Don't shoot the lead cow

[Killzone]

Scored a a cow elk over the holiday. I am pretty sure it was the lead cow and older than the rest. She was first to appearup the other side of the ridge. I was kinda in desperate mode after four days of no shots, Could have had a neck shot within the first 10 mins of the hunt, 1st day, did not shoot, as I could not see the the whole cow AND I read somewhere here NOT to take the first elk you see. I will not be taking that advice from now on.

Gutting it it was a thinner than my last cow, my guide said it was old, it had no grey on it. I had to shoot standing free hand at 160 yrds. 1st shot i guess I went for center mass so i would not miss, gut shot, next shot blew out a leg. She was down hill and went down. When we walked to get her she had got up and was doing a good job of getting away. shot to head put her down finally. My pont is the meat tastes bad compared to my last cow.

I'm thinking its the age, but it could be the fact she did not die real quick. I am relagated to make all the meat dog food, has bad amonia type taste.

 

[fishnhunt]

The flip side of the coin is the lead cow is often dry and doesn’t have to feed a baby so she is less stressed and the meat can often taste better!! Additionally if you have more than one tag the removal of the lead cow can often make the rest of the herd mill until they decide who the new leader is!! But since I’ve never shot the lead cow it’s I hear from my friends who have shot the lead cow.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

 

[Killzone]

Got the answer to the problem of bad taste, Dumb beginer Elk hunter me, left the skin on the quatered elk way too long! So it was not the age of the cow or the time it took to kill it.

 

[SoJo]

yea, I was going to say that leaving certain parts on the elk, or not gutting/cooling the elk (any animal for that matter) can produce unsavory tastes.

 

[Kentuck]

Talked to a butcher in Idaho last year and he was telling us that the biggest problem he was running into with elk being brought to him was bone rot. I guess some animals weren't cooled quick enough and the meat around the bones had spoiled. Quick lesson, get 'em gutted and skinned asap.

 

[Killzone]

Talked to a butcher in Idaho last year and he was telling us that the biggest problem he was running into with elk being brought to him was bone rot. I guess some animals weren't cooled quick enough and the meat around the bones had spoiled. Quick lesson, get 'em gutted and skinned asap.

This one was gutted right away, but it was way down a ravine in snow at dusk, so we pissed in the snow around it, left a shirt I had been wearing for a week to keep the yotes away and got it packed out by the next night. It was 10 degrees at night. I just did not know that the skin left on will foul the meat. My dog is gona eat good this year for sure!

 

[bowslinger]

You sure you guys didnt accidentally marinade it with the piss?? Jk, congrats on a successful hunt.

 

[hank4elk]

Skin it always,and it can freeze on outside and be warm at bone.Quarter it,bag it cool it!

 

[Kentuck]

This one was gutted right away, but it was way down a ravine in snow at dusk, so we pissed in the snow around it, left a shirt I had been wearing for a week to keep the yotes away and got it packed out by the next night. It was 10 degrees at night. I just did not know that the skin left on will foul the meat. My dog is gona eat good this year for sure!

Sounds like it may have been more from the catamination from the gut shot. I certainly am no expert but the elk hunts I've been on we've skinned and cut the animal up on the spot and bagged the quarters, even if we have to come back the next day. Certainly sounds like it was cold enough to have been ok.

 

[jindydiver]

You say it smells like ammonia? Could it be more like acetone (nail polish)? That would be the by-product of ketosis and a sign that the old girl was going down hill. Deer who cant/wont eat and who are stressed use up their fat reserves and start to use muscle mass as fuel, this produces the smell in the meat. It is also caused by diabetes but I have never heard of a deer with diabetes.
Did you keep the jaw so you could age her?

 

[Killzone]

Nope, left the head in the snow, she was thin, in shape with a very huge heart, much larger than the last cow I got which was about the same skeletal size. My guide says it is beacuse I left the skin on for too many days. Maybe not amonia tatse but very horrible, at first I though it may have been the grease or something in the new manual meat grinder, I washed the grinder good in my dishwasher, still the meat tasted uneatable. My dog will eat it.

Thanks for the response.

 

[XDHUNTER]

She might be really sick. next time bring some game net. cut the four leg use a pillow bag or net. if no tree to hang it burry it in the snow. the three elk that our group shot last month in Colorado dont have any problem. we skin the elk with in an hour after the shot. cut it, use the net and leave the meat outside.it reach L.A. without icing it.

 

[Killzone]

She might be really sick. next time bring some game net. cut the four leg use a pillow bag or net. if no tree to hang it burry it in the snow. the three elk that our group shot last month in Colorado dont have any problem. we skin the elk with in an hour after the shot. cut it, use the net and leave the meat outside.it reach L.A. without icing it.

Hate to admit it but I left the skin on for like five days, having no idea it will ruin the meat. Now I know better. It wont go to waste, our dog will eat it all bones too!