Shoot or No Shot 2019 – Episode #2

[WapitiTalk1]

And..... he's moving off to the left as you suspected he may do, probably gonna head down that trail that leads through the thick stuff to another meadow. Nose down again, checking to see if just maybe, a potentially receptive cow has been there.. He's still very intrigued with his smelling mission, but, time's a wasting folks! That is a damn nice bull that many have chosen to wait to put an arrow into. About 25 yards from your position here I reckon..... 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.

[greenhead_killer]

first pic is the only one id be willing to fire a shot at. second two pics, window is too small and really bad angles. too many variables to feel 100% those shots. first pic though, def hammering down. right in the black spot on the neck

[MtnMuley]

Pass again. Since I have the wind and concealment, I'm more than content to watch him feed to my left patiently waiting my window.

[flyfishWA]

I would stick it all right! no way I am passing on that thing

[WapitiTalk1]

A handful of steps puts the bull where he is NOW and his head drops one more time to complete his area "scent check". Shooting light is waning and the bull is more than likely heading down the trail he's facing at this point within seconds. This whole scenario has played out in a less than a minute with the bull being in shooting range and offering only the angles you have seen for a potential shot. You may or may not have held at full draw for this entire period but it’s certainly possible as he was pretty much in your face moving and sniffing, changing his body angle several different times, for this short period. For those who have waited to take a shot until this point, do you feel that you should have taken that earlier, very first shot angle or are you OK with the fact that you've waited?

OK, 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]

Archery elk hunting is all about patience, so I'm at full draw waiting for the next step, and as the left leg clears forward, I'm sending at double lungs.

[Shawn Ryan]

3rd pic, not shooting.  4th pic, I'm waiting with MtnMuley, hoping that as the left leg steps forward, it doesn't take my "spot" into the tree.

[Stein]

I'm passing on that one as well, I don't like my abilities to figure out exactly where the near side leg bones are.

[Karl Blanchard]

I've seen these quartering to shots taken far too many times.  More than one that were even more of a broadside than the pics above.  EVERY SINGLE TIME it's a one lung *censored* show.  Behind the shoulder, quartering to is the one shot I will never take.  100% of the time, every time 

[WSU]

I don't see any way to get both lungs unless you have a weapon capable of breaking serious bone.

[WapitiTalk1]

I guess the moral of this story (thread) is that shots at elk are fleeting at best in many situations you'll find yourselves in, and, a hunter should take the first kill shot that presents itself (be opportunistic). IMO, patience doesn't necessarily mean wait, Wait, WAIT until a broadside shot develops. I think there are a few good opportunities in this scenario to fill the freezer. When the right situation/kill shot presents itself, it’s the cold hard heart that reacts to what is offered and the shot is on its way without much thought. 

Good discussion folks, I hope everybody is enjoying the thread. I'm glad somebody decided to try the shot where the bull's left antler is almost covering the narrow vital area on the bull's left side. Here's what I think what may have happened when that shot was taken.

Just as the shooter releases an arrow from his old dusty bow, the bull tilts his head back a hair and the arrow hits the bull in his left antler, right below the 5th point (1) BAM. From that point, the shooter’s crooked old rusty arrow ricochets and heads to the bulls right antler, half way up his 6th point (2). CRACK, it then shoots straight down to the lower part of his right antler (3) WACK. From there, his arrow kicks off back to the right and hits the bull right above his 3rd point (4), ZONK, and shoots straight up in the sky (5) ZIP, but hits an Idaho squirrel in the head (they have hard heads) and ricochets back down WHOOSH and hits the bull’s right antler yet again (6) BOINK. From there, the shooter’s broken up old arrow still barely has the energy to blast back towards the bull’s right chest pocket (7) THUNK, and pushes all the way through the bull’s vitals till it exits at point (. The bull falls in his tracks, the shooter gets a big grin on his face, and reaches for his pack to get camera and clip shot ready for some serious hero photos. Nice shooting buddy  .  Just teasing you flyfishWA, you "know" I had this satirical post and picture ready to go. 

[flyfishWA]

I guess the moral of this story (thread) is that shots at elk are fleeting at best in many situations you'll find yourselves in, and, a hunter should take the first kill shot that presents itself (be opportunistic). IMO, patience doesn't necessarily mean wait, Wait, WAIT until a broadside shot develops. I think there are a few good opportunities in this scenario to fill the freezer. When the right situation/kill shot presents itself, it’s the cold hard heart that reacts to what is offered and the shot is on its way without much thought. 

Good discussion folks, I hope everybody is enjoying the thread. I'm glad somebody decided to try the shot where the bull's left antler is almost covering the narrow vital area on the bull's left side. Here's what I think what may have happened when that shot was taken.

Just as the shooter releases an arrow from his old dusty bow, the bull tilts his head back a hair and the arrow hits the bull in his left antler, right below the 5th point (1) BAM. From that point, the shooter’s crooked old rusty arrow ricochets and heads to the bulls right antler, half way up his 6th point (2). CRACK, it then shoots straight down to the lower part of his right antler (3) WACK. From there, his arrow kicks off back to the right and hits the bull right above his 3rd point (4), ZONK, and shoots straight up in the sky (5) ZIP, but hits an Idaho squirrel in the head (they have hard heads) and ricochets back down WHOOSH and hits the bull’s right antler yet again (6) BOINK. From there, the shooter’s broken up old arrow still barely has the energy to blast back towards the bull’s right chest pocket (7) THUNK, and pushes all the way through the bull’s vitals till it exits at point (. The bull falls in his tracks, the shooter gets a big grin on his face, and reaches for his pack to get camera and clip shot ready for some serious hero photos. Nice shooting buddy  .  Just teasing you flyfishWA, you "know" I had this satirical post and picture ready to go.

OOPS  I sure made a bad shot 

[WapitiTalk1]

No ya didn’t brother, you drilled him.  It’s a tight window but you dropped him.