Elk Anatomy

[Bow4me]

There's a good read in the Elk Hunter Magazine fall 2016 about the anatomy of an elk. If anyone is having questions about shot placement you should grab a copy of this and look at the pictures. It really clears up the skeletal structure compared to the vitals. Even the mythological frontal shot.

[Swede]

Bowhunter Magazine is good, but you can get everything off the internet free and easy. Just type in "elk anatomy shot placement" or Elk skeletal structure", "elk anatomy", or about anything close.

The one thing I commonly see is people showing how the front leg curves under the hide as it extends up to the scapula. These people will crowd the leg bone so close in their shot placement mark there is no room for error or misjudging. You don't have to crowd that bone that close even on a moderate quartering to shot.

[Bow4me]

2 things surprised me. The size of the kill zone on a broadside shot (12" x 12"). And how high the frontal shot placement needs to be. I definitely would have shot lower.

[Swede]

Another thing worth noting is that the much touted double lung hit is not necessarily any better that another solid hit into the area around the heart. Severing arteries and blood vessels is what kills with a super sharp broad-head. If puncturing the lungs is what it is about, then a field point would be great on a good broadside shot. A pass through both lungs ensure you have cut enough blood vessels to cause a quick humane death, but what if you are shooting sharply down on an elk? Hitting both lungs may not be feasible, but still the kill zone (your target) is just as large.