Contributors to this thread:
[Another pic from my trail camera]
Scenario:
You have drawn your LE unit and here comes this bull.
Question is... what is the maximum Pref Points you would you use to shoot this bull?
2?
5?
7?
BTW. This pic was taken in an OTC unit - Colorado
0 You will never kill a big bull if you don't pass bulls like that!
I would burn 5 points if I new it was a unit that I could find a few like that. But by the looks of it I will probably just keep looking for a honey hole like you have.
2- thats a representative bull in the co 2 point unit we hunt
0 for me too. But that's a respectable NoCo OTC bull, for sure..
I'll never accrue more than two points so I guess I'll say two points!
i agree on the 0. These bulls are around in OTC units
Restraint is a quality that comes with time in the field, looking over lots of bulls.
I would say 5 as that is how many it takes in my area. I have a hard time passing a good bull as I just don't see that many. However last year in Wyoming we saw crazy numbers of bulls in 3 days of hunting and hope I can experience that again this year. Just need to be PATIENT
I guess for me the scenario is a little too vague. Even if I was in a unit that took me 10 points or so to draw and it was last day I'd take him. Especially if my freezer was on the empty side of things and I had no other elk tags for the season.
Gen. or OTC unit sure I would arrow him.
LE/LQ unit---Last day Bull.
Good luck, Robb
Cut my elk hunting teeth in a 1-2 point Colorado unit more than a decade ago. That bull would have been in trouble on those hunts.
Today...he walks regardless of unit/points.
If I was in Wyoming after a 2 year wait I would def shoot him
Maybe even a 3 year wait
I burned 3 pts this year and I would shoot him on the first hour of the first day.
Since I haven't shot a bull with my bow yet I would burn 7 points on him. Now if I had 6 Bulls under my belt waiting for that 7th point I might pass on him.
2 points would have me looking pretty hard at him! 2 point units generally don't have many wall hangers around. A lot also would depend how many days I had to elk hunt that unit? He's a 270 class bull & that's a pretty standard OTC bull in a lot of general units. He'd taste great for sure & still have some bone to show for your efforts! (grin)
ElkNut1
To me he looks a little shy of 270, but I'm no expert. He gets an arrow from me regardless, but I don't apply LE.
2 points. I would shoot him any day and be very happy! :)
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I'd shoot him in any unit in co I once passed on an OK 4x4 buck opening day then the last evening of the hunt I shot a Forky for meat. I won't pass on another legal animal at least not in this stage of my life.everyone is different everyone has different views and values.
I would burn 5 points, but what day is it and how many days do I have to hunt?
Passed on a similar bull in a general Montana unit last year. Probably would again but since I don't have any elk in the freezer you never know?
What WapitiBob said, but I don't have the time to spend so I wouldn't pass him up. He's big enough for me.
More difficult to answer. It is a combination of points and what day of the hunt I see him. Day 1 of a high PP LE unit, he gets a pass.
Day 1 in a 2 or 3 PP unit, I am into assassin mode.
But in either case, I would know before I ever start my hunt I will know what to expect and what my goals might be.
It is my tag and I can do whatever it legally permits me to do. (Or eat that tag) I know it is that time of year. Not trying to generate confrontation. Good post Brad!
If that bull even comes close to 270"...I need to go back to field judging class. My estimate would not have even been in that ballpark. What am I missing?
LE hunt gets a pass until the very end and maybe not even then. Depends on if the freezer is empty.
Pav, not sure what your score was but here is a possible scenario. G1 15", G2 14", G3 8", G4 14", G5 6"=114" Width= 35", mass=35", Beam 42" Grand total=268 Just a possible option of how others came to 270 ish
0 points on any bull, some family member will chuck the horns in the trash,give them away or pawn them when you croak anyhow, if it's brown it's down fills the freezer and the belly. Never created a good hunting story by letting anything walk. If it's a good broadside shot under 30 and you pass the shot, odds are there will not be another good ethical clean killing shot come along that season.
I think he is solid 270 'ish' bull.
Here is that bull from the thread 'Score this bull' that taped out at 285
Similar size
....and I shoot THAT bull in my 2 point Colorado unit. The bull in the first photo still gets a pass. I'm just not seeing it in the 1st photo? The entire frame on that bull just looks compact to me.
That said, I can accept the fact I'm probably in the wrong here....LOL!
Bigdan x2.... I wouldn't think twice about passing on that bull... regardless of points.
Well I just burnt 17 so he'd have to be double that size.. :)
ED
That bull is a lot closer to 250 than 270. That said, I'd shoot him on my OTC Montana tag.
Outside of CO, I don't know that I'd shoot that bull on any LE tag. There's a couple UT tags that I'd shoot that bull with, but I don't put in for them.
Inside of CO, 5 points and under, I'd shoot him.
Any OTC unit in any state I'd be thrilled.
The field photo of the bull above looks smaller all the way around than cnelk's to me as well; i.e. I would think more than 15". Hard to know from just a single picture. Somebody should get that thing shot so we know for sure.
I've always held to only arrowing a bull I would spend the money to have mounted- so bulls like that I'd pass on an OTC tag.
Brad, great looking bull,looks like he has little issue being in the 285 range, do you have a field photo of him, it looks like a big bodied guy!
ElkNut1
If I'm buying points to hunt a certain state I am doing it for one reason....to kill a big bull !! I have a lot of points in AZ and I will eat the tag long before I go to AZ and shoot a small bull or a cow. The bull in the pic.....not interested. I sure would like to see my grandson arrow a bull like that one though !!
2 points or under for me.
--Mitch
I guess it depends on what type of hunter you are and time you have to hunt elk.
Some guys on this thread hunt elk as much as I hunt whitetails. That elk is a 130 class WT - I think a lot of guys will shoot a 130" whitetail and think a lot of guys would shoot this elk no prob after burning a bunch of points.
Only way I am passing is if I'm in an area where my chances of killing something a lot bigger is good.
I had a tag last year that I don't think we saw a bull that small. If you set your standards really high- like I did, be prepared to not punch your tag. Kind of tough not killing a nice bull after 20+ years, but it's about the hunt to me more than what I killed or did not for that matter.
Mathews - that's spot on. Know what will make YOU happy and don't worry about others.
For me, it's about the experience, meat and kill. I need the meat, not to be happy, but because the love my family has of wild game.
Some hunts nothing but big bulls/bucks abound and some you can't buy anything bigger than spikes.
Most guys go in with certain expectations but adjusting them based on conditions has always worked for me.
Sometimes that bull above is more special to me than a bull that is bigger.
