Shoot or No Shot. Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

Tale of the tape: 15 September 2014; 5:15 PM; SE Idaho; bull only area.  After the fifth day of your ten day hunt, you decide to take a break from running and gunning the steep draws/ridges and set up on parky little bench in this small meadow in a natural material ground blind.  There are bedding areas off to your left about 1/3 mile and the elk have been traveling through this bench most evenings to a feed area to your right down farther in a large draw.  Well, after dozing off, an ant crawlilng on your ear brings you back to the hunt .  You see the last of a small group of cows passing in front of you (again, left to right) and then this guy, skirting the timber close to your stand location, moves to where he stands now... sniffs the ground, lifts his head, and listens to a distant locator bugle way up to your right.  You are 37 yards from bullwinkle, directly where the red "H" is below the pic.       

Shoot or no shot here for you? If you say shoot, please place a dot or X where your arrow is heading.

Reminder that if you save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, you'll be able to place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg and add the marked up pic with your post.

[Todd_ID]

Hit where I put the X and you'll get a 40-60 chance at killing him.  Deflection due to blade angle, single lung only, uphill angle of front shoulders, etc.: too many problems.  Wait for him to turn, and he will; then you'll kill a stud!

Hit where I put the . and he won't make it 40 yards, but I don't like that either.  Wait for him to turn.  He will.

[WapitiTalk1]

Graphic aid FYI..

[Rainier10]

I would aim right where Todd's X is and hold on that spot.  I agree with Todd he is going to turn back to his cows and you are already on the spot when he turns back to the left to follow his harem.  If I just can't take it any longer I think I would take the shot right where he stands and I like my odds of it driving right up into the boiler room.

On a side note, I have also had a shot go off the mark and land right where Todd's dot is and that is a lethal shot for sure, just not one that I would chose to take, sometimes you get lucky when you make an error and if you are lucky enough to hit that spot it will bleed them out fast.

[Tbob]

I'm going to wait for him to turn.. Then whammoh! Elk steak for dinner.

[pd]

Todd, in the spirit of Phantom's questions, why would you take a shot where your "." is (the red dot, to the upper left of his tail)?  I am not sure I would have ever considered such a shot.  This is an honest question, without malice.  Please elucidate.

[Rainier10]

Not to answer for Todd, but like I said in my response I hit where his dot is once on a miss placed shot and the cow went down in 40 yards just like Todd says.  My bow string hit my jacket and the arrow went off track and hit right in the hind quarter. There is a ton of blood going through those quarters and she bled out quick.  Again not saying this is Todd's reasoning and I personally would not take that shot intentionally. 

[Todd_ID]

Not to answer for Todd, but like I said in my response I hit where his dot is once on a miss placed shot and the cow went down in 40 yards just like Todd says.  My bow string hit my jacket and the arrow went off track and hit right in the hind quarter. There is a ton of blood going through those quarters and she bled out quick.  Again not saying this is Todd's reasoning and I personally would not take that shot intentionally.

Pretty much all those reasons exactly.  I don't do it on purpose, but if you did hit there, then it would die quickly.  Animals hit in the hindquarters generally are easy to find and quick to go down, but it's not a shot that we need to try and take because a better shot generally happens with a bit of patience.  I've let elk walk because their hindquarters was the only shot and will do so in the future.  But, if an arrow gets into them by accident (torque your bow from excitement on this shot or hit your sleeve just a bit) then it would be fatal.

[bearpaw]

Not to answer for Todd, but like I said in my response I hit where his dot is once on a miss placed shot and the cow went down in 40 yards just like Todd says.  My bow string hit my jacket and the arrow went off track and hit right in the hind quarter. There is a ton of blood going through those quarters and she bled out quick.  Again not saying this is Todd's reasoning and I personally would not take that shot intentionally.

Pretty much all those reasons exactly.  I don't do it on purpose, but if you did hit there, then it would die quickly.  Animals hit in the hindquarters generally are easy to find and quick to go down, but it's not a shot that we need to try and take because a better shot generally happens with a bit of patience.  I've let elk walk because their hindquarters was the only shot and will do so in the future.  But, if an arrow gets into them by accident (torque your bow from excitement on this shot or hit your sleeve just a bit) then it would be fatal.

   I agree with your assessment.

[kentrek]

So the hind ham is a fatal with a bow ??

[WapitiTalk1]

Another graphic aid folks.  Yes, there is a main artery that runs down the inside of the hind leg(s) but it's a very, very small target. 

[Rainier10]

So the hind ham is a fatal with a bow ??

Phantom's graphic illustrates lots of viens and arteries in the hind quarter, if you hit one definitely fatal, if you are to far back and low, that animal is gone and you will never find it.

Again, I would never take that shot. If it happens don't get down on yourself, wait it out, start tracking and you may get lucky and find the animal only 40-50 yards from the impact.

[MtnMuley]

Love your scenarios. Hmmm..........distant bugle to the right...........He's calm and unalarmed.  I believe you will get a shot either way.  He's either going to continue his spin and present a quality shot to the right or  he'll swing around back to the left presenting a quality shot.  Can't see him diving straight off.  With him in that position, I draw my bow perfectly and cautious as it would already be in the shooting position with him approaching.  I then wait him out.  As soon as he flinches my diaphragm is ready to sound off with a subtle, me'ew. Game over.....hopefully, lol.