Fool me 3 times?

[Newtosavage]

First of all, congratulations to everyone so far who placed a tag on a public land elk this year. My hat is truly off to you!

I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like elk are my hunting nemesis. I've had an elk tag 4 out of the past 5 years, and the score is now elk: 4, me: 0.

Not counting the first year I had an elk tag (because who the hell can reasonably expect to kill one with no experience in their first year?) - my last three Colorado elk tags were for cow elk. 1 muzzleloader, 1 for 1st rifle and 1 for 2nd rifle. ALL THREE years I've carried those cow tags, I've had chip-shot opportunities at legal bull elk. The most recent was this past Sunday, when after working as hard as I know how, through 15" of snow and single digit temps, I had a 4x4 bull dead to rights in my crosshairs for nearly a full minute.

GAH!

This is three times now. Three years ago I had a 5x5 broadside at 40 yards with my muzzleloader, but only a cow tag.

Two years ago, I had a pair of 4x4's in my scope at 300 yards, but only a cow tag.

I am beginning to believe that cow elk do not exist on public land in Colorado. LOL

Here's the thing - I'm only after the hunt, and the meat. I couldn't care less about the antlers, which is why I keep buying cow tags. I have no idea what I'll do next year if I don't get a mule deer tag, but I'm thinking I am going to just bit the bullet and get a bull tag so I can spend the season looking at cow elk.

 

[three5x5s]

Know a little of your pain brother, drew a cow archery tag here in Kentucky a few years back, 3 different Bulls 25- 40 yards. Its Its really hard to get on the cows they are always watching and to many noses to fool.

 

[Jethro]

Get a bull tag. You can still eat the meat.

 

[brsnow]

Get a Bull tag and you will see lots of cows.

 

[Capman]

Lol just get a Bull tag

 

[street]

PM me. I can get you on a cow in 2nd rifle opening day. Happy to help

 

[justinspicher]

All I have seen this year are cow elk!

 

[stitchesdraw]

I elected for a cow tag
All I saw was bulls. Lol
unreal


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nickofthewoods]

Are you also seeing cows but just not having shot opportunities? If so it's only a matter of time for you. Particularly in late seasons, there are areas where bulls exist with very few cows around. The last time I had a cow tag was in late October a few years back, I was in an area seeing only bulls on opening weekend and I had to change locations and hunt completely different terrain and elevations until I found good numbers of cows.

 

[trophyhill]

I was reading a thread on another forum about putting crosshairs on animals/objects you don’t intend to shoot. As a reminder, This is how accidents happen folks. And there are unintended consequences that go with these accidents. Sometimes maybe mistaking a cow for a bull, a bull for a cow, a cow for a moose, a llama for an elk and God forbid the worse case scenario where a human is killed. We should all remember that before putting our scope on a target.

 

[Ihunt4food]

Why not try to draw an either sex tag?

 

[Newtosavage]

PM me. I can get you on a cow in 2nd rifle opening day. Happy to help

That's a great offer, but I've used up all my personal leave for the year. So maybe next year!

 

[Newtosavage]

Are you also seeing cows but just not having shot opportunities? If so it's only a matter of time for you. Particularly in late seasons, there are areas where bulls exist with very few cows around. The last time I had a cow tag was in late October a few years back, I was in an area seeing only bulls on opening weekend and I had to change locations and hunt completely different terrain and elevations until I found good numbers of cows.

No. Literally ZERO cow elk in the hunt units where I've been hunting, unless you consider private land, where I saw plenty of cow elk. Just never saw one on the public land - just bulls.

I didn't grow up elk hunting, so I'm having to figure this out the hard way (which is fine because I am really there for the hunting experience anyway). But from what I've seen so far, the cows all seem to group up and stay in known safety zones (private or inaccessible areas) while the bulls tend to be more solitary, or run in pairs or small groups, and they wander both on and off private and public.

At least, that's what I've seen so far.

 

[Newtosavage]

Why not try to draw an either sex tag?

I have. I'd gladly pay for one given the chance.

 

[Newtosavage]

I was reading a thread on another forum about putting crosshairs on animals/objects you don’t intend to shoot. As a reminder, This is how accidents happen folks. And there are unintended consequences that go with these accidents. Sometimes maybe mistaking a cow for a bull, a bull for a cow, a cow for a moose, a llama for an elk and God forbid the worse case scenario where a human is killed. We should all remember that before putting our scope on a target.

Meh, been hunting for 40+ years, and have prolly killed more animals than most folks here if you consider the hundreds and hundreds of feral pigs I've shot in my life. I have a LOT of experience putting crosshairs on critters. I mean a lot. I've also had decades of firearms training, and qualified expert marksman every year of my LE career. It's gonna take a lot more than a 4x4 bull at 225 yards to cause me to blow a "shoot or don't shoot" situation.

The reason the crosshairs were there was in case a cow poked her head out next to him in the narrow gap where he was standing. Had that happened, it would have only taken about 2 seconds to make that shot, as opposed to having to raise my rifle and find the critter.

That said, I understand where your concern comes from because every year I run into guys with rifles that I sure don't think should be pointing them at anything living.

 

[LEO Outfitters]

I feel your pain. I've had the same kind of luck the last few years. My problem is seeing only elk when I have a deer tag, and vice versa. And now, buying both a deer and elk tag (non-resident) is getting awfully pricey.

 

[ChrisAU]

More meat on a bull!

 

[JakeSCH]

I feel your pain, been there a couple of times...going a full week and seeing nothing but bulls when you have a cow tag is an interesting feeling. I would say buy one of each? Not sure if you can in your units.

 

[theleo91386]

Here's a little known secret about western hunting when you can only get one tag for a species, %80-%90 of time you only get within range of an animal that isn't legal. You find tons of cows during bull seasons but can only find bulls during cow seasons. type thing.

 

[Carr5vols]

Feel your pain, I saw 15 different bulls in a 24 hour stretch in wyoming, and roughly 600 does and small forkies the next day. all I had was a mule deer tag and never seen a shooter all week...2 years in a row of tag sandwich. Thinking of going back to fishing, crappie are starting to bite.