T Bone
Well-known member
Last week I became a CO resident! There were a few leftover cow tags left so I decided to make a go of it this morning with a good friend named Terry. These were the dregs of elk season...tags that no one wanted....hunting elk was way better than other options, so off we went.
After a couple hours of driving we arrived to the area. Wide open oak brush country with knee deep snow everywhere.
Immediately we started seeing elk.
Short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, brown and tan ones. We saw small bulls, big bulls, cows, and calves.
We had to keep in mind that it was tough going post-holing through the deep snow so decided to pass some distant stalkable cows with hopes of finding one in an easier location.
After some diligent glassing we located two cows bedded in an ideal spot. We planned a stalk with hopes we'd pop up in front of them for a 250ish yard shot. We looped and trudged through the snow hoping they'd stay put over the next 30 min.
We peeked over the ridge to find them still bedded, completely oblivious to us. I used my pack as a rest and laid prone in the snow and waited for the cow to stand... she was bedded with her rump toward me, so all I could see was rump patch, neck and head. we waited and waited and waited.... They didn't care if we were there or not.
I was getting really cold, so a thought came to mind.....why not just put the Kung Fu grip on here with a bullet through the neck? I'd shot this rifle once in the last year, so why not! I called the shot, Terry watched from behind me. The 30-06 cracked and she laid down her head.....simple as that.
This picture shows my pack and rifle right after the shot...She's in the middle of the opposite hillside.
Here's a close up of my winter eats. She's a prime, fat cow in great condition.
We quartered and loaded her up in the packs and started punching through the snow to the ridge top. From there we used my kids' snow sled to move it back to the car.
First big game animal in CO. First time hunting elk in Dec. First time using a sled to transport game. I like Colorado!
Here's Terry a.k.a. Oak here on Hunttalk sledding out the quarters. Thanks for the fun day and the help! No that's not a drill rig in the back ground.....it's where a UFO landed the week prior.
After a couple hours of driving we arrived to the area. Wide open oak brush country with knee deep snow everywhere.
Immediately we started seeing elk.
Short ones, fat ones, skinny ones, brown and tan ones. We saw small bulls, big bulls, cows, and calves.
We had to keep in mind that it was tough going post-holing through the deep snow so decided to pass some distant stalkable cows with hopes of finding one in an easier location.
After some diligent glassing we located two cows bedded in an ideal spot. We planned a stalk with hopes we'd pop up in front of them for a 250ish yard shot. We looped and trudged through the snow hoping they'd stay put over the next 30 min.
We peeked over the ridge to find them still bedded, completely oblivious to us. I used my pack as a rest and laid prone in the snow and waited for the cow to stand... she was bedded with her rump toward me, so all I could see was rump patch, neck and head. we waited and waited and waited.... They didn't care if we were there or not.
I was getting really cold, so a thought came to mind.....why not just put the Kung Fu grip on here with a bullet through the neck? I'd shot this rifle once in the last year, so why not! I called the shot, Terry watched from behind me. The 30-06 cracked and she laid down her head.....simple as that.
This picture shows my pack and rifle right after the shot...She's in the middle of the opposite hillside.
Here's a close up of my winter eats. She's a prime, fat cow in great condition.
We quartered and loaded her up in the packs and started punching through the snow to the ridge top. From there we used my kids' snow sled to move it back to the car.
First big game animal in CO. First time hunting elk in Dec. First time using a sled to transport game. I like Colorado!
Here's Terry a.k.a. Oak here on Hunttalk sledding out the quarters. Thanks for the fun day and the help! No that's not a drill rig in the back ground.....it's where a UFO landed the week prior.
