Harvesting Elk Calf

[Wallydeuce]

Can't do it. If it's legal, go ahead. I won't even shoot a cow with a calf. I did it once and listening to that calf call and cry while I waited for mom to expire tore me up. I've eaten a lot of tags as a result too.

It's just me.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I would pick a cow first if given a choice but I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a calf if it was the best shot opportunity. If the dept is trying to reduce population, taking a cow will have bigger impact.

I like selecting for female fawns; they taste the best.

 

[bullbugle307]

A 1 1/2 year old cow is my cow of choice. That being said I shoot which ever one stands broadside first. Lol

I had a choice of a 1.5 y.o. cow last year or a rag horn bull. Wasn’t a hard choice, and that cow is the best eating elk I’ve ever had.

 

[Sask hunter]

I have never shot a cow to calf so can’t compare body size to a bull but I have shot several spikes. They are still close to twice the size of a deer. When I started elk hunting six or so years ago where I hunted the OTC tag was either sex and I would have shot any elk I saw. Maybe once a person becomes good and they can get at least a cow and thus get more meat but until that time I would have trouble passing any legal elk

 

[Dakotakid]

I seem to remember a thread on here making a case for culling calves. Seemed pretty reasonable.
If I have a good amount in freezer, I will take a calf, if the freezer is cooling mostly air, then a cow might be preferable.

 

[PrairieHunter]

My brother shot a fawn in Bozeman a few years back on some state land that backs up to neighborhoods and is heavily used for recreation. While walking back dragging this fawn there were some of the recreational crowd that clearly were disgusted. Was a weird feeling being with bambi slayer.


I had a chance at a piebald fawn whitetail in Nebraska a few years ago, the issue was I had a magnum, and needed a 22 to not just blow the whole thing up. I think that was the only time I was tempted to shoot a big game animal that was only a few months old.

I would tend to avoid shooting deer/elk/antelope etc that are only a few months old. 1.5 years old is a completely different story.

 

[Scott85]

If it’s legal and it makes you happy let it rip!

 

[bullbugle307]

Yeah, I had a fawn pronghorn walk up to me at about 25 yards once. There were no other pronghorn within a mile or so, and it was tiny and didn’t look well. I think it’s mom had died and for whatever reason it didn’t get in with a herd. It just walked right up and stared at me with a doe fawn tag in my pocket. I couldn’t do it, even though I felt like it wasn’t gonna make it through winter. I hope I was wrong and it got in with a herd, but it was small, even for a fawn in October.

Funny how perception, and quantity of meat clouds these decisions. 100 percent I’d have pulled the trigger if that was a calf elk in a similar situation.

 

[nrpate05]

How are you guys aging cow elk on the hoof?

 

[Elkwhisper]

I am fortunate enough to almost always fill my bull tag, and most times the steaks from the big stinky bulls taste just great! With all that bull meat, I rarely hesitate to select a calf with my antlerless tag. I generally pay to have my bull processed, and get lots of roasts which I can make into pastrami, jerky. But with the calves, I butcher them myself and turn EVERYTHING into steaks. I share lots of meat with friends and family, but the calf steaks are squirlled away in my private reserve.

 

[geetar]

Can't do it. If it's legal, go ahead. I won't even shoot a cow with a calf. I did it once and listening to that calf call and cry while I waited for mom to expire tore me up. I've eaten a lot of tags as a result too.

It's just me.

I shot a whitetail doe once in archery season and didn’t see the fawn trailing behind her. I guess the early season underbrush hid it too well from my position over 20 foot up a tree but seeing it chase off after it’s mother doing a crying bleat after I had shot the doe haunted me for a while. I don’t ever wanna feel that again.

 

[appaloosa]

I shoot calves all the time. Wyoming will give you three elk tags if you want. A bull or cow and a couple of calves is hard to beat.

 

[.270Rem]

With a 4th season cow tag in my pocket for Colorado, I will try for a decent cow. However, a clean shot at a legal elk with only five days to hunt may make an easy decision for me. And since I turned in a Utah tag and ate last year's Montana tag (new job started, didn't go), I would happily take a wee one if that's the shot I had.

 

[brockel]

I’d put a calf in the freezer every year

 

[Deckerp]

Thanks for all the feedback! If I get another chance at a calf this season I might just let her rip especially as I still hope to put a bull in the freezer later in the rifle season as well.

 

[SAJ-99]

If you have to justify it in your own mind, then you know your answer.

Damn, these are wise words to apply to a lot of decisions. You should copywrite it, place it in stickers and sell it to bars to place at eye level above every toilet…for example.

 

[bullbugle307]

How are you guys aging cow elk on the hoof?

It ain’t entirely accurate before the shot. After the shot, you’ve got tooth replacement up to 3.5. If you had a calf, a yearling, and a 6 y.o. standing together though, you’d know which one you wanted to shoot if you were after a young cow. I tend to think the younger cows have skinnier necks. They’re like a young little spike without antlers.

Single cow standing there staring at you with no others to compare to, that’ll be more difficult.

Maybe I’m full of it, but I was pretty sure I was shooting a yearling last year looking at it at 50 yards compared to the other elk around it, and tooth replacement confirmed it.

As far as deciduous tooth replacement aging goes, try to find Pojar 1997 Elk deer and pronghorn field aging techniques. I found it last year after seeing it cited on GF, I think I might’ve used google scholar?

 

[Flatbrimmer]

I am fortunate enough to almost always fill my bull tag, and most times the steaks from the big stinky bulls taste just great! With all that bull meat, I rarely hesitate to select a calf with my antlerless tag. I generally pay to have my bull processed, and get lots of roasts which I can make into pastrami, jerky. But with the calves, I butcher them myself and turn EVERYTHING into steaks. I share lots of meat with friends and family, but the calf steaks are squirlled away in my private reserve.

can I join you? Lmaoo

 

[RSET]

What's everyone's thoughts on harvesting a calf elk on an anterless tag? On the opener I was pinned back behind the main group of cows several times by two calfs and was inside 20yards of them for awhile a few times and could have gotten a shot.. so it got me thinking.

The non hunters in my life, including my wife, would probably be appalled if I shot a "baby" elk, but on the other hand they're the most likely to die of natural causes anyway I would think. I believe Remi said on his pod cast that they pack the easiest and eat the best. That said I'd prefer the additional meat of a mature cow. Comments?

Easy pack out. Enough said.

 

[JM77]

I wouldn't shoot a calf, because there is hardly any meat on one and they are flavorless.

A half dozen or so calves have come home with my clan over the years from our late season cow hunts. Some friends the same thing. I normally agree with most things you write, but tenderness and flavor of a late season calf cannot be beat IMO.