09 goose prairie archery bull tag

[D-Rock425]

I had a goose prairie bull permit for archery this season.  The area is open for antlerless and spikes and now I have a bull permit so I can shoot any elk  I've seen elk everyday even drew my bow on a nice 5pt but didn't have a good shot.  Now its the fourth day and I'm hiking back to the truck.  I stopped for a few seconds when I see some movement coming right at me its an elk and its close.  I draw my bow and it steps out of the brush a cow all by her self 14 yards away.  What do I do now I'm at full draw with an elk looking at me only 14 yards away it doesn't get much better then this when your a bow hunter.  I let it fly the arrow zip right through both lungs she runs 40 yards stops for a second and falls over dead.  It was kinda bitter sweet to me I got an elk and a freezer full of meat but I kinda wasted a bull permit.     

[BENCHLEG]

verry nice congrats.

[gasman]

way to go 

[EastWaViking]

tough to pass up like you said.  A good clean kill on a close elk... any elk, is a trophy.
Good job!

[Crunchy]

Ya dont look back, the tag is just insurance in case a branched bull was to step out.  Meat is meat.

[littlebuf]

ok im gonna be that guy, YOU BLEW A BULL TAG ON A COW!!!!! hope you didint waste a lot of points on the draw 

[NWWABOWHNTR]

I had/have the same tag... and ate my Bull tag.  Passed on several cows..... should I have?  Not sure yet,  since I have my chance at a cow in the late season,  but I could very well have tag soup instead of elk meat this year.  It just kept popping in my head I have finaly got a chance at a big bull.  It was hard to not draw on the cows,  but I only hope I don't regret it.  I know if I had shot any one of them,  and then a bull happened to try to commit suicide... I would have regretted it for a long time.  Now not so sure... :-)    A cow eats better anyway!!!   Maybe in 6 or so years I'll get another chance at a big bull!

[Red Dawg]

unless you are going for a wall hanger a spike or a cow is better in the freezer anyhow. grats on the kill, goose prairie can be a tough place to hunt.

[steeleywhopper]

I did the same in Montana this year. I figured that I would probably have the chance at a bull, but a nice cow stood there at 30 yards broadside just a little too long. Drew back and gave her a double lung shot, 20yards later she was down. Tuff to pass up meat in the freezer. On the flip side of the story, I have the Goose Prairie rifle tag this year for any bull and I hope to put it to good use on one of those big boys. 19 more days!

[D-Rock425]

I had 5 points when I drew the tag.  That was the 5th elk that I've shot since 2003. a spike in 03, drew a bull permit in 04 and shot a 4pt, spike in 06 a cow last year and a cow this year

[colockumelk]

I had 5 points when I drew the tag.  That was the 5th elk that I've shot since 2003. a spike in 03, drew a bull permit in 04 and shot a 4pt, spike in 06 a cow last year and a cow this year

Man in 2005 and 2007 you sucked   Just kidding.  5 elk in 7 years is amazing. 

[brianmtsinc]

That is an awesome record! 
I personally would have passed on the cow, only because to me there is nothing better than bugling bulls coming to a call.  And with killing so many ??  I would have waited - but thats just me.
 
No one in our group had a bull tag so of course we had 3-4 solid opportunities at a 6pt or better.  That is the way it goes.  We did take 1 cow and 1 spike from goose. 

Many Years ago I had a peaches tag and passed a spike one the 4th to last day.  My camp gave me a lot of crap about and I did end up eating tag soup, but still looking back, the additional opportunities and memories over those next four days were worth it to me.  Just my  .

Congrats on filling the freezer.  My cow this year tastes better than any I can remember!

[D-Rock425]

I would have to say mine is the best tasting elk i've ever shot too.

[Watimberghost]

Good job laying one down. It's hard to shoot a cow with a big bull tag, but its all about personal choice. And you chose meat, and it sounds like that choice is paying off. Congrats!!

[Curly]

Sometimes that is the way it goes.  I have a cow ML tag and I had a bull that I could have shot but I can't seem to find a cow that will stand there like that bull did.  Good job on putting meat in the freezer.

[Austrian Hunter]

Any Elk with a bow is a trophy elk, it even tastes better then an old bull, and you save on taxy costs too

[vfilbert]

ya dont sweat it, id of done the same thing, basically you had an any elk tag, and you filled it, good job.

[MIKEXRAY]

I had that exact bull tag last year and passed on the cows in the first few days and ate tag soup. The dumbest thing is late season I was hunting cows & had the easy shot in Sept. I know you made the right choice. My older / wiser neighbor told me " Don't pass up an animal on the first day that you would shoot the last day ! ". I now will live by that. Side note: This year no bull tag & I saw 5 I could of shot. Mike

[dreamingbig]

I would have to say mine is the best tasting elk i've ever shot too.

That makes three!  My cow from GP this year is the cats meow on the grill.  We had the tenderloins and heart in camp and I could tell it was going to be good then.  They sure were fat this year; mine and the the three others I helped pack out were all pretty chunky.

With all that said... I am still envious of that tag and hope to draw it before I get too old.

[ridgefire]

been wondering how you did on your hunt knew you drew the bull tag and been watching for photos or a post. kind of a tough situation its meat in the freezer or possibly a bull meat tastes better than antlers anyways. this is wade from the machias range congrats

[MAVsled]

"...kinda wasted a bull permit"

well, maybe in the trophy sense of the ANY BULL tag. But your tag filled per legal parameters in WA state. As long as you don't lose sleep over the tag, eat well.

From an experienced & successful elk hunter like myself:
What razzes me in my modern elk gmu is the ANY BULL tag holders shooting spikes in the first days of their special time to hunt in advance of regular bull season. Some guys don't care for the trophy aspect of the tag, just put the quickest meat in the freezer they can.
Well, why the heck even apply if they have little commitment and/or dedication to holding out for a trophy bull. Perhaps a big bull tag limitation such as 3pt or better would weed out those applicants who are less willing to pursue that trophy bull...thus reducing the number of applications. And increasing my chances

I've drawn the ANY BULL tag 2x for my WA GMU, 2x in 12 years of applying. Know my GMU well having hunted it since 1968 with my dad and his hunting buddies (all his buddies are gone now to elk hunter's heaven).
Filled my bull permit both times; first on a decent 5x6 (after 6 days hunting) and last year a 3x3 (after 5 days hunting, 3 days prior & 2 days after general season started and 2008 was a horrible hunting weather year/no snow in my GMU). With both ANY BULL tags, I passed on several spikes. Now I've been fortunate the last few years without the ANY BULL permit to harvest spikes, being limited to spike only. Also tagged several branch bulls prior to the current antler restrictions...yes, back in the day.

It just comes down to choice and who has the gumption to committ to holding out for a good bull. I only hope one day the WDFW will get it right!
British Columbia does...in most of their elk areas.