Bad Shot That Ended With a Recovery...

[7mmfan]

I see an elk in that picture, but where are you??? Man that face paint is the real deal!

Ha, ya I used to love the pre-dawn face painting routine.  Nowadays, I just carry a head net/face mask with me....no more skin ripping face paint removal for me after returning to camp.

They make fancy makeup removers for stuff like that. I'm sure my wife would loan you some. 

[WSU]

I have had two that come to mind.  The first was a bull I shot from apparently too far with a traditional muzzy.  My bullet only penetrated one lung.  The bull stood there in the clearcut while I snuck in for the finishing shot.  I promptly shot him right in hind quarter and he ran into some thick reprod.  I backed out, hiked/biked the 3 miles back to the rig to get some game bags and other supplies, and got back a couple hours later.  I couldn't find any blood so I snuck into the reprod where the bull had entered.  About 20 yards in, the bull jumps up about 10 yards away through a wall of trees.  I shot through the trees and the bull dropped.  I reload, not having any idea where I hit the bull, and take a step.  He picks his head up and looks at me so I shoot him in the neck.  I reload again and am now out of speed loaders.  I take another step and the bull looks at me again.  I still can't see that clearly but move around to shoot him in the head.  I walked up to him praying I wasn't going to have to do hand to hand combat and fortunately he was done.  The whole time my wife was 30 yards behind me the cut asking if she should come help.  I'm yelling at her to stay there and hoping the bull doesn't get fed up with us yelling at each other and run off.  What a mess.

The second was another muzzy bull.  I shot a bit too far back and got the liver.  Long story short, a friend and tracked the bull for about 3 miles with a drop of blood here and a track there.  We caught up to him bedded about 7 hours later and I shot him in the head.  He was looking at me over his back and never moved again. 

Both shots were very close to being perfect but didn't turn out that way.  I've seen much worse shots end up with much better results.

[DOUBLELUNG]

My first archery bull was a satellite 6 point that was crossing right to left at what I estimated to be 40 yards.  He jumped the shot and switched ends, from my release midpoint behind his left shoulder it appeared the arrow entered at the same location behind his right shoulder!  Amazed at the speed of his reaction and feeling confident in a dead bull, I waited an hour and then followed up.  I quickly found the back 8" of my arrow, with dark blood and gut content, and realized the arrow had angled back into the guts rather than the broadside I'd seen a microsecond after impact.  I flagged the spot and with a bad feeling waited two more hours.  Fortunately, I made the shot before 9am on a sunny day.

Expecting a gut shot bull to head downhill, I made arcing passes to the west toward the creek bottom.  No sign.  I returned to the arrow piece and did my best to read the tracks.  There were lots of elk tracks in every direction, but by laying down and looking parallel to the ground I could make out the shine of the most recent set - heading off uphill to the southeast.  I used a long straight stick to point the angle of the track, and picked out the furthest tuft of grass where I could see the shine of that track.  I then walked up to that spot, put my mountain money on it, walked back to the stick, picked it up and then scanned the ground closely (I did a lot of this on all fours) as I worked to my TP.  I began to find occasional tiny flecks of dark blood and gut content, which I marked with small pieces of flagging.  After about 2 hours I had followed the trail 220 yards on the GPS to the crest of that small side drainage, topping over into the next I could see the tracks went onto a very defined elk trail down into the next creek bottom, a small rimrocked drainage filled with aspens and brush. As I was glassing down into that bottom, I caught a flash of antler bobbing forward like a feeding elk - huh?  Easing very slowly forward, I was able to see it was the bull bedded, his eyes nearly closed and his head bobbing forward then jerking back up - he was sick but a long way from dead. 

