Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: bod on July 16, 2011, 11:17:58 AM

Title: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: bod on July 16, 2011, 11:17:58 AM: If so what was your reasoning or situation.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: buglebuster on July 16, 2011, 11:24:35 AM: Why wouldn't you shoot a bull if the opportunity presented itself? Use the cow tag as a last chance meat tag.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: marty on July 16, 2011, 11:47:48 AM: The bull stepped out first.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: rosscrazyelk on July 16, 2011, 11:49:26 AM: I never have but I read a story awhile back where that happened to a bow hunter. His arrow hit a branch and deflected into a bull. He felt bad as he should, called the gamies to say what happened. and got taken thru the ringer. paid thousands of $$$ lost his hunting rights for 5 years.. Felt bad for the guy he was trying to do the right thing.. I am sure if that was to eer happen again he will just walk away..
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: Elkaholic daWg on July 16, 2011, 12:00:32 PM: Not elk, but I've done it with deer in NE Wa. a few times. Need to have a cow tag for it to happen and never had one for our area. Hell we're (we're told) lucky to get 2 quality tags for 2 GMU's and 1 bull tag for the other GMU
So as you might guess-up until last year I didn't even apply for antlerless tags.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: wall of wood camp on July 16, 2011, 12:09:43 PM: I have done this more than once when the cow season doesn't start until five days after the general season and the cow is never a guarantee of course I'm going to shoot a spike if the opportunity presents itself. the last year i did this I shot a spike day before cow season and then didn't see another elk the next 4 days glad i pulled the trigger on the spike.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: Crunchy on July 16, 2011, 03:14:46 PM: I had a MH any elk tag. I let the air out of the first elk in my path, which took about 30 minutes to do. I was meat hunting, not horn hunting. Besides it was a second elk tag, so I knew I still had a chance of shooting a bull. Turns out I killed a second cow, three weeks later.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on July 16, 2011, 03:37:23 PM: Quote from: Crunchy on July 16, 2011, 03:14:46 PM
I had a MH any elk tag. I let the air out of the first elk in my path, which took about 30 minutes to do. I was meat hunting, not horn hunting. Besides it was a second elk tag, so I knew I still had a chance of shooting a bull. Turns out I killed a second cow, three weeks later.
well sounds like you ate good !! :tup:
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: Dean44 on July 17, 2011, 04:59:10 PM: I had a January Coweeman cow tag last year. Was going to hunt with a handgun to add a little challenge. Good opportunity to test handgun bullet performance on a cow.

Ended up shooting a bull during the general rifle season so had to burn the cow tag. I call that a good kind of problem.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: steen on July 17, 2011, 05:33:20 PM: Haven't had the tag in my pocket to make the choice, only deer. One of my girls shot a mulie buck instead of a doe but that was ony 1 in 5, we took home 3 does and once ate the tag. Not all in the same year either. If I had a cow tag I'd shoot a cow and let the general guys or draw people take the bulls, but I haven't had the choice yet.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: D-Rock425 on July 17, 2011, 06:09:12 PM: I did the opposite a few years back. I had a bull tag and shot a legal cow.
Title: Re: Has anyone here had a cow tag but shot a legal bull instead?
Post by: KopperBuck on July 17, 2011, 08:25:42 PM: Quote from: D-Rock425 on July 17, 2011, 06:09:12 PM
I did the opposite a few years back. I had a bull tag and shot a legal cow.

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