I am looking for some input from those of you who have shot both cow and calf elk. How do they compare as far as the quality of the meat? The reason that I am asking is that I have a late season type 6 tag in WY that is pretty much a slam dunk as I can access the public land where the herd winters through a friend's ranch, and I already have a bull elk filling my freezer. Our MN deer season was the pits, so I do have plenty of guys who would appreciate the meat if I took a cow, but if a calf is really much, much better eating, then is that a better option??
I fixed a sirloin tip roast from my mature bull at the deer camp this year, and everyone said it was the best roast of any kind that they had had. I've also never had a bad deer, of any age. I think that much of how your meat turns out is tied to the field care and the preparation for the table. The bull was shot in ideal conditions for aging, and was "dry cooled" for 9 days before it was frozen, but that won't be an option for me in Mid-January....it will be shoot it, cut it, package it, freeze it (outdoors).
It does offend my sensibilities some to shoot a young animal though, so I may have to get past that.
I fixed a sirloin tip roast from my mature bull at the deer camp this year, and everyone said it was the best roast of any kind that they had had. I've also never had a bad deer, of any age. I think that much of how your meat turns out is tied to the field care and the preparation for the table. The bull was shot in ideal conditions for aging, and was "dry cooled" for 9 days before it was frozen, but that won't be an option for me in Mid-January....it will be shoot it, cut it, package it, freeze it (outdoors).
It does offend my sensibilities some to shoot a young animal though, so I may have to get past that.