This week on Kentucky Afield, we're witnessing the hunt of a lifetime as Kentucky native Cade Frederick has drawn a bull firearm tag and he's right on top of them in the hills of eastern Kentucky.

Then we're just a few short weeks away from the opening day of rabbit season, and we can't wait.

It's all next on Kentucky Afield.

Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

This year for our 2023 bull elk season, we tagged along with a University of Kentucky student who was lucky enough to draw a tag and the action is something you won't want to miss.

You are one of the lucky elk hunters this year.

How excited are you to be here the night before the season getting ready to go out, hopefully see a couple elk and then tomorrow morning it's all on you, man.

It's your turn to go.

I'm really excited.

I'm really thankful for the opportunity.

Glad to be here.

It's super exciting.

What did it feel like when you got the news that you were going to be elk hunting?

Have you been putting in for a long time?

We have been putting in since my dad was younger, and as soon as I was old enough, we put in with me and so we put in pretty much every year and I'm super excited.

And it was one of the most exciting things that's happened to me.

You're going to be shooting a very unique gun, first off, at your grandfather's.

It's a unique caliber, too.

It's a seven millimeter, but it's a little different.

What are you going to be shooting?

a seven millimeter STW.

STW.

We're at BA outdoors, and that's a piece of property that you█re going to be hunting on.

You█re actually going to have a guide.

Has he been sending you pictures of any bulls or kind of letting you know what they're seeing?

Yeah.

He's been sending us pictures a big seven by seven and a good six by six and some other smaller balls and just a several.

They've been having a lot going on.

I'll tell you what though, when you get out here and you start seeing a bull standing out there, pictures can't do them justice.

I mean, they're beautiful, beautiful, majestic animals.

But when you see one in the wild and they start bugling, we hopefully we hear some bugles tonight or definitely tomorrow when the hunt begins.

It's an experience.

I mean, it's an experience that you'll never forget.

Are you a deer hunter?

Big deer hunter.

Okay, so you're very comfortable hunting.

You did bring your dad along today, right?

Yes, sir.

So you and him get to hunt quite a bit together?

Yeah.

He's my favorite hunting partner That's the way it should be.

You know, you learn with your dad, and I bet you that he probably is excited about this hunt tomorrow as you are, you being hunting buddies for a long time.

And he's like, yes, you get you get to go out and take an elk and he'll have as much fun as you.

So we do have some heat these elk don't like to move in this heat.

It's going to be a early morning and a late afternoon style hunt, but it's going to be a lot of fun.

And I can't wait to get out there with you.

I can't wait.

I tell you what, let's go get our gear together and get our binoculars and we're going to go out and find us a point and see if we can't hear and see a couple of bulls tonight.

Yes, sir.

Super excited.

You've been in eastern Kentucky here, Knott county now for just a few hours.

What do you think about that?

It was awesome.

Go to hear some bugles, got to see some sign.

Got to see several bulls.

I tell you what, this is.

This is what- if you're a hunter, this is what dreams are made of.

Get to come down here and do this.

I believe it's getting dark.

Probably about time to call it quits for the night and get ready for the morning.

I'm excited, man.

You going to be able to sleep tonight?

No.

We're on the backside of the property that you guys own and manage.

This is an area that, you know, because it's close to some of the initial release sights there's a lot of elk that hold in this area isn█t there?

Oh, yeah.

It█s the perfect spot for them.

When you got everything you need, you got your vegetation, timber, water.

It█s perfect.

Now, we haven't heard any bugles this morning.

We did hear a couple last night, but we we█ve kind█ve set down here holding tight for ten, fifteen minutes letting this fog burn out.

There█s a bugle.

There we go.

Was that a mew?

No, that was a bull.

The shooting light is here but the fog is pretty thick right now.

But it█s getting close.

As soon as daylight broke and the fog lifted a little bit, these ridge tops became visible and right at this timberline, there's stands a couple elk and we couldn't tell what they were From the first location.

We made about a 300, 400 yard move, and one pretty good bull with a chocolate rack.

So we're making a move to get there, to get a better look at it.

It█s one of those days where you got a rifle tag and you'd be just as well off with a slingshot tag.

That's about as far as we can see.

Yeah I can't see anything.

