Prairie Swamp

Ranch Description

SEE For Yourself. Check out the Prairie Swamp Waterfowl video here and the Prairie Swamp Land video here The Story As a passionate pursuer of waterfowl, the owner of Prairie Swamp could have chosen anywhere to settle. But after decades of obsessively hunting nearly every type of habitat and style found in 27 states, 7 countries, and 3 continents he concluded a 5-year, 3-state search by choosing portions of land along the North Platte River. An artist by nature as well as profession, he picked land with the vision and energy to create facilities that would successfully hunt Canada geese and mallard ducks, both birds on a World-Class level, and do so simultaneously - same blind, same setup. Furthermore, it was only natural that once he owned lands possessing a collateral benefit of monster deer, he too would find himself chasing illusive dream-fulfilling moments gained only from standing over large antlers at one's feet. Learning how to improve land for both, the ventures have paid great dividends. Now, nearly twenty years into it, and with 5 prior undertakings of his own, as well as multiple projects completed for others, Prairie Swamp is the result of evolution - a perfect example of dreams meeting experience to accomplish a goal. Below is a categorized overview. With Prairie Swamp having so much to talk about, it would be a disservice to not at least start the conversation touching on many things. But for real depth, please download the Brochure, found in the lower left corner at the bottom of the page. Waterfowl The North Platte River in the panhandle of Western Nebraska is not only an integral part of the Central Flyway, but it might be considered by some, The best area to hunt mallard ducks in the country. Realizing there are other more well known haunts Arkansas, Mississippi Alluvial Valley, Columbia basin, and the Central Valley of California all deeply loved by those who frequent them, perhaps to avoid a fight, it should be stated as one of the best. But there are none better. And if unrivaled Mallard hunting isn't enough, Garden County, has historically been The regional place for Canada Geese even going back to the days when killing one could get your picture in the paper. Massive roosts located up and down the river keep thousands of Richardson's, Lessor, and Greater Canadas throughout the season, returning every evening to sleep on the sandbars and meandering slow water. These attributes are particularly true in one certain stretch of river, due to the protection afforded by the Garden County Refuge. The historic sanctuary it provides ensures a strong and reliable supply of geese and ducks that move on and off of it to feed, loaf, and search out wetland needs - exactly the traffic it takes for consistent hunting. And when coupled with Lake McConaughy, a 26-mile long reservoir that holds countless birds, and Clear Creek Refuge, a state managed facility, which is in the actual business of holding them, both of which in close proximity, Prairie Swamp is perfectly situated to benefit from a steady stream of contenders - every passing flock might be the one that buys in. And on Prairie swamp, they often do. Perhaps with Mallards and Canadas making up essentially 100 of the bag, it is the quality of species that separate this area from so many other destinations. It also might be the liberal length of season - 90 days with usually 60 of them being good-to-excellent. Or, it may be the region's shear western beauty that adds to the experience. But when such ingredients are combined with a specific design and experienced implementation of development techniques, you find a place with optimum consistency and no better odds for success. Prairie Swamp is just that - even a bad day at Prairie Swamp can be better than the best days elsewhere Deer Western Nebraska deer are just plain big period. Weather toting big racks or not. And though hunters keep secrets, along the North Platte there have been plenty of Boone & Crocket sized animals taken, and more than one on Prairie Swamp. It is thought the region hosts two subspecies - Dakota which means the genes of the huge specimens in Alberta and Saskatchewan - big heads, bodies, mass, and height. And the Texanus, said to be smaller in body, but not in antler. Common local deer characteristics are tall tines, heavy mass, non-typical features such as muley forks, kickers, occasional drop tines, and a lot of very long brow tines. These deer ARE truly dream fillers. Big Whitetails love cover. And Prairie Swamp has perhaps not only some of the best examples of it along the North Platte, it's bottomland that holds it, is probably one of the widest swaths that exists - nearly 1/2 mile. Much of it is a literal jungle of cedars and Russian olives so thick in places it can hardly be traversed by man. In the portions where it is not, there is in fact everything else a whitetail hunter could want as well - cattails so tall in places, one can't see much sky if standing inside them, prairie grasses diverse in height and species, and dense willow patches that deer can literally disappear into, but surprisingly pop back into view close to your stand. Overshadowing this complex of places to hide as well as bed, are several groves of big cottonwoods and green ash to make up other desired habitat. With this amount of ideal components, not only does Prairie Swamp provide plenty of deer attracting characteristics, it can also offer a hunter an incredible feeling of being alone in the wilderness once down inside of it. There is probably no more enjoyable place along the North Platte River to spend a day in the deer stand, awaiting that special moment. Pheasants Make no mistake, Waterfowl and whitetails are the absolute phenoms on Prairie Swamp. But there is more. For one it holds a lot of pheasants. Not the numbers of South Dakota, but there is in fact a huntable population. Diversity of cover and agriculture is perfect for these beautiful birds. And the current has spent very little time taking advantage of them, so they remain safe and sound, patiently awaiting a new owner's interest. Turkey Mostly Merriam's, but also Rio Grands are plentiful in the area. And the big Toms will sometimes filter on to Prairie Swamp along the edges and into the corn and alfalfa fields. But the incredible density of the bottomland deer habitat actually makes them nervous. Also the wetness of the swampy areas is not their preference. So if turkey are the only thing you want to hunt, this is probably not your place. But there are some, and they are a great addition to the bag. And with little effort, one could probably increase their numbers. However it's a balancing act of perhaps decreasing some deer habitat to do it. The current owner has not chosen to do so, leaning more towards the deer. Elk Who knew It is always a surprise to tell someone who has spent 20 years apply for a tag in Arizona's White Mountains, that there are 400 elk on Prairie Swamp. Most don't believe it until they are shown a skull of one that was found dead. It officially measured 427 gross, 411 net. And it is not the only of that size in the area. The state record taken a few years back measured 409 and was killed within 3 miles. Mind you tags are limited, a lottery etc. But Prairie Swamp has big elk. Sloughs Prairie Swamp Sloughs are a product of many things. They are first the restoration of historic waterways and dormant flight lines. But more uniquely, they are the result of an obsessed life-long hunter and artist, who has accumulated years of experience envisioning, designing, and fine-tuning notable sculptings of waterfowl habitat and hunting property gems. Not square ponds or straight line ditches, they are for one, picturesque to be sure