Think I might hang up my bow for the season...

[Song Dog]

Twice I have done the same thing.  The first one was a massive 7x7 bull elk I shot twice with the first arrow at 10 feet he stepped down just at the release and the arrow hit high and angled towards his back hip he gave a grunt and turned and started walking away.  The second arrow was at about twenty five yards and hit behind the rib again high and went right through him he left a hell of a blood trail I backed out of the area marked the spot and came back an hour later with my buddy, the first arrow had broken off with the broadhead still in the elk.  We trailed him for a mile then it got dark and started raining we were able to track him for another 1/4 mile then had to come back the next day.  Did I mention it was raining, I should say it was pouring and the blood trail and tracks were gone.  I spent the next three days searching for that elk, I came back one week later and again two weeks later looking for the crows.  I ate the tag,  It made me sick to loose that elk and it was the first animal I had ever shot and lost.   The second was last year again I shot a little rag horn three by three he was twelve yards standing broadside to me when he looked back at a cow I drew and let go, There was another cow elk she had fed up next to me about twenty yards to my left and she barked when I moved, the bull spun on my release and I hit him just in front of the shoulder and the arrow passed through him the blood was dark red and not air bubbles he left a slight blood trail, I waited an hour and then went after him I jumped him about fifty yards down the trail he had about a dinner plate size blood pool where he had been laying down.  I again waited a bit and started tracking again, I only found two spots of blood after that, came back the next day and no trace of him I was able to come back one more day again looking for crows and such but did not find anything I punched that tag also.  I have bow hunted for over 28 years and I have killed a lot of animals in total I have hunted for over 40 years.  I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Zumbo it was was after I had shot the 7x7 and I told him about the hunt.  Zumbo looked at me and said, you did everything I would of done, and then he told me this, "The sad fact is if you hunt long enough sooner or later you are going to loose an animal weather you keep hunting or not is up to you".    I remember almost every animal I have taken but the two that stand out are the two I lost.

[GBobcat]

Just work the area over. walk from the area you think he went too, back to where you took the shot.  might have a different angle. take new trails or paths, they will turn to the side that has been shot most of the time..  Watch and listen for crows & magpie's.. 

[bearhunter59]

You asked for opinions, so I'll offer mine.

What you did was unethical, and your season was over on the first elk.   You don't get to keep shooting elk, until you get one that drops at your feet.  I understand tracking is a bitch, and you can lose an animal, but that doesn't mean you get to go out and try and find another one to shoot, whether with a bow or a rifle.   

Let me give you a possible scenario you face now...let's say you go back out there to try and find either one of those bulls you shot and you find him.  The meat is rotten and totally useless.  Are you still gonna notch your tag?  Damn right you better.  Now, on the way back to your vehicle you take a different route and come across that second bull you shot and he is dead and useless now too.  Are you gonna call the game warden on yourself and confess to poaching a bull?  Because, at that point, that's exactly what you did.  Illegally killed a second elk.

In the future, you and all these other clowns that were telling you to go get another one, need to stop and think about that.  Whether you recover the animal or not, once you make a hit on that animal, for all practical purposes, your season is over at that point.   You have an ethical responsibility to recover that animal, and responsibility to that animal, to not make it suffer anymore than necessary.  And to take the position like some that "oh it wasn't that bad of a wound and it will recover and won't die a slow agonizing death from infection and other issues" is bogus.  You have no way of knowing whether that animal will or won't recover from your shot.

Your season is over and you should notch your tag.

[lokidog]

You said you wanted opinions.  I will be real straight with mine. If you put an arrow into an Elk you need to exhaust yourself until you find it or the season runs out.  Your bull is out there wounded and I don't think you should be trying to kill another one.  Ran into a few guys out on opening day a few years back that wounded a cow and looked for a couple hours then went on to new hunting grounds and I said the same thing to them.

Gives us all a bad reputation and it's plain unethical.  Good luck finding him.

Dude your season SHOULD be over. Looking for new elk to shoot at is absolutely unethical.

