Just got Lucky!

[CurlyTail]

I just found out that I have drawn a once in a lifetime Nebraska Bull Elk Permit!

North Platte River Unit.

Holy smokes my life just got complicated. There is very little public land in Nebraska, and I don't know a single landowner in that Unit. I will be searching hard for information and a spot to hunt. No doubt, trespass fees will be part of the equation, but no other options in my state. No outfitters that I am aware of either.

This is on top of my Colorado Archery Tag. My wife is going to be fed up with me. Now I can hunt the entire month of September AND October. Luckily, the seasons do not overlap alot.

[Swede]

Congratulations Curly. I like your problem. Best wishes.

[WapitiTalk1]

How cool is that; congrats! Pace yourself, you've got a lot of hunting to do mister

[twinkieman]

That is awesome! Glad to hear someone good drew a great tag. Congrats!!!

[Backyard]

Sweeet! Now the fun begins. Good luck!

[Deanmac]

Great go buy a lottery ticket, too.

[ElkNut1]

Jim, Wow! Awesome news sir! I hope this will be a year you won't soon forget! (grin) Can't wait for the photos!

ElkNut1

[CurlyTail]

In Nebraska, you can kill one Bull Elk in your lifetime.

If you draw, but do not fill your tag, you must wait 5 years before drawing again

Landowners get 1/3 of the tags since few elk are on public land.

My Unit holds maybe 300 Elk. I just need to find a landowner who has replaced a bunch of fence this summer, and is tired of the Elk on his place.

I can hunt Archery and Rifle and Muzzleloader, as the permit is one bull elk, any legal means. I will probably go Archery the first two weeks, then re-evaluate.

I am hoping for a big taxidermy bill at the end

[JKaboom]

Congrats!!

[wunder6]

Congrats on the draw!! Maybe someday here in Wisconsin we will actually get some sort of a season.

[Ponyboy_jonas]

Congrats! I drew a once in a lifetime tag last year but in North Dakota. I learned that a lot of people want to help and give out information for you.
Good luck!

[Bow4me]

Congrats! Sounds like you got the good kind of problems.
I wish Arkansas would implement the wait 5 years idea. In the 15 or 20 years of having a draw here 3 or 4 people have drawn it twice. It really should be once in a lifetime. Good luck can't wait to see the pics

[Tigger]

You might wanna take a trip up there and look for some ruined fence and offer to help fix it.......for the rights to hunt later on! Congrats and please post about your entire hunt so we can follow along!

[cohunter14]

Very cool Jim, congrats! So I assume landowner tags can be disbursed however they choose up there? I heard of some folks up there who owned a large spread in western Nebraska and they elk hunted it every year. I'm assuming that would be the only way they could do that.

Anyway, good luck and looking forward to seeing the report!

[CurlyTail]

I will have to research landowner tags, but to the best of my knowledge they are non-transferable. I have never heard of anyone purchasing or selling one.

I am getting lots of interest from friends and prior tag holders - and the same ranch in my unit keeps getting mentioned. I think I will be going neighboring this weekend.

[Ryan Conkle]

Congratulations' Curlytail....looking forward to hearing some stories' and seeing some pictures'!

[CurlyTail]

My Nebraska Tag is turning into my Nebraska stress event.

There are less than 10 ranches that I have been able to identify that hold Elk, and allow hunting.

Most cater to rifle hunters, and put you on a list. Once one guy gets his Elk, they call the next guy on the list. Even though I started calling within 3 days of getting my license, I am as far down as number 10 on 3 places. Hard to plan your hunt with that type of arrangement. And one landowner is afraid that bow hunters will chase off the Elk, and spoil the hunt for the rifle hunters - screwy for sure.

And the hunting does not seem to be my idea of great. Sounds like the Elk move down into the Corn pivots in August, once the Corn is about shoulder high, and knock down a corral sized bunch of corn, then live in the corn pivots until harvest. Sounds like you get up early, find out what pivots the Elk are in by Bugling, then call them out of the corn and shoot 'em - not exactly my preferred method of hunting. But the Elk are frequently huge - 330 to 380 commonly. I doubt Elk #10 off a place will be 350!

plus it is pay to play which does not set well with me as a proud do it yourselfer. Although fees are modest compared to New Mexico, the experience is clearly not equal either.

Hopefully, I will be able to find a more suitable situation in the near future. Stressing Out - and it is supposed to be fun!