Did someone lose an elk?

[Bighorse]

Where are the upper legs at?  I don't see two hoofs.  Were they scattered somewhere?  Rear Femur?  Front Scapula? 

How did  the hide look?  Was it cut so the Backstap was removed?

Did someone just fill up a backpack and leave the rest?    Hum?

[fc2038]

yea I would guess two weeks. Could be less. I have see an animal pretty cleaned out in a couple days. Who knows for sure how long.

[GWA Hunter]

THat sucks! What GMU was that in?

[huntnphool]

Bighorse is right, it looks as though the front and rear quarters on the left side are gone.

[WVT]

sad for sure, it happens with all the weapons. I will say that the elk has more of a chance to survive a bad archery shot than a bad rifle shot.

[huntnphool]

sad for sure, it happens with all the weapons. I will say that the elk has more of a chance to survive a bad archery shot than a bad rifle shot.

I was at Outitters house last week and one of his muzzy deer hunters had taken a nice whitetail. While skinning it out Joe found a broken arrow shaft between the backbone and vitals that had healed over, it had been there a year or two.

[Antlershed]

Bighorse is right, it looks as though the front and rear quarters on the left side are gone.

Yep, the shoulder blade and everything is clean gone. 

[piledup]

What GMU did you find this?

Found this on the eastside in gmu 124.

[heavy hauler]

its a shame. i am not sure if someone removed some meat or not.it seems like if they did that they would have pulled there arrow also.who knows?

[bucklucky]

Maybee they used the gutless method. Was the hindquarter on the bottom boned out or did it still have the meat on it? Looks like a *censored*ty feild job possibly?? I dont know.

[wastickslinger]

Maybee they used the gutless method. Was the hindquarter on the bottom boned out or did it still have the meat on it? Looks like a *censored*ty feild job possibly?? I dont know.

I wondered the same thing. Those backstraps look like they were entirely removed. But why leave the arrow if that was the case?

[NWWABOWHNTR]

Looks like it was boned out as said above,  but why leave your arrow?  If it was just not recovered I'd say at least a month and a half to decay and be eaten to that level.

[archery288]

I don't think it was boned or quartered...  I think it was never recovered and the victim of natural decay and critters eating it....

[Old Mule]

Dam, looks like my Arrow, but the only thing I got a shot at was a Turkey in Idaho. 12 Days and I only saw 4 Elk, The Neighbor took Pictures of 14 Wolves in the in the Canyon above Me.

[Big10gauge]

Ok I'm going to take a wild shot here but everyone is assuming that a bowhunter shot this elk and couldn't find it. I have seen several deer and elk laying down shot with an arrow to finish it off look at the angle of the shot. What stopped the arrow? Possibly the ground under the elk. If not IMO that arrow sure seemed to manage to stay in the animal in that thicket and not get dislodged or broken. How it stayed in that position with predators ripping and pulling on the elk also makes me question it. Like I said just my opinion but too many variables in that picture for me not to be suspicious of the common assumption.