NM Bull Arrowed 9/21HELP
Elk
Finally some luck tonight we located a lone 6x6, made quick move before dark, after don't calling and bugling back and forth we got multiple cow calls going and he went nuts, couldn't take it any longer and on a dead run bolted for the caller. He slammed on that breaks at 10 yards from my cousin, quartering towards, he unleaded his 30 inch draw carbon Spyder turbo 80#, FMJ 300 arrow and 125 grain rage extreme 2.3" cut diameter (540 grains total) 1/2 behind the shoulder mid body. We gave the bull 45 min thinking he was done. The blood trail was huge, bright red blood with at least 6 puddles, we tracked him 400-500 yards. Bull shot at 715pm. We tracked til 9pm. We decided to back out. The 32" arrow only had 6 inches showing after impact. Arrow was tight against the shoulder mid body. We headed back to camp now. Long night ahead. Anyone know someone in unit 13 with a dog? Epic night. This needs to finish right.
I'm too far north to help out. Hard to say what/if any vitals were hit. Still probably a dead elk just a long ways off from where he shot it. I hope you find him and the meat doesn't spoil. I've thrown away 2 1/2 elk from customers this season already due to not finding them soon enough and bad hits. Just due the best you can and good luck. sorry I don't have any better advice or can help you out.
If you have dogs for hire please call me. 707-391-5950. Compensation is assumed.
Subject says NM. Typed this on the forest road headed for camp. Hope that covers the typos.
1/2" behind the shoulder.
If he went 4-500 yards maybe 1 lung was hit doesn't sound like anything else besides guts.. He'll die, hopefully it's somewhere close so you can find him.
Good luck
Quartering too is a horrible shot option. At best he got the end of a single lung. 45 minutes is never enough time unless you are 100% positive it was a perfect shot.
That being said, you have a lot of work a head of you. That bull will likely go a long ways and live a while with that shot placement!
If you do find him be sure to post picks. I a. Willing to bet the 1 inch behind the shoulder is a lot further than you think!
Good luck, you have a huge task ahead of you!
Quartering too is a horrible shot option. At best he got the end of a single lung. 45 minutes is never enough time unless you are 100% positive it was a perfect shot.
That being said, you have a lot of work a head of you. That bull will likely go a long ways and live a while with that shot placement!
If you do find him be sure to post picks. I a. Willing to bet the 1 inch behind the shoulder is a lot further than you think!
Good luck, you have a huge task ahead of you!
My internet guess would be about the same. One lung, maybe liver, likely going to die but where, when, how far.... Even broadside anything "behind the shoulder" is in the back half of lungs, the thinnest and the section with smaller and smaller vessels as it gets farther from the heart.
Quartering to is a tough one. Quartering on hard enough and you can go in front of the shoulder, doesn't take much angle to completely rule out behind the shoulder. Even much more forward like straight up the leg you're looking at a one lung hit.
Wasn't sure but did check, tracking dogs for wounded game are OK in NM, but must be leashed and have to check in and register at the nearest NMDGF office before taking the field.
I'm with gil, this was last night.... did you folks get back out on him first light this morning? Had good blood? Any luck?
I made the same shot years backon a bull and found him dead close to a spring.Start by checking all water sources by you.My blood trail was identical till it petered out to drips here and there.I took one lung and it went 400-500 yards easy.Bedded by the springs and died.I just hope you backed out soon enough.A bull that's one lunged and bumped can go a long long way
Very true on distance and one lung. Even though many people dislike a gut shot (they are never done on purpose), it is lethal and they just don't go very far cause they hurt and hurt bad. Knowing that shot happened and by letting them sit tight for about 3 hours will let them get sick enough to where you can almost walk up to them and shoot again. If liver is hit, same things can happen but they will die within 10-15 min. Key thing is is to let them lie down quickly which they will if you hit something important.
They'll live for 6 hours when shot in the liver, been there. Saw a one lunger up and going a full day later this year. Shoot em right, you hear them fall. Behind the shoulder on a facing animal is maybe one lung and partial liver for sure.
Mine died this year in 15 minutes hit through the liver after watching him go 60 yds and lay down, never got up again so you never know...
Probably hit a major blood supply line in the process.
We did not recover the animal. We hired help and went from sun up to Sundown. He bedded but got up for some reason and continued on. We found the arrow. Showed 14" of blood up the shaft and the rage 2 blade broke at the insert.
Bummer - it's tough to find them if they're bumped.
I hit mine back this year (1 lung/liver hit) and I gave him 7-1/2 hours. I found him 20 yards from the last visual I had on him stiff as a board.
