Do you shoot?

[iccyman001]

You were out glassing early morning and found this guy. You knew where he was going, so you decided to put a stalk in on him.
You are slowly stalking/still hunting your way into the area he is and you see him 60 yards away.

Here is the issue. You have run out of cover and this is the closest you can get.

He\'s just bedded down and you know he will be there for a while. Thermals are in your favor, but that\'s bound to change soon.

You are propped down on your knees before a fairly small bush and he just turned his head in the opposite direction and is starting to calm down and get sleepy.


Bow hunters, are you drawing back and taking the shot?

Muzzy hunters? Are you doing the same?

Is anyone calling? Is anyone waiting?

 

[F M]

To me with my bow 60 at a calm animal I don\'t have a problem with. I wont take the shot though because I don\'t like the angle with the front shoulder tucked back.

 

[iccyman001]

Francis,

I am with you, I would not take the shot. I don\'t like the angle.

My mind would be spinning though. I know how badly winds can swirl and it could happen at anytime.

My two choices would be either pull out and try to relocate or I would maybe try to get him on his feet......

 

[OldMan]

With a muzzleloader i\'d wait him out until he stood up. Then shoot.

I have this thing about never shooting an elk laying down.

 

[Guest]

I\'m with you guys but I\'m not shooting because a bull that big will have a few ladies and sooner or later he will get up to go scent check them !! That may bring him to 20-30 yards which will be a chip shot !!

Awesome picture thanks for posting that one.

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Just wait and see if he presents a shot. If he winds me, then so be it, he lives another year.

Not a peep out of me. If you can see him, he can see you. If you call, he\'ll know exactly where the sound came from and see no elk standing there. Play the waiting game!

 

[AndyJ]

I love these. For me with my bow, I don\'t shoot because of the distance and the angle. My limit is 35 yards period. I\'m not saying others can\'t or shouldn\'t take longer shots, but 35 yards is the limit of my comfort zone and I\'ve come to realize that I\'m not as good of a shot as I once thought I was.

As to how I\'m going to get closer...well...this is what I love about bowhunting. He\'s bugling so I bet there is a way to get him to come check out calls. I would back out and find an area where he would have to walk within 35 yards to see me, like just on the other side of a hill and blow a few soft mews and maybe a spike squeal. Or I may just get out of sight and rake a tree. Then I let him make the next move.

Maybe I won\'t get a shot, but that\'s hunting. I lost my first big game animal this year after 25 years of bowhunting. I don\'t think the hit was fatal but I\'m not certain. What I am absolutely certain of is I never want to lose an animal again. I looked for him for a week and I still think about the situation at least once a day.

 

[Swede]

He is out of range for me.

 

[cnelk]

This is a classic example how a hunter should know anatomy.
The shoulder is covering up most of the big vitals.
The base of neck looks temping to those that like the frontal shot, but due to the angle, it isnt an option.

The bull isnt alerted, you got time to let this play out.

 

[razorback]

That\'s a tough one. Last year before I left for CO, I was shooting lights out at 60. Still even if I knew I could put an arrow anywhere I wanted in the bull I probably wouldn\'t take the shot. He\'s calm and I\'ve got time. I\'ll wait, I\'ve passed better shots than this on big WTs. It hasn\'t always paid off but at least I didn\'t leave the woods sick over a cripple buck. I\'ve had to help some of my buddies attempt to track on some shots like this, they never end good!

 

[Lark Bunting]

For me? I put the bow down and pull out the camera/phone and take a picture of awe on my son\'s face. :crazy: Then, I hope one of his cows walks by and I can watch my son take his first cow elk.

 

[bowhunter]

I would wait till he stood and hope for a broadside.