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Filled my Colorado Cow Moose Tag Sunday! Hunted opening day with one failed stalk, wind switched directions three times in just a few minutes and got winded last second! Didn't hunt the second day as I had to be to work for three days before my vacation started and wanted to make sure I had time to take care of her properly. Went back up Thursday. Friday morning I spotted her with 2 bulls and a calf, thought the calf was bigger than it was and decided to take her if able. All of a sudden the calf starts walking on a course that would bring it within a few feet of me and things really started getting Western in a hurry as the bulls and the cow started rushing at me as the calf neared me because they knew I was there but the calf didn't. Thought I was going to half to shoot a frontal on the cow but she finally stopped and turned broad side. I aimed and shot and I watched in horror as my arrow came off fish tailing hard left, I hit on a good line but extremely high in the top of the shoulder. I looked down and my arm guard had slipped down to my wrist and I'm guessing I caught it with the string when I shot because this bow set up is extremely forgiving and I always have good arrow flight! Off they went with my arrow flailing in her side. Found a tiny drop of blood about 60 or 70 yards which gradually improved then disappeared about 325 yards as there crow flies according to my GPS. Couldn't find the arrow which dumb founded me considering how close she walked to some sturdy trees on that side of her body. Watched for her the rest of the day with no luck and looked for my arrow some more with no luck. Next morning headed back up same drainage with no luck and started back down and ran head on with her calf at about 30yds, finally spotted her just a little farther away but couldn't see the side I had shot the day before and didn't want to shoot a different cow as there were several around. Started jockeying around to try and get a look at other side of her and got busted, but did figure out it was the right cow. Played cat and mouse with her for a little bit but didn't want to pressure her out of the area, needed to wait till terms were on my side. Next morning headed up again and spotted a cow and calf very near where I had shot the first time but there was no arrow visible, but before I could discern through my binoculars if she had a wound, she moved into the timber out of sight. I look back behind me towards camp for some reason and see another Hunter coming and as he neared I realized it was a friend of mine that I didn't know was there, he had come in the night before to elk hunt. He knew I had a moose tag for that unit and had seen my cow right by camp with the arrow in her and had come looking for me or whoever it might be that was moose hunting. We went back, found her again and I was able to close and shoot her again, the shot was just a little low but I think I must of hit her in the heart because she just walked a little ways, few yards and laid down. I closed and shot her again, she jumped up went a little farther and I emptied my quiver into her to try and expedite the end of the suffering. If you've never moose hunted and cut one up for yourself, it's hard to fathom just how big even a cow is, the quarters were close to my height(5'11") a bone in front quarter without the lower leg weighs almost fifty pounds and yielded 25# of trimmed meat. Tendons I don't even pay attention too on a deer are a 1/4" thick on a moose and probably wouldn't go through my grinder!
(https://i.imgur.com/SG2UzGy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/US7SNt7.jpg)
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Couple pretty view pics.
Congratulations! Glad you where able to stick with her :thumbsup:
(https://i.imgur.com/CFVAYtQ.jpg) here's three separate broadhead wounds on the inside of the offside leg, made it through but not clear through. Shot six arrows total!
:clapper: Congratulations
Congrats. Good follow through
Glad you were able to seal the deal. I know in pictures they look massive, so I can only imagine what they're like in real life!
Awesome man!!!!! That's is an intense story. :campfire:
Congratulations! They must be one tough critter!!! Good on you for sticking with it!
Congratulations. In all the years I lived in Colorado, I never drew a moose tag. Saw plenty camping....and would always dream of a hunt.
Congratulations on a beautiful trophy! What was your equipment specs?
Quote from: frassettor on September 17, 2019, 02:53:23 PM
Congratulations on a beautiful trophy! What was your equipment specs?
Bow is a Toelke Lynx 50#@28" but I pull 31"so probably around 58#ish, arrow was 638gr total arrow weight doing 175fps. Used both Cuthroat and Valkyrie broadheads.
Congrats!
Holy smokes... you mean it when you say you emptied the quiver! Way to stick with her, and commit to finishing what you started. Great job!
Wow. That story is a cautionary tale of sorts, the casual hunter might bite off more than he could chew. Thanks for the detailed account.
congrats Dave, way to finish what you started, and dequiver.... hell yes. you cant kill them dead enough, every animal I have ever shot I walk up and put another through there heart, I dont care how dead they look!
