What Would You Do?

[Swede]

You are sitting in your tree stand when suddenly you hear a bull bugle less than 100 yard up the hill you are facing. You can't see him or any other elk, but you stand up and grab your bow. Suddenly from out of the thick trees come four cows straight your way. A large one stops broadside in front of you at under 20 yards. You can easily shoot her, or wait for a possible shot at the bull you heard. He sounded big and you know there are more cows with him. Due to the on site situation there was no perfect tree stand locations, and you risk being detected if you are not very careful or the wind shift in the canyon where you are perched.
What do you do? This is a classic bird in the hand situation, and you have been hunting ten days already.

[Tigger]

Get out of the stand! Nobody shoots elk out of a stand!

I wait for the bull. I am fine with eating tag soup.

[elkstalker]

At this point in my life, 10 days is a lot of days away from the kids, I'm taking the shot and putting meat on the table!

[Wyo67]

At this point in my life, 10 days is a lot of days away from the kids, I'm taking the shot and putting meat on the table!

Agree with elkstalker. Too many things can go wrong. A couple of immediate things that concern me would include the winds that will probably shift at the worst possible time or the cows with the bull will take a slightly different route and you may not even see them. In addition, if I'm on day 10 of an archery hunt, I'm out of vacation days and need to get back to work soon We're at the point of if it's brown, it's down (except calves...)

[stringunner]

No guarantee that bull comes in....I’m shooting the cow. 10 days in a tree stand is a LONG time.

[Lsb]

Get out of the stand! Nobody shoots elk out of a stand!

I wait for the bull. I am fine with eating tag soup.

I agree about the stand.

Waiting on the bull not so much. I don't care if it's day 1 or day 100 cow is getting shot. Nothing flying nothing dieing.

[saddlesore]

Never pass up a legal elk. In Colorado,it may very well be the only chnce you get

[WapitiTalk1]

If "day ten" is my last day of hunting this area/state, then I'll potentially take a cow but probably not . I always have my sights set on a mature bull each and every time I hunt. I'll wait a bit from my perch (in this scenario) to see if the bull decides to grace me with his presence. For me, it's all about the vocalization with the bulls and trying to take one of them home for dinner. I wait way too long each year dreaming about big, stinky, snot noses, red eyed, mud caked, "vocal" bulls to cut my season short with a cow...... but that is just me. Of course my philosophy certainly ends with no elk in the freezer some years

[Indian Summer]

Never pass up a legal elk. In Colorado,it may very well be the only chnce you get

Hello people!

[Swede]

Never pass up a legal elk. In Colorado,it may very well be the only chnce you get

Amen! There is also a solid old saying, "never pass up the first day what you would shoot the last day." I have never shot a calf, but they must surely beat tag soup.

[jmez]

What Lsb said.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[Lefty]

Depends,.. If it is my last day shes a shooter
But likely I'll pass on the cows,.. Ive done that plenty of times.

I expect some day waiting will pay off

[Fridaythe13th]

Hell no!!! I've waited 35 years to draw the best unit in New Mexico, I'm betting it's a 360" bull walk your way. I feel safe from the wind 35 feet from the ground. That cow is not dying the 1st or the last day of my hunt. I'm going to wait for the grand prize.

[>>>---WW---->]

I'm betting that big cow that stopped 20 yards in front of me is the lead cow. She is the one that determines where the herd goes. She leads and the others follow, including the bull ! There is a 99.999% chance that bull will be showing up real soon. Probably within a minute or so. I'm waiting to see if he is a good one.

[Tigger]

someone mentioned the saying "shoot on the first day what you would shoot on the last day". Man, do I hate that saying. To me it implies a "need" to take home an animal and that is what is by far the most important about a hunt. Just to start with, I love the hunt. Shoot something on the first day and you are done....you better love that animal as it cut your hunt short. What is wrong with being flexible and adjust as the week unfolds? Sure, you might not get one...so what? You aren't any less of a hunter if you come home without one! In fact, a person who hunts the whole season gains a lot more experience than the one who tags out opening day. Now to be perfectly clear, I am not saying pass up elk on the first day. If that is what you want, shoot it! But if it isn't, don't be pressured because of some dumb saying to do something you really don't want to do.

The bull in my avatar? I passed up a cow opening day. Shot that bull the last day. To say I am happy to have passed on that cow is an understatement.

