Shoot or No Shot?

[WapitiTalk1]

Tale of the tape: 6th day of your 8 day Wyoming archery hunt; 25 September 2013; 8:45 AM; the bull you now see is slightly uphill, 40 yards from your position (you're in the direction of the red arrow). As you worked your way up the steep sidehill 1/2 hour earlier, you heard a vocal bull moving left to right up the semi flat finger ridge, probably on the same small ridge the bull you see now is stopped on. As you got closer (now within 100 yards) of an "obvious" herd bull up to your right (direction of yellow arrow), you can hear the bull knocking the snot out of some brush, and throwing out some warning bugles with grunts (perhaps he has harassing satellites?). You can now also hear cows having some morning tea and crumpet conversation. Diaphram in mouth, you're getting ready to ninja your way into the bull to your upper right when you hear a close locator ring out down the finger ridge to your left and he's coming fast! The satellite is coming in to the herd bull's noises on a course that leads him direclty above you on the little ridge trail! You draw as he enters the small clearing and give a nervous grunt and whammo!!! He stopped in the position you see him now.

Shoot or no shot here for you? If you say shoot, please place a dot or X where your arrow is heading.

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.

[BrentLaBere]

Shoot

[Duck-Slayer]

That's a pretty good aim point, personally I would shoot just above the elbow and about an inch inside the elbow, I like a larger target, you shoot just an inch right of that X and your hitting bone! not good with archery equipment..... but everyone has there personal beliefs on where too aim/shoot,
Matt

[Wyo67]

Elk123.JPG (226.77 KiB) Viewed 7327 times

Great pic... That's why we work all off-season.

[BrentLaBere]

Agreed and I pushed it that far forward for the reason this bull is on edge. Moving in on another bull and paying attention to everything.....now hes caught in an opening with a nervous grunt and doesn't see an elk. That bow goes off hes flinching just like any animal will, especially when hes starring you down at 40 yards. He dips and turns back to the left you still get lungs.....you sneak it in there he will go down in front of you.....those were my thoughts for the X

[WapitiTalk1]

I just happen to have a graphic aid that is pretty close to this bull's body positioning.....

thCA6NMHqW5 - Copy.jpg (20.37 KiB) Viewed 7317 times

[Trophyhill]

Shoot

Me too. I may shoot a touch lower. that front leg bone or >is further forward than some might think.

[elkaholic]

Elk123.JPG

Great pic... That's why we work all off-season.

Release!!!

[JJ Overkill]

if I where to shoot this is where it would be, BUT if you want to shoot a BIG bull you have to let the smaller ones walk. im talking to you david

[ElkNut1]

I would want a little more room for error at 40yds. I'd choose the same height as JJ Overkill but put the arrow in the crease or thereabouts. This gives me a bit of an edge if this bull moves at all, I don't like crowding bone outside of 30yds.

ElkNut1

[WapitiTalk1]

Something like this perhaps?

Thanks for participating in these threads folks.. Just trying to keep the juices flowing

[slim9300]

Something like this perhaps?

Thanks for participating in these threads folks.. Just trying to keep the juices flowing

Elk123.JPG

At 40 yards I take this ^^^. At 20 yards I prefer JJ's location. No hesitation on that bull unless I'm in UT, NV, or AZ and I just cashed in my 10+ years of points (or maybe NM).

[ElkNut1]

Rory, thanks, yes that's very close to the spot, maybe 1-1/2" lower, those elk seem to love to dip on the release! (grin) I did try to put an X on myself but failed miserably! (grin)

ElkNut1

[Trophyhill]

if I where to shoot this is where it would be, BUT if you want to shoot a BIG bull you have to let the smaller ones walk. im talking to you david

Yes Jeremy, that's right where I'd put it looks like a nice path thru the vitals

[easeup]

that shot is made for me.......slow, slow release, follow thru, watch arrow slam boiler room.

[elk-n-walleye]

Since it is uphill and I'm looking for best pass thru for heart and lungs my arrow placement is the bottom orange marker and if he ducks I imagine the higher orange marker.

If he ducks and swings left because he is on alert I feel like the blue marker placement leads to shoulder blade (red marker) or even further up and to the right. The diagram on the upper left shows how the point of impact would be changed if this guy pivots to his left off his back legs (without moving forward). The blue lines are the same length(assume back leg to sweet spot) and you can see where the arrow would impact. That is why I'm staying near the crease and 1/3 way up to leave room for this kind of response from this guy.

Just my own reasoning. Anyone with thoughts on my reasoning?

shoot.jpg (112.87 KiB) Viewed 7239 times

[Wapiti]

Well if I had to choose I would shoot the white X that JJ marked. That would be a dead elk in seconds !!

But with that said he's only a darn 6x5 and I'm a sucker for a challenge so I'd let him walk and be on my way to the herd bull of my dreams........

Either way I got great footage of that bull and in my heart I know I could have harvested him so for me it's a win win !!!

[jmez]

I'm shooting, right where JJ put the white X.

[Toby]

Something like this perhaps?

Thanks for participating in these threads folks.. Just trying to keep the juices flowing

Elk123.JPG

I would shoot here.

[stringunner]

I too like JJ's aiming point.