What Should You Do 2018; Scenario #3

[WapitiTalk1]

Oh hell, now you’re in the soup. What started off as an innocent cut across through a pretty thick patch of young fir has turned into this.

Date: Mid SEPT
Time: Mid-Morning
State: An elk state
Season: Archery
Tag: Bull only; 3 PT or better
Solo Hunt.

After a morning of sticking and moving (locate bugling) and receiving some distant answers, you’ve decided to shut up and move across a draw to the other side to where you heard a decent sounding bull. It’s a good half a mile across the draw. On the way, you encounter a pretty thick, but patchy, section of those enjoyable 10-15’ tall fir (aka, Xmas trees). Half way through the 150 yard-ish wide section of this mess, as you’re wondering why in the heck didn’t I go around this crap, you sit down to catch your breath and listen. Behind you is a 40x40 yard opening and down to your left in the direction the wind is pushing is another small but narrower opening, maybe 20X40 yards. You sit, take a slurp off your water bladder tube, and hear something big moving in the fir stand to your front. Arrow knocked, you decide to make a few quiet cow calls to see if the “something big” may be an elk, and, may be interested in you. Meeew, meeee….. Before you get the second mew out, HE clears the pecker poles and is 20 yards dead ahead, moving right at you……

I’m not gonna give a bunch of multiple choice answers but instead simply ask……. What should/do you do now as this situation has been offered? Sure, you can quarterback what you may have done wrong up to this point but again, as the situation has been laid out, what do you do now to possibly have a chance at taking this bull home for dinner?

[pianoman9701]

Draw and wait for him to lift his head and offer a frontal shot. He can't see what's right in front of him when he's that close.

[Mudman]

Not sure if any play is a good one?  Let him pass as drawing or moving will blast him out likely.  When he passes draw and hope he stops a second when he winds ya.

[Crunchy]

If you dont already have an arrow knocked you watch him turn and run away.  If you do, wait for him to lift his head and give you a good frontal shot.

[Milkman]

Center punch (once heads up)

[chester]

As soon as chin comes up release arrow

[High Climber]

Wait patiently until he either 1) looks the other direction, or 2) turns to bust out of there. If he looks away I draw and take the frontal. If he spots me and busts I’ll draw and hit him with a nervous grunt simultaneously and hope he turns!

[northwesthunter84]

Draw and take the frontal.

[Mr Mykiss]

Almost my exact scenario from last year. I drew at like 8 yards and he saw me big time!! However he didn’t boogie away fast enough...poor guy.

[nitroelk]

first id change my underwear, then whack him when he stops perfectly broadside looking the other direction!!!

[Roosevelt]

I had pretty much this same scenario a few years ago and I'll share so that maybe some of you learn from my mistake...

I had heard some bugles a ways off and was moving quickly to get in close and hopefully challenge him.  After only going a couple hundred yards I saw movement and stopped.  He was much closer than I had anticipated and I just happened to be on his trail with him travelling my direction.  He was easily a 300 inch class bull.  I saw him coming and drew back when he went behind a tree.  He continued toward me and stopped looking exactly like the picture with his head down at six yards.  I stood there at full draw having a staring contest with him for 5-10 seconds (my heart rate is up just remembering it).  I have always wanted the opportunity to take a frontal shot and so I was praying that he lifted his head.  At that range I felt like it would have been a slam dunk.  I have studied elk anatomy well and harvested many bulls before, so I was comfortable with this shot.  However, during that 5-10 second staring contest I realized he wasn't going to pick up his head so I figured when he turned to leave I could slip one in him broadside.  I was wrong.  He turned to leave, and even though he was only 6 yards, he spun so fast that by the time my brain processed picking out a spot and pulling my release, the arrow got to him too late.  It's amazing how quickly they can get that huge body turned and going the other way.  He had already spun 80% of the way around and I hit him in the hind quarter.  I dropped to my knees and immediately wanted to puke.  I knew the chances of finding him were extremely slim.  My partner and I looked all day and I went back many times hoping to stumble across him but never saw him again.  The result was my first time ever wounding and losing a large game animal in the 20 years I had been hunting.  I'll never shoot at a moving (especially spooked) animal again.       

[LongBomb]

Wasn't expecting him that quick! Im not in a great position to draw sitting down and i don't think i can draw lock and shoot before he is gone. I'm gonna hold tight and hope  he either turns to look around or head's to one of the clearings where he may pause for a bit giving me time to situate. Odds of him catching my wind/ seeing me or him continuing straight into me are high but i don't like my chances on a quick draw and release.

[Shawn Ryan]

Roosevelt, that sucks. Sorry that happened for you.

If I'm still sitting, then I'll probably not move.  Hope I got up when I heard something big moving or got to my knees.

If on my knees or standing, I'm drawing and hoping for a shot that isn't like Roosevelt's.  I'll take the frontal or the side shot, all dependent upon presentation.