Shoot or No Shot 2016, Episode #1.

[WapitiTalk1]

It's 16 September, 2016 (what a great time to be in the elk woods). It's the 6th day of your 10 day southern Idaho archery elk hunt. Your buddy shot a bull three days earlier and is now the designated caller for you. After 15 minutes of your buddy doing a real nice breeding sequence, you sense/hear something to your right and within seconds this guy stops and is giving you the evil eye. Perhaps he saw you move a bit trying to locate him but now it comes to this. You've previously ranged the spot of that cover the bull is standing behind at 35 yards. Shoot or no shot?

If you say "shoot", 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.

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[Elkduds]

Maybe a bank shot.

[saddlesore]

No shot.Wouldn't even try it with arifle

[Osprey]

No shot with Archery or HPR. I had a couple chances like this while timber hunting in CO 3rd rifle this season that I passed since I was using my 7mm mag its very frusterating but you owe it to the animal to make an ethical shot. Now with a shotgun slug or muzzy slug you can punch it through that brush. I live in Indiana and Shotguns and Muzzys are commonly used for deer out here and from my experience with them no issue with light brush on close shots with those slower moving big slugs just punch that slug through the leaves. You can get away with a lot with those types of weapons smoke a branch and still hit where you were aiming the closer the brush to the animal the better. Even if I had a weapon I thought could do it I would be more inclined to be patient and see if a better opportunity presents itself I don't like to rush or force shots if he took two more steps that shot would be a lot cleaner through just sparse leaves.

[Fridaythe13th]

I would shoot with a rifle or ML but not a bow. You have to hope he keeps coming with a bow

[DBLGBL]

Bow no. 7mm there are a couple shots I can make at that distance. Patience says there are more opportunities on this elk or another day.

2gbl

[WapitiTalk1]

Archery season here guys, boomstick scenarios are on the way. Thanks for chiming in.

[ishy]

Typical north Idaho...heard this doesn't happen down south. No shot.

[WapitiTalk1]

Typical north Idaho...heard this doesn't happen down south. No shot.

Truer words have never been spoken. In fact, "this" bull is in a clearing by N ID standards

[Swede]

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I would take the shot if he looks away just a little. There is a clear line to the vitals behind the shoulder. determine the yardage to the hole between the twigs, and leaves, and let your arrow carry through to the bull. That hole is about 5 inches in diameter, and the arrow drop, after it passes will be negligible. I can put an arrow through a 5 inch hole at what appears to be less than 20 yards.

[WapitiTalk1]

I would take the shot if he looks away just a little. There is a clear line to the vitals behind the shoulder. determine the yardage to the hole between the twigs, and leaves, and let your arrow carry through to the bull. That hole is about 5 inches in diameter, and the arrow drop, after it passes will be negligible. I can put an arrow through a 5 inch hole at what appears to be less than 20 yards.

Show us your spot mister

[Swede]

Ok, Ok, but that is my first "paint" job ever on a computer. Do you think there might be some advertising agency that could use my new found photo shop skill? Anyway I would shoot at the left side of the red dot. Do I need a black dot to be more precise? Black dot added. Paint skills improved.

[saddlesore]

Where that red spot is looks like a gut shot to me,maybe nicking one lung.

[WapitiTalk1]

You're hired. I'm gonna send you all the techy web page stuff from now on to process . I'm not completely sure I'd launch an arrow out of the old Alpine at this guy but if I did, I'd probably aim a bit farther forward. My arrow would drop from the black spot and do it's number on the red star. I'm a bit more than on the fence on this one so honestly, I think it's no shot for me. I'll get him the next time around.

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[Swede]

RJ, I hope it would not impose on you too much to go back and pick up our pack frames. Don't start that "my back and legs are sore" routine on me.

[WapitiTalk1]

RJ, I hope it would not impose on you too much to go back and pick up our pack frames. Don't start that "my back and legs are sore" routine on me.

I'm going..... nice shot.

[Dr. Rx]

I would shoot. Let the arrow fly... may not have another chance.. don't want to wait a whole year and say "I should have shot at that bad boy"

Kris

[Lefty]

Im waiting or passing.
I had the exact shot on a mulie buck at 35 and passed,.. only no leaves . I side stepped for a clear shot and he trotted off.
I had a clear shot at a bull moose, we both took a couple steps and a piece of sage ambushed the arrow

[twinkieman]

No shot, interested in bigger bulls.

[ishy]

So it's a tad brushy, but bigger issue might be HE'S NOT BROADSIDE. Swede...look at your mark and think about where the exit hole is going to be.

