Murder Mystery!

[Elkduds]

My 1st hunt in a legendary CO unit was with a 1st rifle season bull tag, back in '96. I was hunting solo in the Lost Creek area. On the 4th day of a 5 day season a bull and 3 cows ran past me, visible through a gap in the brush. I swung my rifle like a shotgun, right to left, and made the luckiest shot of my life. The elk kept running. I was sure I missed at less than 50 yards. But... The 5 pt bull was lying w his legs crossed under him, DRT. Dropped instantly @ the shot, fell so fast I didn't see it drop through the scope. Had to be a spine or head shot, right? Well, I never found a wound on the carcass, and the processor didn't either. This was before I went to the gutless method, so I slit the neck almost to the jaw, then cut through the neck from there to leave the head on the hill. I cut off the skull cap and took the ivories, the top of the brain was uninjured. I never found a definitive head wound, just blood where I cut the throat to bleed it out. I have a tanned hide without any no hole in it, complete from the top of the neck all the way back.

Did I scare it to death? Was this the 1st elk to die from the muzzle blast of a 7 mm magnum? What do you think happened?

[Swede]

I would still suspect you hit him in the head; probably in or below the ear. The key to it is how quick it went down and the way it did. You were very lucky for an elk murderer.

[CurlyTail]

Maybe you missed by a mile and he died laughing!