Contributors to this thread:
How many let young immature bulls walk ?
I think I invented the saying "What was I thinking"
I let several walk last year. Saw 26 bulls total and not that I had shot opportunities at all of them but... I ended up killing a cow the last day. The saying that morning was "Grocery shopping"
What about you City... passin' them up?
I'll make a confession: I want to hunt with you. Partly because good partners are priceless and I know you have it together but also because I love Wyoming and I want to see some new country.
What do you think Sherpa... er, I mean Lou? lol
Lou isn't giving up his spots.I've passed on sure shots at small bulls only to come home empty.I've killed small ones though and am alright with my decision to look for something better
I have and I have not hunted elk a ton.
My first guided trip I had a 300 class animal at 5 yards tearing stuff up and throwing branches on me. It was too thick to shoot.
I decided big bull or no bull.
We had some close encounters and I could have shot a few younger bulls.
I am not picky but that trip I was. Had I tagged out on any animal I would have been done early but I would have missed 6 days of non-stop bugling and chasing which looking back was way more worth it than killing any elk.
I was spoiled on my 1st elk hunt. Killed a good bull and hunted 6 yrs after before I stuck another. Passed many branch and spike bulls, also a few younger 5bys and 6bys. Boy I miss hunting elk.
Oh yeah, and some nice ones too. Good decision sometimes and sometimes not. It's all good though!
I have passed on a # of bulls because of the wrong shot ( Facing or rear )
I haven't had the chance yet. I had one bull in range last year and he busted before I got a shot. Anything bigger than a 3 pt, offering me a good shot, is going to get shot.
Yes let them walk ! I have too much respect for elk to try and end a bulls life at a young age .im happy tagging a cow.
Mule how many points do u own ?
Kyle that makes perfect sense I would take a cow to break the ice they do taste great.
I have already shot two cows with my bow, I need to break the ice on a bull. My tag turns in to a rifle tag October 15, so I am going to hold out on a cow until rifle, maybe. They look very tempting at 20 yards on day 4.
Since I always go for 2 weeks and once in awhile 3. In the early stages of the hunt I do. The last 2 or 3 days if it seems like I'm not going to get any other chances at a good bull. The little ones going down.
I'm trying to figure which hunt I'm doing next year..
1. General tag Wyoming which will be 2 weeks and will not pass up a small bull the last few days
2. Unit 40 Colorado 10 days and will pass up small ones till the last day and most likely last afternoon.
3. Unit 76 Colorado 3 weeks will pass up small bulls till just about the last day. But if in big bulls, I my go home with tag soup. Ed
I have, on numerous elk bowhunts. I've had some smoker tags that I've let some bulls that would have pushed 300" pass because I wanted to hold out. I've been in other units where I've had some rag horns and spikes pass within bow range and passed. Seeing as I've gone 0 for 5 on archery elk hunts now I've second guessed some of those decisions. That being said, by not punching a tag I've learned a lot about elk hunting that I wouldn't have otherwise. I've heard other people say it...to kill an elk isn't hard. To kill a big herd bull is one of the hardest things you can do in bowhunting. That being said...I'm getting anxious to hang a tag on an elk!!!
Yep. Can't kill nice ones if you kill a small one 1st. If I shot the 1st elk I had a chance at my elk season would end. I typically like to draw out my time in the woods. If it comes down to the end of season or no time to hunt i will take a small one don't get me wrong. But I pass up elk quite a bit.
Yes, depends on where I am hunting though.
I might get only two or three opportunities on a legal elk over the course of 10 days (pressured public land)
I eat elk...not passing!
Best of Luck, Jeff
I let these two walk. But I only had a cow tag. :-)
The meat has been too good to pass an elk in the past few years. I feel like I have figured the game out a bit better and this will be my first season holding out for a bigger bull. I hope my partner doesn't hold out though, it would take some pressure off me to have some meat on the ground.
Nope. I'm shooting any legal elk that comes my way. Bull or cow. I like the meat. This will only be my 3rd year hunting elk so maybe I'll change in a few years but not right now.
I let a small 6x6 and rag 5 walk from feet away two nights ago. I may regret it by the end of the hunt, but I have some monsters I'm trying to find.
Cheers, Pete
Nick them bulls would make good rattling horns for iowa ! No shame in shooting a cow, plus letting them small bulls walk will only help the area in a year or two .
I have two tags this year.
First elk I get a shot on, I'll take it. I love elk meat. The 2nd tag will be for a mature bull only till the last day.
Generally the first legal elk gets it, unless it is a nice draw unit.
I let a 330 class bull walk the other day, 40 yds broadside.
Ok - I'll play.
Since I hunt CO OTC public land, I'm shooting what's legal. I got two freezers to fill with 2 kids in college.
