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Elk .... Let's see them!!!

When I drew this tag in 2013 I was told by my boss I’d have all the time in the world to hunt. He knew I was invested with 12 years of my life trying to get the coveted tag. But when the time came to hunt and I approached him about the time off I’d been promised he flew off the handle and said that I could have opening day to hunt and if I wasn’t at work at 06:30 Sunday morning I wouldn’t have a job. So after 12 years I ended up with one day to hunt. I had my cousin sight in my rifle, and relied on friends to find me a bull because I had been working 7 days a week and 12-14 hours a day for the 2 months leading up to the hunt. At first light on opening day I missed a 375” bull 9 times because I was unfamiliar with the rifle and we didn’t know the distance on the bull. 15 minutes later I killed this rag horn at 100 yards with a single shot and my hunt was over. When my boss got to work Monday morning since he wouldn’t work sundays he asked how my hunt was and apologized for losing it on me saying he’d have given me more time but I’d just caught him at a bad time. I loved that hunt and would do it again in a heartbeat but I will never get shafted by and employer like that again.
 

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When I drew this tag in 2013 I was told by my boss I’d have all the time in the world to hunt. He knew I was invested with 12 years of my life trying to get the coveted tag. But when the time came to hunt and I approached him about the time off I’d been promised he flew off the handle and said that I could have opening day to hunt and if I wasn’t at work at 06:30 Sunday morning I wouldn’t have a job. So after 12 years I ended up with one day to hunt. I had my cousin sight in my rifle, and relied on friends to find me a bull because I had been working 7 days a week and 12-14 hours a day for the 2 months leading up to the hunt. At first light on opening day I missed a 375” bull 9 times because I was unfamiliar with the rifle and we didn’t know the distance on the bull. 15 minutes later I killed this rag horn at 100 yards with a single shot and my hunt was over. When my boss got to work Monday morning since he wouldn’t work sundays he asked how my hunt was and apologized for losing it on me saying he’d have given me more time but I’d just caught him at a bad time. I loved that hunt and would do it again in a heartbeat but I will never get shafted by and employer like that again.
Damn dude that’s a rough one but I suppose that bull sure beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick from your boss! That happened to me too my first year bow hunting elk; and i got real shitty about it but kept working. The following year he let me take a Monday here or a Friday there but got mad when I asked for it.. over the years I learned he’s shot probably 40 elk 5-6 nice bulls and told him he’s lived a lifetime to fulfill that. I want to be able to say the same and I won’t miss it again. In the time he gave me (sometimes calling his bluff about losing job) I had a tremendous time chasing elk and even got my friend his first buck ever and my wife’s 3rd buck on that time off.. point is; make it clear early on what that time means to you, and stand your ground. I believe you will be rewarded from either standpoint, if you are absolute in your heart.
 
Filled my late season spike tag here in Nevada a couple weeks ago. It ended up being a solo hunt in some challenging weather, but I had a great time. This was the only sun of the trip, it lasted about 12 minutes, and it snowed 4” while I was quartering him out. Was so glad I had my Sitka tarp, but I still wouldn’t pay full price for one. I believe he was collared up until recently, had a weird pattern in his neck hair.

My wife made her elk cornbread casserole, one of my absolute favorites. This was the first elk I 100% processed at home, can’t imagine it any other way now.

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My brother in-laws OIL Nebraska bull. He had just returned from a deployment to the Middle East in late August of 2022. Hunted consistently during the first half of September with his bow. I hunted with him the first morning of the rifle season and we called this bull out of a corn field. Notice the green on his tines from rubbing corn stocks.
 
When I drew this tag in 2013 I was told by my boss I’d have all the time in the world to hunt. He knew I was invested with 12 years of my life trying to get the coveted tag. But when the time came to hunt and I approached him about the time off I’d been promised he flew off the handle and said that I could have opening day to hunt and if I wasn’t at work at 06:30 Sunday morning I wouldn’t have a job. So after 12 years I ended up with one day to hunt. I had my cousin sight in my rifle, and relied on friends to find me a bull because I had been working 7 days a week and 12-14 hours a day for the 2 months leading up to the hunt. At first light on opening day I missed a 375” bull 9 times because I was unfamiliar with the rifle and we didn’t know the distance on the bull. 15 minutes later I killed this rag horn at 100 yards with a single shot and my hunt was over. When my boss got to work Monday morning since he wouldn’t work sundays he asked how my hunt was and apologized for losing it on me saying he’d have given me more time but I’d just caught him at a bad time. I loved that hunt and would do it again in a heartbeat but I will never get shafted by and employer like that again.
I would’ve been looking for a new job. After a long elk hunt of course
 

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