Taking a cow elk on an either sex tag

[jdf]

Hunt Otc every year.
Killed lots of cows on Otc tags and never hesitate. Love meat. I never pass up a shot opportunity no matter what day of hunt.
I have killed bulls though too.

 

[F250]

I have drawn either sex tags in Colorado. I happily took the first legal elk I saw. Being from a state 2000 miles away, and only 7 days to hunt, put me in a different situation than the folks who live in the hunting area.

 

[Local577bowhunter]

I don’t know how much elk hunting experience you have but I’ll start by saying if you’ve not killed an elk before kill the first legal elk you get a shot at. I started elk hunting seven years ago and it took me to my fourth year to finally make it happen on a cow elk. I’ve done diy solo hunts all along until last year I started bringing friends but for someone used to hunting white tails back east it’s WHOLE new ballgame.
I will have two tags this year, both either sex tags and I can say now that the first cow I see is going down to fill the freezer then I’ll wait on a bull but there is no amount of YouTubing and reading that could ever teach me more about elk hunting than the two elk I’ve killed. I’ve killed two cows on otc solo hunts and the sense of accomplishment from that is unreal and it’s built my knowledge and confidence unbelievably. Just like randy and Cory say the best way to learn to kill animals is by killing a few so unless you’re a seasoned hunter with a few nice bulls under your belt already I’d pull the trigger, besides are your friends gonna remember the elk mount on the wall or the big juicy steaks you share when you get home. Good luck and stay safe!

 

[gouch]

I target the cows, they just taste better. I'll shoot a bull if he presents himself just because I don't want to pass on any opportunity but I prefer a cow. They changed the regs. so that during archery season I can't shoot cows within the boundary of the National Forest around here, so I hunt on timber company land and BLM where there are fewer elk but at least I can shoot a cow.

 

[JM77]

The LQ tags I've had here in Wyoming, have been pretty selective and picked out better 6 points with all those. Only way I'd kill a cow on a LQ tag here is if there is a late cow only season, otherwise I'd rather eat the tag.

The beauty of where we hunt is no need to shoot a cow on an any tag during the first season since we have one to two months of late cow only season following. Like Buzz, I'm very selective to the end, but I've only had to use my LQ any tag once in late cow season.

 

[kmott]

what I choose to do really depends on ,how full is my freezer , how realistic is it that I will kill a monster bull. there are some tags ,if I were lucky enough to draw (which I never am) that I would pass on all but a monster , regardless of what was in my freezer and I wouldn't lose a second of sleep over going home empty handed if it came to that.

it is less likely that one will ever kill a huge bull if they shoot the first animal that is legal. some are lucky that way. I am not.

I have eaten many tag soup dinners because I held out and passed on animals . I have zero regrets , I would do so again in same situations. I have also kilt the small ones or cows to fill the freezer. also ,no regrets, as my belly will provide proof of. have got some decent bulls 330 ish. never kilt the monster yet but may yet . who knows.


the bone means less to me now then it did in my youth.

 

[WyoDoug]

I am hunting for 2 weeks this year for both elk and deer at the same time. My plan is to use the general OTC tags on a nice bull and buck then in the second week take anything of decent size. I am a meat eater primarily but I will take a trophy if I see one but I would rather see my tags filled and freezer full of meat rather than not. I also got 1 type 8 cow elk and 3 type 8 doe/deer tags to fill so I can hold off on filling the general tags until I see a trophy or fill them last.

 

[MooseCaboose]

I am having the same dilemma myself. Both my wife and I have some LE tags for the Missouri River breaks. And I’ve come to my own conclusion that the purpose for our first elk will be the meat first horns second. The goal is obviously a bull but if it comes down to it I have told myself a cow is better than coming home empty

Archery or rifle? If archery, carry on. If rifle, please reconsider.

 

[Dzlmech]

Archery or rifle? If archery, carry on. If rifle, please reconsider.