Glad to see people finally stepping up and telling it like it SHOULD be, you hit an animal in the vital zone, you look 1.  until you find a carcass.  2. until you see it alive. 3. until the season is over.  No more shooting at different animals!  I'm sorry but the first page of this thread makes me want to puke.   

[Vulcan]

You asked for opinions, so I'll offer mine.

What you did was unethical, and your season was over on the first elk.   You don't get to keep shooting elk, until you get one that drops at your feet.  I understand tracking is a bitch, and you can lose an animal, but that doesn't mean you get to go out and try and find another one to shoot, whether with a bow or a rifle.   

Let me give you a possible scenario you face now...let's say you go back out there to try and find either one of those bulls you shot and you find him.  The meat is rotten and totally useless.  Are you still gonna notch your tag?  Damn right you better.  Now, on the way back to your vehicle you take a different route and come across that second bull you shot and he is dead and useless now too.  Are you gonna call the game warden on yourself and confess to poaching a bull?  Because, at that point, that's exactly what you did.  Illegally killed a second elk.

In the future, you and all these other clowns that were telling you to go get another one, need to stop and think about that.  Whether you recover the animal or not, once you make a hit on that animal, for all practical purposes, your season is over at that point.   You have an ethical responsibility to recover that animal, and responsibility to that animal, to not make it suffer anymore than necessary.  And to take the position like some that "oh it wasn't that bad of a wound and it will recover and won't die a slow agonizing death from infection and other issues" is bogus.  You have no way of knowing whether that animal will or won't recover from your shot.

Your season is over and you should notch your tag.

 

[idahohuntr]

You asked for opinions, so I'll offer mine.

What you did was unethical, and your season was over on the first elk.   You don't get to keep shooting elk, until you get one that drops at your feet.  I understand tracking is a bitch, and you can lose an animal, but that doesn't mean you get to go out and try and find another one to shoot, whether with a bow or a rifle.   

Let me give you a possible scenario you face now...let's say you go back out there to try and find either one of those bulls you shot and you find him.  The meat is rotten and totally useless.  Are you still gonna notch your tag?  Damn right you better.  Now, on the way back to your vehicle you take a different route and come across that second bull you shot and he is dead and useless now too.  Are you gonna call the game warden on yourself and confess to poaching a bull?  Because, at that point, that's exactly what you did.  Illegally killed a second elk.

In the future, you and all these other clowns that were telling you to go get another one, need to stop and think about that.  Whether you recover the animal or not, once you make a hit on that animal, for all practical purposes, your season is over at that point.   You have an ethical responsibility to recover that animal, and responsibility to that animal, to not make it suffer anymore than necessary.  And to take the position like some that "oh it wasn't that bad of a wound and it will recover and won't die a slow agonizing death from infection and other issues" is bogus.  You have no way of knowing whether that animal will or won't recover from your shot.

Your season is over and you should notch your tag.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion.  I think each hunter, case by case, using their judgement and knowledge of the situation must assess what they feel is the right thing to do.  I think you are being a little harsh...I've spent a significant amount of time tracking wounded elk...they are a tough critter and I think you underestimate just how resilient they are.  Loss of game animals is ALWAYS unfortunate.  No hunter wants it to happen and I don't get the impression the OP is just out there carelessly flinging arrows with little concern or effort to find his game. 

[RadSav]

I have a schoolmate in Oregon who shot a nice buck that we had been watching close to my place on opening day.  He called to tell me he had hit him right behind the shoulder...perfect shot!  Later that evening he called to tell me he could not find it.  I was working charters and could not help him look, but he and five guys went in the next day and looked from sunup to sundown. And never found him.

He absolutely KNEW he had killed this buck. Guy at the grocery store who didn't see the shot told him the buck was WITHOUT QUESTION dead.   Guy at the sporting good store told him the buck was ABSOLUTELY dead and "that's what you get for archery hunting."  His father-in-law who wasn't there said, "I TOLD YOU SO all archery hunters do is send animals off to die."  He was absolutely SURE the shot was perfect.  And he was absolutely CERTAIN that had he made the same shot with a rifle the buck would be at the butcher.  In a fit of rage he broke his bow on the tailgate of his truck and swore off bowhunting forever.

