If I am not mistaken, the Yak is a domesticated bovine animal, with only one small endangered herd (less than 10,000 animals) of wild Yak left.....on the Tibetan plateau of the Himalayas.

Did this Yak come from that endangered wild herd?

Keep yer eyes peeled!

World record Herford

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!! @ Hogsbanes' post!!!!LOL!!! And I do agree with ya!! One of these days instead of going to Albertsons and buying a steak to put on the grill, we will be able to go down to the local cattle rancher and pick one on the hoof and shoot it with our bow!

 I agree ROFLMAO,  but really what makes that kill any different than any other high fence kill regardless of the game taken? Thats what the game was bought/bred for, fed for and expected to result in profit for the owner. Nothing more than a high dollar "cattle ranch", where you get to shoot the "cow".  Thats my opinion, congrats to the hunter

I should have said "congrats to the shooter".

Gentlemen,

I agree that this was not a Himalayan hunt and I doubt that it would be considered free ranging by any means.  However, the revenue generated on this type of hunt is what keeps many different species alive.  There are several species of animals that are at or near extinction in their native habitat but  are in killable numbers in TX.

Was this a rough, hard core hunt at 14,000 ft of elevation with high winds and snow?  No. 

Could I kill a slightly lesser animal but make a donation to certain "Record Trophy Books" and come away with a higher score?  yes, I've seen it happen.

Will hunts like this one create revenue/habitat/feed/awareness for the animals in question?  Absolutely.    When exotic ranches started in TX many years ago, they did that very thing.  This just happens to be another example of it. 

I'm just wondering what Yak tastes like.

The Hunt goes on forever, the season never ends. http://www.hossfly.com 979 777 1725

I've heard that yak is yuk.

Yak--or "Himalayan beef," as some people market it--is quite tender and delicious, as long as it is not overcooked. Many upscale gourmet restaurants in the U.S. feature it, and quite a few not-so-upscale places are beginning to offer yakburgers, along with their buffalo, ostrich and elkburgers.

HOWEVER--

The yak raised (and hunted) in the U.S. are not, not, NOT the severely endangered Wild Yak, Bos mutus, which can be 2500 lbs, 11 feet long, 6-7 feet tall at the shoulder and cannot tolerate life much below 10000 feet sea level. Rather, they are Bos grunniens, a smaller, domesticated farm animal native to China, Mongolia and parts of Siberia. The domestic version (which CAN survive the heat and low altitude of Kerr County, TX) has been around for the last 4000 years or so, and is the result of crosses  between the wild yak and local callte in the Himalayan areas.  I shake my head in wonder that anyone could be so uninformed, in this day and age, as to think they are "hunting" a dangerous wild animal when they shoot a yak at a hunt lodge.

Rangebred yak are about as wild as rangebred cattle of any breed.  In North America there are a couple of dozen ranchers breeding yak for wool, meat, pack animals and family pets.  Just like cattle, yak are broken to halter, milked (great cheese!) and can even be ridden--although I'm sure their gaits aren't exactly smooth. Every year the International Yak Association hosts a yak show at the Denver Stock Show, featuring sale animals on display from member ranches, a yak halter class, talks on yak fiber, trimming yak hooves, teaching them to be pack yaks...

I was lucky enough to attend the show in January, got to examine and pet the babies, the bulls, cows and steers, some of which were bottle-raised and so exceptionally tame. It was all I could do to not purchase several on the spot--they go for anywhere from $800 to about $5000, depending on their confirmation, temperment and quality of their wool.

Anyway, just had to add my two cents.  I have nothing against hunting or eating meat--I plan to get into the former, and I certainly indulge in the latter.  But for goodness sakes, don't pride yourself on being HEAP BIG BAD HUNTER if you shoot a yak-that's like shooting a milk cow!

When I do get yak, I will be focusing on the packing, wool and meat potential of the stock I choose.  But not hunting.  I'd sooner shoot a Holstein...or a Hereford, like the guy in the photo...