About 6:30 AM on Sunday, Dec. 15, Lora, Martok and I finished piling our stuff in Lora's little Ford Ranger and headed west.

Our destination being Pudge and Julia Cox's place in Collbran, Colorado to do a Late Season Cow Elk hunt. The hunt took place in a designated section of unit 421, east of Grand Junction, just off of Grand Mesa.

Pictures will be posted following this narrative.

Our first day of travel ended up being longer than I intended, ending up with our getting a motel room in Gallup New Mexico and going to roost about 10 PM that night. The next day we completed the drive to Collbran, arriving at Pudge and Julia's at 6 PM, just in time for supper.

The last time we had hunted with Pudge was in 2005 and that hunt was also for late season cow elk.

These hunts are somewhat tricky, in that one of the major factors effecting success depends on snowfall in the higher elevations, 9000 feet plus in both the Grand Mesa National Forest and the White River National Forest. The area my tag was good for is in the Plataeu Creek Valley, which lies in-between the above mentioned National Forests.

Heavy snow in the higher altitudes force the elk to move down onto the hay meadows in the valleys, which the farmers/ranchers really do not appreciate.

The last time Lora and I went on one of these hunts was in 2005.

The basic scheme is to drive around and check the hay meadows Pudge has access to and when elk are spotted, a stalk takes place and if everything goes as planned, the result is a dead cow elk or two.

Tuesday morning, we were up by 5 AM and after setting around and visiting a little, me, Pudge and Bob Wood, one of Pudge's friends that has been helping him on these hunts, loaded up and headed out to the hay meadows elk had been coming in to.

There was a good bit of snow and with the full moon we were able to spot elk out in the meadows well before legal shooting time. We reached a point close to one of the fields Pudge has access to and parked and waited for legal shooting time.

When legal shooting time finally arrived, we drove down toward the meadow. As soon as we reached a point where we had a good view of the meadow we started seeing elk.

Bob and I got out of the truck, crossed the fence and eased our way thru the sage and pinions to get a better look at what was in the meadow. We reached point B and saw a couple of bulls and calves and one nice looking cow. The animals were working their way toward the boundary fence, so Bob set up the tri-pod and I stepped over and got my .300 Weatherby set into the rest. just as I got set up, the cow stopped broadside and looked up toward where I was set up. At that point, the cross hairs settled on her shoulder and before she or I either one had the chance to really think about what was happening, I took the shot and at the sound of the shot the cow went down on the spot.

For me, this is usually the exception rather than the rule because I rarely ever have anything DRT at the shot, the majority of it runs from a few feet to several yards.

Lots of chewing on that old gal! Congrats!!!

Good fer you.
and Merry Chritmas, Randall.

Best.

GWB

Whenever someone kills a cow elk I remark: "you're going to be eating well this year".


It looks like she was in good condition. Don't throw away that fat. Grind it into your burger and you are in for a treat!

Great job! Thanks for the story.

Great for you girl elk is very good eating. Hunting isn't for the horns all the time. Glad you and lora had a good time.

Congrats to you on one BIG elk cow! Plenty of tasty meals to come...

Well done...freezer is going to be packed good

Good job Craze

She's a dandy and as anyone who has killed a cow elk knows. You have a freezer full of fine meat.

Merry Christmas

Good job on a fine elk. Thanks for sharing your hunt too.

"Can't figure people down there eating hog when they could feed on elk." - Chris Lapp

quote:

"Can't figure people down there eating hog when they could feed on elk." - Chris Lapp

I have no trouble at all with that concept.

Looks like a nice one.Congrats!!!

Congratulations!

Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Congrats on the elk -- and NICE SHOOTING, too!

Outstanding! Full freezers are happy freezers.

Merry Christmas to the Ran'l Family!


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Well done!

I have three landowner tags here in Utah.

Might take the kids out tomorrow!

Hard to beat an elk tenderloin!

From me and Lora, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours J.

Time spent with folks you obviously like calling friend.
A successful hunt.

Many a steak some roasts and a bit of burger hanging there.

LIFE IS GOOD . . . no . . . LIFE IS GREAT!

Congratulations & Merry Christmas!

Looks like a solid high-shoulder shot; that will really dump them where they stand!

Enjoy the venison...that's a mighty good lookin' carcas!

friar

quote:

Looks like a solid high-shoulder shot; that will really dump them where they stand!

Yes Sir it was and it did.

Also the 168 grain Barnes TSX I was using created minimal meat loss.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

That's one healthy cow and some great eating. Well done.