Contributors to this thread:
I made what appeared to be a liver-one lung shot on a great bull. He took a step as I pulled through my shot. Picked up the track three hours later and could see the bull on his side kicking and thrashing. I attempted to put in another shot into him and as I moved closer he saw me and staggered off. I waited another 3 hours and tried to track again. Nothing. I need input and suggestions. I'm on this trip for another 5 days and will spend all that time until I recover him.
I'd start first light with as many guys as you can come up with. Mark every spot of blood, every track you think is his with toilet paper. This will show you direction obviously , but it kind of gives the big picture. At the last spot you have sign start making circles with your guys. Take your time and glass when ever you can. He should be dead.
Takes 5 hours for a liver shot. He'll go to closest water and will walk till he drops.
Agree he is dead at this point. Help and fresh eyes that aren't hyped up will help too. Probably bedded fairly close. Best wishes tomorrow. Got a good feeling on this one.
Good luck on the recovery.
It kills me to lose him. I shoot 3d and field archery all year long. Never thought I could make a marginal shot. Problem is the Blm land borders private property. I'm gonna leave the bow in the truck and claim ignorance.
You could also go explain the situation to the owner.
I'd exhaust every single square inch of the public looking for him before thinking about getting over there. Best to go to the private now because you want to be looking for him all night because he's dead.
You haven't lost him yet Something else you may want to do if your not familiar with the area is look at a topo map. Get a game plan. Good luck.
Hard to claim ignorance... when you post your intent on the www. Anyone can make a marginal shot. There are always variables beyond one's control, regardless of how good one is or thinks they are. Good luck. Put in max effort looking on public. If you can make a case that you exhausted every possible scenario on public, the landowner MIGHT be a little sympathetic and let you try his/her property.
A lot of ranchers who border public have cameras up just for trespassers. I would talk to them before crossing that line.
Be a man and go talk with him if the bull crossed back over the line. Use your nose from below in the early am if all else fails.
Liver shot animals almost always go to water in my experience(Whitetial only), often times they don't make it further. I sure hope you can recover him.
I shot two whitetail bucks in the liver-poor shooting but that's another story. Both bucks were found in the water-in a river floating. Water is the key I'm sure in finding the bull. To bad private land is in the picture-most likely the water source in that area. I would check with the owner-if nothing else when he finds it dead maybe he will let you tag it for the horns if nothing else.
If you have multiple folks searching, tie flagging tape onto 2 sticks and keep moving the back stick forward as each drop of blood is found. Every drip or splatter is a little bit closer to finding the bull.
If blood completely ends and it resorts to a body search, the with friends, use GPS units to walk parallel to each other. When you get to the end of the distance, a guy on one end moves over a bit and parallel's his previous course, the other folks key off him and keep each other in sight. Distance apart depends on how thick the cover is. Not sure the explanation is clear enough, but the system is clearly the best I have used.
The bull may defy logic in the final direction he goes. If he wasn't spooked badly when you tried to get the finishing shot, then he may be only a short distance away. And, blood may be non existent. I am encouraged by the fact that he was initially down when you found him the first time. He likely didn't go far to bed again.
>>>>----good luck!---->
Sorry, somehow, I TBM'd....
>>>>----good luck!---->
If you need to search private, find the owners and ask them. Besides being the right thing to do, you don't want to get caught with a dead bull and no blood trail 300 yards inside someones property. Don't assume it will be a problem. Many ranchers are hunter friendly even if they have their land posted up tight, don't give out hunting permission and/or lease it out. Even non hunting ranchers share a lot of common enemies with us. Like most folks, they will also respect it if you ask first and will be pretty unhappy if you don't.
Rutstrut11---ok-its been 4 days-bull is long gone or raven/yote meat. Did you find it?
Look for the birds, ravens and crows will lead you to the carcass.
I agree. Did you find it or not?
How far from that first bed to the private land? He may not have made it that far.
I too am curious, Lets hope he has been busy in camp with an elk.
If your state allows tracking dogs, bring one and he might be able to wind the carcass.
dead elk within a few hundred yards I'd bet - post pics of his, don't stop until you find him
I shot/lost a bull once because more than anything I just wasn't persistent enough. FIND THE BULL !! Good luck
At ten days old.... follow the smell. I would have hoped that some repost stating some kind of resolution was forthcoming alas I think the trail is cold. We shall never know
theres a good lesson here,,,stay back let um die
"theres a good lesson here,,,stay back let um die"
X2...a lethal liver hit on a bull means nothing if you bump him...he will walk dead on his feet for miles.
Hope you beat the odds and find him.
Best Wishes, Jeff
We found a lost bull two years ago and there was nothing but head and some hide in 4 days.
I think if you woulda just stayed back you`d be eat n backstrap.lesson learned young man be patiant!..I know its hard to let them suffer because we as hunters want it over with quike! so I understand why you did what you did , but like I told my son dont look and plug your ears if you dont wanna hear or see it die!
MikeC
One day I will read one of these threads where the OP actually updates it in the end...
+1^^^^^ Think you guys are waiting your time at this point. The guy only posts a few times a year.
