Shoot or No Shot 2025 #2

[WapitiTalk1]

Continuing on with what Elkhunttoo started for the 2025 "Shoot or No Shot" threads.

Location: Somewhere in the Montana elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal in the area you’re hunting.
Hunt: Solo Hunt
Date: Mid-September (5th day of your scheduled 10 day hunt)
Time: 0730ish
Tag: Archery; bull only. You also have a deer tag (valid during this hunt also), but the current plan is to come back mid-November for a 7-day deer hunt.

Well, you've been getting into the elk almost daily but not shot yet; the bulls have been vocal. You arrive in the same basin you've been hunting every couple of days, immediately after daylight breaks, nock an arrow and set up with good cover behind you, listen for 10 minutes, and after not hearing any elk chatter, you throw out a few cows calls to see if anybody is home. You hear a distant bugle, a good 200 yards up on the far sidehill. Within seconds after you hear the bugle, you sense and see movement to your right at your two o'clock in the brush. It's moving from right to left and is "going to move through the small shooting lane/opening you're set up by"! Rising to your knees, you draw your bow just in case it's a shootable bull and you see this guy move into the opening and stop where you see him now. He's no more than 25 yards from your position. You float your short-range pin on the buck and........

Shoot or no shot? If you're shooting, put an X or something on the spot and repost the image.

Buck Shoot or No Image.png (356.36 KiB) Viewed 303 times

How to mark these images up? Save a copy to your desktop and open it up with "Paint". Place your mark where you are shooting using one of the paint tools, save it, and re-post the image on the thread.

[Lefty]

I had a similar shot on a white tailed buck, 7 yards away.
He completely distracted me from the elk , many under 30 yards
I had a 6 inch vertical shooting area between the trees.
The elk were millng around As I was drawing a cow ran into me,,
She hit me hard: the arrow went upwards somewhere.

As far as scenario #2 I would know the range It hes at 25 Im likely not shooting, Im hoping he steps forward.
If he is under 20 and draw,,, All would depend on how the draw feels , likely an arrow on its way.

Ive drawn on deer before, then passed on the shot

[>>>---WW---->]

Welp! As the old saying goes, " A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"!

That's a pretty decent muley. I'm shooting. You do whatever you want!

[Elkhunttoo]

IMG_8628.jpeg (75.68 KiB) Viewed 289 times

I feel like at 25 yards I will be just fine with this spot. Im shooting…really nice buck!

[Swede]

I would like to take that buck home with me but am concerned he is looking right at me. This is one of those situations where I believe he will jump the string if I release now. I'm waiting.

[RanchoSueno]

Polish_20250228_112927399.png (933.33 KiB) Viewed 265 times

100% nail that muley
Not too worried about the little bit of twigs deflecting my arrow. As long as I can keep it together and not punch my release, she'll go right where I put her. 18% foc and chronoing at 227 fps, 75 feet away is a chipshot. Buck is alert but head is up, less likely to drop than he would with his head down browsing.