Edwards County January 18th

We have a decent population of free range elk and red deer in the area we have our 5,300 acre lease. We had been hearing two bulls in particular part of the lease all fall, but only laid eyes on the one below at the beginning of August while in velvet at 800 yards. We saw the other bull twice, but he was a younger 4x4.

Our friends son took this last Saturday evening right at sunset. It was a pretty old elk - patchy hair and teeth all but worn down. We field dressed him on the spot, but still couldn't get him to the Ranger (and we are both BIG guys), so had to go back and get my Expedition with a lower cargo tray and a third person to help.

Congrats to the hunter. Good job.
That bull looks like he was living a hard life. Will it be good eating from that environment ?
Also, do you have Aoudad on your lease ?
Cheers

quote:

Originally posted by 30.06king:
Congrats to the hunter. Good job.
That bull looks like he was living a hard life. Will it be good eating from that environment ?
Also, do you have Aoudad on your lease ?
Cheers

It should be good eating - the axis and sika taste good; only the whitetail are funky.

Yes, we have lots of aoudad. I think only the young ones taste good - backstraps cooked in cast iron pan with bacon.

That's pretty cool!

Very nice.

I have a picture on my cell of a 400 plus elk shot on a free range low fenced ranch in the Texas Big Bend country, an absolute monster. The old Cap Yates ranch had a lot of elk that he introduced many years ago, many of those elk wonder on to the Blackmore ranch just so. of Marathon, Texas, I believe its call Iron Mountain Ranch today..I bought 16 blue mares and a 3 year old blue stud in about 1970-74 and during the gather I saw many elk and some awesome bulls...More than a few ranches have elk from that original herd I believe.

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I have a picture on my cell of a 400 plus elk shot on a free range low fenced ranch in the Texas Big Bend country, an absolute monster. The old Cap Yates ranch had a lot of elk that he introduced many years ago, many of those elk wonder on to the Blackmore ranch just so. of Marathon, Texas, I believe its call Iron Mountain Ranch today..I bought 16 blue mares and a 3 year old blue stud in about 1970-74 and during the gather I saw many elk and some awesome bulls...More than a few ranches have elk from that original herd I believe.

The Davis Mountains and surrounding areas have some outstanding elk (and aoudad and mule deer; some big horn). High 300 and low 400 elk not uncommon. All were introduced RM elk; original native elk in this same are now extinct in NA - Meriam's Elk.