Head On Shot At an Elk
Elk
Regarding a head on shot where the Elk is coming straight on at you, where do you exactly place the arrow. I have heard from many comments on this site that a head on shot is a good shot. Thanks for the comments.
jughead
Study the vitals diagrams available for broadside shots and memerize the elevation of the heart. Now, when he's facing you aim for the top half of the heart. If he ducks, you'll still hit all those big arteries on top, and the lung/s.
Keep this shot selection under 15 yards if at all possible, they can turn to the side in a hurry, then you got shoulder problems.
Good deal x-man....im on it. thanks!
Do a search, lots of discussion about this already here.
Ok will do....im kinda new on this site. thanks
Curt Wells did an article on this subject in the latest Bowhunter magazine. He said aim for the base of the dark mane.
Oh ok thanks hoytguy on the bowhunter mag. Ill go pick it up today. Interesting topic.
found this article of front shot placement. Agree?
Check out this thread from a couple years ago. Pay attention to the posts from BB, one of the most experienced western bowhunters on this site. Between him and Bigdan, there have been a pile of critters that have fallen to the frontal shot.
Wow...thanks midwest...great study.
Midwest...
that link you sent me was probably the best link I have ever read. Man that BB is one class act and what bowhunter!! thanks again
stan elkbowhunter
huntin nut
look at midwest reponse....the link is in purple
its about an hour worth of info but good stuff!!
take care ELKBOWHUNTER
never do a head shot,althogh their brains are a bit bigger than a politicians
The red dot on the photo should be a little right of its current location, but not much. We did the dot placement over the phone and that particular photo was off by a half dot or so.
I to love the front on shot. 4 elk and one sheep. 100%
A couple other things to think about. If you look at those skeleton photos the front shoulder can move WAY back from those photos. A slight quatering shot and a shoulder that is back is a fantastic shot.
Second there are no artereries or veins in those skeletons. All critters have big vessels for moving blood that go to and from heart and brain. The closer to the heart the bigger they are. lots of those up front.
Now that being said. Only close shots and someone that has enough experience to do it. Equipment is a consideration also.
I would really like to see more photos of head-on elk and where to aim. BB would be perfect at explaining.
This comes up every year. Anyone? ? ? I also think that the opening (sweet spot) would be larger with inflated lungs inside and the skeleton not laying on its side. I would like to see a pic of a dead elk laying on its brisket with the head up. Skin off please. Some one go kill one and get the shot.
Thrasher, I'm going to try hard...all month long. I'm not saying that I'll only wait for a frontal shot, but learning where the aiming point is on a frontal is another "arrow in the quiver" for elk bowhunters. Too many guys don't have a clue when it comes to the skeletal structure of a critter facing them, thus they shouldn't be taking the shot. No different than the "bowhunter" who can't hit what they aim at...
You need to be a little right or left of the yellow dot in the pic above top miss the tough tissue of the sturnum...preferable a little right in that particular photo....right or left about that height are soft spots in the chest and the last time I put an arrow there on an elk he went less than 40 yds.
so you dont aim dead center where the yellow dot is? not clear on why that would matter. what do you hit if you dead center the yellow dot? Im learning....thanks!
Where you aim depends on the angle, a dead straight on shot is about the same odds as a perfect put a square on it 90 degree broadside.
On a frontal shot you want to hit or cross the "center" over the heart roughly 8-10" or so inside the animal, you really aren't aiming at a point on the surface of the animal. There is a point where you lose your angle and heavy bone starts coming into play, covering up the goodies. In no mans land between broadside and frontal. You have to know your angles and anatomy.
I think that yellow dot is pretty good, the sternum I believe is a bit lower, runs mostly parallel to the ground and only curves up a bit at the front. Anything in that circle is dead IMO.
Unless it's a slam dunk don't take it. It's amazing how many folks practice 50 yard shots and don't know where to hold on a 5 or 10 yard shot. It's a deadly shot though.
Whatever shot you are taking, KNOW YOUR ANATOMY! I like drawing an imaginary line through the animal, (IE where will the arrow travel) Spots/dots on animals are all relative to the body position.
Know the precise location of the heart/lung area. And know where the shoulder blade it. Study it. Plenty of thread with pics if you search.
The sternum will not come up into the red circle on Huntsman's photo.
$$$$$Money shot$$$$$
I think this is where the sternum ends. If you hit that elk in the sternum you've shot too low anyway.
I agree with JLS. This is a money shot at close range.
You have a big dog at home?
Feel where his leg, shoulder and scapula come up and turn and pivot. Where his sternum is, his clavicle. I'll even feel the bones when they're laying down, where things are when bedded. Not just frontal shots, any shots. Picture in your mind the heart and lungs, where they are, the angles.....
Granted, they aren't EXACTLY the same, but all four wheel drive animals have a similar bone structure, similar engineering.
When it starts to get really bad, you start visualizing the pin placement at full draw on your German Shorthair in the living room......
What??? You don't let your bird dogs in the living room???
My bird dog gets to come in the living room, but I think I might get banished to the garage if I came to full draw and put a pin on him!
Being a male lab, I've come to full draw on him before with a 2x4, a material only slightly less dense than his head.
Yeah, they just think I'm petting em..... LOL!
