Nebraska's killing off their elk herd?

Joined
Aug 29, 2020
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71
Location
Nebraska via Utah
This is an asinine approach to management. Tell me how this is management and not eradication? The hunting season runs July 1-31. I don't know if ya'll have been to Nebraska in July but I don't how you won't have a ton of wasted meat. This shouldn't be an either sex hunt!



Special elk depredation season designated in southwest Nebraska​

shawna richter-ryerson June 21, 2022 Comments Offon Special elk depredation season designated in southwest Nebraska


A special elk depredation season has been ordered for July in a portion of southwest Nebraska because of excessive crop damage caused by elk.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission Director Tim McCoy signed a Special Depredation Order for a season July 1-31 in specific parts of Lincoln, Perkins, Keith, Deuel and Garden counties.
The season will be valid on private land only.
Game and Parks staff have worked with landowners in this area for several years to lower elk herds to an acceptable level in cropland areas. Several small elk herds inhabit crop fields through harvest, then disperse randomly, making it difficult for hunters to take elk during the late general season.
The special season will allow hunters and landowners the opportunity to help reduce the population before the general elk season in this area. The objective is to alleviate damage to crops and property caused by consumption of crops, trampling and wallows.
Permits will be available to residents, nonresidents and landowners owning at least 80 acres within the hunting area. Landowners must hunt their own land.
Starting June 27, permits will be available for purchase at the Game and Parks office in North Platte. Applications also are available at outdoornebraska.gov/depredation. They can be mailed to: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 301 E. State Farm Road, North Platte NE 69101-0430.
The fees for the permits, which are unlimited in quantity, are $20 for general residents, $40 for general nonresidents, $5 for resident landowners, and $10 for nonresident landowners.
The permit bag limit is one elk of either sex. Hunters may purchase more than one permit.
Harvested elk must be checked in via internet or telephone. Permits issued to hunters participating in this season will not count against their personal limits or ability to hunt during a regular big game season.
Hunters are reminded that permission is required to hunt on private land. Game and Parks strongly encourages hunters to obtain permission before purchasing a permit.
For a map of the specific hunting area, and additional information about the season, visit outdoornebraska.gov/depredation.
Game and Parks is exercising the authority granted under Nebraska Revised Statue 37-448 to designate a special elk depredation season. In June 2021, Game and Parks adopted regulations for the special depredation season that was passed during the 2021 Legislative session.


 
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
1,808
Sharpshooters hired to kill goats, sheep, elk, etc, hunters whine because they should have issued tags to the public, waste of taxpayer dollars the list goes on.

State says we will not hire state funded sharpshooters and allow them to be hunted with the gloves off to get the job done........ Hunters whine because we are "slaughtering the herd"

Nebraska has some great looking elk country, a corn field isn't it. I'll even go out on a limb and say if the elk is hanging by a tractor upside down, was it really an elk hunt?

Almost worth the drive over if I had some local contacts. The state need assistance with a problem that hunters can solve. Win win if you ask me. Better than a helicopter flying low shooting them and letting them rot.
 

Tmac

WKR
Joined
Mar 16, 2020
Messages
778
Location
South of Portland
Meat care challenges will be identical to many early seasons that open in August. Takes some planning, but salvaging all the meat is very doable, especially in an ag area with many access roads. We have all kinds of damage hunts that open 8/1, and it is hot. All the damage hunts I’ve done have been reduction, not eradication hunts, so antler-less only. We’ve taken a pile of summer elk on these hunts, not lost a bite of meat to the heat.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
398
Location
Nebraska
While I understand there are instances where depredation hunts are needed for management, the unlimited either sex tag seems excessive. I wouldn't question it so much, if I thought landowners would allow access and not charge a ridiculous price to shoot a cow in their pasture, that they don't want there. Also the elk have expanded way further than this area of the state - are we going to eliminate those herds as well now?
 

