Shot placement.
Contributors to this thread:Elk
From: COHOYTHUNTER
15-Aug-16
Look at where the arrow is going to go... I see guys too often take a shot like this and put it too far behind the front shoulder, thus not hitting all the vitals.. I'd take this shot putting my arrow right through the shoulder hopefully taking some lung on the way out the other side
From: Mad_Angler
15-Aug-16
20 yards or under, shoot red dot.
more than 20 yards, wait for a better angle.
From: IdyllwildArcher
15-Aug-16
It's a better shot if that left front leg is forward. You can aim quite a bit farther forward than MadAngler's red dot in that case.
From: WapitiBob
15-Aug-16
I'd be at full draw, aiming and waiting for him to turn. Bad things can happen when you shoot behind the near side leg and it's in the back position.
I'd be aiming about 3" up and left of Mad's dot.
From: IdyllwildArcher
15-Aug-16
I also think that MadAngler's humerus is a angled up too much. I see the bones a little more like this.
Maybe angle that humerus up just a tad. I'm really bad at drawing, much less with a lap top mouse. I think that elk, since he's bending over, is bringing his humerus down with him a little. If you look at the unpainted elk in the first photo, you can see the outline of the bony/muscular structures.
From: cjgregory
15-Aug-16
Good to go MadAngler
From: 12yards
15-Aug-16
He may be dieting, but he must be 8 mos. pregnant.
From: drycreek
15-Aug-16
He's just an old fart and some of us take on a little bulge around the middle when we start to age.....................
From: Mad_Angler
15-Aug-16
I'd try to put it in the ten ring...
From: Bowboy
15-Aug-16
That first bull I would wait for a better shot angle.
The second bull arrows in the air.
From: carcus
15-Aug-16
Id kill both, first elk is a 20 yarder and under
From: wyelkhunter
15-Aug-16
Everyone aims too low in my opinion on game animals. Why aim at the heart and allow no margin for error if you are low. If you aim in the middle of the lungs on the elk, you allow maximum error high or low and higher success on harvesting your animal.
I know the reason is the animal will take off at the sound and lowers his center and thus aiming low. I have harvested lots of elk with a bow and have never had that happen. Just my opinion.
From: WapitiBob
15-Aug-16
Learn where to hit them, be proficient enough to get it done.
From: AndyJ
15-Aug-16
To those willing to take that first shot, keep in mind a single lung hit on an elk is a bad hit. Don't "hope" you catch the far lung, if you don't know your are going to get it, you shouldn't be taking the shot.
I have no idea why shot selection has gotten so bad the last few years. Have some respect.
From: ohiohunter
15-Aug-16
Is that bull gut shot almost in the loin?
From: WapitiBob
16-Aug-16
It's not way back, i figured liver and too high to get any real blood. The hole is right above the third point. Talked to a guy a cpl hundred yards from this bull that said his partner lost one and so did he. His was a 6x and was "ok". He shot his maybe a mile from where we found this one. We found a cow not very far away as well. Archery success rates would jump dbl digits if people could shoot.
From: IdyllwildArcher
16-Aug-16
"Archery success rates would jump dbl digits if people could shoot."
I agree, but I think a lot of it is people falling apart at the shot, more so than people's raw lack of archery talent.
From: ohiohunter
16-Aug-16
Or be more patient. Sometimes even the easiest shots can be nerve racking, but 2 lost animals between 2 hunters sounds like terrible luck or the type of people who think "just get an arrow in him". When the adrenalin is flowing the brain stops thinking and the trigger finger gets antsy.
From: warthog
17-Aug-16
"middle of the front third"
From: Jaquomo
17-Aug-16
This is a good thread. I bet 99% of bowhunters would take the shot on the first bull, and more than half would hit him too far back.
From: Salt
17-Aug-16
I agree 100% with Jaquomo. I took that shot and hit one too far back. I recoveered the bull , but it was a long recovery.
From: ELKMAN
17-Aug-16
Here's the "ACTUAL ANSWER" is: Wait for him to take a step and he's open for business. You guys scare me. I'm guessing there are A LOT of sleepless nights in your camps...
From: ohiohunter
17-Aug-16
This one was so close I got him w/ my pocket sword.