As a direct approach would have put me both upwind and line of sight, I picked out a distinctive dead branch in the top of the closest aspen to his bed, and backed out of sight until I could just see the branch above the ridge - probably 60' above the bedded elk.  I made a wide arc to the south and east, keeping that branch in sight, until I had maneuvered to a point where I hoped the northwest breeze would blow my scent away from the elk.  I worked back along the rimrock toward my aspen tree, parallel to the drainage.  At 40 yards I removed my boots and stalked slowly up to where I could look down into the aspens.  As I eased forward at the closest point on the rimrock, I could see the bull, now standing and looking back along his back trail, facing straight away and almost directly below me at roughly 20 yards.  My only shot was a foot square opening in the branches that gave me his pelvis and the first several inches of his spine. I put my 20 yard pin at the front of his pelvis and right of his spine.  The arrow sunk to the fletchings right of the spine and he jolted like a huge electric shot hit him.  I was quickly nocking my next arrow as he took a couple of shaky steps and was completely obscured; I bailed off the rimrock down to the trail he had walked on and had a quick glimpse of his back end disappearing into the thick riparian cover - I could hear my arrow rattling through the branches as he once again ran off.

I gathered my boots and other gear, and then followed the trail.  The sign in the bed was not encouraging - a fist-sized puddle of dark blood mixed with gut content.  No blood or sign was found from there to where he disappeared deeper into the thick riparian vegetation.  I GPSed the last location I saw him.  No blood, but it was easy to see where he'd run through the dense vegetation.  After about 40 yards, a surprise - one of my entire arrows, completely covered in dark blood.  I was thoroughly confused trying to make sense of that.  However, after that I began to find better blood - not great, but dime to nickel sized splotches (on the ground but not the leaves), all giving a nice directional splash to show his direction of travel.  I followed this sign through the riparian bottom and up the next slope, where the blood began to taper off and I could tell he had slowed to a walk.  This area was mostly bare rock, I lost the blood and couldn't find the track at all. 

I GPSed the last blood, zoomed my GPS in all the way, and began to spiral out from that spot, using the GPS to try and keep 20' between track lines.  To my surprise, I found another drop of blood in steep rock well above the last blood.  I GPSed that one and started a new spiral, struggling on the steep rock to maintain my line.  I crested a small rise and saw antler tips again, this time parallel to the ground!!!  I nocked another arrow, eased forward, and had the welcome sight of my bull laying dead, the fletching of my second shot pointing straight back at me from in front of his pelvis.  It was 3:30pm, almost 7 hours after my first shot, and 330 yards as the crow flies - more like half a mile on the ground.

Amazingly, the first shot released at an aimpoint behind his left shoulder had entered almost the same location on his right side - but not broadside, at a steep angle back which clipped the back of his right lung and penetrated through the diaphragm into his rumen.  My second shot from the rimrock had killed him within a couple of minutes, making a deep long cut through his liver and into intestines.  That arrow had made a mess of the intestines as he ran, but the cut through the liver is what bled him out - and entirely internally.  My third hail mary shot had given me the blood, punching straight through the meatiest part of his calf.  I initially started to gut him, but finding the shredded bloody intestinal mess switched to my first ever gutless method for removing the meat.  Only after I had all the meat off did I gut him, to get the tenderloins and see what exactly had happened with the two shots.  At that time, I didn't know how to retrieve the tenderloins without gutting.

I'm not proud of this kill, but I was grateful to be successful and persevere to the recovery.  I made brutal packout with the head and about 80 lbs of backstraps, tenderloins, neck and flank meat in my Badlands 2200 pack, arriving at camp after dark.  The next entire day was three round trips to fetch the quarters.

[Karl Blanchard]

You weren’t near as ugly when you were young Beau

[WapitiTalk1]

I see an elk in that picture, but where are you??? Man that face paint is the real deal!

Ha, ya I used to love the pre-dawn face painting routine.  Nowadays, I just carry a head net/face mask with me....no more skin ripping face paint removal for me after returning to camp.

They make fancy makeup removers for stuff like that. I'm sure my wife would loan you some. 

Preposterous!  Any face painter worth their salt only uses moss and dirt to rub the cammo off 

[DOUBLELUNG]

You weren’t near as ugly when you were young Beau

I haven't aged well it's true!

