Shoot or No Shot - Episode 6

[WapitiTalk1]

Western Montana, 5th day of your 7 day archery elk hunt, 26 SEPT, 7:40 AM. You stopped just off the edge of this meadow, getting ready to throw a locater bugle against the far hill side and see if anybody's home when this handsome young fella steps out at 40 yards. You have a deer tag, in addition to your elk tag, but planned on waiting until later in the year to rifle hunt them in the same general area. If Wally Whitetail lowers his head to have a snack, are you letting an arrow fly?

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.

[Indian Summer]

I'll pass. Time is running out on the elk hunt. Can't let that happen. Plus I don't get trigger happy about whitetail bucks that are smaller than what I have on the wall. I should be able to find one at least that big later in the year. If not no regrets. I certainly won't need the meat.

If he were bigger I'd say when opportunity knocks open the door. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Also I have plans to come back to the area later in the year and I have no problem gun hunting for elk then instead of deer.

[elk.addict]

I'll let him grow up first

[Relentlessly Unforgiving]

I'm going to stay focused on the task at hand and continue to hunt hard for elk. I will have no problem coming back and taking him with a rifle. It wouldn't be as easy as it sounds.

[Lefty]

A whitetail instead of those nasty mulies. And dare i say even elk
I ve never had better tasting elk than any white-tail ( from Mn anyway) Im sending an arrow and calling my wife, the meat could be packed in the freezer by noon

My neighbor keeps bugging me to come and shoot whitetail on a western Montana ranch less than 2 hours away

[Indian Summer]

A deer that is better eating than elk?

Lots of variables I guess, mostly in the processing, but I have never had a deer, whitey or mulie, that held a candle to any of my elk. I've eaten meat from 3 caribou and the first 2 topped elk. I cut and wrapped them myself. The other was a few steaks from a friend and not very good at all.

[easeup]

I will pass also. He is not even legal here in TX.
But I waited a long time and spent big $$ to get to this elk hunt. Lets go elk hunting.

[Fridaythe13th]

Southeast Minnesota here, that is to small of a buck for me. might be 90 inches.

JOE ( INDIAN SUMMER) what did the buck on the right score? Did it make 160? Can't tell if it a 10 or 9 pointer. I like those dark racks.

[COElkFreak]

I usually do not pass on animal if it presents itself nicely. But I think under these circumstances I would pass....try and close the deal on elk and you do still have the later season to chase the deer.

[Indian Summer]

Southeast Minnesota here, that is to small of a buck for me. might be 90 inches.

JOE ( INDIAN SUMMER) what did the buck on the right score? Did it make 160? Can't tell if it a 10 or 9 pointer. I like those dark racks.

That buck went 158 and change. 23 3/4 inside spread. It's a typical 8 but there's a big worm hole on the right main beam which caused a 9th point to split off which was a deduction or he'd have made 160. I love the darker racks too. Those Midwestern bucks always disappoint me with their bright white racks. He was shot in Pa... right out my back door. The genetics here lean toward wide spreads. I have his twin in the other room only younger and 10 points. Right now there is a monster around. 14 points and as big as they get. A guy from a local business spilled the beans that my neighbor showed him a trail cam pic. I plan to dedicate my entire deer season hoping to get a crack at that deer. I'll probably be lucky just to see him but you never know.

[Fridaythe13th]

JOE Very nice bucks
The one of big one in the area (less the a 1/2 from where I hunt) got shot last last year buy a good friend of mine; score 182 with 3 drop tines, but it only had a 16" inside spread. The year before he shot a 162" with a 16 1/2 inside spread the G4 were 9" long. Just compact long tine bucks. I have not got camera out yet but there is all way good bucks in the area.

[Screaming_btf]

I pass on small deer all the time when hunting ELK and this would be no different a solid pass.

[Trumkin the Dwarf]

That's not even a mule deer!
Pass. Montana has much bigger deer than that.

[Swede]

I dunno. It depends on what I had for breakfast and my mood. Also it depends on how far I have to pack him out. I do not want to spend all day with him. He is what I refer to as a good meat buck.

[Steve G]

All depends on how encouraging the elk activity has been. If I haven't been seeing, hearing, or smelling elk over the last 5 days, this guy is dead meat. If I've been finding elk to hunt and just haven't put a successful stalk together then I'll let him snack on.

[ishy]

NOPE! My elk time is sacred.

[WapitiTalk1]

I'm with most of you guys on this one. As Ishy said, elk time is sacred and I'm not interrupting it for a tall 3 point WT.. There are much nicer WT's in MT especially if I'm hunting boom stick season later, say in the November rut .

MT WT.png (529.35 KiB) Viewed 5235 times

[Texasdan]

Wally walks.

The goal is the goal. Plus I can take a bigger WT here at home.

On the other hand it's a long way to wapiti country