Indian Cave

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After our -27° dip we went from regular busy to full throttle water damage mitigation, soon as things thawed. Has been a long few weeks. Despite being mucho behind on paperwork I took a much needed huntventure to one of my favorite huntable state parks.

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View from the lookout south over the Missouri. The park is some 3k+ acres with very much history in the area. There is one readable headstone dating back to the early 1800's in the halfbreed cemetery. Lush with deer, turkey, & most other Nebraska wildlife. This was a favorite archery hunting destination for many years. Seen 12 bucks in a single morning not to far from where the picture was taken.
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The park suffered a very bad ice storm some years ago, contained burning is helping restore what it once was. The few years after the storm it was to thick to hunt most everywhere. They do a pretty good job down there imo.
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And my late season antlerless only muzzleloader hunt was a success. That deer made the loudest double death MMEERRPP I've ever heard. She went 10 feet & piled up. Looks small the way she landed.
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She's a pretty good size girl though. Shot with t/c omega, maxi 50-370, 100g ffg. Heart was hamburger. Very pleased to have more steak.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
See many other hunters? Some of those public areas get hammered pretty hard. I'm sure the cold kept away most of them.
 
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3 other hunters, 1 snow shoer' w/dog, & 1 park employee. None were seen afield though. No human tracks at all where I went. Oddly, the other hunters were all close to each other. I go where they aren't, no matter how many show up. Going during weekdays is a good public ground plan. Once you get out of rifle season & 1.5+hr away from the city people are far fewer between.

Had a bald eagle come so close I thought the darn thing was guna land on my head. I have no idea how one would explain self defense concerning a bald eagle, very glad I didn't have to.

Going to try'n sneak away tomorrow for the seasons close. Might go hunt Brad's backyard in the afternoon.... Side & down the street yard. ;)
 
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Thanks, I nicked the back end of the shoulder on the entrance side & wasn't happy about the possible meat loss. Shouldn't be much, will probably find out Thurs or Fri if she dethaws by then.

It is varmint heaven down & all around there. Can't hunt them in the park, but opportunity exists on additional public ground near by. Not to hard to get permission on private ground in that area for deer & varmints if willing to ask. If you gift some venison steak or sausage most are happy to let ya hunt. Lots of yotes/bobcat & a fur bearers lic is cheap here to.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
hmm neat.
I followed a link to the parks Brochure.
it looks like it would be worth spending a weekend or so there if someone was passing through.
 

Brad

Benevolent Overlord and site owner
Staff member
Spent a few weekends in Boy Scouts camping there.
 
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Since they were calling for a mess of snow I decided to skip town just kinda before & return with another permit in hand. The drive down was fine except the last 25%.
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Not to bad.
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The old Chevy parked between the lean to historic type buildings & the old school house of St. Derion. Looks like about 8" of wet heavy snow. I was hoping for powdery snow, it's about the only time you can effectively spot & stalk down here. That's what I did today.

Seen 4 deer, had scope on one nice one, passed due to a large tree making it a very iffy shot. Then she ran straight away with trees blocking any possible ethical shot. Really enjoyed watching her with the hammer cocked though. Didn't want to be tracking a potentially gut shot deer, by myself, in the dark. So, will stay & keep trying.

I'll try to post some more pics, if reception allows. Got a couple of the cave for fiver. The snow filled ones are for Ian & all our southern friends. Your really missing out, hunting in fresh snow is a real treat.
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This was a wet land a few years back, looks like they dug a backwater area.
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I pretty much never have come down here when most campers would.
 
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Some of the last remaining petroglyphs. The nearest teens are apparently making much less interesting new ones.
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A look north up the Missouri river
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Just for Ian & other snow missing folks.
 

oscarflytyer

Well-Known Member
Beautiful scenery! Great tasting deer! and I am way jealous on the snow. I do miss it. Nice not to have it all the time, but I do enjoy it
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
And I wasted my day by working. Thank you for the pics, they're absolutely great! I once thought I was done with deer hunting, but after seeing all this I realize I am not done yet.

Now, if we only had some piggies to hunt year 'round.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Beautiful photos of a BEAUTIFUL place!

My 2nd great-grandfather spent 6 months in an oxcart after being paroled out of the 2nd Texas Cavalry in order to avoid snow and many other aspects of Northern life. He would turn over in his grave if I were to move us BACK to a Siberian clime of that sort. He did leave unanswered just one compelling question, which concerned me greatly during a mis-spent youth of wave-riding, bikini-chasing, and nearshore fishing......after that six months so spent, why not 3 more days, and be at Dana Point--or one more week, and make it Point Loma?
 
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Pistolero

Well-Known Member
And they let you kill animals in a state park! How barbaric. ;)

Pretty neat. AFAIK, most state parks are closed to hunting, sadly.

Bill