[CoryTDF]

Here is the story from my 2013 Dayton bull. It certainly fits in this thread.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,135157.0.html

[greenhead_killer]

my dad and i had muzzle loader cow tags in the peaches a few years ago. was my first season/hunt ever with a muzzy. long story short, i shot a spike bull at 25 yards while he was walking. really slow walk and i didnt think anything of it at the time and because the distance was so short i never second guessed stopping him. i verified it was a spike. lowered the gun and pppfffftttttt boom, finally went off. elk scattered everywhere. i waited for the smoke to clear and no bull. walked the twenty five yards to where he was standing, no blood, no guts, nothing. i figured maybe i somehow gut shot him. i backed out and waited for 2 hours to see if by some miracle he went down. whole time i was waiting, i kept smelling elk and telling myself it had to be him just down the hill. after the two hours, i started creeping down the hill, following the smell of elk. got down the hill 200 yards and here my bull was piled up against a tree, still alive. i put one more in him and he was down in less than a min. walking up to him, my shot hit him in the spine and broke his back. i was elated but disappointed in the initial shot and what had transpired to get me to this point. learning curve on muzzy for sure. just glad i was able to recover and have it finished.

[Archsnipe]

Not a bad shot, found an elk story, but 4 years ago, archery hunting for elk after a storm with alot of wind blowing, we were ninja-ing through the woods, and found a large bull, standing back end to a steep hill, head into the wind.  Several range finder checks at 60 yards, I let one sail with the friend watching.  Perfect flight, perfect line, perfect "whap", high fives as the elk ran off.  We both thought a perfect broadside, mid body behind the shoulder shot, and we'd be packing elk in an hour.  We let it simmer for 30 min, went down to check out where he was, and found tracks going away as we thought, but, no arrow, no blood.  Weird.  Started tracking the bull.  No blood.  Following tracks we found he had a small herd of cows with him, they all moved out slowly after the shot.  Kept following tracks, then they peetered out.  This was at noon or so, and for the rest of the day, and the next two days, we gridded out about a square mile, my GPS looking like a screen of perpendicular lines, and those lines were all mine, with my buddy in between. 

The problem was, it wasn't a bad shot, with my eyes and my friends eyes on it, what the heck happened?  No arrow in the dirt, not under the dirt, not in a tree, not down the hill, no blood.......Heart ache for nights and weeks.  Each time we go back to this area, I hope to find a big bull shed around some bones with my arrow laying in them, but really I hope I missed cleanly somehow, and that bull will be there again. I'm glad you all have recovery stories, this was the first time I have ever missed.....any big game.  Makes me want to know though.......

[Gonehuntin01]

About 15 years ago, hunting late season archery elk, I got into a large herd of elk.  Tracked and trailer them for 4 hours and about 5 miles. We went through canyons a nd ridges, reprod and big timber, just couldn't make it happen.  Finally caught them in a clearcut, had a nice 5 point at 40 yards with two spikes above and in front of him.  First year of 3 point or better.  Not comfortable with the shot i passed.  The herd was spread out everywhere, so I moved down the cut further and found a huge cow broadside 50 yards.  I drew took the shot and watched, at what looked like my arrow flew over her back.  She bolted straight ahead and the whole herd took off everywhere.  Very disappointed that I just worked that hard and totally missed my shot

I moved further down the clear cut as some elk were still visible.  After a half hour of trying to move in on these elk, they finally had enough and moved out.  Very discouraged, I started back up the grade out of the unit, passing where the initial shot was taken, I looked to my left, there may my cow.  How did I not see the arrow but her, how come I didn't see any of it.  I rolled her around looking for anything, and found i had made a pass through shot.  Went back and looked for my arrow with no luck.  The cow had only gone 30 yards.  Totally dumbfounded with what had just happened.  Sent to work taking care of The cow and went and gone help getting her out.  Biggest cow i have killed to date.  Very lucky to have found her.  Made me think twice about missing, or following my arrow.  Turned out to be a great day.

[elkrack]

I swear by always hunting the last day of the hunt. I’ve killed 4 elk on the very last day. So off I go on my last day to hunt and I get on some elk right away! They have no clue I’m there and they are making all the racket in the world. Finally after trying to get a lane forever a cow pops into a slim opening and starts to feed   I range her 62 yards set the pin at 60( slight down hill) draw and let it fly🏹. I will never forget watching that cow drop about a foot and forward about a foot and my arrow entering in the high back   the arrow was dead on for double lung or possibly heart shot but now I’ve got a cow with an arrow sticking out of its back. So I go to point of impact to tape it off and wait but knew right off the bat I got extremely lucky. Blood was right where she was standing and a clear trail to where she lay dead. I hit the artery that runs down the spine( femoral artery I believe?). A great outcome to a bad hit.

