Feral cow ?

Moose

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Staff member
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I got a friend that has a cow on his game camera and has been on it for the past 6 months. Shouldn't be any on the land nor is there cows on surrounding lands. No ear tags or any other markings. Can he legally shoot it? I think he is going to inquire with county sheriff to see.if anyone is missing it. Hogs it's pretty cut.and dry I don't know about other critters.
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
Guy on our hunting club shot a brown calf years ago. Don't know where it came from. We were hunting timberlands with no farms in the area. After making fun of him, we helped cut it up. Good eating
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I feel like he can. But, would be much better to pen it up and feed it out before killing.
No telling what the processed meat would taste like at this point. Could be good, or could be bad..
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
I had a fellow in the community ask me last week if I had seen 3 cows around my place. He has recently bought some laand close to me, fenced it in and put some cows on it. One day, they were gone and he hasn't seen them since. Last he heard, someone said they saw 3 cows loose about 5 miles from here. A couple of years ago I had 15 come through my place from about a mile away.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
I feel like he can. But, would be much better to pen it up and feed it out before killing.
No telling what the processed meat would taste like at this point. Could be good, or could be bad..

I’d be willing to bet acorn finished beef is 👌🏼, if he can wait til Oct/Nov lol. Supposedly acorn finished pork is great (domestic)
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
Unless it was doing some major damage, I personally wouldn't shoot a cow, goat, sheep, or dog. Cats are a different story. There may not be cattle on the surrounding properties, but widen your search a little bit. All these cattle guys know each other and word travels fast in this circle. If it's been there for 6 months, someone wants it back. This is several hundred, or even a thousands bucks that just walked off someone's farm. If you do end up shooting it, ask yourself first "What am I going to do with a thousand pound animal?. You're not going to get it on a pickup by yourself or hang it just anywhere. Also, it's very hot out there, any plans to cool it?
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
Buddy of mine went to Maine on a moose hunt a couple of years back. He asked the guy at the check station where the best place was to get one. His response was; "Close to a road!"
 

lasttombstone

Kinder, Gentler LTS
Two guys messing with a full grown cow isn't easy. Some years back, not long after I moved up here, one of the neighbors came to me and said he had a cow that kept getting out and staying close to the road. He said, the next time she does it I'll come get you and you shoot it. Won't a week later he shows up and said, get your gun. While he went to the house to get his tractor, I dropped it in a good spot. He picked it up hanging from the bucket and headed to the back side of his place. That hide is thick and it took a while but we got it done, lowered it on plastic on a trailer, covered it and headed to the processor. Another interesting day.
 

woodmoose

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Staff member
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Buddy of mine went to Maine on a moose hunt a couple of years back. He asked the guy at the check station where the best place was to get one. His response was; "Close to a road!"


I did a solo DIY moose hunt in VT in 2006,,,,,,walking up on a dead one laying there, knowing getting it out is all on you,, makes one think "what the heck have I done!!"
 

DRS

Old Mossy Horns
I have eaten feral beef. it was excellent. A friend of the family had cows out and he could not keep them in. The ate honey suckle and soybeans all summer. Come fall he said they have ate all my beans, now it was time to fill the freezers. The entire neighborhood was stocked up well. By the way the .30-06 worked well.
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
I did a solo DIY moose hunt in VT in 2006,,,,,,walking up on a dead one laying there, knowing getting it out is all on you,, makes one think "what the heck have I done!!"
Must’ve been an awesome experience. Dad took us up to Maine a lot as kids. Had more than one Unexpected encounter them. Went up to Moosehead Lake a few years ago and saw several. Total brutes.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
I think if it’s been out for 6 months nobody wants it back that bad or expects it to come back. If nobody has come asking about it I’d say you just filled your freezer with better meat than any wood goat would be!
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Must’ve been an awesome experience. Dad took us up to Maine a lot as kids. Had more than one Unexpected encounter them. Went up to Moosehead Lake a few years ago and saw several. Total brutes.

Saw a few last summer around Moosehead Lake. I’d kill for a cabin up there.
 

woodmoose

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Must’ve been an awesome experience.


in hindsight,,,yeah awesome,,,

during?? Like selection all over again,,,,

3/4 mile from where moose was killed to truck so 1 1/2 mile round trip,,,up hill to truck,,,,8-12 inches of snow,,,,,,,only one stream crossing with a nice log to walk on,,,,didn't fall in until last load,,,

99% of the moose killed (bs statistic) are either dragged out by draft horse or dropped where truck accessible,,,,can't drive a motorized vehicle off the road in those woods up there,,,,they even use draft horses for dragging logs to the road when logging,,,,,,,

