Do you go "Ugly Early"?

[Mmcan]

Just wondering how many of you will shoot the first legal elk you can. Or are you more discerning?

I head into he mountains tomorrow, and I've been practicing this and that.

But the closer it gets, I just want to kill a damn elk!

7x7 would be amazing. So would winning the lottery,...

And at this point, so would a 3 year old cow.

Cow elk, that is.

What say you?

 

[JPHuntingAUS]

Depends,

For me not having tags or seasons I can take meat animals whenever I want so I hang out for trophy animals and if I don't find a big enough one I just go without for the year.

Having said that, we have one species with a lottery draw. After 8 years I drew a tag for hog deer and knowing it was probably going to be the only chance I ever had I was committed to shooting the first stag I saw.
Fluffed up on the first stag and ended up shooting a really good one few days later. Would have been happy with a spike though.

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[Laelkhunter]

Since my Chama Elk hunt is the only hunting I do all year, I am not so quick to "pull the trigger" early on in the hunt. I have shot on the first day on several occasions, but they have to be nice 6X6 in the 300 class. I certainly don't want to go home empty ice chested, so I start to get nervous come day 4. Last year I killed a really nice 5X5 on the evening hunt of day 2. I hope to be able to hold out this year for the big un'.

 

[Idaho Brad]

If It's Brown it's Down! Except for the Moose I'm going to take this year. I will hold out, but for elk and deer it's the first legal animal that will give me shot.

 

[Blinginpse]

Just depends how i feel when I see the culprit haha


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[mallard833]

For deer I usually pass up small bucks and wait for a larger one. Where I hunt, we get enough antlerless tags that I can fill my freezer that way.

When I'm in CO this Oct for elk, it will be first legel elk!

 

[kicker338]

I did that last yr. my elk hunt lasted one and a half hrs. came home with a nice fat spike bull, superb meat.

 

[Mmcan]

Excellent!!

I did that last yr. my elk hunt lasted one and a half hrs. came home with a nice fat spike bull, superb meat.

 

[elkbowkevin]

In the oh so great hunting state of "opportunity Oregon" .... I will take the first legal bull shot, or fork or better buck I can get a shot at.

 

[CorbLand]

Horns don't fill freezers. I have passed on little spikes and two points on opening morning, but mostly because where we were I wasn't willing to pack something that small out two plus miles.

 

[LostArra]

Whitetails: pass on all young bucks and shoot at least one doe

Elk: first legal animal although I usually have cow tags so it's a no brainer. I have found that hunting with a cow tag usually results in some unbelievable bull encounters so I keep my camera ready.


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[5MilesBack]

I seem to be more discerning these days. But my lower back is giving me fits this morning for some reason so who knows what I'll do when I get up there. The way it feels now, I can't imagine sleeping on the ground on a pad, and that was the plan I had for this coming week. We'll see. I'm hunting a unit I've never hunted or scouted before.

 

[jtw]

I can say ill hold out but conditions dictate that. If its raining miserable cold...ill shoot the first legal thing in sight. If its beautiful and the hunt ia nice Ill pass up a shooter, and probably regret it when I eat tag soup.

 

[BroodBuster]

The only elk I'd pass on is Grandma. Not only does the herd depend on them but they also don't look as tasty, sort of bony and old looking, as the rest of the herd. Any young, fat and tasty looking cow IS my trophy since we don't get bull tags otc.

 

[cody6510]

I will shoot the first legal elk I see. I shot a 4x4 rag horn last year by 10 am opening morning and have no regrets. This year with a bow I have full intentions on attempting to arrow the first thing I can get close enough too. No matter how long you boil them, horns never get tender.


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[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

My priority is meat in the freezer. If the freezer needs are address on other tags already then I will entertain looking for a "better" shooter but usually I need the meat since we try not to buy any red meat so if its legal and I have the chance I'll harvest.

This season I'll have a bull tag and buddy a cow, only reason I'll pass on a bull is if the day prior in glassing we see a big bruiser somewhere. In that case I'd likely try to find the bruiser again while passing others, but only temporarily and then its back to business on freezer filling.

If when the kids get older they want to hunt and are filling the freezer then I can get more picky.

 

[mtnkid85]

My rag horn bull from last year was a Elk of opportunity, everything was perfect.
Spotted him the night before and made a move in on him that morning. Got well inside of 100yrds to have him present a perfect calm broadside shot. He was dead before he knew I was there. The pack out was what really sealed the deal I could ALMOST see the truck from where I shot and it was all down hill!
Some times it just seems like its meant to be, making it hard to pass on a shot when everything is perfect!

 

[realunlucky]

The pack out was what really sealed the deal I could ALMOST see the truck from where I shot and it was all down hill!

That makes them a shooter almost every time. Few things better than an easy trip to the truck

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[njdoxie]

I take 1st legal bull in CO, I've tried trophy hunting and realized I wasn't up to the challenge, so I'm back to taking the first legal bull.

 

[Laelkhunter]

My rag horn bull from last year was a Elk of opportunity, everything was perfect.
Spotted him the night before and made a move in on him that morning. Got well inside of 100yrds to have him present a perfect calm broadside shot. He was dead before he knew I was there. The pack out was what really sealed the deal I could ALMOST see the truck from where I shot and it was all down hill!
Some times it just seems like its meant to be, making it hard to pass on a shot when everything is perfect!

Raghorn ??? That's a decent bull in my book. Maybe not a first morning bull for me, but I better not see him on the second evening or I may be burning some powder. Congrats on a nice bull. Good eatin I bet. Gorgeous rifle too !