This weekend - Part 2

[JohnFitzgerald]

My grandpa always told me that it\'s a hunters ethical duty to make a quick clean kill. He also taught me that bragging about your kill is a disrespect to the animals you take. So I choose to not post kill shots or talk about the animals I\'ve taken. If people hold less weight on my advice because of this, then I\'m fine with being just \"that\" person. But I\'ve taken many elk over my years of hunting and I\'ve never lost a wounded animal. Was very proud to tell grandpa, next time we meet, that I always made good clean kills.

Monday morning my son and I bumped a spike bull. After calling him back in, three times, he posed a 30 yard slight down hill broadside shot. I was hoping my son would get an opportunity, but instead I heard him whisper \"taken him dad\". He had no shot. So I left one fly and watched my broad disappear 1-2 inches behind the front shoulders and about mid body. It looked like a good clean kill. After an hour, I went over to where I shot him. No arrow but I did pick up his frothy, bubbly, blood trail. About 60 yards from where I shot him I found my arrow that made it almost completely through and more signs that I hit lungs and he was bleeding out both sides. After another 40 yards the blood trail just turned to spots. My heart sunk!

I called in 3 others from my hunting part and also my wife and daughter to help track. We followed him for a mile and the blood trail just disappeared. We did a grid search for another 1/2 mile and didn\'t find him. It just doesn\'t make sense! The only thing I could think happened was the bull was actually quartering more towards me. But I remember thinking complete broadside. In any case I feel embarrassed, ashamed, sick, and empty in the fact that it happened. Even worse, how can I ever give my son a pep talk about practicing more so this thing doesn\'t happen. It would be empty words.

I must live with my mistake.....and I\'m considering giving up bow hunting all together. I\'m just not sure I can ever draw back on another animal and feel confident that I can make a good clean kill. Wish grandpa was still around to give me some advice, put his arm around me, and tell me it was ok.

JF

 

[F M]

Sorry to hear that John. But I think the more important lesson you showed your son is that you never give up looking for a wounded animal until there is absolutely nothing left to follow then you look some more.

I have bow hunted for 38 years and can tell you this. You will loose a animal once in awhile bow hunting. Anyone that tells you different is not a true bow hunter or has not hunted long enough to know.

 

[Deertick]

A good life is not the absence of missteps.

 

[elkmtngear]

It happens John. I did everything perfect last Season, and still lost a bull. It\'s a game of inches, so many variables involved. I\'ve been bowhunting for over 40 years, so it\'s not the first time it had happened. I knew that the only way to help ease that sick feeling, was to get my head back in the game, and kill an elk. And it\'s what I did.

It truly sucks, but you have to press on. It\'s part of the game...certainly not the best part, but still a part of it. This is all very good experience for your Son.

 

[cnelk]

Hunting is a choice to take an animal, and that choice comes with risks.
The risks go higher every time you hold a weapon and point it at the quarry.

The feelings you have now are valid.
But we as hunters are not perfect and we can and will learn from mistakes and the things that go wrong.

It is not easy. And it will not be easy to give up bow hunting.
You have children to teach what you have learned, the stuff you learned by mistakes.

Teach them, take them bow hunting, learn individually and as a family.

 

[ORelksniper]

Excellent advice from everyone, JF. We\'ve all been there. We can give you encouragement and even sympathize with you, but ultimately YOU have to decide which path is right. Give yourself some time to reflect on all of the experience, not just the bad. Talk some more to your son to really learn how he feels. After all, you\'re teaching each other. Finally, listen to the voice of your grandpa. He\'s still with you, ya know.

 

[Ol' Arky]

Like most everyone said, if ya bow hunt or even gun hunt ya will loose a critters sometimes... Reasons, we don\'t know but can be many...

Being an ol\' grandpa with sons and grandkids, I would tell them \"it hurts to loose a critter but it happens to the best of us, me included\"...

If ya love to hunt and want to teach your son that love, ya have to continue to do so...

It\'s up to you if ya quit or not BUT if it was me I would remember all the good things along with this one bad un and keep on with my love of hunting...

Everyone must know that sometimes \"things\" just happen BUT remember they happen for a reason... To help us on our long journey...

Hope that no matter what ya do you do with everything you have done in the past in mine...

