Tracking Shot Elk

[Swede]

How far was the longest elk tracking job you can remember, and was it successful?
I believe the farthest I ever had to follow an elk was 500-600 yards est. Actually Olympushunt led the search and found the bull. It was the first elk I ever shot twice before it took off. The second arrow was still in it when we took photos and the hit was very good. The little 5x5 bull was quartering away and the broad head lodged in the offside shoulder.

 

[cnelk]

I think a 100 yds is about my furthest. Only a couple went that far.
I remember one bull I called in that I hit one lung. Tracked him and saw him bedded. Waited and waited.
He would put his head down and I think he was dead then he lifted it.
This went on for about an hour.
Then I decided to sneak in and put another arrow in him
I swung way around and got within 15 yds he was looking the other way.
I drew and put an arrow in him. But with him bedded, the shoulder was bunched up and I hit the scapula.
He immediately stood up!
I knocked another and stuck him again
He swayed and fell. On both of those arrows too

The moral is that it takes a lot to kill an elk. If I hadn\'t seen him bedded he prob woulda
jumped and took off

 

[bnsafe]

bout a 100 yds on an elk. shot a whitetail with a rifle one time an ended up tracking him for about 3 miles. got him 7 hours after the first shot. total luck an hard work. but, if you hit any animal where you should they arnt goin far, if not good luck

 

[JohnFitzgerald]

Every one of my elk have died within 100 yards. Once, a buddy of mine put a bad shot on an elk. Tacked it about 1/2 mile.

Last year, ChuckarNUT put a good shot on his 5 point. Hit it a little high in the lungs so it bleed internally. After the shot, I called him back in and he died within visual of us. Their was no blood trail. It would not have went far, but we would had to have done a lot more tracking.

Suggestion, hit the calls after the shot! :clap:

 

[F M]

Had a cow go around 100 yards and the others were less than that.
I shot a bull last year at a downward angle that hit the off shoulder and did not have a exit hole. 4 of use looked for two days for him. Put lots of miles on covering a lot of area and never did find him.

 

[elkmtngear]

My first bull...probably a quarter mile.

The bull was standing 8 yards in front of me, looking \"through\" me at the caller\'s position. Wind was starting to feel unsure...so I drew smoothly and made a quick release. I shoot instinctive, and I did not realize that my nocking point had become loose and slid up the string about an inch. The result was a lucky hit to one of the carotid arteries.

The initial blood trail was impressive. Started to peeter out after about 500 yards. Took us over two hours after the shot to find the bull, and when we finally found him,he was still alive, but too weak to stand.

Many lessons learned...check equipment and shoot right before heading out, give ample time before tracking on a marginal hit (or any hit that leaves any kind of question in my mind), and as others have indicated, certainly cow call after the shot.

All my other elk have gone down within 150 yards. My shortest blood trail was a cow hit in high lungs that took two jumps and went down for good. Maybe 20 feet.