2024 once in a lifetime Nebraska bull tag

Austin Kaufman

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 24, 2023
Back in June I found out I drew my once in a lifetime Nebraska bull tag. I started getting permission with landowners, scouting, and hanging cameras because I knew I wanted to harvest a good bull and do the tag justice. I found a lot of very respectable 330-350 Bulls late summer but not one that really caught my eye. Season runs from September 1st through the end of October, starts with archery and then firearm opened up the 21st. I saw this bull the second day of archery season and knew he was the one. Hunting around corn pivots is a lot different than in hills or the timber. Bulls would be feet away with no shot. I had so many good opportunities on other Bulls but this bull kept giving me the slip day after day. Opening morning of rifle he once again gave me the slip before I could get a shot. The evening of the rifle opener I got setup in a fence line over two hay pivots and watched elk filter out with in range but still hadn’t seen him. I was scanning some other elk in my binos when I heard a bull scream and scanned over and he just stepped out of the corn and was headed towards a nice 6x6 that was chasing cows just below me. He stopped broadside at 348 yards, I dialed my scope and settled in for the shot. The first shot dropped him and I racked a second round, as he tried to get up on his front feet I sent a second and he was down for good. I was shooting a 300 win mag with 195 ELDM and it did some serious damage. The first round punched the center of the scapula and the second went a few inches behind the first in the lungs. Definitely have been impressed with heavy for caliber ELDM bullets in all of my guns. I hunted this bull 17 of 21 days. It was awesome to finally get my hands on him. What an experience!
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@Austin Kaufman what are the landowners' attitudes about the elk?

They bother a lot of guys, they are so destructive in the corn fields. Most landowners are willing to let guys hunt elk though. There are a few herds that are very well managed for big bulls. After being on this property I’m glad a half hour away where I farm we don’t have elk. Pretty devastating what 70-100 elk can do to a 160 acre circle of corn.


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They bother a lot of guys, they are so destructive in the corn fields. Most landowners are willing to let guys hunt elk though. There are a few herds that are very well managed for big bulls. After being on this property I’m glad a half hour away where I farm we don’t have elk. Pretty devastating what 70-100 elk can do to a 160 acre circle of corn.


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Has there been discussion of culling/eliminating the herd or throwing out oodles of cow tags?
 
Has there been discussion of culling/eliminating the herd or throwing out oodles of cow tags?

They’ve done some culling in the past. They did a late July cow season one year and then a late winter season culling as well. There were some herds that were crazy destructive for a few farmers and ranchers in those years. They issue quite a few regular season cow tags now. Seems like they are learning and getting a better handle on herd management.


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They’ve done some culling in the past. They did a late July cow season one year and then a late winter season culling as well. There were some herds that were crazy destructive for a few farmers and ranchers in those years. They issue quite a few regular season cow tags now. Seems like they are learning and getting a better handle on herd management.


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Thanks!

I like his bit of palmation! If you get him scored, I would be interested to learn how symmetrical he is.
 
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