Cow or calf?

[Addicting]

What kind of size is a 1 1/2 old cow compared to a large deer? I watched Randy’s Wyoming archery hunt when he is flooded with cows and you can pick them out but I haven’t seen one on the ground. I’ve only seen adult cows down and those were about the size of my bull.

 

[Lost Arra]

So many factors involved in game meat taste, flavor and tenderness. I shot a cow that the Wyoming G&F lab said was 11 years old. She was tender and delicious. I've shot younger/smaller cows that were tougher but still tasty. I don't know anything about calves since I've never shot one.

 

[hank4elk]

Never taken a calf.
Some young cows ,some real old cows,never a bad one.

 

[oleefish2]

Cows are good eats every time

 

[HalfAce]

If I have the luxury, then none of the two options. Best wild game I ever ate was a 1.5 year old cow.

 

[DANGLER]

Gamiest and toughest elk yet out of the 25+ I've taken. Still good eats but this old girl was ancient.

 

[DANGLER]

On the other hand.... I have been lucky enough to put 5 or 6 of these little guys in the freezer over the last 10 or 12 years. I save the calf steaks for my private reserve and break out the bull steaks for company.

 

[NVHunter1976]

Quality and Taste = Calf......However, I personally have never had a bad tasting cow and you get more meat to fill that freezer.

 

[Mully204]

Meat will be amazing. More on a Cow, so i'd go that way.

 

[Addicting]

I just wanted to update everyone on this poll that I started. I ended up shooting a good sized cow. We took really good care of the meat to ensure that there was no issues like last year. It has been absolutely amazing, my kids are in love with it. Even to the point of begging us to make elk tacos again. #success

 

[FYT]

Congrats on the big cow!

I have a question for those who have taken calves because I never have. A friend of mine shot a calf once and the cow the calf was with hung around for a long while sadly mewing and calling to the calf. I know I'm gonna sound like a softy, but I don't think I could handle that. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[BrentD]

Sort of similar,
We shot two antelope does last month that were running with a buck. The lone buck kept circling and blowing for over 1/2 hr while we butchered the does. He would stand 60-80 yds off and call. He was very agitated and I did feel sorry for the guy.

 

[elkduds]

Congrats on the big cow!

A friend of mine shot a calf once and the cow the calf was with hung around for a long while sadly mewing and calling to the calf. I know I'm gonna sound like a softy, but I don't think I could handle that.

They have a strong emotional bond while the calf is dependent, probably through the calf's 1st fall. Beyond that, unsure. Because of that, I passed on the last 2 cow/calf pairs I found while carrying cow tags.

It doesn't matter what other guys think, you and I have to answer to ourselves on moral matters.

Having said all that, I recall reading a biologist's opinion some years ago that shooting a calf has less impact on the herd than shooting a mature cow. His reasoning: calf mortality is built in to elk evolution. Odds are 50/50ish the calf is male. Adults are more likely to survive any winter than calves of the year. And a cow w a calf is a proven successful breeder, while a female calf may not be. The one elk most responsible for herd survival is the lead cow, usually one of the most experienced (oldest). Probably best not to shoot her, for herd and meat quality reasons.

IMO, the best antlerless elk to take is a yearling cow.

 

[BrentD]

They have a strong emotional bond while the calf is dependent, probably through the calf's 1st fall. Beyond that, unsure. Because of that, I passed on the last 2 cow/calf pairs I found while carrying cow tags.

It doesn't matter what other guys think, you and I have to answer to ourselves on moral matters.

Having said all that, I recall reading a biologist's opinion some years ago that shooting a calf has less impact on the herd than shooting a mature cow. His reasoning: calf mortality is built in to elk evolution. Odds are 50/50ish the calf is male. Adults are more likely to survive any winter than calves of the year. And a cow w a calf is a proven successful breeder, while a female calf may not be. The one elk most responsible for herd survival is the lead cow, usually one of the most experienced (oldest). Probably best not to shoot her, for herd and meat quality reasons.

IMO, the best antlerless elk to take is a yearling cow.

It's not so much an evolutionary adaptation, but rather a simple fact of mortality and fecundity curves. Calves are likely to die of another cause before reading maturity, whereas the cow has a very good chance of living to breed another year. Hunting calves is mostly inflicting compensatory mortality that would have happened eventually anyway.

 

[oleefish2]

I have taken calves and yes they are great eats but I would still take a cow 1st. My best ever eating was a spike.