Elk Calf

1203sales · Jul 1, 2014

I am looking for an answer to a delicate question. The Archery Elk hunt starts in less than 2 months and in certain areas you can shoot either sex. I am curious if you shoot a wet cow that has a calf will the calf survive? Don't respond if its right or wrong, if you would or would not. Don't care what the ethics police have to say about it.
All I am asking if anyone "KNOWS" If the calves will be alright because this happens every year regardless of what we think.

trophyhunter · Jul 1, 2014

I'm thinking that it depends on how old the calf is at the time you decide to kill the mother. If the calf is well developed say 6 mo. To 9 mo.old I would think the survival rate my be 50/50 . Any calf younger ain't going to make it period.
The calf's are very depended on the cow feeding them then teaching them the kinds of foods to eat once off the milk....as well as learning the ropes of how to survive in the wild.

Sometimes people can make a mistake and shoot a cow with young depending on the foliage not being able to see the cows bag or in addition maybe also not see the calf. But I just never run across that kill situation after the fact as you stated it happen's every year and I've hunted for lots of years. Sure hope not because that is truly a waste of a truly majestic animal for the calf to go off and die getting weaker until a predator finishes the job.

))))-------->

1203sales · Jul 1, 2014

Last year I had 3 cows with calves bed down inside of thirty yards of me, was fun to watch, I didn't need the meat bad enough to kill one but have always been curious about it.
I haven't seen it happen personally but I am sure it happens. I just really want to know the truth without the emotion.

mntman · Jul 1, 2014

They will survive, is their chances as good, no but they can. We had doe's hit by cars all the time and we'd see their fawns around the house all summer and into fall. Sometimes they were a month old and made it. Can't say if they made it through winter or not but they made it to winter.
A calf is no different, nature is tough.

Mntman

"Hunting is where you prove yourself"

Let me guess, you drive a 1 ton with oak trees for smoke stacks, 12" lift kit and 40" tires to pull a single place lawn mower trailer?

pmixmaster · Jul 1, 2014

I've actually heard that another cow can pick up nursing duties and often does so if the mother is away and such as they have to leave new calves to feed and water not sure how accurate that is but i have heard it more then once that a cow will nurse another her mates young if need be .. YOu would think since they are herd and social animals

Buglelk · Jul 17, 2014

Just shoot the calf the meat is better

Then you don't have to worry.

KILL22 · Jul 17, 2014

I agree with buglelk. They taste amazing.

BeanMan · Jul 17, 2014

Beat me to it. I love calves for eating.

huntinfanatic · Jul 17, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Jul-17-14 AT 08:36PM (MST)[p]If the calf can find or run into another cow the calf will be fine more times than not. Cow elk are herd animals with strong maternal instincts. This time of year the big nursery herds will leave dozens of calves with just a few cows to babysit while they go off and feed for hours. Last year I saw 4 cows with 13 calves wandering the same canyon for 3 days mewwing and moving all day trying to find the herd they somehow got seperated from. Calves get seperated from their mothers alot more than most people realize it's just part of life.

nfh · Jul 17, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Jul-17-14 AT 08:41PM (MST)[p]Certain parts of Wyoming they wont. Most cows are lucky to have a calf due to high Grizzly's and wolves.

But if the calf came from a decent size herd other cows can adopt the calf. I have seen this several times

BPKHunter · Jul 22, 2014

No do not shoot a cow when you know it has a calf, especially this early in the season. I'd focus on a yearling, they are better eating and easier to pack out. They are also twice as likely to winter kill so less impact on the herd that a productive cow.

llamapacker · Jul 22, 2014

There are no guarantees in the life of a young calf, with or without its mother. Of course the odds of survival are better with its mother, but the death of the cow in August/September is by no means a death sentence for the calf. It does lessen the calf's survival rate.

I've shot both calves and cows with young calves, and probably will again in the future. It can be a little disturbing to have a young calf hang around while you turn the cow into packable meat. But this also happens as the result of other predators, and man is just one of the predators elk face. Shoot the cow if you like, and there is still a decent chance the calf will survive and flourish.

Bill