Shoot or No Shot 2018, Episode #6

[WapitiTalk1]

Location: Somewhere in the elk woods (probably WA or OR as evidenced by this fine Roosevelt Bull).
Hunt Pressure Status: It’s not a sea of raging orange, but there are other hunters in this general area.
Hunt: Solo Hunt.
Date: Doesn't matter; the season is open where you're hunting.
Time: 0830ish.
Tag: Modern firearm; any branched bull.

After working your way up a steep side hill right at daylight for a bit over an hour, you've reached your target area and are still hunting across a bench that you know has held elk before. As you move along very slowly for 30ish minutes (a few steps, look-listen-smell, a few more steps, look-listen-smell), there is noticeable fresh elk sign visible and then you see antler tips about 100 yards in your direction of travel! Once you move quietly to the position you are in now (to where you can fully see the bull).... right at 75-80 yards away from this fine bedded bull, rifle slowly comes up...scope lens covers get flipped up...safety off.. it's decision time. Shoot or not shot here?

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 file and add the marked up pic with your post.

[Woodchuck]

I give him one dead center in the neck. 

[RockChuck]

right behind the eye

[longashes]

easy head shot ... 

[Stein]

I'd pass.  But, if I didn't I would be tempted to put one right in the eyeball at that chip-shot distance if I could get steady on a branch.

On neck shots with elk, there's a bunch of meat and hair in there and I'm just not confident knowing the location of the spinal cord.

[BULLBLASTER]

75-80 yards and I can rest off of something, easy shot in the neck. 

[outdooraddict]

shoot his eye clean through the other side of his head

[hunter399]

He would wind me after I crap my pants .
Shoot.

[Tinmaniac]

80 yards with a scoped rifle?Right behind the eye and he never moves again!

[Backstrap]

75-80 yards and I can rest off of something, easy shot in the neck. 

What he said... easy. If no rest, I wouldn’t shoot.

[Widgeondeke]

Dayum it!  No cell service, guess my buddy will have to wait to hear I dropped a stud of a bull 


* see scope sight *   

[aman]

I don't really know too much about neck or head shots so I'd probably try to use my turkey call to make him stand up for a broadside shot. Then I'd freak out as the elk would inevitably get up and run off without presenting a broadside shot.

Queue a long drive home thinking about the shot 

[onmygame]

The one elk I shot was standing uphill in a clear cut looking straight at me from just a tad over 100 yds with only the front of the body exposed. One well placed shot through the throat ended it.
This is a much larger animal in the pic, and the shot would be a no brainer - literally - after it went right behind the eye.
Most guys hunt their hearts out for a few years, some even many years before having this type of opportunity presented to them.
Can't see passing on this bull

[Brushcrawler]

Pass. I don’t shoot anything other than the heart and lungs. Probably haunt me forever though.

[Dan-o]

Dropping him right there.