What Would You Do? He shot my elk!

[xXLojackXx]

It's not who shoots it, it's whoever tags it first  the race is on!

[dscubame]

Sounds like he shot his elk.

[h2ofowlr]

This is the norm these days.  I called in 8 different hunters to my set ups last season.  Almost comical.

[wafisherman]

Sss

[wafisherman]

Place: Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains
Date: 24 September 20XX; 7th day of your 10 day hunt
Time: 8:48 PM
Weapon: Archery; just you and your bow (hunting solo) this day
Area legal animal: Bull only
Terrain: Timbered with light to heavy alder/huckleberry brush, and, some open intermittent benchy meadows.

After heading up the access trail before daylight, you stop to listen at the head end of a very nice timbered draw, with scattered small benchy meadows, that you know the elk frequent. There are several bull's bugling from various points. You decide to work in as close as possible, underneath the elk, to keep the thermals in your favor before saying a peep. The terrain is pretty decent and within 30-40 minutes, you're in position to where you think you may be able to do some calling below and between two separate bulls and perhaps, get one to come in. After some great vocal exchanges, a decent 5 point comes in to within 40 yards and as you see him walking to where you have a decent shooting lane all hell breaks loose and then you see the hunter stand up and do a fist pump. It appears another hunter has moved in to the situation and shot the bull you called in. As you approach him, he has a look on his face like "wow, I thought you were a bull also".

Do you:

A. Congratulate the other hunter on a good shot and help him track and pack the bull?
B. Give the other hunter a verbal lashing that this mountain has never seen before and head back over to the access trail to head out?
C. See if the other guy can call and maybe plan another attempt at one of the other vocal bulls at a later time?
D. See how far the other hunter would roll if he accidentally slipped down a shale hillside?
E. Other?

848 pm, nobody should be hunting elk.   

what would legal hunting hours be in that state on that date?

[RadSav]

This is the norm these days.  I called in 8 different hunters to my set ups last season.  Almost comical.

Why I rarely bugle for elk in this state anymore.  Some day I'll draw a quality bull tag and bugle to my hearts content

[JLS]

Had this happen also.  We helped him look for about three hours to no avail.

Moral of the story:  quartering away shots at 70 yards with expandable broadheads may not be the best choice.

[pianoman9701]

Place: Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains
Date: 24 September 20XX; 7th day of your 10 day hunt
Time: 8:48 PM
Weapon: Archery; just you and your bow (hunting solo) this day
Area legal animal: Bull only
Terrain: Timbered with light to heavy alder/huckleberry brush, and, some open intermittent benchy meadows.

After heading up the access trail before daylight, you stop to listen at the head end of a very nice timbered draw, with scattered small benchy meadows, that you know the elk frequent. There are several bull's bugling from various points. You decide to work in as close as possible, underneath the elk, to keep the thermals in your favor before saying a peep. The terrain is pretty decent and within 30-40 minutes, you're in position to where you think you may be able to do some calling below and between two separate bulls and perhaps, get one to come in. After some great vocal exchanges, a decent 5 point comes in to within 40 yards and as you see him walking to where you have a decent shooting lane all hell breaks loose and then you see the hunter stand up and do a fist pump. It appears another hunter has moved in to the situation and shot the bull you called in. As you approach him, he has a look on his face like "wow, I thought you were a bull also".

Do you:

A. Congratulate the other hunter on a good shot and help him track and pack the bull?
B. Give the other hunter a verbal lashing that this mountain has never seen before and head back over to the access trail to head out?
C. See if the other guy can call and maybe plan another attempt at one of the other vocal bulls at a later time?
D. See how far the other hunter would roll if he accidentally slipped down a shale hillside?
E. Other?

848 pm, nobody should be hunting elk.   

Another one I completely missed. 

[Rainier10]

Place: Somewhere in the Rocky Mountains
Date: 24 September 20XX; 7th day of your 10 day hunt
Time: 8:48 PM
Weapon: Archery; just you and your bow (hunting solo) this day
Area legal animal: Bull only
Terrain: Timbered with light to heavy alder/huckleberry brush, and, some open intermittent benchy meadows.

After heading up the access trail before daylight, you stop to listen at the head end of a very nice timbered draw, with scattered small benchy meadows, that you know the elk frequent. There are several bull's bugling from various points. You decide to work in as close as possible, underneath the elk, to keep the thermals in your favor before saying a peep. The terrain is pretty decent and within 30-40 minutes, you're in position to where you think you may be able to do some calling below and between two separate bulls and perhaps, get one to come in. After some great vocal exchanges, a decent 5 point comes in to within 40 yards and as you see him walking to where you have a decent shooting lane all hell breaks loose and then you see the hunter stand up and do a fist pump. It appears another hunter has moved in to the situation and shot the bull you called in. As you approach him, he has a look on his face like "wow, I thought you were a bull also".

Do you:

A. Congratulate the other hunter on a good shot and help him track and pack the bull?
B. Give the other hunter a verbal lashing that this mountain has never seen before and head back over to the access trail to head out?
C. See if the other guy can call and maybe plan another attempt at one of the other vocal bulls at a later time?
D. See how far the other hunter would roll if he accidentally slipped down a shale hillside?
E. Other?

848 pm, nobody should be hunting elk.   

Ouch! Can I change my answer?

[kentrek]

This is the norm these days.  I called in 8 different hunters to my set ups last season.  Almost comical.

Why I rarely bugle for elk in this state anymore.  Some day I'll draw a quality bull tag and bugle to my hearts content

That's a sad statement...it's my favorite way to kill elk with out a doubt

[Smossy]

My answer is both a combo of A and C - id offer to help him locate track and pack if he helped me attempt to call and vise versa. Make it a team effort at that point.

[WapitiTalk1]

Whoops. Old timers disease kicking in or maybe starting too many threads.  Meant "AM". Sorry for the confusion.

[Tbar]

Well in that case Phantom I choose a. One thing I know about September hunting is the meat needs cared for.  I would either help him break the animal down and prep it to a place where he would not lose any meat or help pack it off the hill if welcomed to. 

[REHJWA]

E. If you change the scenario...I may not even let him know I was there...

A, maybe C depending on how A went...who knows maybe I can get the herd bull to think I'm the satellite bull he shot...oh and if I did A right maybe Karma would be on my side too.

 

[steen]

I'd say it was his elk because he shot it.  You could have tagged it first but that to me is poor sportsmanship.  I took a long shot on a deer and dumped it hearing another hunter yell a profanity.  He was only 30-40 yds. from that deer.  He did not tag it and helped me dress the deer and we talked till my husband and son showed up to help drag it down. There is a lot more to the story, hence, why he didn't get a shot off before me.  He had a bow, was at full draw when it dropped, was planning on shooting the deer for his Dad who had a rifle tag, had no orange on, and it would have been illegal for him to shoot it anyway.  What got my dander up was the fact that I didn't see him in his camo by a tree and I could have shot him!!!! I did make an impression on him I guess!