It█s a foggy morning.

I mean, you're 150 yards, it█s the best you can do.

Going to back out and come back out this evening.

See what we can find.

We just heard a bugle, right past this point where we came in.

It's about a ten minute walk so we got to hustle.

Well, I don't know how you can end your day one elk hunt more exciting than what just happened.

Yesterday, 24 hours ago, you saw your first elk ever and then tonight We knew we were in a hustle, we heard this bull bugle.

We make our quick transition.

Knowing it was going to be very, very close.

The bull walks out beautifully, turns, walks right to us.

What was going through your mind?

I was about ready to shoot.

It was a pretty good one.

Pretty good Bull.

It was really cool to see.

I would just guesstimate 120 yards.

You actually ranged it.

Yeah, it was 103 when he was broadside.

103.

He came down, bugled, turned broadside.

I tell you that is a perfect example of a bull that day two or three or day four, you'd be like, okay, but you know what?

This is day one and you just had one of the coolest bull elk experiences with a rifle in your hand that you're ever going to have.

To have one get that close, turn broadside and bugle is unbelievable.

It█s unheard of.

It was one of the coolest experiences I█ve ever had.

Beautiful rack.

Just a dark horn, ivory tips.

It's just a really nice bull.

Concludes one awesome day one of elk hunting.

It's been awesome.

I can't wait to get out here and get at em again in the morning.

Let's hope it's not quite as foggy as it was.

I say we get in and get ready for the morning hunt.

Rabbit Season is right around the corner and it's one of my favorite hunting seasons.

I can't wait to get out this year with some friends and get my dogs in the field.

Well, today we're out here in Henry County and we're getting ready to do one of my favorite things.

Getting ready to start rabbit hunting.

You know, this is an interesting day.

We like to do big rabbit hunts.

A lot of times we'll have eight, ten dogs and five or six hunters.

And those are a lot of fun.

But today this is more of a typical rabbit hunt.

A couple of buddies get together, just a few dogs, put some dogs on the ground and get after them.

So this is going to be a lot of fun.

It should be a good spot.

So, KC, So you kind of grew up doing some rabbit hunting, haven█t you?

Yes.

Tell me a little bit about where we're hunting today.

We█re hunting in Henry County.

This is actually a neighbors farm that they█ve been gracious enough to let us hunt.

farm that they█ve been gracious enough to let us hunt.

It's always been in the past just a great farm to rabbit hunt.

And we've run some dogs before and we've always had some luck.

I brought my two little dogs here, two little females.

Josie is the lemon dog and then the black dog there, that's checkers.

Paul, you and I talk a lot about hunting and you kind of got into hunting a little bit later on.

You█ve always fished, but hunting is something that you really picked up in the last 20 years, isn't it?

Yeah, that's right.

Being from Jefferson County, I didn't have a whole lot of access to hunting grounds and finally met some folks out here in Henry county.

And I haven't stopped hunting since.

There's nothing like meeting friends through the outdoors.

And, you know, we met later on in life, and, you know, we've been doing this quite a bit.

Well, these dogs are ready to go.

They've been on the ground twice this week, so they should be ready to go.

Should be a good hunt.

I█m going to keep them on the collar.

We're going to walk up and turn them loose up here.

You going to come with me?

Yeah.

All right, let's go.

Ready, Josie?

Ready, Checkers?

Go.

Hunt ‘em up Let's go, Let's go.

There he goes!

Here!

Well, that didn't take long.

We got a rabbit up.

Let's see what happens here.

Oh, there it goes.

All right, put the dogs on it.

There's a big sinkhole behind us, and every year we've hunted here, rabbits end up coming in the sinkhole.

If you don't shoot them before they get to the sinkhole, then they get away.

So what we're doing is just waiting on the rabbit.

Hopefully he'll circle back and Paul or Chad will get a shot, but if not, he's probably going to come this way.

So we're going to sit right here and try to get shot at him.

Here you go, hunt in here.

Let's go.

Hunt in here.

Get in there.

There he goes.

Coming at you, Paul!

Hold still it█ll come back.

Right there.

Must█ve been Chad that shot twice.

Must█ve been Chad that shot twice.

Hey, hey, hey.

Right here.

Dead.

Dead.