[Swede]

Ishy, I read your first post and understand what you are saying. I see what you do. I wrote that I would shoot after seeing all of the nay-sayers post. I have killed a lot of elk over the years, and they are not all textbook perfect shot opportunities. No one here is advocating anyone take a dangerous shot and risk wounding any elk. We all have our limitations. I am more of a stickler on long distances. I too look through the animal to determine the exit point and would crowd the shoulder. I am more concerned that the bull would see me draw than he will survive my arrow. I remember a bull I killed a few year ago in a similar situation. There was very limited room to make the shot on. I watched and listened after the shot, and heard him go down about 60 yards away.

[Rangerz]

Not sure how far he is from the brush in the pic. With arrow arc it might be a problem.

I would probably pass and hope for a better shot.

[Swede]

I admit I am basing my decision on the premise the elk in under 30 yards away and estimate the vegetation to be under 20 yards.

[Swede]

I wanted to continue the discussion on this thread. We can debate this as sportsmen and be civil. I believe there are some good points that can be explored here. Lets see.
In 2009 I killed a 4x4 bull at a similar angle. I described the kill on page 120 of the tree stand book, but gave very little detail. I don't think those details make good magazine material. Even though I was in my stand the bull was not much lower than me, as he stood on the uphill side of the tree. I wrote that his head was behind the tree. In fact, so was his neck and front legs. The bull was following some cows that went behind me and downhill. In other words he was quartering to me. To make a clean kill I wanted the arrow to pass within 1 inch of the tree. I thought hard about the shot before I took it. I determined that if it did not go down within sight, I would wait for a couple hours before searching. I would go and get my son in law to help me, and start out after lunch. The bull did not go down in sight, but I heard the crash of him going down. Good enough.
Here are the factors I put in my favor.
1. I would hit the near lung within about 2 inches of the broadhead entering the chest.
2. I thought I would catch the other within about 13 inches. The off side lung is not where the arrow exits. It extends into the center of the animal.
3. Bleeding would be profuse within the animal. If it did not go down immediately it would not go far. Waiting would ensure recovery if needed. I knew the bull would try to follow the cows, so I could get out of my stand and leave the area without being detected. It was not necessary in this case.

If you think I was just lucky, what relevant factors did I overlook?

[ishy]

So did you get both lungs on the 4x4? Tough to pull off quartering to you.

[Swede]

Ishy, I honestly don't know. All I can say for sure is that his chest cavity was filled with blood, and he made it only about 60 yards. There is a picture of the bull on page 78 of the book, but it does not show anything useful for this discussion. I don't think your argument is without merit. I do not have a lot of experience in quartering to shots.
All I could say is that I shot at a quartering to elk once, and it was good. Based on that; on a close range animal, I stated I would do it again. I had a back up plan, but there could be some risk. There is always some risk. I admit to being apprehensive about the shot. How risky is too risky, and what should we base our decision on?
I thanked the Lord Jesus when I heard the bull go down. I thanked Him again when I walked up and checked the elk out. That is nothing unusual for me though. I am always thankful and spend some time with Jesus after every successful conclusion to a hunt. That hunt was 29 days long, plus 5 days of set-up and scouting. I hope the length of the hunt did not color my decision making, but I knew there would not likely be another chance.

[jmez]

No for me.

[welka]

Nope. Murphy is staring you in the face in the form of twigs. He always wins.

[Indian Summer]

So it's a tad brushy, but bigger issue might be HE'S NOT BROADSIDE. Swede...look at your mark and think about where the exit hole is going to be.

DING DING DING!!! That bull is quartering toward you. You may catch the back of the left lung but that's not good enough. I'm passing for sure because of that alone.

[WapitiTalk1]

Guys, the dead elk in the pic below was quartering more than slightly towards me on that fateful day in Idaho this year after I'd called him off his ladies... twice, and he dropped within 10 seconds. Yes, there are some leaves/twigs to consider in the thread scenario but I would not pass this shot up based on the angle alone. One must have their wits about them and make no mistake with their shot placement with stick and string or a good hunt turns into a bad one very quickly (particularly at this less than ideal angle). Would I take the scenario shot as pictured? Possibly but I don't get shakey Jake syndrome as some do when drawing on an elk.. in fact, I think it's kind of calming after humping the hills all day

These threads are designed to facilitate discussion, not necessarily to obtain a cookie cutter answer for every scenario. It's all about the discussion . Now, I hope Joe doesn't beat the tar out of me.