Dallan, I agree and not only for elk. Here in my neighbourhood we have problems with wild boars at the moment, so they are chasing them to kill. They are not hunting, but shooting at any size. They are also killing leading sows. At first sight this seems right, because when you kill the sow, it 's possible that her young onces stay at the place and you can kill a few more. BUT: that leading sow did keep them all together and prevented that the boars would also "take" the young sows. Killing the leading sow often means a split up + the very young sows will also get pregnant. Instead of decreasing the numbers, you're increasing them + you chase them around to places they have never been before...
And don't forget: when doing so, you're educating (young?) hunters to shoot and kill instead of hunting and managing the game.
Even in G-B they make the difference between shooting (pheasants) and hunting...

Aloysius wrote:

Even in G-B they make the difference between shooting (pheasants) and hunting...

Yep - I don't do pheasant "shoots".
I do however hunt them in a forested estate over the border in Scotland - no beaters, just me & mate scanning & searching (it's actually where I'm going for a day's deer stalking Monday after next).

DallanC wrote:

Second, never shoot the lead cow... never.

Ok, Dallan. You out hunting? Rational? I want to learn.

slimjim.....find a copy of Wilbur Smiths book elephant song....what he said happened to the herds is pretty much word for word what Aloys just wrote.

This time of year, when elk herds meet, they stay together making them more concentrated. If this does split them up, then that would be good as fewer herds make it harder to find an elk to shoot.

The lead cow is the one that has learned most how to avoid hunters. Shoot one in her herd and she learns some more. Shoot the lead cow and one less smart takes over.

www.fieldandstream.com/cow-elk

Lead cows not only keep the herd patterned and predictable, they are usually the oldest, and worst eating of all the elk in the string. Never seen a lead cow that had much for teeth and were tough and nasty to eat.


-DallanC

Thanks, Dallan. This is the first lead cow I have shot. I'll let you know how this one tastes.

Another lesson learned in this situation - what for the others to follow the lead cow.