2014 Nebraska Prairie Chicken Festival!

Nebraska Prairie Chicken strutting Credit: Michael Forsberg
The 2014 Nebraska Prairie Chicken Festival will be hosted by Calamus Outfitters and the Gracie Creek Landowners on April 4-6, 2014.

Festival activities will include birding excursions to see the Greater Prairie Chicken and thr Sharp-tailed Grouse as well as other area birds, along with many other activities.

Interesting and informative presentations will include Photographing NE's Wildlife, Prairie Grouse Ecology, Hitler's Effect on NE's Wildlife, wildlife photographer Noppadol Paothong (featuring his new book), and humorist Al Batt.

Click here for all details and registration information!

Welcome to Calamus Outfitters

Calamus Outfitters hunting lodgeCalamus Outfitters is a provider of great outdoor recreational activities including upland bird hunting, deer hunting, turkey hunting, bird watching, horseback riding, and river adventures. Our ranch is known as the Switzer Ranch, and is located in the beautiful Calamus River basin of north central Nebraska.

We have two beautiful lodges and rustic cabins for your lodging needs, along with many other modern amenities to make your stay on our Nebraska ranch comfortable. Whether you are here to go hunting, enjoy bird watching, horseback riding or river adventures, you will leave with lasting memories!

We are proud to offer to you:

Nebraska Bird Watching

Bird watchers at Calamus Outfitters Ranch observing many different species of birds Credit: Joel Sartore
Nebraska is home to a large and diverse population of wild birds. At Calamus Outfitters, the bird watching opportunities present the opportunity to see songbirds, upland game birds, waterfowl, and birds of prey.

Calamus Outfitters also offers sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chicken booming tours during the prairie chicken courting season. We will transport you to the prairie chicken leks and set you up for optimum viewing opportunities. If you have never seen this spectacular bird watching event, make an effort to do so. The dance of the prairie chicken is truly a one of a kind experience!

Sandhill Safari Jeep Tours

Calamus Outfitters offers one of a kind safari jeep tours of our ranch and native sanhillsCalamus Outfitters now offers guided Sandhill Safari Jeep Tours for a truly unique way to view the natural and ruggedly beautiful Nebraska landscape, with many different species of native Nebraska wildlife and wildflowers to see.

If you have the opportunity, do not pass up on a Jeep tour at Calamus Outfitters.

You will remember this Sandhills experience your entire life!

Nebraska River Adventures

River tanking is a great recreational activity to enjoy on the Calamus River in Nebraska Credit: Joel Sartore
Calamus Outfitters is located in the beautiful Calamus River basin in north central Nebraska. This winding river is a great way to cool down during the heat of a Nebraska summer.

Because the Calamus River runs through the Switzer ranch, we have access to provide for your total family enjoyment great river canoeing adventures, along with river tanking and river tubing.


Nebraska Hunting Opportunities

A pheasant hunter with a Nebraska rooster pheasant he took while pheasant hunting in Nebraska at Calamus OutfittersHere in central Nebraska you will have the opportunity to experience excellent upland bird hunting, including pheasant hunting. Pheasant hunting in Nebraska is a great outdoor challenge for hunters of all ages and experience. The wild ringneck roosters found in this part of Nebraska are smart, fast and plentiful, and will test even the best pheasant hunters and their upland bird hunting dogs.


In addition to great pheasant hunting with Calamus Outfitters, you will also be able to go prairie chicken hunting, sharptail grouse hunting, quail hunting, Merriam's turkey hunting, duck hunting, goose hunting, whitetail deer hunting, and mule deer hunting.