Some of our best “fells” have been while hunting elk and some of the greatest fails have been doing the same. Elk is a great meat to have on hand. It has the least gamey taste of the deer species and you get more meat for your tag dollar. It can be easily substituted in any and all recipes without major seasoning accommodations or addition of fats. Considering all that is capable and compatible with elk meat it is always a good idea to have a “Tag Soup” recipe on hand as well.

For the last few years, this year will be year 3, I haven’t harvested an elk. If I’m honest I haven’t hunted for the last two years. With my health, the pandemic, work, and family situations I’ve just not been able to find the time. The last couple times I did go the weather was contrary and the elk were in no hurry to move down out of the high country.

There are a couple success stories that I’m very proud of.

The Last’s First

My long time friend and hunting buddy, who my daughters affectionately call “Uncle Matt”, acquired a land voucher coupon for mule deer. He said it was mine and all I had to do was get a tag. I purchased a leftover cow elk tag for my daughter for the same season and off we went. We arrived in the area the day before season opened and did some quick scouting then settled in for the night and hashed a game plan for the morning.

We met up with “Uncle Matt” and began our trek. We hit some canyons and draws to start, saw a few bucks here and there and as the morning drew on we eased into glassing mode. The day wore on with my daughter dozing and napping in the back seat throughout. We’d been at it for about 7 1/2 hours when we decided to clear this one canyon bottom where we has seen some bucks move in earlier that morning.

We’d been glassing from high points and ridges since about mid morning. Catching the final movements of critters heading to bed. We eased off the main road down a two-track making for the deep sage in the bottom of the draw. A great place for bucks to lay up in mid-day. The two-track side hilled down a smaller draw that opened up into the main draw, as we got closer to the bottom a herd of elk flushed out of the tall sage and it was then that we switched into elk hunting mode.

My daughter being the only one with an elk tag was asleep in the back seat. Uncle Matt hollered back, “Wake up girl! We’re elk hunting now!”

There were about 75-80 head in the bunch, a few little rag horn bulls, spikes and plenty of cows and calves. They weren’t terribly spooked just a little surprised to see a truck heading down the finger draw they decided to hold up in. They began to mull around and managed to meander across the bottom of the main draw. We stopped and got out. I maneuvered my youngest to an elevated position to the left of the trail and she kneeled down over a sage brush. I ranged the the herd at about 320 yards.

Given the range I opted to not dial elevation and told my daughter to put the cross hairs level across the back and inline with the front leg. Even at 300+ yards a 130 grain ELD Match 6.5 bullet still runs pretty flat. By the time the herd had settled and single-filed out across the sage they had gained about another 50+ yards. I gave a cow chirp on the coyote call hanging from my neck and the entire bunch stopped.

“The third one from the last.” I nudged.

She fired. The elk leapt in the air, wheeled to run and keeled over after about 20 yards. The herd stood still and watched the whole thing take place and it wasn’t until we drove across the draw to retrieve it that they even became spooked enough to move on.

The Middle One

My middle daughter, Autumn, killed her first elk about a mile from where my youngest killed hers. We drove up the night before and over night it snowed (nothing like a little snow to get the blood flowing). We hit all the usual hold-ups and hideouts to know avail. We were just wrapping it up for the morning and heading back to camp for a late brunch. Deciding to take a short cut back to the ranch we headed up a ridge through an old sagebrush burn area.

I caught a glimpse of something laying in a patch of sage about 300 yds down the ridge. I slowed to check it and glass it when they all jumped up and started running. It turned out to be a bunch of about 25-30 cows. They started running parallel to ridge heading south east. I knew and they knew exactly where they were going…to the private. Typically in this part of the country (open range lands) when you encounter a bunch of elk they head for the nearest safe zone, which 9 times out of 10 is just across a fence onto private land. They found a little isolated patch of sagebrush on a secluded point during the night storm and luck would have it they were on public land.

The road followed the ridge line for about another 1/4 mile before hitting the range fence and turning due south toward the section corner. Following the fence south the road went through a couple of finger draws before arriving at the section corner about another 3/4 of a mile.

Our presence deterred them for making straight for the ridgeline and having a pretty good idea of their intent I beat them to the first draw. They stopped for a moment before deciding to continue to the section corner. I was already in tune with them and on my way. With 6-8 inches of snow on the ground the time it took to come to a stop felt like forever as we watched elk after elk leap into freedom over the southern fence line.

My daughter bailed out of the truck just as what we thought were the last three elk cleared the fence. I look to see if their were any stranglers or if some had decided to cut behind us. To our surprise the last one lone cow stopped about 60 yards away.

My daughter pulled up and laid the wire right on her chest and squeezed one off. The bullet hit with a crack and the cow started to b-line for the fence where the others had crossed. She built up a good head of steam after about three leaps. There was a brief moment where I thought she might make it over the fence but as her head began to drop her legs buckled and she slid 10-12 yards on the fresh snow and came to a stop about 3 yards from the fence.

The following year they both got their first Mule deer, all with the same rifle.

We used to hunt in Northwestern Colorado mainly because that’s where I grew up and what I’m most familiar with. But as I said the last few years we haven’t hunted because the couple years previous the weather wasn’t cooperative and the hunting pressure was pretty heavy.

Nevertheless, a good “Tag Soup” recipe in lieu of game meat consists of left over Thanksgiving turkey or ham and choice cuts of beef and chicken…or have a friend who doesn’t get skunked and raid his freezer.