# Nebraska two step



## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Well, I must officially say that deer hunting in Nebraska is better than Utah. #1) More opportunity to hunt.(multiple weapons and longer seasons) #2) Archery and smokepole offer as many critters with less pressure. #3)December muzzleloader hunt is really cold. #4) Smoke pole is awesome. 

I took advantage of the last weekend of the season to get out to a spot that I have shot 5 deer in three years. I have taken 6 deer out here since moving to NE, none of them bucks, but still meat in the freezer. 

This is the first year that I have hunted with a bow and first year that I have hunted with the smokepole. It is the last year I'll hunt deer with a rifle. 

I went December 18 and 19th with my good friend from Utah. It was very cold and the first morning we didn't see any deer. We had a flat tire and troubles accessing the spare tire(don't put aftermarket tow packages on without paying attention to the spare tire). We wasted a good portion of the morning. It had snowed that night so we had 3 inches of fresh snow to hunt in. I found a well traveled trail in very thick sapling timber. I bumped a couple of deer in the trees but they disapeared in seconds in the thick timber. Set out my scent wafers and sat down. I stood for a good portion of the afternoon, but got sore feet and decided to sit down. I could hear a couple critters moving in the trees but couldn't see anything. 

All of the sudden I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a deer. It was standing behind a bush and I couldn't see that well. It's ears moved and the tree on top of its head didn't. It was a buck. It was a nice buck. It was 30 feet from me. 4 x 4 and as wide as he was tall. He stared at me and I stared at him. He moved and I clicked the hammer of my trusty CVA Wolf. He looked back at me. I was sitting on a clearing facing directly east with my shooting sticks to keep me steady. The deer came in along the trail I was watching but hung up 5 yards north so I couldn't get a shot. He snorted and ran away. I hadn't been that close to a nice buck in my life. What a thrill. If I had been standing I may have been able to see it earlier. I'll always wonder that.

30 minutes later another deer came in about 80 yards directly east of me. It was so thick that I didn't have a clear shooting lane every where, only a few clearings and the deer seem to stand behind bushes. I had a clear shot of her head, but at 80 yards I didn't feel confident. It took another step and I shot. The smoke cleared and I saw a deer jump high in the air and run. I checked out all over and didn't see any blood. My first shot at a deer with the smokepole resulted in a miss. Bummer. 

Next morning was colder and I saw 4 deer and one buck running through the trees with no chance to shoot. The rest of the day I just froze. 

Next weekend(Dec 26) I decided to go up to my honey hole so to speak. It is 2 1/2 hours from my house. The negative that the state of Nebraska has is lack of public land. So, off I went. I took my friend from work with me. He is from Kenya and had never been hunting in the US. His form of hunting is running the game down on foot to the point of exhaustion, no joke. Run like a gazelle took on new meaning to me. 

I got up to the desired spot a hair late and walked in to a spot. It was frozen and I was hoping to sit on a water hole in the timber. I bumped two deer that were at the water hole before dark. I didn't see another deer there. There wasn't much sign and not much activity at that spot so I decided to walk around and check a couple of other places I knew about. I came over a saddle with trees on it and into a clearing. The sun was bright and in my eyes. I walked under a tree into some shade to get a better look at the meadow. There they were, two deer. But they saw me when I saw them and the white flags went up and they ran off through the pines and timber. I walked down to check out the sign. There was significantly more sign than the first spot so I decided to sit here the remainder of the day. I went back to the truck to get some water and snack and came back. We sat from 10:30 through the rest of the afternoon. I had a nap and Kennedy did too intermittently. 

I was facing south but had good views to the west and east along a trail and into the big clearing. At 3:15 I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. Two deer came running through the meadow and slowed behind a tree. I looked at the biggest one, a doe, and grunted. It stopped about 65 yards and I shot. The smoke cleared and it was down. I felt good about the shot and there was blood pouring out of its side. I waited a minute and retrieved it. I through it in the sled and hauled it up to where I was sitting. I waited a bit, and then gutted it. In Nebraska, I get a bonus antlerless tag with archery and mz tags so we decided to wait a bit more. 45 minutes later, I saw movement east of me in some trees. Another deer was making its way though the trees towards me. We watched it, and then I lost it. There was a drop off in front of me with a trail on it. I looked down and saw ears walking along the trail. I snapped a twig and it popped its head up. All I could see was its head(no antlers), and at 15 yards, I felt confident making the shot. I pulled the trigger and the deer disapeared from my view. I walked down to find out if I connected or not. I had. I hit it a little lower than I wanted to, but a head shot is a head shot and they are generally fatal. 

So, I gutted it and put it in the sled and hauled them away. No antlers, but I ended with 20 lbs of steaks and roasts, and 35 pounds of burger. Whitetail buger is as delicious as anything. 

I don't have a photobucket or anything, but I'd email photos to someone if they wanted to post pictures in my behalf. 

It was an awesome hunt in Nebraska. I'm hooked on smokepoles and arrows.


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

It sure sounds like you are having a good time there. you can send the pics my way if you like: [email protected]


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

these are the pics from caddis8


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Thanks Sagebrush, someday I'll get on with technology and get an account with photobucket.


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## RobK (Jul 3, 2008)

Nice job Keith !!!!!!!!!!


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

Thanks Rob. How's things going for you? It's been a while.


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## RobK (Jul 3, 2008)

caddis8 said:


> Thanks Rob. How's things going for you? It's been a while.


It going ok . :?: :?:

As you know i am a care giver 24/7 for a ill mother( Stroke )who lives with my wife and i .
She has a mind of a two year old ( sometime less ) and is VERY ruff seeing her this way and getting worse. -)O(- I am so very glad i can help her but it's very mentally draining on me . _(O)_ I do get away for a few hrs each week and a week off every 90 days when i take her in for respite care though . 

On one respite i went deer hunting and passed on two small buck during first day of the muzzy deer and never saw anther buck . Almost shot a spike bull with my muzzle loader but nailed a small branch (1') :shock:between me and the bull . Never saw the branch until i shot and saw it shake !! :roll: That was the last day of my record spike hunt . I will be taking my mom in for another respite next week( finally) and hope to do some fly fishing and or photography . Not sure if i showed you this site where i have some photos . http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/4454164_ ... 5858_vfmWk I am going to" TRY" to get out and do more !!!

Take care-
RobK.


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