I was hunting during the spike-and-doe-only season in Real County, Texas, when, at last light, this big animal stepped out. I had been told that all "exotics" were fair game (Axis deer have been caught on game cameras. Aoudad as well. And, within several miles, there are some high-fenced game ranches).

My first impression had been cow elk. At the shot, she turned and trotted off, showing me her characteristic rear-end patterning, and, for me at least, confirming my first instinct.

After finding her, she was too big for three sixty-something men to move, so I skinned and quartered her in the field. One of my buddies thought she wasn't near big enough for an elk, but maybe a red deer hind. I didn't age her (pretty confident about aging white tailed deer; elk, though, are out of my wheelhouse, and I had a lot of work to do . . .). Quarters, backstraps, tenderloins, and some flank and neck meat all tipped the scale at 151# once I got her to the processor.

After finding cell-phone reception later that night, Google informed me that red deer hinds do NOT have a mane. This animal did. So, I'm still going with elk. Any other possibilities come to mind?

From the photo, it appears to be an elk! Tell your buddy that elk start out pretty small …..at birth! 😉 memtb

Looks like an Elk to me.

That looks like a cow elk. Delicious meat also!

I've always been schooled that one should clearly ID his target.

At least it wasn't someone's donkey.

+1

RS

This. When I was a teenager the farmer we hunted with in SD had his daughter hunting, reluctantly, for the first time. He called us up one evening for some help. She had shot a cow moose. In the middle of South Dakota. We would see them every now and then and the game biologists said they had a worm in the brain and would wander aimlessly from northern MN. She thought it was a big deer. We called the game warden. He told us to skin it and butcher it. Moose aren’t protected in South Dakota and there is no season. So he didn’t really know what to do. She was tasty.

Why would you shoot an animal not knowing what it was?

It’s obviously not a donkey or horse or cow so it’s not like he shot somebodies critter. He stated all game was ok by the owner. Eat well sir. Edk

If owner said it’s ok, then damn, it’s ok!!

We have elk on the lease I hunt, never had the urge to shoot one, too damn big.

That is a cow elk. Amount if meat harvested is about right too

I would posit that its not so easy to clearly ID an animal when one is in an area where said animal reasonably should not be!

That said, I was hunting to fill my freezer, and I found myself staring through the scope at a large game animal that, eyes be damned, looked just like an elk!

It was only after a clean shot and recovery that the nuances of exactly which large cervid it might actually be came into question.

Also, FWIW, this was on a low-fenced, heavily treed, steep-terrained, 100 acre property surrounded on all sides by other relatively small, low-fenced properties.

Looking forward to some tasty meals!

Looks like a cow red stag to me. Not a cow elk. But who knows in Texas. Hinds are cow red stag.

Here is what a red deer hind looks like.

Farm duck

+1

Thanks for the pic.

Hinds (Red Deer females), I was led to believe, do not have manes with their winter coats, though Red Stags do. The picture provided is consistent with what my Google search revealed.

But, both cow and bull ELK do have manes with their winter coats.

The animal I harvested absolutely had a dark mane on her. I'm still convinced she was an Elk.

Did you even bother to read the gentleman's post? Or did you just read the title and pop your mouth off like you typically do?

Pic from the other side, better showing this animal's dark mane.

Yep, cow elk.

Definitely a cow elk.

Looks like an elk, though I can see where you could get mixed up between it and a hind.

That be a cow elk right there. Good eating.

+1 Cow Elk

Yup cow elk. Good eating!

Congrats on your cow elk! They usually taste excellent.

Guy