[Pathfinder101]

Short story: 
Rifle Hunt in Montana in 2009.  Second to the last day, spotted this buck with a harem and pulled a 2.5 mile stalk to get to him.  Set up on them at 320 yards.  Buck is walking straight towards me with his head down.  I put the crosshairs center mass and touched it off.  Heard a wack.  Buck looks a little loopy, but my buddy Tom says "better put another one in him".  I do.  And when we get up to him, he's got his G2 shot off.  Must have been right in line with his shoulder.

 

[brew]

late archery blacktail hunt before PPV in Vail.  Buddy set chokers so we went in and the wife had to go shopping on "Black Friday".  told her to meet us at the gate at 1:00.  it was really cold and we also roll around with the windows down.  come around a corner and 4 deer start bouncing around.  We jump out and I range one broadside at 32 yards.  She pulls back and is so cold her bow hand is doing circles.  she releases and the spike instantly drops.  walk up to him and a foot of arrow is sticking out of his face--she shot him right up the nose and broadhead lodges in the brain.

Archery elk hunt early 2000's in the Manastash.  Buddy and his cousin call and a herd of cows come storming in.  Buddy let loose on a yearling 25 yards away and they bolted.  Found good blood for about 75 yards then nothing.  We spent about 3 hours looking for something but finding nothing.  everyone else was giving up when about 250 yards away i found a dime spot of dried blood on an old whitened log.  called the wife over to help and she walks 75 yards up the hill and the cow was dead under a small fir tree liver shot

Mid 2000's I drew any any elk archery tag in the Manastash.  Raining like a mother so we decide to drive around to try to find the wife a doe to shoot.  Come around the corner and a 6 pt bull and 3 cows standing 35 yards off the road.  Just as I draw on the bull he horns the cows and they take off about 50 yards.  The cows stop and he keeps horning them trying to get them to go.  I can't get a shot at him as he keeps going from cow to cow as they just stand there looking at me.  Finally they take off and I catch up to them about 100 yards later.  Range him at 73 yards and let er fly.  Arrow hits and they all take off.  As i said its really raining so we didn't take much time to track him.  GPS said he went 3/4 of a mile before he was too weak to go further.  Lost the blood trail but he crossed the road and we heard a truck slam on the brakes with gravel flying.  Ran to the road just as the guy was walking back.  I asked him if he saw my bull and he said yes it was laid up 100 yards up in the brush.  He walked me in to where he laid and i finished him.  First shot hit him low in the brisket.  He died on a quad trail and 5 of us drug him whold down to the truck.  Had to pull his head back and tie it to the bumper cuz we put him in a little Dodge truck.  He was a warrior cuz when skinning him found about 3" of arrow and a 3 blade muzzy calloused in his neck

[Crunchy]

Oregon archery elk.  Snuck into a herd with a bull bugling like crazy.  Could only see patches of his hide through the thick timber.  Four cows branch off and are going to talk by me at 25 yards.  I am not picky in an any elk unit.  I am in the thick jack firs with a small window to shoot.  Where the cows are it is much more open.  I draw and wait.  Cow stops and I let it fly.  She drops.  Somehow I spinal tapped her.  Could only guess something hit my bow limb or arrow in the thick stuff I shot her from.  Went up and finished her off with a lung shot.

[ctwiggs1]

Last year on VASHON of all places.

I high lunged a doe on a property I had permission to hunt. That doe traveled across 6 different properties (all of which were owned by anti hunting folks).  I knocked on every door and asked permission to track.  I was called everything under the sun from poacher to %*#^.

I was so tense and stressed out that I could barely think.  One person told me the cops were on their way. I hadn’t done anything illegal but it still stressed me out.  Dealing with this while questioning my shooting, my hunting capabilities and where the heck this doe had gone to. 

I called @fillthefreezer and had him talk me down about 3.5 hours into it.  I got my thoughts together, found one last game trail she may have taken, and walked right to her.  I asked permission to retrieve when I found out I accidentally crossed a property line, and was loaded and gone within 10 minutes of her saying “yes”.  I passed a KCSD on my way out and couldn’t help but wonder if he was called out for me. 

I will be hunting Vashon again, but I will not be hunting that property again.  Just not worth the hassle.