Shoot or No Shot 2019 - Episode #7

[WapitiTalk1]

Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: 7 day out of state elk hunt; 4th day of your partner hunt; solo hunt today.
Date/Time: MID September, around 9:30 AM
Tag: Archery; Bull Tag only

Well, to this point in your hunt, you and your buddy have been "into them" each day. The elk have been vocal and you've both been close to touching off a broad head, but no clear shot yet. This morning, you and your buddy decide to split forces and each hunt solo in a two different areas. You have worked across a thick side hill to the point you sit now by a natural mineral lick in a small opening. On the way in, you heard two distant bulls spouting off way down the side hill and it certainly appears you arrived at this particular location a bit too late (the elk had been in this area feeding, breeding, playing cards, etc., last night) and have since moved down and probably across the draw to the NE facing slope to bed (an area you know pretty well). Oh well, you decide to just sit there a bit, up on a small brush nob a bit higher than the opening, watch and listen, make your next plan... and hear and see a slight bit of rustling in the vegetation coming down the opening up to your right. You nock an arrow (not knowing what is moving down through the weeds) and within seconds, you see these two appear out of the brush.

Your view of these two predators are what you see now from your position; the closest is no more than 30 yards away. Yes, you have a wolf tag in your pack.

Shoot or no shot here?

If you're shooting, save the picture to your desktop and open in MS Paint, then place a spot, X, or whatever on the critter before you save it back to a jpg or png and add the marked up pic with your post.

[bracer40]

 
This would be my first thought on the closest one....

[WapitiTalk1]

 I may be wrong, but, I’m pretty sure multiple Gatling guns are not legal to take wolves with 

[asmith]

I may be wrong, but, I’m pretty sure multiple Gatling guns are not legal to take wolves with 

If they aint, then they outa be

[Crunchy]

Easy shot first.  Hope to reload for the black one if he sticks around.

[WapitiTalk1]

Nice shot Crunch (give him a bark first to freeze him). Now get him skinned out, fur in the cooler, and back to Wapiti hunting 

[Stein]

I'm with Crunchy, much less likely to jump out of the way.  If the black one poses a threat to my safety he gets one too.

[Karl Blanchard]

Well as disappointed as I would be because the black one is small (I want a black one) and the fur is sucky September hair, I'd still shoot the lead one. Stop him with a lip squeak and stick it in his ribs.

[Karl Blanchard]

I'll add that immediately upon shooting I'd get another arrow on and start hammering the kiyi on my open red EZ estrus and I'd try and get the other one to come back in.

[WapitiTalk1]

These 2 were in the this area for 3 days on two of my Idaho cams a few years ago and roamed between this spot and another on the sidehill (scent checking elk).  Damn things. Either one or both would have received a Magnus BH if I ever woulda seen them