Will you kill an elk anywhere?

deadend88

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
241
Location
Colorado
I will turn 50 after this season and I pray to have many more years in the field. My answer is No I won’t. My ego might get in the way of that thought once or twice in the coming years but my last bull in 21 was 2 miles in the dark and frankly no elevation gain at all and it smoked me. I want to extend my hunting life for as long as I can, but I’ve also never killed a 350+ so I could be full of shit here.
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
2,571
I’ve always been more focused on killing one than worrying about how I was going to get it out.

Had a few crappy long distance packouts in Colorado for sure. I’d do it again though lol
 

ThunderJack49

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 2, 2021
Messages
125
Location
Montana
I can distinctly remember thinking to myself "It's just going to be one bad night" before shooting a bull at last light one evening. I was a full 24 hours late to the truck and had to sleep in the cab for a few hours before I could drive home.
 

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5MilesBack

"DADDY"
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
16,138
Location
Colorado Springs
If I'm already there, then yes......I'll shoot an elk where I am, and worry about the packout after I'm done breaking him down. But there have been times solo when I started into a hike in the afternoon and then asked myself "Do I really want to pack one out of there tonight"? And my answer was "no", so I turned back and hunted elsewhere that evening.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2022
Messages
1,342
Location
Western Montana
During the 8 years I lived in N Central ID especially, a few stories were made. The worst pack out ever belongs to my wife. My wife has actually shot 2 bulls that I felt like puking when we got to them. The most dangerous packout ever was a bull I shot alone in 2007.

To this day we all shoot first, figure it out later. But each year I get older, my 2 boys get stronger.

If I wouldn’t pack a bull or a mulie out of a spot… I wouldn’t be there with my rifle.

I don’t want to turn this thread into an ethics thread. But if you are tough enough to kill a bull on his terms, in his area, then you have to be tough enough to get him out without cheating. Otherwise, stay the F-ck out of his area. Remember the motorized wheelbarrow guy from Pocatello?
 

Ucsdryder

WKR
Joined
Jan 24, 2015
Messages
6,525
My buddy and I dropped 2 cows during rifle season about 10 years ago in this deep basin. Probably 8” of snow. Roughly a 2k foot elevation gain to get out of there, steep nasty shit.

Never again. Took us a day and a half to pack them out. Luckily if it was cold out and the meat could hang for as long as you needed.

Granted I wasn’t in nearly as of good of shape as I am now, but I’m a lot more selective where I drop something! Temperature plays a role in that as well. I’d hate to kill something and lose half the meat to spoiling.
Cows?!! Eff that. Lol!

I don’t like shooting them more than 1/4 miles from the truck.
 

Hnthrdr

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
3,453
Location
The West
I do not want to shoot an elk by the road next to my vehicle. I enjoy the mountain experience almost more than strictly hunting. Have passed on "easy" places like this
No offense but this seems like you haven’t had a really bad pack out before… I would 100% shoot an elk so that it falls into my truck bed. Haha carry enough weight on your back for long enough and you realize the easier the pack out the better
 

fatlander

WKR
Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
2,120
Yeah. I live 2,000+ miles from the elk I hunt. What’s a few more miles?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ElkNut1

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,421
Location
Idaho
I used to feel that there wasn't any terrain too tough, no matter what! Not these days! I do limit myself but those limitations are still pretty high standards. But to the question; yes there are some pretty severe spots I say no too where as in the past it would have been a different story! Thanks for making me feel older! (grin)

ElkNut
 

Hnthrdr

WKR
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
3,453
Location
The West
100% disagree. I’m not shooting a 220” rag horn in a hell hole. But if I see a 380” that’s a different story. To say an elk is an elk…nope…
Absolutely agree, do that with mule deer all the time, which is way easier to go deep for, but if I’m climbing out of a canyon, not doing it for a forker
 
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