I like to use my bow, my broad heads, my knife, my packs, and all the other stuff associated with elk hunting.
I got nuthin to prove to anyone by shooting big bulls. Plus if I pass on young bulls they prob gonna get shot over the next ridge.
I dunno, just something seeing your arrow in flight and sink deep into any legal elk.
Now.... Next week in Wyoming is a completely different story. Which I hope to tell upon my return.
Good luck to all chasing elk this year.
Since I have not hunted elk much, I never passed a shot at a legal elk until this past season. I had a good tag in AZ and passed 26 bulls under 40 yards during the first 9 days of hunting. But AZ is not a normal elk hunting experience!!!
With an "any bull" tag--i.e. cows aren't an option-- it probably depends on where I'm at. It would be tough for me to pass up a raghorn 1/4 mile from the truck if the freezer looks bare. Deep down in some hell hole...I might be more picky. Then again, I have tags for 2 states and can hunt within an hour from home in either.
Im with city. Passing the small bulls helps the area, if you want meat shoot a cow. I pass several small bulls every year. 6 or better is my general rule but I've always wanted a big 5x5 on the wall.
I don't "let" em walk..... they seem to do a great job walking, sometimes running away all by themselves without my help....
Have let a few walk, not many. First archery elk was a stupid spike. Thought this was pretty easy stuff. Next year let spikes, cows a 4x rag walk early. Never got another opportunity late and ate my tag. Shot a cow the next year with a couple days left, but was on good bulls several times. Have shot a couple rage horns the last couple times in the later half of my season.
Next time I'm holding out for a decent bull again.... until the last day or three, then anything is getting it to fill the freezer. If I pass stuff early that I would have shot later and wind up with only a tag to remember the hunt by.... oh well. That's the way it goes. In fact that's the way it has gone sometimes. But much prefer to punch a tag when it comes down to it.
Depends on the unit/state I am hunting
Utah LE or Az. drawn tag Yes----
Wyo Gen or an Idaho or other state OTC nope------>
Not very often does everything line up 40 yards or less.
Good luck, Robb
Certainly have in the past, probably wouldn't again.
One reason is I love the meat, and there's a lot more meat on a bull than a cow.
I also have no desire for any more elk mounts. Any trophy bull I might have killed (and I wouldn't let one of those walk) would be more appreciated by somebody else.
lot more meat on a mature bull not a spike or raghorn mike .
Of course I have, and do, but I don't have any "set rules" about it. Size and or maturity have nothing to do with success for real hunters...JMHO
I have 3 elk points and 4 deer City.
True, City. My ultimate would be a huge-bodied mature bull with a crappy set of antlers.
Same as I hunt for whitetails a lot these days.
I once climbed a tree during midday and sat on a limb to get my scent away from the herd, I had this immature bull walk under me ! young bulls like this lack knowledge to survive easy pickings for hunters in JHMO ,I learned from letting whitetails walk it gave me great knowledge of the species .
I once let a 300 + bull walk , watched over a dozen elk go by me in single file at 20 yds , waited as long as i could for the bull, none in sight, decided to shoot the last cow She went 75 yds and piled up. Was standing over the downed cow when a bull started bugling back where i shot the cow. Just caught a glimpse of him as he headed down the mountain bugling his head off. I thought , man i hope he's not very big. My thoughts were answered as he brought his cows back up past me at 30 yds, a beautiful 6x6 that i just had to watch walk by, very painful , but have a great memory and a good story to tell, that i have many times over the years.
I know I won't be passing any in a couple of weeks if the opportunity arises.
Missed the opener in Co., my horse got traveling in his rear hoof befor I was to head out. He's been been not lame now for two weeks and the vet said to go with him, so heading up into the Hunter-Fryingpan wilderness 4-5 miles back and shooting the first lag bull unless things look hot right off. Aspens look to be possibly good for tree stands in the mornings heading at an angle back up the mountain ridge from meadows!
Holding out for a mature bull. No score minimum, just the right bull. Lots depends on the circumstances and the encounter and how things transpire.
I let the small ones walk so the orange army can get something too.
Completely futile effort letting small bulls go ( in CO OTC or public) and trying to let them get bigger. Shoot when you want, let them walk when you want. I have done both.
Like cnelk, 2 growing kids, high beef prices, any legal elk is a good elk.
I've haven't killed an elk yet, but in my four elk hunts in solid units, I have let a handful of small bulls walk. I set my goal on a mature 6x and have had chances at both on my last two hunts, but I didn't seal the deal.
Heading out Friday and have the same goal as I head out. I'll have a great trip regardless if I kill an elk or not!
I have in the past, but not this year!
Situations usually dictate my actions, not the size of the animal.
I am with CNELK. I like to shoot 'em, pack em out, butcher them and my family loves to eat em.
