When Did You Kill Your First Elk?

[lukew]

Hey guys! What age were you when you harvested your first elk? Drop your pictures if you have them!!!

 

[JimP]

I was 20, and hunting elk for the first time.

We could hear them in the canyons below us but there was no access into them unless you jumped off of the edge of the hill and rolled down to where they were at. After a week I got tired of not seeing anything up where we were hunting so I bailed off of the edge and shot one in the bottom. It took me and my nephew two days to pack him out. Now you can drive a car into that canyon.

As for a picture, that was before I could afford to take a camera with me on hunting trips. At that time you left valuable things at home, at least we did.

But here is the rack hanging on my garage close to 50 years later.

 

[Hilltop]

October 21st, 1989 at about 5:15pm. Age 14. Been hooked ever since. I don't believe a picture was ever taken.

 

[nv-hunter]

I was 23 or 24, we went 3 for 3 on cows opening day in Or. The wives all said never again when we all spent 3 days cutting up half frozen elk over the thanksgiving weekend

 

[Maxhunter]

I was 13 yrs old back in 1974. It was a spike. It was a cold November in Eastern Oregon. I liked to walk and still hunt, but my dad put me on a stand why the rest of the hunters were doing a drive. My feet got really cold that morning. Once I shot my bull I didn't remember anything about the cold anymore. It's funny how that works. We didn't take many pictures back then. Our group killed 7 bulls that morning. Those were the good old days IMO.

 

[Yell Co AR Hunter]

Well I am 55 and still waiting. Have yet to hold a tag but working on that too.

 

[memtb]

Hey guys! What age were you when you harvested your first elk? Drop your pictures if you have them!!!

I was 35 in the late fall of 1986, my first year to hunt elk in my new homestate of Wyoming! It was a late season cow hunt, myself and 2 friends saw a group of elk entering the timber from a cut-over. The two of them went directly toward the elk. I was sitting in g center of the truck.......never sit in the center, and was the last one out of the truck. I headed into the timber in an attempt to get ahead of the elk. I found a long, narrow opening .....waiting and hoping! I heard the footfalls of running elk, then the first elk entered the opening. Quickly, determining that the running elk had no antlers.....I touched off a shot, and the elk fell. In mere moments a group of cow elk ran past. It was at that time I realized that I shot a baby. It’s difficult to judge the size of a lone running elk in the timber....with only moments to make a decision! I had an elk on my first season of elk hunting.....but, shooting a calf is a little embarrassing!

No picture available .....I didn’t have a “macro-lense” for my camera! memtb

 

[CrimsonArrow]

I was 32, and it’s the only elk I’ve ever shot. It was in Wyoming, and with a bow. I’ve been on several bowhunts for elk, but it’s a hard way for a guy to notch a tag

 

[BuzzH]

November of 1980...I was 12.

This one, just over 40 years later, my 77th elk, been a lot of miles in between.

 

[kidoggy]

I was never much a picture guy . I doubt there are more then 30 or 40 pics of me in existence .

always been kinda proud about that! it is almost funny.... even when I remember to pack a camera I seldom remember to break it out .. am always more concerned with getting it gutted and packed out I believe I was 23/24 when I killed my first elk. a small 5x5.have killed probly 15 or 20 since . mostly cows . I have never had any luck drawing the bull tags. anymore I don't go much out of my way looking for bone . full freezer and I am content.

my best bull is a 7x7 and would probly score in the neighborhood of 330 or so.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Shot a huge cow at 12yrs. of age back in 1976.
I shot it way back on an unused two-track that my dad had gotten
our truck stuck for hours the day before.
He wasn't very happy that day. lol!
No pics available.

 

[Timber Stalker]

I was 24, 1994 Silvies unit Oregon

 

[mallardsx2]

2002 Colorado Flattops. I had just turned 18.

 

[hunter25]

22 years old i think in 1990.
Late season cow tag in Colorado unit 35.

 

[tdub24]

2008, I was 28. Before then I didn't have much experience with elk. My ex big boss took me out in 2007 to "play" with the elk in NE NV. Pure dumb luck, but we came upon a herd of 200 cows with 25 bulls screaming their heads off for 3-4 hours. Needless to say I was hooked. Ended up buying OTC in Idaho unit 39 in 2008 and killed this bull. We hunted hard for 7 days, averaging 8 miles per day hiking. We were fittin' to sit for lunch when my buddy spotted this bull across the drainage.

 

[Travis Horner]

I was 38, October 2020. It's Never too late to fulfill your dreams!

 

[Wyoming Hart]

October 2012 on a guided General tag Wyoming hunt with my father. I was 27 at the time. My profile pic is from that hunt. My father had hunted elk a few times prior but never caught up with one. He was able to shoot the 5X5 right before dark on the first evening. I was able to kill mine the last day of the hunt during a very western morning. Dad wasn't with me that morning and when riding into camp after the pack out and seeing him get emotional that I had killed was something that I will never forget.

 

[CrimsonArrow]

Shot a huge cow at 12yrs. of age back in 1976.
I shot it way back on an unused two-track that my dad had gotten
our truck stuck for hours the day before.
He wasn't very happy that day. lol!
No pics available.

That’s what hunting is all about. A kid’s first elk, a difficult recovery, and memories to last a lifetime

 

[BKC]

The fall of 1982. A spike bull with a 300 savage. I still remember the class that I had to take over because I chose hunting over a mid term, It was business management. I think I got a better education in the high country!

 

[Big Chief J]

2003 Colorado GMU 74. I'll send you the coordinates for your next OTC hunt!
I was 29 years old.