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Coming Full Circle

Did you lose any meat leaving that bull overnight? I shot a cow opening day late October 1974 and still lost neck and some of top of shoulders because horses couldn't get in till next morning. Dropped her on the spot, gutted, and propped up on bed of tag alders for cooling. It wasn't enough. It can be dicey leaving them overnight this time of year.
 
I shot a spike this time of the year. Killed clean, gutted it and propped it up off the ground on poles. Had it out by ten the next morning-- It soured where it touched the poles. It's a tough time of the year for meat.
 
OntarioHunter said:
Did you lose any meat leaving that bull overnight? I shot a cow opening day late October 1974 and still lost neck and some of top of shoulders because horses couldn't get in till next morning. Dropped her on the spot, gutted, and propped up on bed of tag alders for cooling. It wasn't enough. It can be dicey leaving them overnight this time of year.
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Unfortunately yes we lost just the neck meat tho and with the arrow hitting guts on the exit I didnt take the tenderloins. I was worried about the down side quarters but they smelled good when we deboned it. It was a high of 60 the day I shot and got down to 15 that night. Also was in some thick north facing timber. Was really lucky.
 
Man, thanks for sharing. I read about you hunting with your dad while waiting for waterfowl in Utah to open. A hunt I used to share with my dad, brother, uncles and cousins. Now my generation are the grownups. Glad you cherish those times. I’m a little leaky here myself.
 
WIbiggame said:
Unfortunately yes we lost just the neck meat tho and with the arrow hitting guts on the exit I didnt take the tenderloins. I was worried about the down side quarters but they smelled good when we deboned it. It was a high of 60 the day I shot and got down to 15 that night. Also was in some thick north facing timber. Was really lucky.
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So you deboned it on the spot before packing out? Though I'm not much for the "gutless method" (too dirty, especially this time of year), that would be the smart thing to do in this situation. Gotta get that deep meat next to the bone cooled as soon as possible. Every second counts if it's been down overnight. Good that you saved most of it. I'd say you were more smart than lucky to salvage that much from a difficult situation. Kudus.
 
OntarioHunter said:
So you deboned it on the spot before packing out? Though I'm not much for the "gutless method" (too dirty, especially this time of year), that would be the smart thing to do in this situation. Gotta get that deep meat next to the bone cooled as soon as possible. Every second counts if it's been down overnight. Good that you saved most of it. I'd say you were more smart than lucky to salvage that much from a difficult situation. Kudus.
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Yeah I worked the front quarters and cape off (Gutless) as my dad worked the back and backstraps. Got it all deboned right away and into quality game bags and hung up as we moved to the other side. Than right when we got back to truck had it all on ice, got down to 15 that night ice was still solid the next day when we went into town. A part of me thinks he laid for awhile before actually expiring as he wasn't that stiff when we found him.

Yes I am glad we backed out because if we wouldve tracked right away it would've been a cut tag and no meat or anything to show for it. I knew the elk was dead with the hit so was prepared to cut my tag regardless if we found him or not.

Yeah I like to think we did something right ;) so many things we have done wrong during hunts out there feels good to hear someone say we were "smart"
 
The last bull I killed was a night tracking job. Three other clowns from PA saw me coming out down the mountain and literally ran to get ahead of me on the logging road back to my truck. Well, okay. Slob hunters abound, especially from PA. Shortly afterwards the shooting starts. I round the corner and the three guys are literally running around taking offhand potshots at a raghorn bull well beyond 300 yards in a cutting unit. Finally the one guy with a capable rifle hit it and obviously in the right side ham. Brother! I'm watching it through my scope and they're screaming "That's OUR elk! Don't shoot!" "If it gets to the trees I AM going to shoot it." The bull stopped just as it got to the trees and I shot it from a rest against a tree. Obviously connected. It jumped and kicked and then took off into the woods. Man, I thought we were going to have a shootout! Those guys told me to get lost. They would come back in the morning and finish the job. No way was I going to let that poor bugger suffer through the night. There was good tracking snow and my shot was bleeding him out badly. Appeared to be low in the guts from colour and positioning of blood trail. Obviosly they were not equipped for night tracking ... or elk hunting. The ham shooter had a 7mm mag, one had a .303 Enfield, and the other had their "grizzly gun" ... a .32 WCF Model '94! Hell, I wouldn't hunt deer with one of those. They actually threatened to shoot me. I said go ahead. I'm sure the rest of my party would arrive shortly (a lie because I hunt alone). I pulled out my flashlight from daypack and invited them to tag along or not. Okay, they were coming. I told the guy with the .32 to get behind me. He had the iron sights and would finish the bull when we found him. It took about forty minutes and there it was laid up and looking at us. "Okay, shoot him in the head." Bang, and off runs the bull. "How could you miss that shot? He wasn't twenty yards away." "I guess I hit the ground. I was trying to hit him in the heart so I didn't ruin the cape." Are you kidding me! It's just a raghorn! Well, now they are really upset. Must leave THEIR elk alone and wait till morning. Again threatening with their guns. "Listen, you idiots pull your guns off your shoulders one more time and there WILL be shots fired. Shut up and get in line! This elk is dying tonight. Period." Off we went. About twenty minutes later. I heard something to my right and turned the light in time to catch that bull coming right for me at less than ten yards. I shot him dead through the neck just under the chin. Not sure how I managed it holding a flashlight. Happened so fast I didn't have time to get excited. And were those guys upset because they didn't get to finish the deal on THEIR elk. They did generously offer me a quarter though. The one shot to pieces of course. No worries. I had just started a teaching job in Idaho and had to get back to work. Had a muley buck in the freezer and that was enough. They made it clear I would NOT be getting the horns. Oh darn! None of them had a clue about gutting it so I did the job. Then left. I have no doubt that was not the end of their sad story. Hope no one got hurt getting it out but I wouldn't be surprised.
 
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