Reality smacketh me in the face!!!

[WhitewaterDuck]

I drew a type 6 elk tag in area 7 this year for cow/calf. Archery 9/1-9/30. I planned on going up where I was in a bunch of bulls two years ago to chase a cow in and amongst the action way up in the hills. I have not hunted deer with my bow in-earnest out here since archery deer is 9/1-9/30, and I've been opting to chase bugling bulls instead. I decided to go scout my best whitetail spot to see if I could spot a buck that would change my mind about chasing elk. When I arrived, there were elk in my whitetail river bottom field. I told a bud that I was leaning toward a combo whitetail/elk hunt with my bow from a tree come Sept 1, despite the fact that I'd rather chase elk in the backcountry for the camping, hiking, and brook trout fishing experience. He said, "why don't you go buy an OTC type 8 tag and shoot the one in the whitetail spot with your rifle?" Whaaaat? 6 years, and I still don't know and understand the seasons out here.

So, I want and bought the tag, and on the second afternoon, I made a nice 444 yard shot a touch high and forward on an ancient cow elk and a better 450 yard neck shot just below her head to turn the lights out. I did not want to leave the carcass in that spot, so I drove down to load her in my trailer to take to a rack to clean. When I pulled up, I could not believe what I was looking at. I pulled the trigger at 5:30 pm and was in the bed at 3:30 am. This was a freaking JOB.

After this experience, I now realize God knew exactly what He was doing when he gave me two very close encounters with giant bulls without giving me the shot. I can honestly say that I was not and I am not....in any way, shape, or form...man enough to do what it takes after killing an elk three miles deep in the backcountry solo. No freaking way. You can watch videos and hear first hand experiences...like you are reading now...and you simply can not understand the size of the animal and the size of the job until you experience it in person.

I have ordered a new 3 door commercial freezer, and this joker is going to take up a good bit of it. Hopefully it will be completely packed once all this year's seasons come to a close.
Its not a big bull to gawk at, but here she is...my first elk.

;

[Tater]

I could never buy any type of tags other than that one, but that’s me.

[WhitewaterDuck]

I could never buy any type of tags other than that one, but that’s me.

I try to draw the Type 1 area 7, and if I am lucky enough to draw it again, I will be going with a healthy party, or I’ll have a horseman and team of horses on standby. I’ve been here 6 years and didn’t realize you could always buy an OTC cow/calf for area 7 and start hunting them with rifles on Aug 16. I’ll definitely be buying this tag each year from here out if I need meat, and I won’t be applying for any more cow tags.

I assume you are saying as a non-resident, that’s the only OTC tag available for you to buy? If so, how much is it for a non-resident? I figure they should be very affordable considering the fact that they still have north of 2,900 type 8 area 7’s to purchase.

It’s not a bad way to go if you want to kill a giant animal and put a PILE of premium meat in your freezer while waiting on that trophy bull draw tag to hit.

[Tater]

I’m just saying I would be quite content to only kill cows and fill my freezer from the lowlands.

[WhitewaterDuck]

I’m just saying I would be quite content to only kill cows and fill my freezer from the lowlands.

Gotcha! Yes, I’m over the moon on this one. She was elderly, as her ivory’s were worn down to her gumline, but she is a she, and she’s going to be delicious!

[Tater]

Damn right.

[JABIII]

I could use a chunk of cow elk...

[murraywader]

Hell yeah WW!

[BachelorJack]

Really talk. What state is this?

[WoodieSC]

I can imagine the look in your eyes when you realized what a job it would have been to haul a bull out a few miles. Good choice!

[Sasha and Abby]

I'm sure you realize this now, but always gut and remove the windpipe as soon as you catch your breath from the shot. They are an undertaking to get out... the gutless method is the easiest. You don't need to take all that stuff back home with you.

[quack head 11]

I am most jealous of the long sleeve shirt and beanie weather.

Nice job on a long shot brother!

[WhitewaterDuck]

I'm sure you realize this now, but always gut and remove the windpipe as soon as you catch your breath from the shot. They are an undertaking to get out... the gutless method is the easiest. You don't need to take all that stuff back home with you.

She dropped about 200 yards (which seems like 40 out here) in front of the landowner's house, and his niece and husband are now living there. I just didn't want to be in sight of their house cleaning it for hours and leaving the carcass there. I figured I'd just take it to a skinning rack and that would be easier. I was wrong. Hanging a deer to clean is advantageous; hanging an elk...not so much. Not with just one person anyway. I'll clean the next one gutless on its back.

[WhitewaterDuck]

Really talk. What state is this?

WY

[WhitewaterDuck]

I could use a chunk of cow elk...

I'm bringing a bunch with me in the spring when I come to visit and turkey hunt. I'll gladly add a few backstrap steaks and some burger for you. It'll make me feel better about that fine reel you hooked me up with.

[PharmHunter]

Yes sir!

[Sasha and Abby]

She dropped about 200 yards (which seems like 40 out here) in front of the landowner's house, and his niece and husband are now living there. I just didn't want to be in sight of their house cleaning it for hours and leaving the carcass there. I figured I'd just take it to a skinning rack and that would be easier. I was wrong. Hanging a deer to clean is advantageous; hanging an elk...not so much. Not with just one person anyway. I'll clean the next one gutless on its back.

understood!!!

[Short_track_champ]

Nice job! Man, that does seems like quite the task solo.

Enjoy that full freezer!

[WhitewaterDuck]

I iced all the meat immediately, drained the melt the next afternoon, added more ice and a healthy dose of salt, and added water. I kept the meat in an ice water brine and drained the water daily while replenishing ice and salt. I’ve been doing this with deer for years without salt. Tried it with salt last year, and it really draws the blood out nicely.

Anyway, I did this for 5 days and took meat to processor yesterday. I kept the BS and TL to butcher and package myself.
I took my sweet time trimming well and cutting the BSs into 1” steaks. Ended up with north of 50 nice steaks and some end and “side” meat.

I trimmed and packaged one tenderloins whole for a Traeger slow cook, as it was as big as a good sized whitetails backstrap.
Trimmed and cut the other tenderloin in two and packaged separately. Trimmed and cut the heart into steaks. It’s a lot of premium meat.

I still package what I don’t send to the processor in wax paper. I’ve always done this, and I’ve never had freezer burn issues that I have noticed. Everyone says go to vacuum sealer. Anyone on here have experience with both? Is vacuum sealer really better? I hate to fix something that ain’t broke.

Bonus question. There is what I referred to as “side” meat attached to each blackstrap. It’s on all animals you cut the back straps from. It is attached to the back strap at the skinny end or toward the head of animal end, and there is a piece of sinew between the main BS and this piece of meat. In this meat, which has a more “stringy” appearance, there are small bands of sinew that run thru it. In the Elk, I was easily able to tease the five thin strings of sinew out leaving a big flatter, thinner piece of super tender meat. In deer, I usually trim this and feed it to my dog, as the sinew/meat ratio does not make it worth messing with. Anyone know what this piece of meat is called? What a butcher would call it?

[BachelorJack]

I can tell you a chamber vaccum sealer has been atleast twice as good as the traditional vac bag suction ones.

We have a vp-215. I'd push you to as big of one as you can afford. I've had a few times I wish I had gone bigger already and ours is not small. It lives on a stainless cart with a removable butcher block top. Bags on a shelf underneath. We just wheel it out when needed.

We reseal all sorts of stuff I had never considered when I was shopping for one. Like bags chips and things of crackers. Which sounds trivial. Until you visit the land of never stale chips or crackers.

We now buy large cuts of meat and butcher it here. And bulk spices in Atlanta when we go there and use them for dry rubs.