DIY Elk Hunt

[huntnfool13]

Hey Sigma, it all depends on the weather. Snow on the ground means an easy drag for the front an hinde quarters. No snow means you might be hauling some meat on your back or dragging very carefully. My buddies and I have did it both ways. I will tell you this, I'm just as happy dragging my buddies animal as I am dragging my own kill.

 

[huntnfool13]

[attachment=50762:Montana_...2005_056.jpg]Hey Sigma, it all depends on the weather. Snow on the ground means an easy drag for the front an hinde quarters. No snow means you might be hauling some meat on your back or dragging very carefully. My buddies and I have did it both ways. I will tell you this, I'm just as happy dragging my buddies animal as I am dragging my own kill.

 

[Sigma]

I like those backstraps. Very nice.

 

[bpnclark]

Mine took 2 guys 2 trips. If I was by myself, I would have been hurting. She was about 2 miles from camp but only ½ mile from a road. Wasn’t too bad. She expired on the steep side of the mountain and she was too big to do anything but start quartering her right there. We tried rolling her but it wasn't working with the rocks.

[attachment=50777:CO_cow.jpg]

If you run out of time - I think you can still get a cow tag OTC.

 

[wyemjohnson]

For gettin them out, it is either on your back (multiple trips), game cart, combination of backpack and game cart, or hire a packer with horses.
All depends where you shoot it. Good Luck!

 

[barel74]

Took a buddy and I about 5.5 hours to pack my bull about a mile, on our backs, with no major climbs. I think 3 loads each. Heart, liver, and backstraps are a load all by themselves.

 

[bpnclark]

Check the rules about game charts before you buy one. A lot of places I have hunted will not allow them.

 

[Sigma]

Last time in Wyoming, my buddy and I hiked up to about 8800ft at 4:30am. We heard some bugling at around 9:00am. With some patience and calling at around 1:00pm I spotted a harem emerging from the timber to feed in a clearing on a slope, under 200 yards away. We scrambled. We each wanted a cow for meat, and agreed to fire at the same time if possible. My buddy fires first, and hits a big cow at 170 yards with his 300 Weatherby. She went down lightning fast and didn't even know what hit her. The rest scattered so quick, that I didn't get a second shot at another cow, although I could have tried to hit one running. I just didn't want to wound her and end up having to chase her for hours. So I held off. We went down the slope and saw my buddies cow lying up against a big log with her head on the log, as though we had set her up that way. We gutted her, removed the legs and head, sewed the carcass together with some nylon and then rolled, dragged and dropped her off several short cliffs (helps tenderize the meat

) and finally got within about 200 yards of the trail at about 6600ft. After that ordeal, it was dark:30 and we headed back to the truck, a 2.5 mile hike down the trail. It had been a 17-hour day. Half dead, we came back the next morning and backpacked the meat out with the help of another friend on 2 trips. Talk about a workout.

 

[richracer1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nwtfhunter @ Mar 25 2008, 10:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Better stick to Wy, there are no Elk in Id............... LOL
I think that you will find better odds at OTC Cow Dep tags for Wy. If you would like, I can contact my friend and see what the details are if you dont already know.[/b]

You can buy tags OTC in Idaho for bull and cow, it just depends on the big game unit. As for no elk in ID, here is one of my favorite pics from our 2006 ID cow elk hunt.

[attachment=50796:Truck_Load.jpg]

 

[huntnfool13]

Very nice truckload richracer1. I bet they filled some freezers. Great stories and pictures guys. Sorry for the double post guys I still have some problems posting. That was my 2005 bull from Montana. Fortunatly we had horses. The only thing better is thinking about that nice ice cold one that's waitng for you back in camp after the drag. Elk seasons less than seven months away!

 

[31Bertram]

Sigma, a couple questions. How old are you and what shape? What kind of weapon? How motivated and serious are you? I will be hunting Idaho this coming year, did real well last year (first time idaho), however I'm tagging along with a sharp young resident so its a big plus and can't talk about it. I might however consider a first season Colorado reduced price cow hunt to to take the pressure off so I can concentrate on a better animal in Idaho I know the area well its beautiful and unless this past winter killed everything we would see animals. NOTE DEADLINE IS THIS WEEKEND. I don't know how to use the messenger so just mail me (i don't check boards)
sales@31Bertram.com
Shoot Straight and Tight Lines

 

[Sigma]

31,

Appreciate the offer. I just have too many things going on this year that could be potential show-stoppers. Therefore my post for OTC tag experiences. My buddy is doing Wyoming again this year and I could join him, but I didn't put in. So I'll just have to wait and see how things shape up.