Shoot or No Shot, Episode 8

[WapitiTalk1]

SW Montana, archery elk hunt, 15 September, 5:40 PM. You are the shooter in a cold calling setup. Your buddy is dead ahead of bullwinkle in the sparse pine about 40 yards, and, has successfully called this guy in from your 3 oclock, across the small opening, to a point where the bull stops and decides to advertise his bullhood a bit by thrashing a small fir sapling. You know it's 40 yards to the bent over pine that the elk has so rudely stopped on the other side of. It's the 3rd day of your 10 day hunt and the light wind is blowing from left to right from where you are located. You're on your knees at full draw with good cover to your back, in the direction of the yellow arrow.

Shoot or no shot?

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.

[brianb231]

If his front leg were back instead of forward it may sway my decision, but as the photo sits and describes I would be letting er rip tater chip! right through both lungs just above the bent bush!

[wildmanoutdoors]

If his front leg were back instead of forward it may sway my decision, but as the photo sits and describes I would be letting er rip tater chip! right through both lungs just above the bent bush!

 

[bowhunterwa87]

I would take that shot all day long

[tonymiller7]

FWAP!!!

[Rainier10]

FWAP!!!

That is the shot I would take all day long, dead elk!

[Shawn Ryan]

Shooting. Maybe just to the left of TonyMiller's spot.  Waiting for him to stop thrashing that tree for a second, then letting it fly.  Happy my buddy is nearby so he can help pack.

[D-Rock425]

  

[MtnMuley]

Shoot 3" higher than tonymillers shot.

[darren]

Is the idea that he's thrashing that pine? Like it's passing over tonymiller7's bullseye back and forth?

[RadSav]

Is the idea that he's thrashing that pine? Like it's passing over tonymiller7's bullseye back and forth?

That is exactly my thought. Once you shoot his head is bound to jerk up and so is the tree. He is well within range and so close to a perfect shot opportunity I think I wait.  Once he has killed the tree and starts to think about his next victim is when I take the shot.  Of course I would love to get the arrow into the opposite shoulder instead of hitting him too far back as is the current opportunity.  I think you will have a very good opportunity of getting that perfect shot as soon as he lets go of that wooden force field.  If not I think I still take him on TM7's spot once clear.

[elkmtngear]

Hard to tell from the photo how steep he is quartered in. 

 I would definitely shoot for the leading edge of the "V" ( < )...a miss 4-6 inches to the right would be one lung/ long tough blood trail with a possible bad outcome.

[pianoman9701]

I would wait, hopefully presenting a better broadside without the tree in the way. 

[CP]

One of the reasons I don’t do archery any more.  I have to pass on that shot.   The window is too small and I don’t have confidence that I could put the arrow in there without nicking the pine, hitting too far back or sticking it in the bony shoulder. 

Modern rifle or muzzy, no problem; archery, I’m passing.

[Rainier10]

Is the idea that he's thrashing that pine? Like it's passing over tonymiller7's bullseye back and forth?

That is exactly my thought. Once you shoot his head is bound to jerk up and so is the tree. He is well within range and so close to a perfect shot opportunity I think I wait.  Once he has killed the tree and starts to think about his next victim is when I take the shot.  Of course I would love to get the arrow into the opposite shoulder instead of hitting him too far back as is the current opportunity.  I think you will have a very good opportunity of getting that perfect shot as soon as he lets go of that wooden force field.  If not I think I still take him on TM7's spot once clear.

Wow, I totally missed that the tree in question was bent over from in front of him, I thought it was a limb from the right but now see it is clearly from the left, nice spot guys.  With that information I am a little more skeptical like Rad says and I think I wait for him to stop, if that tree clears I shoot for Tony's spot.