Took a nice cow this week

[Todd_ID]

I hunted the late archery season with the Idaho Panhandle A elk tag this past week.  It's an any elk hunt, but I only saw 3 bulls the whole week, so I wasn't too worried about trying to find a big bull.  I figured a cow would work just fine.  A buddy and I hunted private land (my family's) near the Canadian border.  We hunted 5 days and only got one cow, but it wasn't the elk's fault we didn't get a couple. 

The cow I got happened to walk by me at 30 yards in 2 feet of snow with another cow and 2 calves.  I was sitting on a log glassing a clearcut about 3 miles aways and heard something behind me.  I turn my head to see a cow coming quickly toward me.  Now the snow is seriously noisy, so I can't just jump up and turn around to get a shot.  She passes by, and I turn hoping to see her come through another opening, but I never see her again.  At this point I'm thinking I missed a great chance.  Then I hear more crunching in the snow.  A calf walks out on the same trail the first cow had used.  I'm thinking a calf sounds pretty good at that point.  Then another calf comes out.  Then a big cow comes out and a dilemma arises in my mind: do I take the first good shot at any of them or wait to try for the big cow?  The two calves follow the same trail, and it looks like the big cow might do the same, so I let the calves walk on by.  She stepped into the 8" window I had to shoot, and I tripped the trigger.  She went about 100 yards and tipped over; I had hit lungs and liver.  We pulled her down the mountain to where we could get the snowmobile and drug her to the truck with the snowmobile.  I was a happy camper to say the least!  It's not too often that you get to load an elk whole in the pickup!

[jackelope]

holy crap man, you weren't kidding when you said it was a huge cow.
congrats. I know it's going to a good place too which is awesome.

[SirSpencer]

Very nice! glad you got it done.

[agchawk]

CONGRATS Todd!! Man, that is one BIG cow too!

[Machias]

Nice, heck she's a nice one, congrats!!

P.S.  I see you FOB'd her!!  Nice!

[Lightning_Rider]

 :drool:that'll be good eating!

[400out]

WOW Todd thats going to be some fine eating! Is that your first elk with your bow  Way to go 

[GoldTip]

Great looking cow Todd, some dang fine eating there for sure.

[Drifterat]

That is a nice cow. Congrats.

[carpsniperg2]

Congrats! very nice cow

[Todd_ID]

WOW Todd thats going to be some fine eating! Is that your first elk with your bow  Way to go 

Good Eats for sure!  No, not first....been bowhunting for 25 years.  It is the first in a couple years, though. 

[Button Nubbs]

 

[ser300wsm]

That is a very big cow, congrats to you.... 

[head hunter]

nice cow! what kind of fletchings are those

[ribka]

That is a big one!
 Congrats. 

What type of head are you shooting? I bet the snowmobile was a Godsend. I couldn't imagine dragging her too far even with the snow