Just got back from our annual elk hunt.The first three days were non stop heavy rain and snow followed by two days of wind in excess of 50mph.Very little game was seen.On the second last day I finally found a herd of five cows and cancelled my cow tag.This makes 6 elk with the 180gr ballistic tip out of my 300ultramag.The cow dropped instantly from a lungshot and meat damage was minimal.Next year I will be hunting bulls again which is far more challenging.My hunting partners killed four deer but were not successful on elk.

Good job, always good meat for the pot --- cows are one of my favorites, bulls have the glory, but cows are better eating. Enduring nasty weather typically makes for fond memories though it can suck at the time. Remember, YOU are the one that got the elk, the rest settled for deer.

Yes, after a while, even though the elk hunting experience is always fondly remembered, if you are like me, then at some point you start asking, "Is this it?" Then I start looking at hunts that are farther away, more exotic, and in some cases more dangerous (arguable ).

Soon to depart on the annual wapiti hunt. Looking forward to it, I enjoy the logistics, the camp, the packing and the butchering, and to some degree harvesting an elk, but especially helping those who haven't shot one before get their first wapiti (father/daughter team from California this year). But honestly I'm a bit restless --- wore out the "deer thing" long ago and now elk are starting to become a bit "business as usual". Thank God that the comaraderie (sp?) never becomes mundane.

EKM

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Glad you got your freezer filled. I don't hunt until Nov. I can take any elk this year. Had a cow tag last time. The deer or elk hunting never gets old to me because the quarry is a small part of why and what I hunt. Just lucky I quess.

stubblejumper, Good job on the elk. Looks like your in for some good eating there.

elkkampmaster, put down that rifle and grab a bow if it is getting boring. Once you do, your hooked for life. Good luck to you EKM.

Stubblejumper, Congrats on filling your tag with some lovely eats.

This year we made a choice to hunt bulls feeling the rut would be on time, as Sask changed the reg elk rifle season from bulls only 2 week season to 1st week bulls only and 2nd week either sex. It proved to be a miscalculation with very few real elk talking our party ended up taking 3 bulls. I agree any legal elk is good elk and while I had visions of getting a good one I was pleased with taking my 3rd bull in as many seasons on the last evening of my hunt - 3 year old big bodied rag spike.

Congrats on the elk. Now all I have to do is fill both of my tags!