Shoot or No Shot?

[WapitiTalk1]

35 yards. You're in a natural ground blind at the edge of this meadow right at the bull's 6 oclock (you are straight back from the "." in 6.85 on the bottom of the pic. He walked out from your right and stopped where he currently stands to listen to another bull bugle up on the hillside at the bull's 3 oclock.

"Shoot or No Shot"? Place an X or dot where your arrow is heading to if you say shoot. 

[h20hunter]

Bow/Rifle/Muzzy?

[WapitiTalk1]

Bow/Rifle/Muzzy?

Archery gear buddy. 

[h20hunter]

Archery I would have to wait. I'm not good enough to thread it and get both lungs. I'd be at draw and maybe give a mew so he turns more to look back.

[Broken Arrow]

Given his body language and his interest in the other bugling bull, I wait at full draw until he turns to face that other bull, thus giving me a much better shot. If i was a betting man, I would think with a pretty high percentage, that he turns and does exactly what I am suggesting in the next few frames.

[jackelope]

Low percentage shot. Wait for him to turn. He will.

[pianoman9701]

Looks like a pretty nice quartering away shot to me. Launch it at the rib cage right in front of the hind quarter. 35 yards no problem. 40+ I would wait for a broadside. Flame away.

[BULLBLASTER]

Looks like a pretty nice quartering away shot to me. Launch it at the rib cage right in front of the hind quarter. 35 yards no problem. 40+ I would wait for a braodside. Flame away.

that should be a dead elk... but the possibility is there for a single lung hit. But you'd get guts and liver amd a lung... that means dead elk but wait 4-6 hours to Track. Possibility of a heart shot too which means dead faster.
At the same time I am thinking that a elk stomach acts much like a straw bail when full... might hinder penetration.
This is a tough call... I have nothing against a guy who takes that shot but not sure what I would do... chances are he would turn right or let and offer a shot... but I'm the type of person who takes the very first shot opportunity.

[Jonathan_S]

  I am a first shop opportunity kind of guy.

If it was only 35... he'd be bleeding.

[Rob]

if your arrow can shoot clean through a bale of hay at 35 yards, go for it!

[Tbar]

I say no shot.  One step during Flight and you got a hind quarter.  He's preoccupied so have patience and your shot will present itself.

[floatinghat]

No shot,  too great a risk for the loss of a quality animal.

[jrebel]

Shoot....35 yards on a quartering animal is a high percentage shot.  Matter of fact I would rather a quartering away shot than a quartering to shot.  No guts involved.....at a minimum a double lung....and likely liver lung and possible even heart / major vessel. 

[coachcw]

that would be a dead elk. right between the last rib and the hip lowest third.

[Bullkllr]

I've killed 2 deer that presented that shot. Both stumbled and were down within seconds. Sure elk is different, but also bigger target.

A well-placed arrow wrecks that bulls vitals. Narrower window than broadside, yes. Rather have a slightly different shot, yes. Take that one at 35 if that was it, yes.

[WapitiTalk1]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

[Tbar]

I agree but would like a little more angle.  This shot even if it goes good can result in a single lung with little or no blood trail (although very fatal). It's a shot that can be made I think this shot results in many lost animals. 

[pianoman9701]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

Yep

[washelkhunter]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

That's a clear gutshot.   

[kentrek]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

One inch to the left is where I'd have my pin 

Shot a cow at a pretty similar angle ....she died really really fast..

In the thick stuff I frequent you don't get to wait for a second chance

[mossback91]

Shot a deer like that this year.....took out lung and heart!! made it 50 yards or so before he took a nap!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Not really a low percentage shot at all ...  you could almost hit that bull in the butt and drive that arrow straight threw the lungs and maybe the heart ..  All day long !

[BOWHUNTER45]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

10-4 on that ! 

[elk247]

No way.

[RadSav]

I'd be taking that shot so quick the arrow might get there the day before.

Liver, diaphragm, lungs and heart and he'll probably watch the arrow skipping on the ground in front of him.  I doubt I would be blood trailing him more than 40 yards from impact!  If it wasn't for the hill I'd expect to watch him go down.

[Jonathan_S]

Glad to see RadSav respond on this, I was hoping you would   

Phantom post some more   

[whacker1]

I would take the shot for all the reasons radsav said

[boneaddict]

He wouldn't know what hit him.

[bearpaw]

That looks pretty killer to me!

[northwesthunter84]

I wouldn't even have to think about it.  I would drop the hammer in a heartbeat.  He might not even run more than a couple steps. Some people think that is a smaller kill area than broadside but actually the kill volume is much larger.  I would put it right behind the last rib and out right in front of the offside shoulder.  I had just a slightly different angle on my bull this year and he didn't go 80 yards across the clear cut.  Mine was at 53 yards on the range finder.  Complete pass through, never knew what hit him.

[D-Rock425]

I'd take that shot all day. 

[Rainier10]

For those of you who say shoot, is this about right 

Pretty much,maybe to the left just a hair/1".

[dreamingbig]

Yep, I would be shooting.  A very lethal shot.


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