Find a nut once in a while. I’ve been applying for Nebraska elk tags since I could with no luck yet. This past summer I was discussing it with my father in law and my wife’s uncle, they are both in their upper 50’s and have elk hunted out west years ago. They think their mountain elk adventure days are over so I talked them into applying here in Nebraska. My wife’s uncle drew a cow tag. I immediately volunteered to help on the hunt even though I’ve only killed my first elk about a month ago in Colorado. With it being close to home and in fairly easy terrain I brought my 7 year old son along. The area we hunted is a large area that has a fair amount of elk, but I was under no impression they would be easy to find. We set out Friday morning, checked the few public areas where the game warden told me the elk sometimes hang around. We found some old sign but nothing fresh, we make a plan for Saturday morning knowing it’s a shot in the dark. We start the drive to our spot in the morning and something just made me change up the plan on the 10 minute drive. I informed everyone of the new plan and marked it on OnX for them to find in the dark. I dropped my FIL and wife’s uncle off an hour before dark for their 1/2 mile hike in. (I would have went but I slipped a disc in my back and hobble around like I’m 90) Remember, we have an expectation of no chance to see an elk this day.
As it begins to get light my son and I start heading to a hill we can do some glassing where we can see the private ground to the south of where we dropped them off on the public. As I go down this 2 track road I can see fresh elk tracks in the sand, I was telling my son this when he says “look dad! Elk!”
Sure enough, 200 yards in front of us we see 6 cows and 4 bulls. I immediately back up and turn around to make a 3 mile loop to the west for a different vantage point to glass from. We get there and get to watch 7 bulls and 8 cows feed across the private corn field right to where I dropped a mark for the guys to sit. 4 of the bulls keep their distance as the 7point, giant herd bull pushes his cows around right towards the public. A half hour goes by and they start jumping the fence into the public. Then Boom! I see the elk run maybe 40 yards then stop. Boom again. They go another 40 and just go back to feeding with the bull protecting his harem. Then we get the call, elk down! She managed to jump the fence and die just on the private side of the fence! A quick phone call to the landowner and he says we can retrieve her as long as we don’t drive out there and don’t leave the carcass in the field. No problem!
So a hunt that I thought would take days just to find elk ends in less than an hour of daylight. My son got to witness elk doing elk things in the wild and a giant 7 point bull. The elk filtered by the guys at 40 yards and the wind was absolutely perfect for them. I was happy I didn’t make the walk out and let the 2 lifelong hunting buddies have that experience together. I’ll take luck when it comes. So another elk in the freezer and an awesome experience for 4 of us. My son wanted to try to pack a quarter against my telling him no. He made it 300 yards, which if pretty good for packing something that weighs about the same as him.
As it begins to get light my son and I start heading to a hill we can do some glassing where we can see the private ground to the south of where we dropped them off on the public. As I go down this 2 track road I can see fresh elk tracks in the sand, I was telling my son this when he says “look dad! Elk!”
Sure enough, 200 yards in front of us we see 6 cows and 4 bulls. I immediately back up and turn around to make a 3 mile loop to the west for a different vantage point to glass from. We get there and get to watch 7 bulls and 8 cows feed across the private corn field right to where I dropped a mark for the guys to sit. 4 of the bulls keep their distance as the 7point, giant herd bull pushes his cows around right towards the public. A half hour goes by and they start jumping the fence into the public. Then Boom! I see the elk run maybe 40 yards then stop. Boom again. They go another 40 and just go back to feeding with the bull protecting his harem. Then we get the call, elk down! She managed to jump the fence and die just on the private side of the fence! A quick phone call to the landowner and he says we can retrieve her as long as we don’t drive out there and don’t leave the carcass in the field. No problem!
So a hunt that I thought would take days just to find elk ends in less than an hour of daylight. My son got to witness elk doing elk things in the wild and a giant 7 point bull. The elk filtered by the guys at 40 yards and the wind was absolutely perfect for them. I was happy I didn’t make the walk out and let the 2 lifelong hunting buddies have that experience together. I’ll take luck when it comes. So another elk in the freezer and an awesome experience for 4 of us. My son wanted to try to pack a quarter against my telling him no. He made it 300 yards, which if pretty good for packing something that weighs about the same as him.
