Cold calling episode 2.0 Shoot or no shoot?

[lamrith]

Building off the cold calling thread Phantom16 posted.
http://www.elknutforums.com/Hunting/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4838

It is 8am on day 8 of your 10day September hunt, you have finally heard a few bugles yesterday, but never got closer than 60yrds. Due to swirly thermals and poor terrain (for humans) that the elk are loving.

The previous Cold Calling experiment is turning into a TV Show, the question now is which? Are you going to become Hannibal and end the day with "I love it when a plan comes together." or will you be Homer Simpson with a "DOH!"?

Initial calls produced some movement and a weak bugle from the desired direction. You and partner are set and follow up with more cow calling. You are the caller, suddenly you get a ear splitting Bugle from behind you. Looking back over your shoulder you see just the tips of a huge 6x6 100yrds away in the opening below your trees.

You call back to your (now former) shooter that you need to switch gears. He heard it too, confirms and rolls into calling. You have some cover and move to gain whatever angle and wind benefit you can before the bull gets where he can see over the hill to you. You make it to point C per the attached before you have to stop and make ready.

Stone Cold Busted.png (152.17 KiB) Viewed 2581 times

You start hearing other sounds and realize this is a heard bull! And here are his 6 cows. The cows are curious but feeding, however they are angling downwind. The bull is coming straight at you a bit worked up that you have not responded to his commands to join his harem. He drops his head occasionally, as well as Bugles repeated invites to your caller. 80yrds, 60yrds, 50, 40. He drops his head and you decide it is time to draw. You think he caught movement as he gets more alert, and not advancing. More cow calling has him still curious and results in another scream in your face. He has not once deviated from coming straight in on a string.

You have now been at full draw just over a minute. The bull has closed to 35yrds still face on with no sign of changing direction or stopping. You know you can only hold another 20-30seconds, but more importantly you can see in your peripheral vision the cows are about to hit the point they will wind you.

WHAT DO YOU DO? If you take a shot, where?

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.

[Duck-Slayer]

I would have taken the shot at about 20-30 second mark, after that "I" become inaccurate i.e. "shake's" if he was 15 yards than yea a minute would still be able too hit the good spot.... as soon as the bull even thinks something is wrong the jig is over, your chances of getting the elk any closer is about 2% "guessing".... or you could make alittle movement, very little so he will turn too go away and give him a quick cow call too stop, that's a more likely for myself too do instead of the frontal shot, but I am not intimidated by the frontal shot, have taken several antelope at 25=35 yards frontal shot's, which the kill zone is alot smaller than a frontal on an elk,
Matt

-I have a MAC and i'm not sure how too put an X in the spot too shoot "if" I would have shot at an earlier time, I would aim for the light tan streak down the center of the mane... right on the left side of the shadow....

[ishy]

passing, want under 20 for frontal shot.

[WapitiTalk1]

As soon as this guy (dependent on the rate he's closing on my position) gets under 25 yards, he's dead. Issues I see are holding at full draw that long, cows are very close to busting, and holding at full draw that long ... We'll see how it shakes out but my 20 yard pin is floating right on that yellow "O".

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