Laramie

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Apr 17, 2020
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While I understand there are instances where depredation hunts are needed for management, the unlimited either sex tag seems excessive. I wouldn't question it so much, if I thought landowners would allow access and not charge a ridiculous price to shoot a cow in their pasture, that they don't want there. Also the elk have expanded way further than this area of the state - are we going to eliminate those herds as well now?
Most of the landowners where these elk live are happy to let a hunter on for free. They are just crop fields with virtually no habitat after the harvest.

NG&P does intend to keep the elk herds out of primary crop producing areas where landowners complain. I would love to see herds expand but I can understand the landowner perspectives as well. A herd of elk can trash an 80 pretty dang quickly.
 

D.Blake

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
116
Location
Nebraska
It isn't going to exterminate the herd in NE... or even in this unit. This is a small part of the unit on the outskirts of the majority of the elk habitat. It's not elk habitat, it's almost entirely irrigated ag land... nothing but pivots and fields of ag from road ditch to road ditch The G&P constantly pushes hunters to that area during the regular season and in the past 2 years only 3 elk have been taken from the area. There are simply not that many elk in the area, and the ones that are there are extremely difficult to hunt. (try glassing into a half section of 10' corn on flat ground.)

That being said...

Why did the NGPC decide to release this 9 days before the season? An earlier release would have allowed hunters to make contact with land owners in advance and solidify plans. I cant imagine how those landowners are going to feel as the revolving door of hunters comes through begging for a place to punch their tag. It is going to be an absolute zoo out there.
 

TSAMP

WKR
Joined
Jul 16, 2019
Messages
1,474
I wonder how many people that have a problem with this would be ok with it if they were able to go shoot one.

They didn't give advance notice on purpose...think about the bison hunt last year and all the applicants.

This isn't about hunter opportunities, it's about reducing numbers and eliminating a perceived nuisance for a specific area.
 
Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
398
Location
Nebraska
Most of the landowners where these elk live are happy to let a hunter on for free. They are just crop fields with virtually no habitat after the harvest.

NG&P does intend to keep the elk herds out of primary crop producing areas where landowners complain. I would love to see herds expand but I can understand the landowner perspectives as well. A herd of elk can trash an 80 pretty dang quickly.
I find it hard to believe that "most of the landowners" will allow access for free (sounds like nebraska pre 2000). I'm sure there are a couple, but no where close to the majority. I have a hard time getting permission to shoot coyotes in this state anymore!
 

tdhanses

WKR
Joined
Sep 26, 2018
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5,738
I don’t see a problem with this and it is a way to manage wildlife where it isn’t wanted.
 
Joined
May 26, 2022
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303
I find it hard to believe that "most of the landowners" will allow access for free (sounds like nebraska pre 2000). I'm sure there are a couple, but no where close to the majority. I have a hard time getting permission to shoot coyotes in this state anymore!
All you need is a Red Truck and a Cornhusker plate frame and it should be a free pass out there...
 

Laramie

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Apr 17, 2020
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2,619
I find it hard to believe that "most of the landowners" will allow access for free (sounds like nebraska pre 2000). I'm sure there are a couple, but no where close to the majority. I have a hard time getting permission to shoot coyotes in this state anymore!
This isn't good hunting land and these landowners in general could care less. During normal hunting season you would be hard pressed to find a deer or elk on this ground so they truly don't get asked much. That's why the season is in July- before the corn is tall enough to hide the elk. After harvest, they move on to other areas with cover and landowners who do charge.
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Joined
Feb 26, 2018
Messages
398
Location
Nebraska
So I can't find deer, along the north/south platte rivers, along with the pasture or CRP fields in this area? Once harvest is over, this 500,000+ acre area is completely devoid of big game, but they come back in June when the corn starts to grow again? I get what you are saying, but I think it's silly to think these guys aren't going to be charging people money to take care of their problem.
 

Roger17

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 14, 2020
Messages
133
I have to have a chuckle on the regs page. I mean, they are really allowing thrown spear elk hunting???

View attachment 422161
Why not? Lot of critters have been killed that way.
4baceea568b42bc5e4f56186f499c687.jpg


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