Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Colorado Cow Elk Hunt

I hunted about 30 miles north of Craig Colorado this week for cow elk with Ivory Tip Outfitters. Flew into Denver last Sunday as a major cold front was coming in and drove to Craig. The next morning it was -3 when we ventured out in the Ranger to start hunting with about 5" of snow.



I'd call the terrain there the high prairie but it's deceivingly steep and rough. Many times we'd spot elk in the distance but couldn't get to them due to the terrain.



There are over 20 elk in this pic. A few in the open left of center and others bedded or feeding around the edges. We couldn't get any closer due to the drop off in the foreground - still about 800 yards.



Some Mulies



Tuesday we woke up to snow. It was really coming down in the morning and made it tough to see.



We took a break late morning and traveled to a different area after lunch and set up on a ridge overlooking a meadow. About 3:45PM a lone cow came in to the edge of the meadow and was coaxed out in the open by some calling by Patrick our guide. She hung up at about 250 yards and I took a shot as she turned broadside hitting her in the lungs. She turned and made it about 40 yards closer before collapsing. She's just to the right of center in the pic.



We stayed put for a couple hours to see if a bull would show up for my hunting partner and I scrambled down the slope to uncover her from the snow that had fallen.



From the ridge we thought she was a 2 year old but she was a mature cow about 450 lbs. We were sitting at the top of the ridge in back of me.



Patrick was able to get the Ranger down to her and winched her in the bed.



It's amazing what the Rangers could go through. I thought we were going to get stuck since there was about 18" of snow there but we made it out no problem. It was 6 degrees with a 15 mph wind when we decided to leave. I was happy I could sleep in the next day since it was -13.

I picked up about 140 lbs of boned out meat at the butcher when I left yesterday.

A pic with my guide Patrick and a shot southeast of Steamboat Springs.



[img]https://i.imgur.com/Ruu21PF.jpg[/img]

It was a great time even with the extreme weather. I may go back next year for bull hunt.

Nice! Good eating awaits you. Are the elk down to the mid or low range? I got a fourth season bull tag hunt coming up.

Nice write up and pics. Congratulations on your cow elk.

Congrats, were any bulls taken! Unit 3/301?

Thank you! We were in unit 3 and the elk were moving down. Significantly more animals sighted late Tuesday and Wednesday. 3 bulls were taken and a couple were missed including a nice 5x6 that was within 40 yards of us Monday.

I like that a lot. Looks like they found some doors for that buggy. Bet that was nice.

Congrats on the cow, but I have a question.

If I read your post correctly, you left the cow on the ground for two hours before gutting it?

With temps like that and snow on the ground unless it was a gut shot, which it wasn't, he could have left her there for even more time without an issue.

But, why? He said he shot from the knob behind it.
Short walk to take care of it.

It’s a different Ranger. A 2 seater with doors and heat!

As much as I wanted to go down and check out the cow and get the guts out of her we were sitting in a good spot and my partner had a bull tag to fill so we stayed put at the guides suggestion. It was 6 degrees so I wasn’t concerned about meat spoiling.

Great write up, congrats on a good hunt

That meat will be fine, I agree

Thanks! Grilled some up after I got home last Friday. It's awesome!

Congrats on the hunt, looks like a class outfit you hunted with.







Tough crowd here. My guess is, Bill did exactly what his guide told him to do. Hard to argue with your guide.