I had talked with a couple of folks who do pulling with draft horses before the season,,,,,,shot my moose and was "only" 3/4 of a mile down the hill from the logging road,,,,,called and called,,,,no answer from the draft horse folks,,,,,,

so I cut him up and brought him out,,,,,,at the check station folks looked into the bed,,,seen the cut up moose parts and said "not to bad if you have plenty of friends",,,,,,,,,

I pointed to my freighter pack and said "that's my friend",,,,,,,,,they looked at me,,shook their head, and walked off - I reckon they either thought I was full of crap or crazy as crap,,,,,,,,,still trying to figure that out,,,,,,

took all day but carried that beast,,,8 trips (in VT the only thing that could stay in the woods was legs below the knee, the hide, and the head,,,,every thing else had to come out, bones and all),,,,,,
 

YanceyGreenhorn

Still Not a Moderator
in hindsight,,,yeah awesome,,,

during?? Like selection all over again,,,,

3/4 mile from where moose was killed to truck so 1 1/2 mile round trip,,,up hill to truck,,,,8-12 inches of snow,,,,,,,only one stream crossing with a nice log to walk on,,,,didn't fall in until last load,,,

99% of the moose killed (bs statistic) are either dragged out by draft horse or dropped where truck accessible,,,,can't drive a motorized vehicle off the road in those woods up there,,,,they even use draft horses for dragging logs to the road when logging,,,,,,,

I had talked with a couple of folks who do pulling with draft horses before the season,,,,,,shot my moose and was "only" 3/4 of a mile down the hill from the logging road,,,,,called and called,,,,no answer from the draft horse folks,,,,,,

so I cut him up and brought him out,,,,,,at the check station folks looked into the bed,,,seen the cut up moose parts and said "not to bad if you have plenty of friends",,,,,,,,,

I pointed to my freighter pack and said "that's my friend",,,,,,,,,they looked at me,,shook their head, and walked off - I reckon they either thought I was full of crap or crazy as crap,,,,,,,,,still trying to figure that out,,,,,,

took all day but carried that beast,,,8 trips (in VT the only thing that could stay in the woods was legs below the knee, the hide, and the head,,,,every thing else had to come out, bones and all),,,,,,
Ooooooof! Everything bone-in huh? How much weight we’re you carrying gear wise? And I agree about situations of adversity. Many times they aren’t “awesome” until they’re in the rear view . 2 weeks ago we had to rescue a family of five(3 young girls) after they capsized their kayaks in a boulder field in the middle of the river. Wasn’t a damn thing cool about it till I was back at the house knowing every one was ok lol
 

ellwoodjake

Twelve Pointer
took all day but carried that beast,,,8 trips (in VT the only thing that could stay in the woods was legs below the knee, the hide, and the head,,,,every thing else had to come out, bones and all),,,,,,
Wow, even, backbone, pelvis, and ribs. I'm not much of a rib fan, and even grind the ribs on a steer and hog. After I'm done with the filet knife work, there's no need for a buzzard to land. I can't imagine having to pack this worthless crap out. I did enjoy your description though. I got tired just reading it. Add "barefoot" to the mix and I would think it was my dad talking:rolleyes:
 
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QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Wow, even, backbone, pelvis, and ribs. I'm not much of a rib fan, and even grind the ribs on a steer and hog. After I'm done with the filet knife work, there's no need for a buzzard to land. I can't imagine having to pack this worthless crap out. I did enjoy your description though. I got tired just reading it. Add "barefoot" to the mix and I would think it was my dad talking:rolleyes:
Nobody cares what you do with a pig, but you should be commited for grinding the short plate...
 

bigten

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I’d be willing to bet acorn finished beef is 👌🏼, if he can wait til Oct/Nov lol. Supposedly acorn finished pork is great (domestic)

Let me explain. Years ago we were given 1/4 cow, processed. It had not been fed out, or not well enough at least. EVERY bite tasted like wild onions. I'm actually not sure if we were able to choke it all down, may have disposed of a bit.......nastiest beef I have ever had.
 

Justin

Old Mossy Horns
Let me explain. Years ago we were given 1/4 cow, processed. It had not been fed out, or not well enough at least. EVERY bite tasted like wild onions. I'm actually not sure if we were able to choke it all down, may have disposed of a bit.......nastiest beef I have ever had.

Oh I believe you, your comment just stirred a thought about some reading I did a while back about woods raised heritage breed hogs finished on acorns.
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
I think the difference in digestive system of a cow vs hog has alot to do with what they eat influencing the taste of the meat. I know of some cases where a steer was allowed to graze on a pasture with alot of wild onions and made the beef so strong want fit to eat. Years ago hogs were turned out into the woods to fend for themselves sometimes. Especially if times were tight and grain crop was short. Guess thats where the term “root little pig or die” came from. Never noticed a difference in the taste of pork raised like that
 
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