 

[Don K]

Having feelings like this is what makes you a true hunter. IMO, if you didn\'t have these feelings then you should be more worried.

Bottom line is no matter how good you are, no matter how good the situation is there is going to be a time your going to loose a animal. This doesn\'t matter if your bow hunting, gun hunting. muzzle-loader, what ever you use if you spend enough time out there its going to happen.


You do everything possible to not have this happen and do the best possible job finding the animal if it does happen.

Clear your mind, relax, shoot a bit and get back out there and enjoy it. (Your son needs to see this)

 

[Olympushunt]

Having feelings like this is what makes you a true hunter. IMO, if you didn\'t have these feelings then you should be more worried.

Bottom line is no matter how good you are, no matter how good the situation is there is going to be a time your going to loose a animal. This doesn\'t matter if your bow hunting, gun hunting. muzzle-loader, what ever you use if you spend enough time out there its going to happen.


You do everything possible to not have this happen and do the best possible job finding the animal if it does happen.

Clear your mind, relax, shoot a bit and get back out there and enjoy it. (Your son needs to see this)

Very well put Don. A very good friend of mine shot a monster Rosie bull many years ago. It was a \"perfect\" shot....behind the shoulder and what seemed like the right height. It was a 30 yard shot also. It was the biggest bull he had ever drawn on and he has killed some dandies. He couldn\'t believe it when he ended up not recovering it. He did end up finding it a few miles and a week later. He said the arrow placement was were it should be! To say he was sick is a massive understatement. He didn\'t come out of his house for awhile and didn\'t speak of it much to me for years. He punched his tag and left it lay where it was. Everyone is different. I would have punched my tag and collected the rack myself. Some would keep on hunting ....and there is NOTHING wrong with any of those options. Elk are an extremely tough animal to kill with a stick and string. They can survive the roughest conditions and take wounds that we humans couldn\'t. Bottom line is John, you did your very best and sometimes the outcome isn\'t what we would like. Showing your boy when that happens we dust ourselves off and keep trying with the same respect and more knowledge that elk are an amazingly tough animal. Your boy knows how bad you are beating yourself up....show him that it\'s ok to falter and come out with more knowledge and respect than the day before. Let him know that dad isn\'t perfect and that\'s ok as long as we try our very best.
I feel for ya John....one bowhunter to another.... It just plain sucks.

 

[bnsafe]

im guessin even indians and mountain men lost animals occassionally. it sucks, and anyone worth anything feels as you do. but, it does happen and the fact that you feel this makes it ok. only two things would cause shame in losing a animal, knowingly making a bad shot with intention to wound, or not practicing and learning your equipment and limitations. you have done neither.
obviously this is something you will have to come to grips with in your own way, but dont let one misstep stop you from a life time of love.

 

[Guest]

John,

I shot and made what I thought was the perfect shot on the biggest bull of my life...........and I too lost him !! I looked for a week and finally found birds and as I snuck in the claim my prize I realised real quick that it was not meant to be as a Grizzly had claimed it for himself !!

I was lucky to get out with my life intact and I came to realise the meat did not go to waste by any means. I punched my tag and was distraught just like you are but I knew I did everything right in my power to recover the animal. Sometimes things just do not work out !!

I groveled and pouted for the rest of the season and I also said I was going to quit..........But the passion for the chase would not allow me to !! Now I mostly video the bulls I call in and I\'m fine with that as its like catch and release fishing but with elk. I call in 30-50 bulls every season but I only shoot 1 every couple years and I\'m very happy with that.

The true passion for bow hunting elk is in the chase and the chess match we play with them...........The kill has very little to do with it !! JMOP

In time you will find your way and where it takes you !!

Travis

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Thanks guys. All great advice and words! I\'m going out this weekend and hope to pull the trigger.

I\'m just amazed at all the support my BTO family has to give. Very proud to be part of it.

 

[Don K]

Glad to hear it John. Get out there and put it behind you and enjoy it!!

 

[F M]

Glad to hear it John. Get out there and put it behind you and enjoy it!!

Could not have said it any better. Good luck this weekend John.

 

[Ol' Arky]

Good luck John and hope ya have a fun weekend...

 

[Swede]

John, I am glad you are back to hunting. Bad things happen. When you have done the best you can, an it doesn\'t work out, learn what is learnable and then move on. I hope you get another good shot at a bull.