That is some abscess.
Always heard them called "slow elk". Never knew anyone that actually tried to kill one. Although some years a gut pile is found and a few head go missing from local USFS grazing allottments.
A few years ago there was some jackass in a neighboring county driving around gut shooting beeves (22 LR) from the road. The last time I saw it mentioned in the paper, he had killed approximately 8 head. I don't think they ever caught the bastard.
Hopefully a rancher caught him in the act, and that is why we never heard any more about it.
