How do I field Score a Trophy Cow Elk?

[Dsnow9]

Don't shoot the only mature cow with a bunch of calves, that is the Nanna cow and she can be tough as shoe leather, found out last year.
She did have interesting whistlers though.

I have done that before as well, I didn’t realize it till afterwards because they were all bedded. She was at 75 and everything else (2 dozen) was closer but hidden by topography. She tasted great but tough as all get out, every piece.

 

[wytex]

We have debunked this theory. While dry cows do have more visible fat, the choice backstrap and tenderloin cuts are equally delicious in both wet and dry cows. It only takes a mile or so to get past the guilt of a calf following you on the pack out.

I believe his reasoning is because a cow may have a calf still at it's side, not the quality of the meat.
I too try to find a barren cow, she is not producing for the herd just eating the groceries.
Varying times during our cow seasons, cows may still have calves with them.

 

[NoKidsAfter40]

Does anyone have the Spoon and Crockpot score sheet for a Trophy Cow Elk?

Yeah. Draw a straight line from her front elbow to the top of her tail. She gets a point for every inch of belly fat under that line. In this case a 6” would be a book cow!!!!

 

[Jwill]

I took a big old cow with WYGFD metal ear tags once, that was pretty cool.

 

[Lost Arra]

I believe his reasoning is because a cow may have a calf still at it's side, not the quality of the meat.
I too try to find a barren cow, she is not producing for the herd just eating the groceries.
Varying times during our cow seasons, cows may still have calves with them.

I get it but the meat is my ultimate goal after having a good time pursuing the elk on the mountain especially if I have only a few weeks to hunt.
I leave the herd management to the G&F. If they issue a tag, I plan to notch it.

 

[BuzzH]

We have debunked this theory. While dry cows do have more visible fat, the choice backstrap and tenderloin cuts are equally delicious in both wet and dry cows. It only takes a mile or so to get past the guilt of a calf following you on the pack out.

Not why I choose to kill cows without calves. The calves live just fine.

I try to kill less productive, older cows as I don't really want less elk around, I want more elk on the landscape. I want the most productive cows to keep having calves.

 

[jcneng]

235 lbs of processed meat from my first ever elk/cow. She was a BIG ol gal! This was back in the day when we took them out whole and hung them whole. She dwarfed the other cow and raghorn hanging next to her.

 

[Lost Arra]

Not why I choose to kill cows without calves. The calves live just fine.

I try to kill less productive, older cows as I don't really want less elk around, I want more elk on the landscape. I want the most productive cows to keep having calves.

If I was a resident hunter with more days to hunt I would probably be more selective too. Maybe not.

For now I'm looking for a healthy looking cow in bow range with poor eye sight and nasal congestion.

 

[one ate E grain]

I haven't found any difference between yearlings and the biggest I can find, so I shoot the biggest if possible.

I used to weigh each bag of meat as I stuck it in the freezer. Including liver, what's left of the lungs, and heart, getting to 200 was a pretty good cow. We also freeze bones and ribs but don't count them.

 

[Nick_CO]

235 lbs of processed meat from my first ever elk/cow. She was a BIG ol gal! This was back in the day when we took them out whole and hung them whole. She dwarfed the other cow and raghorn hanging next to her.

Be careful with this claim. I once mentioned the 200 lbs of meat I got from a big cow elk once and some members of the Advanced Analytics Team here took notice pretty quick and were very skeptical. I later measured that cow's skull and compared it with a 250-ish class 6 point bull elk skull that I have and it was wider and longer than that bull's skull. I thought that was interesting.

 

[Bullshot]

Be careful with this claim. I once mentioned the 200 lbs of meat I got from a big cow elk once and some members of the Advanced Analytics Team here took notice pretty quick and were very skeptical. I later measured that cow's skull and compared it with a 250-ish class 6 point bull elk skull that I have and it was wider and longer than that bull's skull. I thought that was interesting.

So as to be clear, did the big headed cow look like this? -

Just admit it (and look straight into the camera as you do) and we can make this whole misunderstanding go away.

-AAT

 

[brymoore]

There’s a complex ratio between pounds of flesh and tenderness. A lead cow might win in overall pounds but lose due to chew ability

 

[mtmuley]

Be careful with this claim. I once mentioned the 200 lbs of meat I got from a big cow elk once and some members of the Advanced Analytics Team here took notice pretty quick and were very skeptical. I later measured that cow's skull and compared it with a 250-ish class 6 point bull elk skull that I have and it was wider and longer than that bull's skull. I thought that was interesting.

The Advanced Anylitics Team here notices more than pounds of meat yielded. mtmuley

 

[Nick_CO]

Being a member of the Cow Elk 200 Club is a tough title to defend on the internet. I was hoping to save another member from making the same mistake I did.

If i wasn't already in bad standing with the AAT I'd tell the tale of my Muley Buck with 8 inch bases...

 

[mtmuley]

AAT, I like that. mtmuley

 

[Nick_CO]

So as to be clear, did the big headed cow look like this? -

Well I'm no Dairy Farmer, so I won't deny that there could be some delayed recall accuracy from the stress response of having that big honking cow elk in the cross-hairs that you just know is gonna go 200+ in meat yield.

 

[timmy]

I once said “the only way I’m shooting a cow is if it’s on the road” next thing I know there is a cow on a two track road my buddy says there you go shoot it!! It walked away unharmed.

 

[golfer]

Few years ago I took one that was feild dressed at 425 according to the scale at the check station. Guess she just happened to be the first one that made the mistake of turning broadside.