Pheasant hunt puts hospitality front and center

BROKEN BOW, Neb . -- This weekend's 49th annual Nebraska One Box Pheasant Hunt in Broken Bow may be an exclusive event open by invitation only, but it takes a much bigger crowd of locals to ensure that those chosen few have a good time.

Between the hosts, guides, dog handlers, landowners, scorekeepers, food providers and others, about 65 people are involved in each hunting team's experience, said Amber Evans, a member of the hunt's ladies' board.

The result, Evans said, is a weekend whose quality is second to none.

“We show such great hospitality to the teams when they're here that people want to come back,” Evans said. “Because they're treated like kings when they're here.”

The hunt, founded in 1961 as a way to attract people to Broken Bow, has attracted a stream of celebrities, executives, athletes and elected officials since then.

This year, the hunt is headlined by Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy, along with several high-ranking national officers from the National Rifle Association.

Just as in every year, they've come to be part of one of seven five-person teams that hunt pheasant using just one box of 25 shotgun shells.

The one-box element adds a unique challenge to the hunt, Evans said.

“Everybody's got to respect everybody else and not hog all the shots,” she said. “Winning it is a real team effort.”

The event will also welcome 11 teams of past shooters, and there's plenty going on throughout the weekend besides Saturday's big hunt.

Festivities begin with receptions Thursday, plus range shooting, a poker run, style show, cocktail parties and dinner on Friday.

During the hunt, a Hastings group is performing a musical for a ladies' luncheon, and afterward, there's a victory banquet Saturday night and breakfast Sunday.

The hunt is intended to promote creation of wildlife habitat, and it also raises money for scholarships for Nebraska high school students, Evans said. Last year, it gave out more than $10,000 in scholarships.

“We're just doing a lot for wildlife and for the youth,” Evans said. “And we're having a great time, too.”