It is perfectly acceptable to not shoot something the first day that you would shoot the last. It is your tag, shoot (or don't shoot)whatever you want whenever you want! I just don't like putting pressure on someone to shoot an animal. Let the person decide on their own.

Okay, fire retardant suit is on, go ahead and flame away at me!

[saddlesore]

someone mentioned the saying "shoot on the first day what you would shoot on the last day". Man, do I hate that saying. To me it implies a "need" to take home an animal and that is what is by far the most important about a hunt. Just to start with, I love the hunt. Shoot something on the first day and you are done....you better love that animal as it cut your hunt short. What is wrong with being flexible and adjust as the week unfolds? Sure, you might not get one...so what? You aren't any less of a hunter if you come home without one! In fact, a person who hunts the whole season gains a lot more experience than the one who tags out opening day. Now to be perfectly clear, I am not saying pass up elk on the first day. If that is what you want, shoot it! But if it isn't, don't be pressured because of some dumb saying to do something you really don't want to do.

Well,I am out there to kill an elk,not hike around.I have killed enough elk that I don't ever need to kill one just for the sake of saying I did it and I sure don't need to gain anymore experience after 50+ years of elk hunting. I have killed both bulls and cows the1st day of the season and the last day of the season.Big bulls and small bulls. It is not some dumb saying. As mentioned above,in Colorado that one elk that you see in an OTC unit might very well be the only chance you have. Guys get too hung up on trying to kill a 300+ bull and maybe go 5-6-7 years or more eating tag soup.Heck if someone wants more hunting time,go out in the summer with a camera. Up until you pull a trigger or depress the shutter release,it is all about the same. Too many guys expound this stuff and the first time hunter thinks they need to and can kill a big bull. They don't get it done,go home depressed and throw the rifle or bow in the back corner, never picking it up again.

I guided a young fellow this past season with ta ML tag.He said he had to kill a bull.First morning out, three cows walked by and he passed. Good for him. Four days later his chin was at his knees,, so depressed. Next day he killed a cow.He saw one bull in 5 days, leaving the country at about 40 mile an hour No shot.The only other bull hung up at about 150 yards in the timber and would not come in.

I wouldn't say he was100% smiles after killing the cow,but he was considerably more happy than the day before.

Hunters have to start realizing that any elk is a trophy and we are darn lucky to be able to hunt them.A person has to realize what the chances are in killing an elk in the unit he/she hunts.

And yes,I waited 21 years to draw a tag in a trophy area of only 25 tags and killed a big bull,but I also killed elk every year during that 21 years.Both bulls and cows.However,I also paid big bucks to go to Alberta to elk hunt and shot the same size bull that I usually killed in Colorado

[Swede]

Who says a hunter has to go home when they fill their elk tag? I have more tags in my pack. If I want to hold out for a big buck, I can still do that. I enjoy having elk in the freezer. I don't need more antlers around. Persons that pass on a cow the eleventh day of the season are extremely likely to go home with no meat. People that pass on cows the first day are very likely to go home with nothing but stories about how close they were, and a claim that they could have been feasting on back-straps.

[ishy]

I'm shooting every time (other than a LE tag of course). I have just as much fun calling and filming friends once I'm done-I get to enjoy the rush of a big bull coming in without the pressure of trying to pull of a shot.

[Old school]

I'm watching my feathers bury behind her shoulder. Then getting out my phone to take video of the bull as he walks in minutes later...I'll be smiling the whole time. Life is real good.

--Mitch

[Indian Summer]

I’d wait for the bull and if he didn’t show up I’d come back for him in gun season.

[Lsb]

I'm shooting every time (other than a LE tag of course). I have just as much fun calling and filming friends once I'm done-I get to enjoy the rush of a big bull coming in without the pressure of trying to pull of a shot.

I get more enjoyment calling in elk for others rather than myself. I'll take the cow and spend the rest of season calling elk for friends.

[Tigger]

I think you guys are kinda making my point! Most of you are talking about your preference...that is what I am saying. Everyone gets to decide themselves what to shoot and when to shoot. To impose your thoughts on what elk a person should shoot is doing that person a disservice. I know many people who want to shoot a bull. they don't want a cow. However, late in the trip, they may decide to shoot a cow for meat. Not a darn thing wrong with that and completely contrary to that saying. Or they may pass on a cow late in the trip and not get an elk at all! Not a darn thing wrong with that either.