I will/have passed on whitetails knowing I can shoot a doe. Also last year when I had a coveted UT elk tag, I passed on several smaller ones. Ended up with tag soup. But if in CO OTC area, I'm letting the string go on any legal animal.
IMO no right or wrong answer on this one.
IMO much of the OP questions has to do with:
A) Where are you hunting? OTC on public land P&Y+ bulls aren't behind every tree. Not by a long shot, one may not even exist in the area you are in even if decent elk numbers do. Seen plenty of herds where the "herd bull" is a mediocre 5x5. Draw tags a bit better, private land, LE... lots of different levels of expectation.
B) Experience/history. Have you taken a branch antlered bull before with your bow? If you've hunted much and hadn't taken one, or even a few.... why would you pass on one?
C) Time constraints. 5 day hunts are not nearly as forgiving to passing on animals as 4 week hunts.
Note: as far as shooting a cow over a rag bull.... that depends on the herd "dynamics" IMO. If animal numbers are high, shoot a cow. If numbers are low shooting a young bull is better. Depends on the management goals for the herd are. IMO letting young bulls walk is more along the lines of trophy management and/or just a personal judgement. Nothing wrong with that, but the key word is personal. Not all hunt for the same goals and even goals can change over the course of a hunt.
I love hunting them more than killing them.
Every year is the same for me, unless they are the biggest elk yet, they walk until the last 2 or 3 days.
Love being in the elk woods, leaving in 2 days!!
Game on Herd Bull!
I have passed on many small bulls, depending on what you feel is small and may continue to do so. My biggest bull is a 336 gross. He was not any where near a herd bull but he was a screaming slobbering 15 yard to hard to pass up shot.I had passed on several small bulls by the time I connected with him.
Like many have already mentioned that killing a bull early on in the hunt ends it too quickly. Chasing big bulls and trying to get in position for a shot is just too much fun and excitement.I learn so much from each hunt and that might all be taken away if I was to kill to early. Of coarse this is just for myself. However I will never forget my sons big smile when I killed my first bull which was just a young 5 point rag horn and it was only day 3. So I guess it could depend on some other memorable circumstances as well.
I might be tempted to kill a s mall immature bull if my grandson was next to me when I was to do it.
280 minimum. 300 if i packed in.
Yes and no. Depends. This year, I had a legal 4x4 and a 2 year old cow standing side by side 10 yds. Guess which one went home with me?
Definitely nowadays but I hunt draw areas - and tough to draw areas, so I can afford to be picky.
If I was OTC and new to elk not likely, spikes and 2x2 or 3x3 maybe.
I don't pass up anything legal. I am a meat hunter and the horns are just a bonus. Sure it feels good to shoot a large bull but I suppose I don't have any more respect for a large bull than a small bull or a cow for that matter. They are all the same to me,,, meat. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know how many points my last elk had until I walked up to it. I didn't even look at the antlers except to see that it was a legal brow tine. I was concentrating on the body so that I wouldn't miss.
The only way shooting a cow over a young bull helps an area is that it will allow larger bulls in the area but the overall effect will end up being lower elk numbers. One bull can breed a lot of cows but if you have fewer cows, then you have fewer calves the next year. I prefer more total elk in my area not fewer elk.
Remember, you can't eat the horns.
Yes, I do and did this past weekend.
I'm all for putting meat in the freezer but I have an additional anterless tag and will utilize that instead of shooting a young bull.
I'm not a "score" type of guy but I pretty much won't shoot a bull unless it is a real big mature five or a solid six.
I pass up all marginal shots. If you are hunting for a trophy bull elk you pass until you get a clear shot at a trophy bull elk. For me with a OTC tag on public land any legal elk with a bow is a trophy
yes I let them walk also....right into my shooting lanes and then thwack :)
After 2 years in a row of taking nice bulls we got a little cocky and on day 2 last year in MT as the Elk were talking their heads off we let one walk at 10 yards. Didn't hear any bulls after that for 5 days and got skunked. Since I love Elk meat too much this year we take the first legit bull for the meat pole and then go for the big boys. Sitting in the Denver airport waiting for my flight to Bozeman, into the MT mountains tomorrow morning for 8 days can't wait!
Have let 5 small bulls walk so far this year, all being good opportunities. The biggest being a small but mature 5x5. Simply too far from the truck to work that hard solo if it wasn't a trophy to me, it helps that I already have a few bulls on the wall. Would have to agree, I've learned a lot about elk or an area over the years by passing cows and immature bulls and continuing my hunt. Would also agree no right or wrong answer here, do what feels right for you.
I think any bull is a great take with a bow and is a trophy. I personally hunt big bulls until the end of my hunt and if my freezer is low I will kill a cow and let the little guys grow up.
I also think if someone who has not taken many animals with a bow needs to kill what's in front of them to learn how to efficient. Killing big bulls is and art and if you can not get your thought together when the magic moment comes you will probably fail.
