Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Which antlerless elk would you shoot?

The last elk I paid to have processed (over 25 years ago) was one I took out of a group of about a dozen. The skinned quarters totaled 335lb on the butchers scale. She was a real horse.

If possible, an older and dry cow. If not, what is most available, but probably not a calf.
The lead cow should be preserved and calves are too mushy for me.
jmho
Tim

1) the one that presents the best shot
2) if possible I try to avoid the very old or very young

my guide last year said that he shot a lead cow once, and would never do so again.

age is a significant concern here. a mature herd bull might only be ~4-5 years old. the lead cow is often 10+ (or so I've heard/read, be cautious taking elk advice from a flatlander Texan (like me...))

like others, my favorite would have a foot in the road bed at the time..... never been quite that fortunate though... shortest packout I've been involved with was only about 250 vertical feet ABOVE the road, and only about 1/2 mile in horizontally. very nice.

Give a equal opportunity shot at any of them, I would shoot for the one with a nice bright and shinny coat. It shows that she is in excellent condition.

Shoot the one with an apple in its mouth.

It will be the tastiest.

A healthy looking adult, not the young or old.

I usually look for the full size cow that stands still the longest! For those of you that remember the late season Gardiner hunt (Yellowstone Park Elk) , one year I shot a huge (tall) cow out of a group of 6 all the same size. After about a two hours drag, I checked her in to the check station (mandatory) and the biologist couldn't age her because she was too old He said 15 plus years. She also had a calf in her! The guy that was with me wouldn't take his half so I ate all of her! She was very tender and tasted good! I agree, I have eaten calf elk and they were mushy and flavorless!! The 2 and 3 year old cows I have eaten were delicious! The bulls tasted like crap and were tough!!
I do know I would have to pass up a calf!
By the way I don't think there are any late hunts for Park elk anymore! I think the wolves may have something to do with that!!
Ken

I'd shoot the biggest one there cuz an antlerless tags are for meat.

Eaten cows from first fall off the tit yearling to a salt and pepper mane old hag. Ain't eaten a bad one yet, if aged properly, but I promise to keep trying and report back.

I'd shoot the big one. EVERY time.

This isn't the formal ball, looking for the most beautiful girl to dance with, this is shooting elk. Always shoot the first, closest with no elk behind that might take a bullet from a pass-through.

Nothing more, nothing less...

I had a feeling the responses would range from the simplistic view of they are just cows so what's there to think about to those that hold to beliefs about herd dynamics or meat quality by size or age. Thanks for all the responses.

I finally got my tags in the right order this year as I hunt cows before bulls so I'm looking forward to some tender cuts.

This.

But, given the choice, dance with the big one. It ends well. No matter what your buddies think.

Sorry, but I can't resist posting this clip from the movie "Get Smart". It's the funniest 'dance with the big one' I've ever seen.

Best choice without a doubt.
The info you shared previously on how to pick one was excellent.

Yes! These ones last the longest. More bang for the buck!

I think it depends greatly on the number of elk you have previously taken, distance you have traveled to hunt elk, the time you have to hunt and the number of legal animals you are seeing.

If I drove 1200 miles one way and am hunting a highly pressured area, the first legal cow that gives me a shot is going down. I just make sure I'm not standing in a spot too many miles from the truck when I see that cow.

I usually hunt public land, general season, so the first legal cow gets lead sent her way. I've never had enough time to think about it. Calves are tender and tasty and easy to get off the mountain, but I just don't think I could bring myself to shoot one if given the choice between it and a cow. See others do it all the time though...

Like a few have mentioned, first off there are no roads where I hunt elk, second I drive almost 1500 miles each way to shoot two of them. Third, I have to be home with the meat in the frezzer by sunday night, so I shoot the first legal bull and the first cow that allow me. Uphill, downhill, sidehill. It doesnt matter. we have frame packs and can call for horses.