That sucks, Tony. Was rootin for you guys. You're due a great season....
Good luck for the rest of the hunt. Best day and a half are in front of you...
So the broadhead was not attached to the arrow after impact? It probably doesn't cut very good like that I would think.
Could it be another rage failure? Who would have ever thought.
Sorry but even with the fancy new technology I would never trust a rage! Simple and solid is the only way to go!
Could it be another rage failure? Who would have ever thought.
Sorry but even with the fancy new technology I would never trust a rage! Simple and solid is the only way to go!
Why did you have say it was a rage? Gosh! LOL, now this thread will explode! Sorry ya'll didn't recover. Mike
OH Boy....another RAGE story. Quartering to is difficult under ideal circumstances, but with an expandable that's asking a lot.
Really sorry to hear of this, I know what it's like to lose a bull (and a bear) and it's certainly no fun.
The arrowed had no broadhead attached. The tracker said we did the best job he's ever seen tracking it as far as we did. That doesn't help the situation.
Amazing how tough elk can be when they need to be. Too bad you guys didn't recover, happens more than you think.
Sorry to hear it... I was rooting for you guys too. Elk can certainly extend the fight a few more rounds, tough animals that can seem to go forever in a huge huge place.
Good luck the rest of the hunt.
Why did you have say it was a rage? Gosh! LOL, now this thread will explode! Sorry ya'll didn't recover. Mike
I was wondering why he had to mention any of the products? For a minute, I thought it was the opening to a television show.
Sorry you lost a magnificent animal. Terrible shot selection and a rage? When you folks learn, maybe a heavier harrow would have help with penetration' hope you find it but I think it's going to be tough.
quartering toward= mistake #1 mechanical on elk= mistake #2
heavy draw and decent arrow weight do not make it a sure thing, it is still an arrow!
Funny how this thread went from asking about dogs to help track to an analysis of what was done wrong vs right.
The unsolicited advice is hilarious.
From the sounds of this I would believe that it was a single lung and liver... Equates to a dead animal, but if he was pursued too quick he may have made it further than you'd believe. Sounds like a pretty decent shot in most circumstances... Keep your eyes to the sky and your noses open and you may just find him yet. Good luck.
I shot a big bull just like that and drove a slick trick regular head all the way to his hip and he made it 75 yards . I cant imagine this heavy duty set up driving a rage only 14 inches, but I have never shot a rage at a elk before. one thing I know for sure is I have never had any regrets if my penetration was to much and drove in a tree on the other side.
Just think this bull would have been recovered with a little two blade head drove deep and sliced multiple organs all the way back, penetration is everything in archery.
More importantly penetration with a broadhead on the arrow is important. I would think 30 in on a blunt arrow with no blade wouldn't kill many elk, at least in a few days.
I shot my first bull, 6x, with the same broadhead, less arrow weight, shorter draw and 70lb bow instead of 80lb. Slightly quartering too and punched him at the liver at 52 yards. 400 yards later dead bull. The shot was perfect and I seen the arrow in the bull after the shot. I'd of attempted to shoot him in the same place if I was in his seat. 12 yards. Sometimes it just doesn't work out fellas. Real shitty but it's gonna happen sooner or later. Should of done this should of done that. I thought we did real good.
i shot a 320 bull once that was quartering to and above me, put the shot exactly where i wanted it. i suspect that i only got the far side lung and high. that bull did not die!
i swore off quartering toward shot forever. maybe i could make it happen some other time? but i KNOW, that i never failed to recover another elk with a quartering toward shot.
dead bull with a 2 blade COI - your had a heavy poundage bow, pretty heavy arrows ... and a crap broadhead
IMO you take the shots you think you can make - in this case, I think you made the shot and the equipment/broadehad failed you
JMO
Sorry for the lost bull.
Sorry for the bashing on Bowsite.
Remember the three certainties in life -
- Death -Taxes - No matter what you post on Bowsite, people are going to bitch, and bitch, and bitch.
Doesn't bother me a bit. Was just looking for a blood dog to do what I felt respected the situation most and see if anyone else had similar experiences.
On a positive, here is my dads bull. He was shooting at a 400" and this stepped in the way. :-)
?? "Stepped in the way" ??
Was that in the same area?
Used rage 2 blade hypodermic 415 gr CE maxima 64# Matthews reezon. Through second from rear rib through rib 5 from rear on far side. Liver to long to lung through 2 ribs. Bhead looks like new. 150 recovery. Sorry you didn't recover the animal. No matter what others say rage is a good choice for elk
Bottom line, shot selection and arrow placement is key. They are tough animals.... Stepped in the way, that's pops story he's sticking to it. Haha
