Your Move, Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

Hunting journal: 15 September, west side of WA archery hunt, late evening. You have a branched bull tag. You're set up in a makeshift ground blind by a tiny meadow with a well used game trail that leads from the left to the right of your current position. There is a recently used wallow down in the small draw where the trail runs down and to the right. As darkness begins to fall, you hear a group of elk move into the wallow area down and to your right. As you watch, listen, and wait to see antler tips coming up over the small ridge from the wallow direction to your right, this guy comes in from your 12 oclock towards your position silently, straight on, unannounced, and drops his head to sniff the ground, less than 25 yards from where you are kneeling. You "have" the wind in your favor for both the bull and the other elk down and to your right. There may be 10 minutes of legal shooting light left.

Your move. What's on your mind at this moment to potentially take this guy home for loins and fried tatos/onions?

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg and add the marked up pic with your post (if you decide to shoot).

[easeup]

whats on my mind is that elk are going to scent me before I shoot one of them.
10 min left to see and less than that before I am busted is how I read it. I think head is down; I draw now.....he raises his head to look at what ever he thinks he saw move.......too late for him as hopefully at that point I have a good shot to take.

[Trophyhill]

Equal opportunity killer here. At 25 yards I'm drawing and waiting for him to lift his head, picking my spot and killing him. I like elk meat:)

[ElkNut1]

Yes sir, wait for him to lift his head & take him. If he lifts & starts walking I will wait to see what he does while I'm at full draw, hopefully if anything he turns broadside. If not I'd do my best at that close distance to slip an arrow into him in whatever angle he offers, I need a lethal shot angle though! I've let elk walk before at 10 yards & would do it again if that's how it worked out! You have to know inside when there is no shot no matter how bad you may want him!

ElkNut1

[razorback]

x2 Elknut1

[WapitiTalk1]

Sniff, sniff, sniff... man there's something that smells good on the ground that the bull is checking out. Shooting light is fading but you still have a handfull of minutes left. The bull continues his ground inspection and turns a bit to his right. Same distance, about 25 yards.

At this point, your new name is superman as your nerves of steel are showing loud and strong. Arrow knocked, release clipped, call in mouth, you still have the wind in your favor and obviously, your cover/concealment is working in your makeshift ground blind. The only sounds you're hearing is a few ADT brown squirrels up in the trees and some light splashing down to your right in the wallow area.

Still your move. What now?

[Swamp Buck]

I am with most of yall. Draw while his head is down. Shoot as soon as he lifts his head. Most of these "your move" threads seem to be a debate on frontal shots.....which I am taking all day at 30 and under.

Paul. What angle at 10 yards can you not get a shot opportunity? I can understand if there is an obstruction, but what angle besides strait away from you can you NOT kill an elk?

[Swamp Buck]

SHOOT!!!!

[ElkNut1]

Eric, It's not too unusual to have bulls that close with no shot opportunity! The one I had in mind when I wrote it was a bull was bugling away below me about 150 yards & I called back trying to get him to come my way because of his extremely aggressive bugling. He wouldn't budge but instead we were in a screaming match, I knew those only lasted a few minutes before they realize somethings wrong. I decided to head up the hill away from the bull another 50 yards then come charging down as fast as I could right at him bugling aggressively as I did. Once I felt I was within 50 yards I quit all calling & running & now was slipping in with arrow nocked knowing he was just ahead of me in the timber. I got to a tree & stopped scanning everything I could without hardly moving my head at all knowing he was very close by, I was moving my eyes mostly. All of a sudden he was right there in front of me like a freaking ghost! (grin) He was 10 yards away, he was looking right through me as if I wasn't there, he looking for that bull. I knew I could not draw with him staring so I waited for him to turn to leave. As soon as he turned I drew & nervous grunted him simultaneously, he was walking away from me when I did, he stopped like he hit a wall & only turned his head to look back over his shoulder, no shot! I tried scanning as hard as I could to place that arrow into the slightest opening for a kill shot & it just wasn't there! He was gone as quick as he had showed in a couple more steps! (grim) -- He was lucky that day because we've used that tactic many times before & after & odds are advantage hunter that he's a dead bull.

ElkNut1

[Swamp Buck]

Thanks Paul, what an exciting experience. I had the same "screaming match" with a bull on the final morning of a hunt when I just said screw it I am getting as aggressive as I can. We were screaming at each other just 20 yards away but we were in such thick cover I never did see him. He finally had enough and figured something was not right and moved his cows away... As I stated, strait away might be the ONLY angle you can't shoot at a bull just 10 yards away. Are there any other angles that you CAN NOT kill a bull?

[WapitiTalk1]

And........one more step, head drops, and the dirt snorting continues (man, there is some sweet smells on the ground here .). This is it for those have chosen to wait for various reasons........the last chance as shooting light/legal shooting time is almost gone.

Your move. What will it be elk hunters?

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg and add the marked up pic with your post (if you decide to shoot).

[ElkNut1]

Eric, there's a difference between Cannot Kill A Bull & an ethical shot! For instance a Texas heart shot can kill an animal but if you miss your spot you've just wounded a fine critter, it's not worth the risk! I do not like strong quartering away shots where odds are you may get one lung as you crease the guts trying to get to them, the margin for error is great & a good chance you may not put your tag on him.-- No head shots & no broadside neck shots, I'm sure there's more but I personally draw the line in those gray areas! Thanks!

ElkNut1

[ishy]

Hopefully I already shot with swampbuck on that second pic, but I like this one a lot less with that closest shoulder back. Hopefully that little tree on the left will give a shot as he clears it...the angle will hopefully be a tad better as he moves too.