I've already posted that my wife and I filled our 'B' elk tags (antlerless tags) on Friday evening, but thought I'd share a few photos and the story. The photos aren't the best due to our rush in the low light and the frigid temps, but they'll do. This is the first cow tag I've drawn here in MT. The tag I apply for is about a 30% chance for drawing and this was my 3rd year to apply. It was my wife's first year to apply.
Last season I couldn't go out without running into cows. I've not hunted as much this general season, but I've struggled to get a shot at a cow. I had running cows in my scope a couple weeks ago that someone had bumped my way. I got one calf to stop at 200 yards that I would have shot if I'd had a good angle and a spike stopped in the second group, but spikes aren't legal. Then last weekend I had a lone cow come running down the mountian to me and as I hustled to try and cut her off she got by then ran right past where I had been standing to begin with.
I left work early Friday so we could hunt that evening. It was my wife's second time out this season. We didn't hunt the spot we planned because there were two trucks at the trailhead and two occupants of one of those had just started up the trail with three horses. Instead, we drove higher and hunted a spot I had only hunted once with Isaac two seasons ago.
The evening was almost over and we were needing to start back for the truck when I decided that we would sidehill around so I could look into the back of a drainage that I hadn't looked at before. We got lucky and there was a cow and a calf standing there at 500 yards or so. I thought she had spotted us, but she finally went back to feeding and allowed us to slip into approx 250 to 300 yards. We didn't think we could get any closer, so I took the shot instead of my wife. I thought I had missed the cow and wasn't very happy. As we started their direction to be certain of the shot, I spotted her standing behind some trees. That seemed unusual as hard as these elk have been hunted, so I assumed she'd been hit. I dropped my pack and we started another sneak to try and close the distance. Along the way we lost sight of her and when we got 150 yards across from where she had been I couldn't find her.
I decided to go back and pick up my pack and left heather to watch the opening above where we had last seen the cow. When I got back to my pack I looked up the mountain and there is the calf feeding in the open. I hurried back to Heather hoping she could see the calf. As I approached her I could see her struggling to set the tripod up for a shot. I stayed back and watched because I was afraid I would scare the elk. She finally got the tripod set up to her liking and I watched her take the shot. She couldn't hear me and didn't even know I was 20 yards behind her. I watched her bolt another round in then I could see her celebrate when she saw the elk tip over and slide down the mountain. She had made a great shot at 175 yards or so (may have been closer to 200 but my rangefinder has crashed on me).
When we started glassing the area her elk had went down I was certain I could see an elk butt through the trees near her dead elk. It had to be the cow but I couldn't tell if it was bedded or standing or dead. It took us 10 minutes or so to drop down and back up toward her elk and as we slipped from behind cover there was my cow standing there looking at me. I quickly put a round in her and she collapsed and roled down the mountain before coming to rest on a downed tree. When I took her apart later I found where my first shot had been on the back edge of the ribs but had not hit lung. I felt fortunate that my poor initial shot had not resulted in a long tracking job.
Heather had to be home soon so we gutted the two elk as quick as possible in the frigid temps and I took her home. After supper I went back up the mountain and hiked in alone since my son was sick so I could break the cow down before she froze. I got to the cow at 12:30 then back home at 4:30. I was too tired to work on the calf but did manage to pack both boned front shoulders of the cow out with me. The next day Isaac, a buddy from work, and I went back in and packed both elk off the mountain.
Thanks to God for meat in the freezer.
Last season I couldn't go out without running into cows. I've not hunted as much this general season, but I've struggled to get a shot at a cow. I had running cows in my scope a couple weeks ago that someone had bumped my way. I got one calf to stop at 200 yards that I would have shot if I'd had a good angle and a spike stopped in the second group, but spikes aren't legal. Then last weekend I had a lone cow come running down the mountian to me and as I hustled to try and cut her off she got by then ran right past where I had been standing to begin with.
I left work early Friday so we could hunt that evening. It was my wife's second time out this season. We didn't hunt the spot we planned because there were two trucks at the trailhead and two occupants of one of those had just started up the trail with three horses. Instead, we drove higher and hunted a spot I had only hunted once with Isaac two seasons ago.
The evening was almost over and we were needing to start back for the truck when I decided that we would sidehill around so I could look into the back of a drainage that I hadn't looked at before. We got lucky and there was a cow and a calf standing there at 500 yards or so. I thought she had spotted us, but she finally went back to feeding and allowed us to slip into approx 250 to 300 yards. We didn't think we could get any closer, so I took the shot instead of my wife. I thought I had missed the cow and wasn't very happy. As we started their direction to be certain of the shot, I spotted her standing behind some trees. That seemed unusual as hard as these elk have been hunted, so I assumed she'd been hit. I dropped my pack and we started another sneak to try and close the distance. Along the way we lost sight of her and when we got 150 yards across from where she had been I couldn't find her.
I decided to go back and pick up my pack and left heather to watch the opening above where we had last seen the cow. When I got back to my pack I looked up the mountain and there is the calf feeding in the open. I hurried back to Heather hoping she could see the calf. As I approached her I could see her struggling to set the tripod up for a shot. I stayed back and watched because I was afraid I would scare the elk. She finally got the tripod set up to her liking and I watched her take the shot. She couldn't hear me and didn't even know I was 20 yards behind her. I watched her bolt another round in then I could see her celebrate when she saw the elk tip over and slide down the mountain. She had made a great shot at 175 yards or so (may have been closer to 200 but my rangefinder has crashed on me).
When we started glassing the area her elk had went down I was certain I could see an elk butt through the trees near her dead elk. It had to be the cow but I couldn't tell if it was bedded or standing or dead. It took us 10 minutes or so to drop down and back up toward her elk and as we slipped from behind cover there was my cow standing there looking at me. I quickly put a round in her and she collapsed and roled down the mountain before coming to rest on a downed tree. When I took her apart later I found where my first shot had been on the back edge of the ribs but had not hit lung. I felt fortunate that my poor initial shot had not resulted in a long tracking job.
Heather had to be home soon so we gutted the two elk as quick as possible in the frigid temps and I took her home. After supper I went back up the mountain and hiked in alone since my son was sick so I could break the cow down before she froze. I got to the cow at 12:30 then back home at 4:30. I was too tired to work on the calf but did manage to pack both boned front shoulders of the cow out with me. The next day Isaac, a buddy from work, and I went back in and packed both elk off the mountain.
Thanks to God for meat in the freezer.