What a tough animal. Congrats on the epic harvest. You've made me rethink how many broadheads I carry.
Congratulations OG! You have a lot of good meat and a memory of a lifetime.
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One hind quarters work of streaks roasts and hamburger trim. 57# deboned untrimmed weight. Had to trim a lot, tried to keep it clean, but between the bone in weight being hard to handle and the dry mountain air and massive tendons, there's a lot of weight trimmed off the total!
(https://i.imgur.com/X9Gx9yD.jpg)
Way to keep after her, and get it done!!!
Congrats!
Bisch
Great tale well told Chief! Dedication to and respect for the quarry! Can't ask for more. :clapper: :notworthy:
Way to stick with it! Congrats!
Way to keep after her! Congratulations! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congratulations! It's on my bucket list also.
Congrats on some good eats.
Awesome job! I spent last summer working just south of Walden on or next to the Grizzly Creek Ranch. Saw moose everywhere! North of town we even had a spot we would see all 4 ungulates from the area: moose, elk, muleys, & pronghorns, within 400yds of each other.
Fantastic! I have been close to a few Moose, just not had the right tag at the time. They are amazingly big animal!
Congrats! Way to stick with it.
Quote from: old_goat2 on September 17, 2019, 03:07:21 PM
Quote from: frassettor on September 17, 2019, 02:53:23 PM
Congratulations on a beautiful trophy! What was your equipment specs?
Bow is a Toelke Lynx 50#@28" but I pull 31"so probably around 58#ish, arrow was 638gr total arrow weight doing 175fps. Used both Cuthroat and Valkyrie broadheads.
How is your opinion of the valkyries ?
I had asked earlier on about these heads but no one seemed to be using them. They look like they would do well with trad gear
Quote from: acedoc on September 20, 2019, 09:46:52 AM
Quote from: old_goat2 on September 17, 2019, 03:07:21 PM
Quote from: frassettor on September 17, 2019, 02:53:23 PM
Congratulations on a beautiful trophy! What was your equipment specs?
Bow is a Toelke Lynx 50#@28" but I pull 31"so probably around 58#ish, arrow was 638gr total arrow weight doing 175fps. Used both Cuthroat and Valkyrie broadheads.
How is your opinion of the valkyries ?
I had asked earlier on about these heads but no one seemed to be using them. They look like they would do well with trad gear
They work very very well, at least with my setup, with my long draw and heavy total arrow I have a lot of oomph in my shot others don't. They are very hard to sharpen though, I think if you are going to buy them, you would be wise to buy their sharpening system also!
Quote from: old_goat2 on September 20, 2019, 10:12:21 AM
Quote from: acedoc on September 20, 2019, 09:46:52 AM
Quote from: old_goat2 on September 17, 2019, 03:07:21 PM
Quote from: frassettor on September 17, 2019, 02:53:23 PM
Congratulations on a beautiful trophy! What was your equipment specs?
Bow is a Toelke Lynx 50#@28" but I pull 31"so probably around 58#ish, arrow was 638gr total arrow weight doing 175fps. Used both Cuthroat and Valkyrie broadheads.
How is your opinion of the valkyries ?
I had asked earlier on about these heads but no one seemed to be using them. They look like they would do well with trad gear
They work very very well, at least with my setup, with my long draw and heavy total arrow I have a lot of oomph in my shot others don't. They are very hard to sharpen though, I think if you are going to buy them, you would be wise to buy their sharpening system also!
We are in similar boats, draw and poundage vise. I shoot a bit lighter arrow though. Thanks for sharing and the reply
Congrats on the moose. You got into what I call a shoot out. :biglaugh:
Congratulations and excellent work on your persistence to recover that animal, a well-deserved and delicious trophy!
Well done sir! I respect your ethics and not taking putting an arrow in an animal as a casual act.
Outstanding my friend , a true dream hunt for me....
,,Sam,,
Congrats on the cow! moose is some of the best eating on this earth.
She should be great. After a shiras you need to go for an Alaska Yukon.
We got one last week that yielded 500# of boned meat.
Mike
Congratulations Chief; glad you were able to stick with her and bring her home. Glad you were prepared well for this hunt. I hope to be able to hunt moose or elk, some day soon.
Well done Shipmate.........
From one Old Goat to another...
ATTA BOY!!! and ya got more in ya brother.
Wow! Congrats!
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