Shoot or No Shot 2018, Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

And another for you HW cats to quarterback .

Location: Somewhere in the spud state elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal in the area you’re hunting.
Hunt: Partner Hunt
Date: Mid Elktember
Time: 0830ish 
Tag: Archery; bull only.

It's 16 September, 2018 (what a great time to be in the elk woods) and it's the 6th day of your 10 day southern Idaho archery elk hunt (the day of your hunt really doesn't matter, but, it’s just another piece of info).   Your buddy shot a bull three days earlier and is now the designated caller for you.  After 15 minutes of your buddy doing a real nice breeding sequence, you sense/hear something to your right and within seconds, this amorous young dude walks in silent, stops where he stands now, and is scanning in search of the elk he had heard.  You've previously ranged the spot of that cover the bull is standing on the other side of at 25 yards. For the sake of this scenario, the thermals are gently blowing into your snout.  Shoot or no shot?

If you say "shoot", 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.

[Crunchy]

Whack!!

[High Climber]

No shot

[npaull]

NO way! Irresponsible shot.

[Stein]

No way with a bow, all day with a rifle.

[lord grizzly]

are you guys kidding? that's a dead bull

[hunter399]

SHOOT!
I always shoot,
That is very light brush I can see an arrow cutting through like paper.

[Matth]

are you guys kidding? that's a dead bull

Completely agree we would be pulling meat from bone already.

[Mfowl]

Not an archery shot I would take personally. Rifle or ML, for sure.

[Special T]

I've taken 25 yard shots like that on the Archery course several times. It would cut a leaf like that and not have any distance to deflect.

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[luckyman]

I would draw, aim and if he didn't move, shoot.
 The only way I would pass is if he was all skittish and ready to run any second.

[jrebel]

I'm more worried about the hard quarting toward me shot than I am the brush.  You are exiting in the abd cavity with that angle and likely only hitting one lung. 

[luckyman]

Shoot for the heart. Follow the front of the leg all the way up till its just arm pit.
25 yard shot its dead Elk.
 At least that's my shot.

[Shawn Ryan]

Not shooting.  I've seen that much brush deflect an arrow enough to make that shot hit solid bone, gut shot, whatever.  No need to spoil the hunt and the elk.

[lamrith]

Not shooting.  I've seen that much brush deflect an arrow enough to make that shot hit solid bone, gut shot, whatever.  No need to spoil the hunt and the elk.

Ditto.  The spot I shoot in my backyard I have had a branch hang low between me and my target (I actually leave it there intentionally so I can learn to avoid and compensate for brush between me and target).  A few times I have nicked a leaf as arrow passes at peak of the arc.  20yrds after touch the arrow was over 10" off POA.  And that was just a leaf.  not a branch, etc.

For me also I take these pictures as literal exactly what the shooter sees, meaning my eye level.  There is brush at my eye level (arrow level on release of shot) within a few feet of where I stand, no way the arrow is climbing over that.  Then the brush by the bull is full focus, so probably too close to him to drop behind as well.  I have no issue threading a needle just too many needle to pass thru on this one for me.  If there was JUST the branch close to him, I might consider a shot, but then again he is very poorly positioned and quartering to the shooter,  and that alone leave little margin for error.