Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: swashington2128 on August 28, 2017, 03:33:45 PM

Title: First Elk
Post by: swashington2128 on August 28, 2017, 03:33:45 PM: Had a great time in the mountains of Utah and opened the season with my first Cow Elk. What a rush! Barely had time to get to draw before she came charging down the hill into the clearing. At 82 degrees, packing her out was no fun but she tastes great and was worth it.

Good luck to all on this years fun!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: yakimanoob on August 28, 2017, 03:34:34 PM: Fantastic! Are you the first to post a 2017 elk?? What do you win?!?

Seriously though, congrats.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: carpsniperg2 on August 28, 2017, 04:01:40 PM: Congrats on your first elk :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: bracer40 on August 28, 2017, 04:52:55 PM: Congratulations on your first! At least she fell in the shade :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: DeerThug on August 28, 2017, 05:02:29 PM: Thats awesome!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Igottanewknee on August 28, 2017, 05:36:33 PM: Nice job!! Lots of good eating there...
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: RB on August 28, 2017, 05:39:18 PM: Congrats! :tup:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Kzoobronco51 on August 28, 2017, 06:02:34 PM: Awesome...way to start the year early!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Humptulips on August 28, 2017, 06:41:12 PM: Way to long arm those ears. :chuckle: Sorry, couldn't help myself.
Congratulations.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: elkboy on August 28, 2017, 07:40:37 PM: Congratulations! Nice work! Glad the heat didn't affect the meat at all!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Mark Brenckle on August 28, 2017, 08:09:01 PM: Congrats! Are you doing a European mount or saving the skull since it was a first?
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Seahawk12 on August 28, 2017, 08:19:12 PM: Very cool. Looks like excellent shot placement too.
:tup:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: bod on August 28, 2017, 08:36:00 PM: nice teets
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: WapitiTalk1 on August 28, 2017, 08:42:56 PM: Just awesome.. Congrats!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: bowhunterforever on August 28, 2017, 10:27:53 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: TVHunts on August 29, 2017, 02:00:56 AM: Congrats on your first elk!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: swashington2128 on August 29, 2017, 05:13:44 PM: No didn't save the skull, it was so hot we got as much meat as we could and got out of there before the bee's killed us. I did a good shot right through both lungs but no blood. We were literally looking for a tiny spot every 10 feet. Took over an hour to figure out where she was going. But once she got about 200 yards the blood became more regular. This was my first tracking experience and it is pretty difficult when they don't cooperate and bleed properly.

By the way, packing out an elk at 10K feet elevation is nooooooo fun! I love oxygen too much for that again, well, at least until next year.

Thanks for all the congrats guys, great to finally be able to post something positive. Last year I missed this trip because of some surgery to remove some cancer. I celebrated by 1 year anniversary of being cancer free in hunting camp. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

God bless all,
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Whitpirate on August 29, 2017, 05:24:56 PM: Way to open a season and celebrate kicking cancer's rear. All the best to you and your family this winter with some fine freezer fare. I'm looking at cow tags in Utah next year for my son and I to head down for but I think I'll do the late ones!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Brushbuster on August 29, 2017, 05:29:16 PM: Congrats on your first!! May you have many more. :tup:

You may want to check with your doc & see if you can get a prescription to help with high elevation. I can't remember what it was called but it helped me when I hunted elk at about 10K feet in New Mexico.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: cbond3318 on August 29, 2017, 05:34:24 PM: Awesome all the way around! Nice work! :tup:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Milkman on August 29, 2017, 06:10:31 PM: Awesome
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: swashington2128 on August 29, 2017, 06:35:43 PM: Thanks for the advice on the prescription. I will look into it, have my 6 month check up coming soon, for those who are interested, Cow tags are over the counter in most areas and you can get two per person in most years. $395 for a tag. You don't have to have a drawn deer tag to do it. Just get a license and purchase the tag OTC. I draw a general season Mule Deer tag every year and have not filled it yet. In 2015 there were good 4x4s all over the place. Best I saw this year was 3x2. Tough on the deer hunting but the Elk are there, you just have to find them. A lot of glassing and then some serious boots on the ground.

If you are interested in a guide call Shane at Shane Scott Outfitting. Great guy and will get you into animals for a reasonable price. Learned the area from him and now do it on my own. This year he put me in the perfect spot and got it done.

Good luck out there and if anyone ever needs a hunting buddy let me know.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: bracer40 on August 29, 2017, 09:59:51 PM: Quote from: swashington2128 on August 29, 2017, 05:13:44 PM
No didn't save the skull, it was so hot we got as much meat as we could and got out of there before the bee's killed us. I did a good shot right through both lungs but no blood. We were literally looking for a tiny spot every 10 feet. Took over an hour to figure out where she was going. But once she got about 200 yards the blood became more regular. This was my first tracking experience and it is pretty difficult when they don't cooperate and bleed properly.

By the way, packing out an elk at 10K feet elevation is nooooooo fun! I love oxygen too much for that again, well, at least until next year.

Thanks for all the congrats guys, great to finally be able to post something positive. Last year I missed this trip because of some surgery to remove some cancer. I celebrated by 1 year anniversary of being cancer free in hunting camp. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

God bless all,

Wow! Being healthy and cancer free AND your first elk!!! I can't even imagine. I would imagine this must have been a pretty awesome experience! Nothing makes me feel more alive than time in the field, especially as a predator.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: pianoman9701 on August 30, 2017, 07:03:45 AM: Beautiful animal and shot. Well done first animal! :tup:
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: greenhead_killer on August 30, 2017, 07:33:27 AM: Great job! Thanks for sharing!
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Bigbadweston on September 06, 2017, 09:44:55 PM: That's awesome. At 82 degrees I'm sure you it felt like one of the hardest working days of your life. Congrats man.
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Elknut1 on September 07, 2017, 03:13:27 AM: Congrats on your first, that's awesome!

ElkNut/Paul
Title: Re: First Elk
Post by: Elkcollector82 on September 07, 2017, 05:41:52 AM: :tup: congrats on the first. Looks tasty.