Agree or disagree

[Elkhunttoo]

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Let’s try this one. I have marked an area that we will call the “kill zone”

Do you agree or disagree that if you put an arrow or bullet anywhere in this zone it will be a quick ethical kill? Agree or disagree?

[Swede]

I will take it.

[WapitiTalk1]

Archery, yes sir..dead elk. Rifle or muzzleloader?, I’m crushing his port side shoulder bone. He won’t go far.. get the packs.

[RanchoSueno]

Agree

[Tigger]

"Hello (hunting partner)! Can you head back to camp and start the grill for fresh backstraps?" I will be along shortly.

[Indian Summer]

The far right side of that area is marginal for an arrow. But given the fact that he’s quartering away I think there would be enough damage on the opposite side to get the job done right. I’m shooting!

Fire up the grill Tigger!

[Indian Summer]

On second thought, after looking a little harder, I don’t think I would shoot that bull with an arrow on the right side of that area. Elgart. I’ve seen them do some amazing things after making a “good“ shot. My other deciding factor is I am never desperate. If I can’t make a quick ethical kill, I’ll either wait for a better angle or to close the distance or I’ll go find another one. But I would certainly put one through him anywhere to the left of the blue line.

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

On second thought, after looking a little harder, I don’t think I would shoot that bull with an arrow on the right side of that area. Elgart. I’ve seen them do some amazing things after making a “good“ shot. My other deciding factor is I am never desperate. If I can’t make a quick ethical kill, I’ll either wait for a better angle or to close the distance or I’ll go find another one. But I would certainly put one through him anywhere to the left of the blue line.

I was going to post this earlier but just never got around to it. I totally agree with Indian Summer. Anything to the left on that blue line is good to go. Anything to the right of it has a good chance of a paunch hit. If you have ever cut into the stomach of an elk with a full belly you will understand that hitting it with an arrow would be like shooting a hay bale. There might be a chance of nicking the diaphragm but I'm not taking that chance.

[Lefty]

disagree sorta Im going to avoid the blue line and left.
And the front 2 inches, are out for archery.
Im going dead center of the red outline , should take out arteries above the heart and not damage too much shoulder. That would be a good archery shot too. qa broud head hitting the far shoulder would make a mess of the lungs.

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

disagree sorta Im going to avoid the blue line and left.
And the front 2 inches, are out for archery.
Im going dead center of the red outline , should take out arteries above the heart and not damage too much shoulder. That would be a good archery shot too. qa broud head hitting the far shoulder would make a mess of the lungs.

Nothing wrong with that Lefty. But if at all possible, avoid the upper location of either of the drawn outlines. A shot in that area could result in internal bleeding. And although the shot is still deadly, it could possibly result in a very poor, if any, blood trail and a lost animal.

[Swede]

What exactly is "quick and ethical"? Even Matt Dillon's victims had enough time left after being shot to confess their sins and encourage others not to follow the same criminal path they had. Matt always caused quick deaths, and he was ethical never shooting first. I think he did gut shoot a few deserving culprits.
On an elk the angle of the shot and the distance both need to be taken into account when making the shot. Often, I shoot higher than most because my arrow will be traveling at a strong downward angle. Longer distances will also have the arrow coming at a downward angle.

[Lefty]

My dad was a whitetail hunter and the only shots we were taught was the perfect broadside right behind the leg muscle pocket to hit both lungs.
My wife is shot more deer than I have. They always aimed higher and barely more forward to anchor everything straight to the ground.

Course archery I avoid bone.
However my current rifle location generally I want to take out the very top of the heart or the arteries at the top of the heart.

Frontal shots tend to be lower for us than what most people may think they should be aiming.

With all that jabber I just spewed.
My dad also enforced and reinforced.
With a rifle anyway you only took a good shot.
None of those garbage I hope that was a good shot one needs to know exactly where you're aiming.

[Lefty]

Overall I would like to see that red circumference 2 in tighter all the way around

[Swede]

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Personally, I would like to shoot the elk within my blue dot area, but that was not the question. My favorite shot is down into the spine. I believe that is not only quick and ethical, but no tracking is needed. That was not the question either. It looks like the bull is slightly quartering away from the camera and slightly downhill. Whereas Elkhunttoo went out farther than most of us would like to shoot our critter, I believe a bullet or arrow would lead to a quick and ethical kill in his kill zone.
So, is there some question on what "quick" or "ethical" means?
For me that is simple. If I can get to my dead animal before it spoils, and recover all of the meat, it was "quick & ethical".
If I shoot it in the late afternoon or evening, it is quick and ethical if I can get the critter butchered and cooling out so I can be in my sleeping bag before 2:00 AM. I prefer to be in my sleeping bag before midnight, but sometimes that is not practical as it took too long to track down. My bad. On a morning kill, I will have a midday snack in the field, but on a quick and ethical I will have my critter in camp and hanging by dinner time. On a real quick and ethical kill, I can have my elk in the butcher and have dinner in town.
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