I had the distinct pleasure of Hunting with Gary Howey, Host of Outdoorsmen Adventures TV, Larry Myhre, Editor of the Sioux City Journal, & Dale from North Western NE. Our hunt took place in North western Nebraska.  The hunt was filled with a lot of exciting moments. During the Four day hunt we were able to harvest 2 out of 3 deer. Larry, Harvested a nice 4x4 Whitetail and Dale harvested a 2x2 Mulie.  We saw an average of 20 deer a day.

This year the only hunters, We had for this season were family and a Friend. The hunters consisted of My Brother, Jeremy, My Father, Dale, Our Friend Ed and Myself. We all had Double tags.  The first Day of hunting found us with Two does. The second found us with One Doe and Two Bucks. The last weekend of the season produce a buck and Doe for my father.  The season whole provide us with One 4x5, one 3x2, and One 2x2 Mulie bucks and Four Does. The 4x5 has a 148 5/8 green score. Not a bad season.

Dennis & I had gotten to our hunting area about an hour early.  So we just sat in the dark and waited for the morning light. The morning was over cast and the fog was lingering. A great day to be out after elk.  When it was light enough to be able to tell a bull from a cow, we started down the logging trail. We had only driven about 200 yards when we spotted the elk on the edge of a meadow.  We proceeded down the trail another 100 yard and back tracked on foot the spot we had seen the elk.  But No Elk.  We hit a few more area and did a couple of more walk with no results. Then I suggested that we go and check out another area.  At the new area the we met a Forest Service Vehicle coming out. So we stopped to chat.  The stated that they had seen a herd just down the road a couple of hour before.  Snow, What Time they were there, a sure combination for bagging a elk.  So we back tracked to the area and pick up the trail.  Sure enough they had not gone far. They were just a mile away from the road crossing and One Less Elk trailing with the Herd.  All was done by about 2:30 in the afternoon.

We only had a half a day to hunt since I was running out of vacation on my other job.  About an hour before dark, we found 100 head on a ridge.   We proceeded to put the sneak on them. We were almost to the edge of the head when we ran into a couple of bulls pushing each other.  We watch them for a while, but we really needed to get around them.  So I stayed put and called while Jake & Kelsey slipped by, but it was to late the main herd had proceeded down the ridge and across a road out of range. Close but No ELK.

I had a gentleman call me on the night of the 20th wanting to go hunting on the 21st. I had just got off a four day Guided deer hunt and I really needed to check on my other job.  So I informed him of an area that I new held elk.  Sure enough, that next evening he called and he had missed one in the morning but had connected with an elk in the evening.   Unknown hunter

I met, Terry & Mike on the evening of the 15th. They had elected to camp out in an area close to the hunting area. After a quick trip around the hunting area that evening, we made a plan for the next morning.  I would take Mike with me and Jeremy would take Terry hunting.  The next morning as Jeremy and myself were driving up to their camp, we spot some elk crossing the rode in front of us. At camp, we stuck to our plan. But this may not have been such a good idea.  Jeremy and Terry got right into the elk at first light and trailed them until 11:00. Mean while Mike and myself seemed to be two ridged away from any elk. But who know if both group would have had the same luck on a different day.  The group ended up getting a elk at dark on the second day.  The next day Mike and Terry went back to the same area and harvest their second animal.

The morning started out cold and crisp. My two hunter and myself had arrived at one of my hunting area an hour before shooting time.  As I opened the truck door I thought I had heard a bull bugle.  Sure enough, after I let out the first of my locating bugles two bull answered my call. The herd was only about 400 yard away. Now we had to wait.  But, Murphy's law came into play. just three minute before we could hunt, a hunter just checking the area drove right up to our spot.  The game was up.  We could have filled two cow tag at first light on the six day of the season.  The rest of the day we spent checking out known area where the elk like to hide. But No Luck.  The hunters plan to come back for the December season.

The morning started out slow. A short hike covering a known morning track for the elk in the area. But no luck.  So we proceeded to another location.  After a mile's walk and calling. First two calves came into view. They kept looking back behind. I kept up my calling . Finally a cow appeared in our viewing lane.   Could there be a bull.  The Boom, yep there had been a bull there, however from my angle I could not see him, but my hunter was ready for the Harvest.  The shot happened at 11:45 a.m.  now the wait. We gave the bull a half hour before we followed. We only walked about 60 yard into the tree and there he laded.

What an exciting three days. We saw over 250 head of elk and could not decide which of the seven bulls we were chasing was the biggest.  Day one, found us following a herd of fifty elk. As the morning proceeded, we pick up more elk along the trail.  The bulls were bulging up a storm.  We slip in on the herd a number of times. trying to get a look at all of the bull. To small, only a five point, I can only see one side of the horn.  we had all kind of decision to make. But still not the one he wanted. Mean while, We had walk about Four miles cross country and over three drainage's.  At 10:30 we call it a day and started the long walk back to the truck.  Boy, that truck sure felt great to ride in after that walk. The evening hunt was in the same area. We only saw two cow and a rag horn bull. Day two, was much like the first, bull bulging all over. Still not the right one. Day three, we did the same track. only we walked a little further.  And wouldn't you know it. You hit the road for the walk back and not a truck to be seen.  Well about a mile from our truck, two kind souls pick us up and drove us to our truck. Thank YOU!!! this hunter hopes to make it back out for another hunt before the end of the season.   

Can you say HOT! 90 plus on the first day and 85 on the second day. Not really elk hunting weather.  We stuck it out, but call it quits on day two.   No bugles or any elk movement.  He plan to come back in December.

Larry's  Story "Turkeys elusive during hunt in Black Hills" click on Title.

Gary's Story "Have I Told You How Much I Dislike Turkey's" is at: http://www.outdoorsmenadventures.com/news

Day one- slow only heard one gobble and saw two hens.

Day two- Played with one hened up gobbler. at 10:00 am, worked five different gobbler and bumped one on a setup change. At 2:30 struck up a gobbler, that led them on a hill climbing adventure to get in front of him. however the bird reached the ideal spot, a minute before the hunter and we bump him.

Day Three- we found a gobbler with three hen. the Day turned hot so we called it.