Four days later I'm loading my truck at 3:30AM  headed to the boat for a trip.  I catch eyes at the edge of the driveway...it was the big buck!  He had a small slice across the top of his left shoulder blade.  No worse than having been in a fight with another buck.  Everyone was wrong, even the shooter!  That buck probably had 5 liters of blood.  They found about 1/2 cup spread out over 1,000 yards.  Despite the fact that if he had shot the buck right behind the shoulder it would have been dead in less than 30 yards everyone, even those who were not there, knew unequivocally the buck was dead on the mountain being eaten by coyotes and ravens.

Leave judgement to internet experts, in-laws, grocery store clerks and sporting good employees.  They always know how it is!  If you don't believe it...just ask them

[PA BEN]

A guy here arrowed a cow elk from a treestand, right down into the chest. He knew he killed it, but couldn't find it. It was shot later that year with his broadhead in it. Coyotes got an ez meal or he lived.

[xXLojackXx]

My old man taught me growing up, you stick your arrow into an animal, you're done hunting. Wether you recover it or not doesn't decide if you get to shoot another one. You have one elk tag, and you've now potentially killed two elk. If you explained this to a warden you're in deep water.

As far as this season is concerned, you're done until you can prove without any doubt that both of the elk you stuck, are alive.

[idahohuntr]

My old man taught me growing up, you stick your arrow into an animal, you're done hunting. Wether you recover it or not doesn't decide if you get to shoot another one. You have one elk tag, and you've now potentially killed two elk. If you explained this to a warden you're in deep water.

As far as this season is concerned, you're done until you can prove without any doubt that both of the elk you stuck, are alive.

Not true.  This is an ethical issue, to be decided by the individual hunter.  There is nothing a warden can do unless he can prove you recklessly allowed waste of game...short of the warden seeing you walk up to a dead animal, then walk away like you didn't see it, you are not going to get a ticket for continuing to hunt and shooting another animal if you previously wounded one that you were unable to find after a thorough search.

[rtspring]

Didnt read this whole mess, but Myself I would try everything I could to find an animal that I had stuck an arrow into..  And I mean everything!!

Its amazing what kind of injuries big game can live through. 

Unethical? No not once you have done all you can to recover.  If its not found , Im going hunting. 

[Magnum_Willys]

Sorry to all the bowhunters who feel the pain of losing their animal. It's the dirty lil secret of bowhunting - animals frequently are hit and lost.  Especially in western Washington reprod areas.   I have 3 bowhunting buddies that shot elk this year - none recovered them.  I don't know what the answer is.  I've hit elk in all the wrong places with a bow and been very lucky to get them all but I did lose a 5 pt to another hunter after I hit it 4 times at 60 yards with a .270 and have relived that hundreds of times in the 25 years since. 

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

Twice I have done the same thing.  The first one was a massive 7x7 bull elk I shot twice with the first arrow at 10 feet he stepped down just at the release and the arrow hit high and angled towards his back hip he gave a grunt and turned and started walking away.  The second arrow was at about twenty five yards and hit behind the rib again high and went right through him he left a hell of a blood trail I backed out of the area marked the spot and came back an hour later with my buddy, the first arrow had broken off with the broadhead still in the elk.  We trailed him for a mile then it got dark and started raining we were able to track him for another 1/4 mile then had to come back the next day.  Did I mention it was raining, I should say it was pouring and the blood trail and tracks were gone.  I spent the next three days searching for that elk, I came back one week later and again two weeks later looking for the crows.  I ate the tag,  It made me sick to loose that elk and it was the first animal I had ever shot and lost.   The second was last year again I shot a little rag horn three by three he was twelve yards standing broadside to me when he looked back at a cow I drew and let go, There was another cow elk she had fed up next to me about twenty yards to my left and she barked when I moved, the bull spun on my release and I hit him just in front of the shoulder and the arrow passed through him the blood was dark red and not air bubbles he left a slight blood trail, I waited an hour and then went after him I jumped him about fifty yards down the trail he had about a dinner plate size blood pool where he had been laying down.  I again waited a bit and started tracking again, I only found two spots of blood after that, came back the next day and no trace of him I was able to come back one more day again looking for crows and such but did not find anything I punched that tag also.  I have bow hunted for over 28 years and I have killed a lot of animals in total I have hunted for over 40 years.  I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Zumbo it was was after I had shot the 7x7 and I told him about the hunt.  Zumbo looked at me and said, you did everything I would of done, and then he told me this, "The sad fact is if you hunt long enough sooner or later you are going to loose an animal weather you keep hunting or not is up to you".    I remember almost every animal I have taken but the two that stand out are the two I lost.

