Your Move, Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

Hunting journal: 15 September, west side of WA archery hunt, late evening. You have a branched bull tag. You're set up in a makeshift ground blind by a tiny meadow with a well used game trail that leads from the left to the right of your current position. There is a recently used wallow down in the small draw where the trail runs down and to the right. As darkness begins to fall, you hear a group of elk move into the wallow area down and to your right. As you watch, listen, and wait to see antler tips coming up over the small ridge from the wallow direction to your right, this guy comes in from your 12 oclock towards your position silently, straight on, unannounced, and drops his head to sniff the ground, less than 25 yards from where you are kneeling. You "have" the wind in your favor for both the bull and the other elk down and to your right. There may be 10 minutes of legal shooting light left.

Your move. What's on your mind at this moment to potentially take this guy home for loins and fried tatos and onions?




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 (if you decide to shoot).

[Big6bull]

That close soon as he lifts his head he gets the frontal shot dead bull

[darren]

Since shooting light is short and I have some cover that may scatter the sound a bit, I cow call to the side or behind me to try to get him to lift his head and freeze for a sec. I draw and hope for the frontal shot (probably ok at 25 yards) or broadside (better).

[D-Rock425]

I think if you're gonna call you better be at full draw when you do it.  At that distance that elk will look right at you and burn holes through your soul. 
   With 10 minutes left i sit and wait let him make the mistake.  If you force something and get busted he's gone.

[WapitiTalk1]

Sniff, sniff, sniff... man there's something that smells good on the ground that the bull is checking out. Shooting light is fading but you still have a handfull of minutes left. The bull continues his ground inspection and turns a bit to his right. Same distance, about 25 yards.

At this point, your new name is superman as your nerves of steel are showing loud and strong. Arrow knocked, release clipped, call in mouth, you still have the wind in your favor and obviously, your cover/concealment is working in your makeshift ground blind. The only sounds you're hearing is a few ADT brown squirrels up in the trees and some light splashing down to your right in the wallow area.

Still your move. What now?

[Woodchuck]

I am not a bow guy but I would go 4-5 inches to the right of his left antler, height wise, right between g-4 and g-5.

[pianoman9701]

I like this shot less than the frontal shot. I'd have to wait for more clearance of that left antler and maybe more broad. It's probably one reason why my success rate is so low.

[kentrek]

Wait for a more broad side shot...no reason to rush this

[lamrith]

Anyone else with you? callers behind or to sides?  Hopefully that spot he is smelling is not where you walked thru earlier...?  Any calling done by them or your hunting group recently before or after they entered the wallow?

When that head drops I am going full draw and hold.  At that distance waiting any longer or letting him get closer and he is going to hear your draw even if he does not see it, chances are high it is your only chance to draw undetected.  He is so close that chances are you are going to be busted whether you are at full draw or not, so might as well be ready and not risk spooking on drawing if he closes on you...

Will hold on further response pending further info on group and calling...

[WapitiTalk1]

Clarification:  Solo hunt (didn't specify in original post but implied with all the you, yours, etc.).  Let's stay with solo.  You haven't done any calling to this point (not normally the best thing to do when set up by a natural attractor such as a wallow, meadow, trail intersection, etc.), and, the woods have been quiet up until the point you heard the group of elk entering the wallow area down to your right.       

[lamrith]

Lets hope I read elk better than people!!

Solo hunt, been quiet..  Still going with full draw and hold while his eyes are covered.  He looks settled into that spot and deep into even my comfortable shooting range.  He has taken a step in the "right" direction for more of a broadside.  I would stay silent at this point and be praying to every elk god known for him to continue with one more step to his right opening up a better broadside.  Baring any better broadside, wait for the front leg to be set forward as in the last picture and let an arrow go as marked.

[mfswallace]

If he didn't present a good head-up frontal shot and this is the next best shot before dark I'm waiting to kill him in same spot in morning or even better I get the bigger one that is at wallow

[WapitiTalk1]

And........one more step, head drops, and the dirt snorting continues (man, there is some sweet smells on the ground here  ..)..... This is it for those have chosen to wait for various reasons........the last chance as shooting light/legal shooting time is almost gone. 

Your move.  What will it be elk hunters?

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 (if you decide to shoot).
   

[lamrith]

That last image I am borderline, leaning strongly to not taking a shot.

He quartered back a bit to you, now that front leg is back covering the "heart" of the boiler room.  Shoot behind the leg and you are looking at most 1 lung?   Could try shoot in front of the leg. Head is down, but turned to his right and not blocking.  Branches do make a pretty frame around the target location (The two dark fur marks), but I personally would not be comfortable trying to sling one between those branches.

Both shots for me are low percentage, He would end up walking into the night quietly with hopes of giving him a splinter in the AM.

[coachcw]

That bull is dead at either spot . Draw and cheep for the frontal or slip one right behind the shoulder lowwer half of the body. Done dead elk