My first elk

Arizona Hunter · Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 275

Just wanted to share my joy at getting my first elk ever last Friday morning. This was an antlerless hunt, I got the lead cow from 60 yards with one shot from my 30.06 (with 180 Barnes XLC).

My wife was along one her first hunt ever (as an observer), and I think she was happier than me! She ever helped field dress and quarter it.

The sky was sunny and the temp was 10 F. -but I was warm all over. In two weeks we will get 200 pounds of meet for our freezer-yummy! I can already taste the sausage, bratwurst and steaks.

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 3:12 pm Post subject: Re: My first elk

Congrats

Sounds like ya did well. Nothing like stocking the freezer Very Happy

Joe

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Hey thats great! Both me and my wife shot cows this year too (bull tags are impossible to draw), lots of fun and very challenging at times. You have pictures of it? Would love to see it.

One thing though, dont shoot the "lead" cow ... those are the toughest old bittys in a herd. Elk are fairly habitual, going where the leader goes... once the leader dies the rest of'em get confused until someone new takes over and a whole new set of habits emerge. Good meat though

-DallanC

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944

Arizona Hunter,

Great to hear you got your first Elk! Very Happy

Also good to hear your wife likes hunting. Smile

Just remember she might decide one or two of your guns are "hers" from now on so she can hunt, so this is a good time to start saving for a new gun or 2. Laughing

She helped you field dress it and quarter it too! Shocked

Most guys (nevermind the girls who for the most part all claim the blood makes them feel sick) I know don't want to do that to game hense why I end up doing it most of the time! Very Happy

Dimitri

Grant · Posted: Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: My first elk

That's awesome, congrats all around!!!

Great story!!!!!!!!!!!

Vince · Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:20 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

Great work mate. You do realise that I am green with envy. We don't have elk in Australia.

Why do you have to wait two weeks for the meat? Don't you take it home immediately?

Great to hear that your missus is into the hunting as well. Mine won't have a bar of it.

Cheers Vince

Arizona Hunter · Member Joined: Jul 22, 2006 Posts: 275

Vince,
Some people do take the meat home with them, but some of us take it to a meat processor to have them turn it into a variety of sausages, burger and steaks. It costs extra of course but it is worth it to have the meat made up right.

The area I hunted actually had three companies that had hauled in 40 foot trailer with a cooler to store the animals after skinning/cutting.

Vince · Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

That makes sense to me. I have no real butchering skills so consequently make a bloody mess of the meat.

The only freezers you see in the bush out here are the meat companies collecting kangaroo carcasses for either the pet food industry or export.

Cheers, Vince

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Vince wrote:

The only freezers you see in the bush out here are the meat companies collecting kangaroo carcasses for either the pet food industry or export.

Cheers, Vince

We had a semi-truck tip over in a canyon 2 years ago. It was unmarked and they had to unload it before they could tip it upright. Well they opened it and it was full of Kangaroo meat... unmarked. FDA got mighty interested and tracked down that the truck was headed for Burger King...! LOL!

Anyway back on subject Elk are just to freaking large for me to concider processing myself. Mine this year went around 500lbs, my wifes broke 600 (I told her after dont shoot the big old ones :)). We take ours to a local butcher that does a first class job. I get it made mostly into steaks with 4 or 5 roasts, the remaining meat goes into burger but I pay an extra $6 and they grind beef suiet into it to give it added flavor. It makes for amazing burgers.

-DallanC

Bushmaster · Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 12:08 pm Post subject: Re: My first elk

No wonder I don't eat fast food...L M A O

Hey Vince...Know anything about this? Or are you talkin'? Cheers

PaulS · Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:23 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

Good for you! I am glad to see that somebody can hunt this year. It seems that everyone I know is down for one reason or another. I'm out at least this year with my back essentially broken in three places. At the tailbone I have a fractured vertabrea and bulged disc, in the middle of my back I have a compressed disc fracture that happened years ago and is more or less as good as it will get, and the top vertabrea of my back - bottom of the neck I have another compressed disc and bulged disc. I am on pain meds and limited in my physical activities - been like this for a year and a half. It is good to hear that others are doing some good out there.

Vince · Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:33 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

Bushmaster wrote:

No wonder I don't eat fast food...L M A O

Hey Vince...Know anything about this? Or are you talkin'? Cheers

Gidday Bushy. Haven't heard of this one mate, although I take stories like this with a grain of salt. I haven't met a reporter yet who will allow the truth to get in the way of a good story.

Having said that....roo meat is nice to eat and is exported for human consumption. However, it MUST have been processed for human consumption. The pet food industry standards are a little lower than those for us human beans. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

Vince · Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

Bushmaster wrote:

No wonder I don't eat fast food...L M A O

Hey Vince...Know anything about this? Or are you talkin'? Cheers

Gidday Bushy. Haven't heard of this one mate, although I take stories like this with a grain of salt. I haven't met a reporter yet who will allow the truth to get in the way of a good story.

Having said that....roo meat is nice to eat and is exported for human consumption. However, it MUST have been processed for human consumption. The pet food industry standards are a little lower than those for us human beans. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

Vince · Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:34 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

Bushmaster wrote:

No wonder I don't eat fast food...L M A O

Hey Vince...Know anything about this? Or are you talkin'? Cheers

Gidday Bushy. Haven't heard of this one mate, although I take stories like this with a grain of salt. I haven't met a reporter yet who will allow the truth to get in the way of a good story.

Having said that....roo meat is nice to eat and is exported for human consumption. However, it MUST have been processed for human consumption. The pet food industry standards are a little lower than those for us human beans. Very Happy

Cheers, Vince

Bushmaster · Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 9:34 am Post subject: Re: My first elk

L O L And HA HA HA....Four times Vince. Very good....Not to mention my personal one.

There are people in this world that have the ability (whether they intended to or not) to entertain others. You are one of them. And I am proud to know you... Cheers

Arizona Hunter. Congrats to ya...