Bushy Nutz Squirrel Hunt

January 26, 2023

Tyron and Emily Lenz, along with their children, AKA Frontier County Fuzz Busters, pose with this year's trophies. The team tied with two other teams for fifth place at the fifth Annual Bushy Nutz Squirel Hunt held this past Saturday at the Nuckolls County Fairgrounds.

The 5th Annual Bushy Nutz Squirrel Hunt was held Saturday at the Nuckolls County Fairgrounds. A total of 57 teams entered, with 39 teams checking in squirrels. In total, 195 squirrels were weighed and measured.

It was again a successful night for the Bushy Nutz team. Raffle prizes included five guns, a gun safe and several door prizes. Organizers take pride in making this as kid-friendly of an event while allowing the adults to have fun. Every child that enters the door receives a free raffle ticket for a youth prize. Watching the children play with their newly won toys all around the fairgrounds is extremely entertaining.

Proceeds from this year's event will be used to assist with the purchase of new equipment for the South Central Red Raider Midget Football team. Another milestone reached this year is funding a $500 scholarship. This year's recipient is Wyatt Hajny. Wyatt is heading to Eastern Wyoming in Torrington, in the fall to pursue his rodeo dreams.

Wyatt Hajny was the recipient of the first Bushy Nutz Squirrel Hunt $500 scholarship. Wyatt will be attending Eastern Wyoming Collage in Torrington, Wyoming, in the fall. He will be taking ranch management courses as well as earning his welding certificate. Pictured: Wyatt Hajny with Logan Schnitker.

Volunteers who helped make this year's event possible were Elk Creek Country Club, who catered the bar, Kady Schnitker, Andy Sole and Leslie Drudik, Ridge Schutte, John Schutte, Darren and Dawn Myers, Brett Peterson, Joel and Ashly DeLeon, Mark Porter, Michael and Jen Porter, Doug and Connie Porter, Phile and Diane Wehrman, Tanya Schnitker, and Will Dougherty.

Results -

Gross Weight: First place - Nora Nut Lickers (Cole Epley and Taylor Lynch) - 8.91 lbs.; second place - School Creek Killers (Reegan, Jerrad and Smooth Higby) - 8.69 lbs.; third place (tie) - Little Trappers (Chad and Tripp Ostdeik and Dillon Laughlin) - 8.47 lbs., and Nut Busters (Kris and Tyson Kotinek and Sawyer Cox); fifth place (tie) - Nuttier than Squirrel Turds (Ridge Schutte and Andy Sole) - 8.36 lbs., and Frontier County Fuzz Busters (Emily and Tyron Lenz) Killer Kuehlers (Chance and Tanner Kuehler)

Nut and Chatter Buck Squirrel - Little Trappers (Chad and Tripp Ostdiek and Dillon Laughlin)

Largest Black Squirrel - Coon Hunters (Dustin and Addi Cassell and Chad Holcomb) - 1.65 lbs. Only two black squirrels were turned in this year.