Shoot or No Shot 2019 - Episode #1

[WapitiTalk1]

Tale of the tape. It's the 8th day of your 10 day Idaho archery elk hunt. Today is 23 September 2019. You've had some very good bugling action during your hunt, managing to get within 30ish yards of several decent bulls but no shot opportunities yet (this is a bull only area). As an OOS hunter in Idaho, you can use your elk tag (if you wish) on either a bear or a cougar. Yah, I know.... pretty cool rule. You've taken a few elk with a bow over the course of your hunting career but never a big cat (with any weapon). If this guy walked by you while you were quietly having a mid-day snack, would an arrow fly? Just curious. If you're shooting the cat, please put a mark where your arrow is heading. Charlie Cougar is about 35 yards from where you sit. Remember if you decide to take the cat, that elk tag is spent.  Shoot or no shot?     

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.

[Karl Blanchard]

If there were more elk tags available I'd send one and go get another bull tag.  That being said, elk are dumb so I wouldnt have an elk tag in the first place.  No I would not use either of my deer tags on a cat

[Karl Blanchard]

I'm not seeing a pic

[WapitiTalk1]

I'm not seeing a pic

Sorry, you were too quick on the draw or I was too slow getting the pic up  .  Kitty, kitty, kitty 

[BULLBLASTER]

I’m shooting that cat right in the shoulder hole!

[Karl Blanchard]

Zip

[Stein]

Pass


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[BULLBLASTER]

Zip

PERRRZACKELY!!!

[Angry Perch]

BP is 180 over 115. Pulse is 165. I'm jerking an arrow 4 feet high and left.

[duckmen1]

BP is 180 over 115. Pulse is 165. I'm jerking an arrow 4 feet high and left.

Now this is a realistic post. 

[luckyman]

No way am I not shooting.

[Brushcrawler]

95% with Karl, 5% with Perch!

[Stein]

You guys would hang $550 in tags on that cat?  Maybe I'm missing out?

[duckmen1]

Shoot 100% if given that opportunity.

[Karl Blanchard]

You guys would hang $550 in tags on that cat?  Maybe I'm missing out?

more like $600 actually   and yeah why not.  You can buy a second elk tag in most units anyways so I'd be snagging a second tag probably depending on how far I had to go to buy a tag

[Stein]

That makes sense.


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[BULLBLASTER]

Day 8 of a 10 day hunt plays into it as well. By then I’m ready to send arrows at mostly anything. 

[Karl Blanchard]

Day 8 of a 10 day hunt plays into it as well. By then I’m ready to send arrows at mostly anything. 

sounding shots 

[pd]

Well, Mr. Wapiti Talk #1, I know for a fact that this was both your and my scenario last year.  And I don't want to relive it, M'Kay?   

There is no way I could have 8 or 10 days in a row, so it is hard to say.  But assume it was the last day or 2nd to the last day.  As Karl has said, it is possible to buy a 2nd elk tag, so I might just shot the cougar.

HOWEVER, be aware that out of state elk tags did completely sell out in Idaho last year, so there is no guarantee there will be extras available when you finally make it to the gas station in the valley.

[Dan-o]

BP is 180 over 115. Pulse is 165. I'm jerking an arrow 4 feet high and left.

Literally LOL'd!

[WapitiTalk1]

BP is 180 over 115. Pulse is 165. I'm jerking an arrow 4 feet high and left.

Literally LOL'd!

Me too 

[bracer40]

Nope. But if that cat was that close to me, I suspect he'd be in more of a stalk mode and I'd be thinking more about flying lead than carbon & steel...

[Nice Racks]

My Ticon 125 is on its way; chances of me getting another shot like that with a bow are slim.

[lamrith]

Ohh WT1. 

See the smart hunter would have Cat/Dog/Yogi tags already.  @$41/ea ($25 for dog?) they are too economical not to snag.

But for sake of your challenge the mind story..  Day8, if not in elk that morning or been dry a few days I would settle the pin like Karl and let er go.  I hear Cat is some good eating, and taking a cat with a bow is not something you see often, or ever will again. Mother nature offered you a rare opportunity, take it.


If in elk, why you sittin slackin off? Git on em!

[lewy]

I’m killing that cat as well, exact shot placement as previously posted

[MtnMuley]

I let fly 1-2 inches over Karl's mark for center lungs, then buy a second tag or head to Oregon.

[theleo]

You guys would hang $550 in tags on that cat?  Maybe I'm missing out?

I've been hunting 20 years and have never seen one in a position I could shoot it, with anything. So $600.00 for a shot that that might come along 2-3 times in my life (unless I started hunting specifically for them) isn't really that big of an investment. 

[slavenoid]

My wife would kill me if I brought home an expensive cat instead of a freezer full of elk.

[Karl Blanchard]

Ohh WT1. 

See the smart hunter would have Cat/Dog/Yogi tags already.  @$41/ea ($25 for dog?) they are too economical not to snag.

But for sake of your challenge the mind story..  Day8, if not in elk that morning or been dry a few days I would settle the pin like Karl and let er go.  I hear Cat is some good eating, and taking a cat with a bow is not something you see often, or ever will again. Mother nature offered you a rare opportunity, take it.


If in elk, why you sittin slackin off? Git on em!

sorry but a NR black bear tag is $186. Cougar tag is $186. Wolf tag is $31.75.  Zero chance I'm spending $403.75 on the insanely slim chance that a cat, bear, or wolf walk within bow range.  For that rare chance a wolf or cat walk buy, I'll hang an elk tag on it all day long.

[WapitiTalk1]

Karl, they are $40something for NR bear/cougar tags in certain zones/units (guess it's dependent upon population?).  I know where Lamrith hunted in ID a few years ago it was that way (reduced NR fees for those two types of tags). 

https://idfg.idaho.gov/licenses/fees-nonresident#tags

[Karl Blanchard]

Fully aware about reduced cost units.  I've killed a bear on a reduced tag.  That said, theres more units which are full price vs reduced.  Even at 40 bucks a pop I'm not wasting $100 on predator tags. Hunted idaho for 15 years.  Minus bears (dont care to shoot them) I've never had a crack at a cougar or wolf.  So if I had bought tags every season on the off chance at an opportunity, I'd be over $1,600 and counting nto that opportunity.  Think the better financial choice would be to gamble and burn my elk/deer tag on it   

[DOUBLELUNG]

Thwack.  That's where I'd try to settle my pin anyway.

[Karl Blanchard]

Karl, they are $40something for NR bear/cougar tags in certain zones/units (guess it's dependent upon population?).  I know where Lamrith hunted in ID a few years ago it was that way (reduced NR fees for those two types of tags). 

https://idfg.idaho.gov/licenses/fees-nonresident#tags

NR wolf tag $31.75
NR reduced bear $41.75
NR reduced cougar $41.75

[flyfishWA]

nailed it! ;)never seen a cougar so definitely going to shoot it if I get a chance and it's legal