Checkers, checkers.

Hey, here he is.

See?

It tells you how much beagles rely on their nose.

Look at this.

That dog can see that rabbit, but it wants to smell right where he went.

Right here.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, dead dead, dead, dead!

All right, let's get another one.

Let's get another one.

there he is.

That was a pretty cool chase.

We jumped this rabbit about 150 yards back, We jumped this rabbit about 150 yards back, and it was just staying way out in front of us that whole time.

Got lucky.

We got lucky.

There he is.

Coming to you, KC.

Coming right to you.

I believe he got it.

You get it?

Yeah, we got it.

Sweet.

Nice job.

Here he is.

Here he is.

Dead, dead.

Here, here, here, here.

Here he is.

Good boy.

Dead, dead, dead.

Ah, no.

I saw him for a split second.

Come out the second run around, but then he come popped out right 30 yards.

Perfect.

Well, nice job.

Yeah.

I'll tell you what.

Poor Paul has been over there guarding that sinkhole.

Yeah.

Poor Paul has been over there guarding that sinkhole.

Yeah.

Well, let's get the dogs gathered up and go over there and find out if he's still awake.

and go over there and find out if he's still awake.

All right.

Hey, Here he goes!

Hey, Here he goes!

Right at you, Paul, right at you.

Right at you, Paul, right at you.

Right here!

Paul, maybe we can call Amazon and have them drop you off some more shells.

instead of 50, I got 47. instead of 50, I got 47.

There he goes, there he goes!

Sorry, man.

I got your bunny.

Its alright.

Sorry, man.

I got your bunny.

Its alright.

He was headed back up that fence line.

If I didn█t shoot, we were going to be here a while.

So KC said that we can go over there.

So KC said that we can go over there.

Right next door?

Yeah.

Try to get you a bunny or two.

Oh, good.

Yeah.

Try to get you a bunny or two.

Oh, good.

Hey, hey, there he goes!

Get ready, Paul!

There you go.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Here he goes!

Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Coming to you, KC.

Yeah.

Nice shot.

That was awesome.

So he ended up under that truck?

Yes.

Ended up underneath the old truck and ran right out here in the open.

Couldn█t get any easier.

Well, I tell you what, we got a lot of fence-line left, there█s plenty more.

I'll throw it up in the truck.

There you go.

Nice shot.

Thanks.

There it goes.

Moving backwards.

Moving backwards.

Oh I see it.

Right by KC.

Right by KC.

Poor Paul.

One of those days you can't be in the right spot.

But we're going to get him a Bunny here in a minute.

Yeah, there's been one in here.

Here he comes!

Checkers.

Dead.

Oh, let go.

Had to shoot pretty quick.

But you know what that's four.

So I got a limit of rabbits today.

Any time you can go out and get a limit of rabbit, that's a heck of a day.

Coming up your side of the bank, right at you.

There you go.

There you go.

Yeah, I think it's the biggest one today.

Nice job.

Yeah.

Thanks.

we've had some really good runs today.

And for having three people and only two dogs, And for having three people and only two dogs, you know, we probably could have killed a few more rabbits.

you know, we probably could have killed a few more rabbits.

And we may get one or two more on the way to the truck.

But this is how the vast majority of people rabbit hunt.

It's a couple of friends, one or two dogs, helping the dogs out a little bit, kicking up some brush and letting the dogs bring the rabbits back by.

That's the rabbit hunting█s all about.

They had some good long runs.

They have.

They have.

I tell what they've done pretty well today.

Now let's check in and see who else has been out having fun and this week's Ones That Didn't Get away.

Check out this beautiful buck that was taken in full velvet in Pulaski County by K.J.

Combs.

Nice job.

Logan Rose and his dad took their tree dog Rebel out for a two man limit on land between the lakes.

Nice job.

Here we have nine year old Lockett Beckham with their first deer, a nice buck that she took with a crossbow while hunting in Owen County with her dad.

Congratulations.

Here we have Matthew Trigg with a nice striper that he caught on a fly rod while fishing on the Cumberland River.

Nice job.

If you enjoyed part one of our bull elk hunt, make sure you join us next week for part two and see how it all wraps up.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week.

I'm your host, Chad Miles, and I hope to see you in the woods or on the water.