not trying to be a jerk here, but if you have been hunting that long then you should know that on a marginal shot like on the 3x3 you give them as much time as you can.... did you expect any outcome other then to jump him by only waiting an hour to start tracking?

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

Twice I have done the same thing.  The first one was a massive 7x7 bull elk I shot twice with the first arrow at 10 feet he stepped down just at the release and the arrow hit high and angled towards his back hip he gave a grunt and turned and started walking away.  The second arrow was at about twenty five yards and hit behind the rib again high and went right through him he left a hell of a blood trail I backed out of the area marked the spot and came back an hour later with my buddy, the first arrow had broken off with the broadhead still in the elk.  We trailed him for a mile then it got dark and started raining we were able to track him for another 1/4 mile then had to come back the next day.  Did I mention it was raining, I should say it was pouring and the blood trail and tracks were gone.  I spent the next three days searching for that elk, I came back one week later and again two weeks later looking for the crows.  I ate the tag,  It made me sick to loose that elk and it was the first animal I had ever shot and lost.   The second was last year again I shot a little rag horn three by three he was twelve yards standing broadside to me when he looked back at a cow I drew and let go, There was another cow elk she had fed up next to me about twenty yards to my left and she barked when I moved, the bull spun on my release and I hit him just in front of the shoulder and the arrow passed through him the blood was dark red and not air bubbles he left a slight blood trail, I waited an hour and then went after him I jumped him about fifty yards down the trail he had about a dinner plate size blood pool where he had been laying down.  I again waited a bit and started tracking again, I only found two spots of blood after that, came back the next day and no trace of him I was able to come back one more day again looking for crows and such but did not find anything I punched that tag also.  I have bow hunted for over 28 years and I have killed a lot of animals in total I have hunted for over 40 years.  I had the pleasure of meeting Jim Zumbo it was was after I had shot the 7x7 and I told him about the hunt.  Zumbo looked at me and said, you did everything I would of done, and then he told me this, "The sad fact is if you hunt long enough sooner or later you are going to loose an animal weather you keep hunting or not is up to you".    I remember almost every animal I have taken but the two that stand out are the two I lost.

not trying to be a jerk here, but if you have been hunting that long then you should know that on a marginal shot like on the 3x3 you give them as much time as you can.... did you expect any outcome other then to jump him by only waiting an hour to start tracking?

[BABackcountryBwhntr]

I have been bowhunting 18 years now (since I was 12) and no matter how good you are, at some point you will lose a animal. If you only take good shots within your range, and do the best you can to find the animal that is all you can do. You guys on here saying well you hit one, so your season is done blow me away. There is no law that states that, and if you did all you could to the best of your ability, then I see nothing wrong with trying to fill the tag. I think most of the time animals are lost due to marginal shots, improper tracking or just stupidity if I am being honest. I love hearing stories and the old " he jumped as I shot" etc... I would be willing to bet 99% of the time, that person made a bad shot for whatever reason and cant own up to it. I have lost 2 deer when I was in my younger days..... not a good feeling.  I can tell you this, if you hit any animal solid in both lungs.. you will or should find it.. I am no pro but I have seen well over 250 deer/elk die. My bull went 30 yrds tops this year.... my wifes went 45... buddys went 15.. all double lung shots.... make a good shot and no matter how 'tough" the animal is the tracking job will be fairly short.