NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: https://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/377644
OCTOBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 49 in the left side. He hunched and turned 180 degrees and 5 to 10 seconds later I shot him again in the right side, which dropped him." Hennecke and his guide walked the 80 yards to the bull, took photos and admired him. "They truly are a big, beautiful animal," Hennecke said. The bull's six-point rack scored 326 inches with its longest tines 19 ½ inches and an inside spread of 36 inches. Most hunters consider any bull scoring above 300 to be a nice trophy. "I feel so blessed to have drawn a once in a lifetime Nebraska bull elk tag and feel just as blessed to get to kill a big herd bull right here in my home state of Nebraska." It's the stuff of which many a boyhood dream is made, and is undoubtedly the same sentiment of other hunters each year who have the opportunity to pursue this majestic animal in Nebraska. ■ Fulfill the Dream Hennecke hunts the rugged buttes and canyons of the Hat Creek Unit in Sioux County. Hennecke, a Nebraska hunter education instructor, displays the bull elk he shot in Sioux County, fulfilling a dream he's had since he was a boy. T he journey to bag Nebraska's biggest game animal may be born with childhood dreams, but it begins in earnest during the elk permit application periods of late May to late June. The application for a permit can be made online or by a form downloaded at Outdoornebraska.org. The form also may be obtained by visiting a Game and Parks Commission district office or contacting the agency by phone. Elk hunting is available to Nebraska residents and non-resident landowners, and residents get preference. The overall odds, which vary by unit, are about 25-to-one for drawing a tag for a bull, and seven-to-one for antlerless. A bonus point system improves the odds for hunters who have applied but have been unsuccessful at getting a permit in the past. For each year a person has been unsuccessful in the drawing, he or she receives an extra entry. Once permits are drawn for the state's seven elk units, hunters can begin planning their adventure and getting permission from landowners. Details can be found at Outdoornebraska.org, or in the Commission's Big Game Guide available from permit vendors across the state. 2014 Season Dates • Firearm Bull Sept. 27-Oct. 26 • Archery Bull Sept. 15-Oct. 26 • Private Land Antlerless Aug. 15-Oct. 26, Dec. 1-31 • Public Land Antlerless Sept. 27-Oct. 26, Dec. 1-31. PHOTO BY KEVIN HENNECKE