enders Wildlife Management Area
“Cowboy up” for a Nebraska turkey round up
In the days of the Wild West, cowboys came and went in western Nebraska, especially where Stinking Water Creek served as a popular watering stop for cattle drives from Texas to the Union Pacific railhead at nearby Ogallala. You may experience the same freedom of the open plains while hunting hybrid turkeys at Enders Wildlife Management Area.
Turkey hunting is even better these days, thanks to a joint project between the NWTF and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission last spring that cleared invasive trees on 50 acres of the Enders WMA along Frenchman Creek.
“This project will immediately improve turkey habitat by creating a flush of annual weeds which support an abundance of insects vital to brood production, opening up the woodland and improving roost sites for turkeys,” said NGPC wildlife biologist Brian Perks. “Also, a project of this nature facilitates future land management practices, such as prescribed burns, by reducing fuel loads and improving fire breaks.”
Last fall, the NPGC funded an additional push to clear another 150 acres at the site.
“This work is only a small part of the overall project,” Perks said. “We have impacted most of the area the past five years and will continue to be aggressive in future years until our goals are complete.”
Perks appreciates the support from the local chapter in Enders. Duane Dreiling, president of the Western Plains Longbeards, said his chapter noticed the food plot potential there. The NGPC purchased 900 native shrubs and the NWTF provided oak tree saplings. Last spring, Federation volunteers — joined by local 4-H members and Cub Scouts — spent a day in the field planting.
In addition, members also wanted to create new food plots at Enders WMA, and with the help of contributions, from equipment loaned by local farmers to seed donated from seed companies, they planted about 10 acres of alfalfa. Hay from the site will profit the chapter as it funds future management projects there. Dreiling said the efforts already have paid off in increased numbers of turkeys, pheasants and quail.
Opportunities Abound
Nebraska offers a lengthy spring season with all-day hunting from mid-March through the end of May. Turkey enthusiasts may hunt during most of the daylight hours.
Southwestern Nebraska contains nearly 30,000 acres of public land and water in seven counties, including three other WMAs — Medicine Creek, Swanson and Red Willow — that offer as good or better turkey hunting than the 6,000-acre Enders WMA. Hunters who choose to spend turkey season in Nebraska also get to play the “What subspecies is that?” game, because it’s possible to spy one of three hybrid mixes, including Easterns, Merriam’s and Rio Grandes. Releases of the three subspecies through the years have resulted in hybridization.
If a hunter wants to find a Merriam’s, it’s best to look in the northwest panhandle. Easterns generally reside in the eastern portion, along the Missouri River. Merriam’s can be found at Pine Ridge.
“Last spring while hunting in southwest Nebraska I had two toms 20 yards in front of my blind,” Perks said. “One’s plumage resembled a Merriam’s turkey and the other resembled a Rio Grande.”
Room and Board
If you decide to hunt in this area of Nebraska, you might choose to stay in tiny but adequate Imperial, or camp for free (primitive style) on Enders WMA. Nearby, Enders State Recreational Area offers modern camping. Dreiling recommends trying the barbecue at Smokin’ LeRoy’s 12th Street Café in Imperial. And, if you’re in a touring mood, head over to Champion, about 20 minutes from Imperial and home of the last functional water powered mill in Nebraska. The old mill still works, and you can even buy a souvenir bag of flour for homemade biscuits. — Barbara Baird