Shoot or No Shot 2018, Episode #2

[WapitiTalk1]

Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal in the area you’re hunting.
Hunt: Solo Hunt
Date: Third week of Elktember (wilderness rifle hunt)
Time: 0845
Tag: Rifle/Any Bull

Nice job on getting here! While hunting from your basecamp on the edge of a wilderness area in MT or ID, you’ve successfully worked the wind and gotten to within 75 yards of the plump young bull that stands before you now. You’re pretty sure he is a satellite on the outskirts of a small herd (you heard two bulls bugling above you on your way up the side hill from camp) and now, you’re on the bench that you figured the critters were heading to from their sound trail. As you cleared the fir patch, behind you now, you saw the bull raking the huckleberry brush and moved in pretty quickly to the spot that you figured you “may” have a shot when he had his head down….. which is where you stand now (yellow X). Thermals as shown (red arrows). Shoot or no shot here? If you're not shooting now, what is your plan to try and take this elk home for dinner?

If you're shooting, save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, then place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg or png and add the marked up pic with your post.

[HntnFsh]

Rifle season. 75 yards. Neck shot all day long. Unless I wanted to pursue the other bull (s).

[buglebrush]

Nope.  I'm going to keep working them looking for the herd bull.

[N7XW]

Nope.  I'm going to keep working them looking for the herd bull.

[Gringo31]

If you're not shooting now, what is your plan to try and take this elk home for dinner?

[Stein]

Meat in the freezer, unless I'm on some crazy good special draw that wouldn't get passed up.

[hunter399]

SHOOT!

[treeclimber2852]

SHOOT!

Dang man, what are you shooting?  A bowling ball launcher?   

[WapitiTalk1]

SHOOT!

Dang man, what are you shooting?  A bowling ball launcher?   

Probably a .17 HMR.  Those things are pretty devastating I hear 

[Stein]

SHOOT!

Dang man, what are you shooting?  A bowling ball launcher?   

XS Big Dot sight on a handgun.  Can't miss.

[Mfowl]

I would not take the shot as is, just wait him out for a broadside shot or perhaps slide to the left and look for a better shot angle. That being said, with a September rifle tag in my pocket, this bull  would not even be on my radar.

[Stein]

I would not take the shot as is, just wait him out for a broadside shot or perhaps slide to the left and look for a better shot angle. That being said, with a September rifle tag in my pocket, this bull  would not even be on my radar.

You can hunt elk in MT in September every year on the general tag if you want.

[Mfowl]

I would not take the shot as is, just wait him out for a broadside shot or perhaps slide to the left and look for a better shot angle. That being said, with a September rifle tag in my pocket, this bull  would not even be on my radar.

You can hunt elk in MT in September every year on the general tag if you want.

Sounds nice...maybe someday...

[dscubame]

I'm shooting.  Tags in other states to fill.

[Matth]

Right behind the shoulder, Game over.

[pd]

SHOOT!

Dang man, what are you shooting?  A bowling ball launcher?   

Thank you.  You have made my day.

[Tbob]

I’m an archery guy, but I still think I’d wait this guy out a little bit. Hopefully he’d move around to give me a better shot or keep raking the tree a little more to let me move in for a better shot angle. Also I may get a chance to see the other bulls in the neighborhood if I’m a little patient.

[hunter399]

My big red dot ,ah I got a little excited.

At 75 yards it would be in my comfort zone of taking any shot on this elk.

I was waiting for some cannon comments.

[Shawn Ryan]

This.

[lokidog]

Either of the last two.  I'm usually not a head/neck kind of guy, but the angled shoulder shot looks like a lot of wasted meat to me.  If it did not look like I would get a better broadside shot, I'd probably go for the center star.

[Moose Master]

Neck shoot.  I have made the mistake of passing up and waiting for the bigger one.   Tag's need a lot of liquid when they aren't notched.

[steeleywhopper]

If I am shooting the .270 it's going in his eye ball.

[yakimanoob]

At 75 yards, only thermals for wind and if I've got a decent rest/brace, yeah I'm taking the neck shot and thanking God for the painless kill.  Middle star in the photo above.