Sorry it’s archery. If it were rifle it would be a different thought process all together

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Determine your goal before the season starts. If your goal is to shoot a mature bull, then hold out for one so you have no regrets. If your goal is to gain experience and/or fill the freezer, then shoot the first legal animal that gives you an opportunity and enjoy the fresh backstraps on the grill.

 

[madtom]

How far you are from the truck can also be a factor. I’m way more likely to shoot a cow or spike near a road than I am to pack one several miles. Generally, the farther in I am, the bigger it needs to be for me to pull the trigger. I might just be lazy.

 

[ignorethefringes]

OTC archery tag for me this year, along with having never taken an elk before. I'll be shooting the first 1.5+ year old, legal elk I see by the evening of day one.

 

[thusby]

I would feel bad about shooting a bull on day 1, let alone a cow. I've tagged out in the first hour of light on day 1, that was a real bummer. I wait all year, applying, planning and looking at maps. I need to get a few days of hunting before I get my head clear and feel good about pulling the trigger.

 

[Ben Long]

My dad taught me to never pass up a shot at a legal elk. Period. To do so, in his mind, is a display of ingratitude toward the Creator. I pass up deer but don't recall ever passing up a safe, legal, shot at an elk.

 

[ignorethefringes]

My dad taught me to never pass up a shot at a legal elk. Period. To do so, in his mind, is a display of ingratitude toward the Creator. I pass up deer but don't recall ever passing up a safe, legal, shot at an elk.

The nice thing is, almost any shot can be "unsafe" if you think about hard enough

 

[Ridge Ghost]

I would feel bad about shooting a bull on day 1, let alone a cow. I've tagged out in the first hour of light on day 1, that was a real bummer. I wait all year, applying, planning and looking at maps. I need to get a few days of hunting before I get my head clear and feel good about pulling the trigger.

Tagging out early doesn't mean your hunt is over. It just means you get to call for your buddies the rest of the season while no longer being stressed about filling the freezer.

 

[MTGomer]

My dad taught me to never pass up a shot at a legal elk. Period. To do so, in his mind, is a display of ingratitude toward the Creator. I pass up deer but don't recall ever passing up a safe, legal, shot at an elk.

Interesting that NOT KILLING an animal that can continue to live and produce calves can be an ingratitude to ‘the Creator’

 

[bjochem]

I am in the same boat as a few others. Been on 1 other elk hunt and missed a young bull. This year MT either sex archery, 1st elk gets 'er on a 12 day hunt!

 

[shoots-straight]

I think it depends on how and where you grew up hunting.

In my family, when hunting elk in Montana, elk were for eating and a good way to get an ass-chewing was to pass a legal elk. I didn't pass on very many growing up, very few that I can remember.

Its gotten a lot easier to pass up more and more elk since I moved to Wyoming, its just better elk hunting here than in Montana. I've passed up a ton of bull elk here the last 15+ years.

Limited quota tags in Montana, depends on the tag. I've had 2 tags in the breaks, passed on some bulls I probably shouldn't have with my first tag. Second tag, I shot the first 6 point that gave me an opportunity.

The LQ tags I've had here in Wyoming, have been pretty selective and picked out better 6 points with all those. Only way I'd kill a cow on a LQ tag here is if there is a late cow only season, otherwise I'd rather eat the tag.

Buzz are you my long lost Brother? Sounds like we shared the same Dad, family, rules and laws.

My dad had killed close to 60 Elk and would take the first legal Elk that showed anytime, anywhere. I'm a lot more bull hungry than he was, but then again hunting looking for any legal Elk has been also easier to this point.

 

[Ben Long]

@MTGomer Well, I may be oversimplifying my dad's theology a bit, but basically it was, don't be choosy! Any legal elk is a good elk. The craze over antlers is a relatively recent phenomenon. A generation or so ago, the goal of hunting was meat on the table -- with gratitude to the Creator for putting it there. Lots of time elk antlers were just left in the woods for squirrels and porcupines to chew up. Passing up a perfectly good elk was like turning your nose up at a Christmas gift cause you wanted something else.