So told the wife a couple weeks ago I was done fir the season. My 4 year old kept begging me to go duck hunting, so I had to go get one last day in and we found a few. 
Then I told my wife again, I was done for season. Last Tuesday I learned about some last minute landowner cow tags in Utah, so I called my dad and he said he was down, so we left Friday at 3am headed out for the hunt. Picked up 2 tags a piece and arrived around 330pm. Went out for the afternoon, but the 3 cows we found stayed on private till dark.
Sat morning we headed out and spotted a group bedded in the open about 30 feet from the boundary, but they returned to private before we could get a shot off.
Around noon the landowner called and said he found a herd on a neighboring property he had access to so we went to make a move on them. After about a mile hike through 2 feet of snow we set up under some juniper about 270 yards from the group as they laid sun bathing in the snow. One stood up and the firestorm began. Dad dropped 1 and I dropped a cow and a calf. I learned last year how tender the first year calfs are, so she was in trouble the moment I saw her in the group.
Was concerned about packing all the meat out, but amazingly the rancher was able to go retrieve a tractor to transport elk to truck, love it!
As soon as we start heading back, I spotted a group of elk headed in a draw, so we dismounted and made a move. Dad dropped another one with the 300 win mag at 285 yards and we were tagged out. Loaded her on the tractor and went to go quarter them out.
Couldn't have worked out any better. Great way to finish a fun season hunting with family. Time to start putting in for 2023 tags! Good luck to everyone in the draws.
Then I told my wife again, I was done for season. Last Tuesday I learned about some last minute landowner cow tags in Utah, so I called my dad and he said he was down, so we left Friday at 3am headed out for the hunt. Picked up 2 tags a piece and arrived around 330pm. Went out for the afternoon, but the 3 cows we found stayed on private till dark.
Sat morning we headed out and spotted a group bedded in the open about 30 feet from the boundary, but they returned to private before we could get a shot off.
Around noon the landowner called and said he found a herd on a neighboring property he had access to so we went to make a move on them. After about a mile hike through 2 feet of snow we set up under some juniper about 270 yards from the group as they laid sun bathing in the snow. One stood up and the firestorm began. Dad dropped 1 and I dropped a cow and a calf. I learned last year how tender the first year calfs are, so she was in trouble the moment I saw her in the group.
Was concerned about packing all the meat out, but amazingly the rancher was able to go retrieve a tractor to transport elk to truck, love it!
As soon as we start heading back, I spotted a group of elk headed in a draw, so we dismounted and made a move. Dad dropped another one with the 300 win mag at 285 yards and we were tagged out. Loaded her on the tractor and went to go quarter them out.
Couldn't have worked out any better. Great way to finish a fun season hunting with family. Time to start putting in for 2023 tags! Good luck to everyone in the draws.