If I have a clean shot and my tag agrees, I take the shot. To me they taste a lot better coming off the grill than they do still walking around the woods.
Mike
I certainly have not shot enough elk to make me start getting picky. I shoot legal elk and that's that. Someday maybe I will have had enough success to wax philosophical on it all. :)
I was hunting an LE unit this year for the first time in my life. I passed on a couple of small bulls and a cow. On the evening of day 8 I decided to loosen my standards and shot a small bull day 9 AM. Do I regret it? Nope. I like to eat elk more than I wanted to eat a tag. (After 2 previous tag soup meals) Maybe if I could elk hunt every year I would be more picky, but 6 years in between elk tenderloin meals is too long!
Yes I have let some good bulls pass. But I'm retired for 9 years and have the whole month to hunt and want to make it last! This year the knees were a problem so I shot a young 5x4 the second week. Like eating elk too! Either way just fun to be out there.
I've got one in the freezer so I'm going to try with my 2nd tag of the year to pass on first legal elk for the first time. It'll be a cow or a 6x6, although, I admit it'll be tough to pass a small bull if he's close to the truck. My family of 4 can go through 2 elk in a year so the meat hunter part of me will probably make the final decision.
Yes until the last few days of the season. Then I've got a freezer to fill.
Louis,
You know I will. Passed a good shot at a small 6X this year. Tried to get my Brother in law a shot since it would have been his biggest bull to date. Passed on some cows as well, never picked up my bow.
I killed a few young bulls the first 10 years I hunted elk. I have to say that I think about it every time I have a cow in range, I do like to eat elk!!
You should be on the mountain today, good luck.
not on Public lands...Private it depends on how many days one has to hunt
Yes, this year I let ten six point bulls walk in for days. That's why I killed this.
I've been blessed with enough elk that now i'm picky. This year I was looking for a special bull and was lucky enough to hunt a dandy for three days. It's very difficult to stay close to a big herd (20-25 cows) and herd bull for 3 days without buggering them up. Although i had him at 25 and 35 yards twice I never got a good enough shot opportunity to fling an arrow. I passed up and waded through cows, spikes, raghorns and a couple of smaller 6x6's to get close to the biggin. So now I'm home with nothing and really questioning my decision.
It was a blast chasing a big boy but I may have to rethink my strategy for next year.
Since I've never shot one yet.first legal elk I see in range I'll shoot
I had a big 6 at 52yards broadside grazing...and a 4x5 at 33yards broadside grazing this year i went for meat and tagged the smaller bull. I deflected on a dandy earlier and didnt obsess on him. Some years i pass on lots of bulls.. Bought a house gotta fill the freezer. My bro and I both tagged bulls and I still want to fill my otc cow tag. I may just pick a new spot and see what i can find. Next year can be holding out for a brute especially if i can find my cow.
lolll
Ya, I'm now at 6 and 3. 3 4xs, 1 5x, 2 6x the biggest 280ish. Im going for 300 plus. And 3 cows the closet feed to 10 yds, range finder would not pick her up. Helped a friend and his son 14, go after some elk. we got on a heard this evening and he might be hooked.
Best year I've ever had!!!! so much fun. Last year killed a 270 6x on the 3rd day. did not go out as much after. Ive been able to go out 3 full days and 2 mornings per week.
GL all!!!!
I pass them all the time. I look at this way, if you shoot the smaller ones you'll never get an opportunity at the big ones. This is the personal standard I set for myself.
If your a first time elk hunter definitely shoot any thing that is legal. This will give you the experience so when the bull of a lifetime shows up you'll be able to close the deal.
Bottom line is whatever elk you shoot is a personal choice!
not on public land otc in Colorado. have passed a lot of them on some private ranches in Wyoming.
Nope not on public and otc CO! Unless I am full in the freezer already!
In my time I have killed 2 over 300... But only because a smaller one did not work out sooner!
Where I hunt in Alberta I can get a general elk tag over the counter and a antlerless elk tag over the counter and then put in the draw for a late season antlerless elk tag. I let a lot of bulls walk every season as I try not to shoot a bull smaller than my previous bull. If I want mean I will shoot a cow elk. I am lucky though as I hunt 3 minutes from where I live and our season is 91 days long so that really helps. It all depends on your situation and in the end as long as it is legal it is up to you and only you.
Another reason I shoot young bulls is so I can call in the big ones for my son to shoot.
This morning - Last morning of the 2015 season - OTC public land Colorado.
congrats to you and your son, cnelk!
I did this past September I had a good tag and a lot of time to scout and hunt the whole 14 day Arizona season . I was also a great year from a moisture stand point. I think I am in the minority but prefer Midwestern whitetails to elk meat so that helps as well.
