Shoot or No Shot 2019 – Episode #2

[WapitiTalk1]

Date/Time: Third Week of September, 2019/5:42 PM
Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Solo Hunt
Tag: Archery tag; any bull

After hunting with your partner off and on for the past week and a half, working many avenues of your hunt (run/gun, some tree standing, some ambush sites on travel routes, etc.), you find yourselves at the last few days of your hunt. For some odd reason (as it sometimes does) the elk have decided to become a bit choked up over your presence in their neck of the woods and have gone almost completely silent for the past two days. WTH, it’s the third week of September! This evening’s plans are for you and your buddy to each head to a separate spot where you know the elk have moved to or through, at the witching hour (right before dark). If they’re not vocalizing, you may as well split up and maximize your efforts in ambush attempts. As you sit at your chosen spot (you’ve been here before and know there are elk that move into/through this spot right before dark almost every night) thinking about all that has transpired on your hunt and what you may do the following morning, you see a nice bull move directly toward you into the small opening you’re sitting at the edge of and holy hell, he's a dandy!. He comes in from the direction you’d hoped he came in from (wind in your favour) and commences to drop his head and sniff the ground for that sweetest smell that tells him a cow in estrus has been there!  You’re at full draw by this time and now is the moment of this hunt to make the CALL. I will tell you that you’ll have approximately 30-40 second to decide if you’re gonna touch off an arrow at this bull “but” the crux of the biscuit is……. you’ll have 5 various angles (images I’ll provide) in this short span of time to shoot. The bull is 25-30 yards away and you my friend, have chosen your background to sit in front of well, and as mentioned, you have the wind vs. your opponent. This is the first opportunity/angle, number one of five, in the next 30-40 seconds (it all happens pretty quickly so it’s up to you to decide which shot you'll take)... he's not gonna be there forever sniffing the dirt. For this first angle/image....Shoot or no shot here?



As with all my super cool scenarios, if you say "shoot".... I'd like you to show us where... You do that by copying the image to your desktop, open it up with MS Paint, mark it up with an X or whatever, then save the image and post it back to the thread. 

[Stein]

I would pass on shooting the angle in the first image.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I'm not shooting even though I know where to aim and that a lot of elk have been killed fast with spectacular blood trails with this shot.  I put an arrow completely into a bull at under 18 yards from a very similar angle, saw the nock disappear into the hair over the windpipe, absolutely no question he died but all he ever leaked was one tiny watery drop of blood.  It's great if the broadhead nicks either the carotid or jugular in which case there is fantastic blood spray, but otherwise the chances of no blood trail are too high for me. And, I'm not aiming for a blood vessel.

I might do it if this was an area with grass understory, open/no canopy, with minimal brush with good chances to watch him run and fall or follow tracks over sparsely vegetated ground - but small opening tells me we're in the thick stuff.  It's even less appealing that it's last light, but my answer would be the same for any time of day.

[MtnMuley]

Pass waiting for a better shot.

[Timberstalker]

Waiting for him to turn a bit.

[coachcw]

If im full draw and know the yardage i will kill that bull all day . tight to the neck lower third . That is the angle most solo callers are presented . typically i will move off to a quartering angle after my last call but some times your pinned down .

[Crunchy]

Arrow on its way

[WapitiTalk1]

A few seconds after the bull arrived on the scene as shown in first image, he moves forward a bit and drops his head to sniff the ground. Thermals are still hitting you in the face, your cover/concealment is still working well, you're set up in a "quiet spot" with soft dirt/grass under you, your bow is whisper quiet when drawn, and.......this bull is not gonna be around much longer.... Barney Bull looks to be a bit over 25ish yards from where you're kneeling. Shoot or no shot here?

As with all my scenarios, if you say "shoot".... I'd like you to show us where... You do that by copying the image to your desktop, open it up with MS Paint, mark it up with an X or whatever, then save the image and post it back to the thread.

[MtnMuley]

Pass again. How do you know this bull isn't going to be around much longer?  Looks completely undisturbed feeding towards me, with all elements in my favor?

[WapitiTalk1]

Pass again. How do you know this bull isn't going to be around much longer?  Looks completely undisturbed feeding towards me, with all elements in my favor?

Muley, cause I have all the pics/times this occurred and I know he's not here long and will head off to the left in the next handful of seconds (posts) to head down an elk trail to an adjacent small meadow, just on the other side of a patch of timber.  He's moving all right, just as soon as soon as he snorts a bit more whizz dirt.  More to follow   

[Stein]

P A double s.  I don't even have to think about this one.

[MtnMuley]

Ha, but we don't have those pics and no knowledge that he's going to move off shortly. Granted you said that, but in a real life situation like you present, I can only answer based on the pic, elements, and variables. Still pass.

[WapitiTalk1]

Ha, but we don't have those pics and no knowledge that he's going to move off shortly. Granted you said that, but in a real life situation like you present, I can only answer based on the pic, elements, and variables. Still pass.

Fair enough. 

[Jonathan_S]

  to @coachcw and @Crunchy

[Shawn Ryan]

Game time decision on the first pic, based on how good I "feel" about it at the moment.  Agree with Coach about it being a high percentage of times that that presentation is what I get. If I shoot, then just to the left of Crunchy's shot. 

Pass on the second pic.