Shoot or No Shot 2020 – Episode #4

[WapitiTalk1]

Tag: Any Bull tag
Season/Hunt: Solo hunt; archery tag
Time/Date/Location: Mid-September; 8:20 AM; in an elk state
Camp/gear: Base camp.

The night before, you’d walked in on an old skid road and located an absolute loudmouth bull (he really sounded like a dandy). After hearing him carry on for a few minutes, you creep back out the way you came to wait for the morning hunt…… praying that some jackhole wouldn’t beat you into the spot in the morning. Nobody is parked where the little road takes off the main in the morning and you head in before daylight (sweet!). It’s a slightly foggy morning as you head in which plays to your advantage. Just after it gets light, you approach the general area you heard the bull up on the side hill, within 150ish yards, and you hear the loudmouth sounding off. Decision quickly made, you move off the skid road about 75 yards to set up, wait, listen and do some calling. The thermals are moving steadily down in your face and the fog is now lifting. You can hear big nasty killing a tree, screaming his head off, and a few cows mewing; you also caught a glimpse of his head gear (as he thrashes a tall sapling) and it’s impressive. At this point, you’ve gotten as close as you feel is safe without exposing yourself (visually) so you decide to try a couple of soft cow mews. After you cow call, the BIG guy immediately screams and chuckles at you (telling you to come to him). You hear, then see, an elk moving through the small opening and whammo…. this upstart stops where he is now, not more than 20 yards from where you are kneeling at full draw, looking for the cow he heard. As you place your chosen pin on this teenager, you hear big snotty scream and chuckle again, just on the other side of the opening to your right, just inside the timber. Decision, decisions. Are you shooting the meat bull, or, staying the course and try to get a shot at the big bull?

Shoot or no shot here?



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.

[Stein]

No way for me.

[bornhunter]

Nope. Not enough years left.

[nwmein199]

No shot as he stands for me, but I stay at full draw hoping he presents a better shot and take it

[Archry]

No. I don't like the angle.

[Crunchy]

Barely a no shoot, but if I had to shoot to feed the family this is where I would shoot.

[WapitiTalk1]

All right you heavy hitters, for those who chose to pass on the dink and work on the big stink, or… didn’t like the angle you had at junior, it doesn’t matter cuz that raggedly little dude only stopped for a second, didn’t like what he saw or didn’t see, and quickly moved off into the pines to his right.  You decide to move forward another 25-30 yards and see what you can do about figuring out where that loudmouth is at and perhaps putting a move on him.  You hear a bugle, then start seeing a handful of cows streaming out of the timber to your 2 o’clock, moving from right to left as you’re facing.  What you’re seeing now is the last three elk in the small herd, before they move into the timber…. Just below the bottom of that downed spruce.  On your knees, cover to your back, thermals still in your mug, arrow nocked, reed in your mouth…….. you guesstimate the bull is a goat hair less than 40 yards from where you’re at.  It sure is funny how things can change at the drop of a hat in the elk woods.  He’s a wall hanger for sure. What’s your on the spot plan to bring that bull home for supper? 

Shoot or no shot here?       


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.

[Crunchy]

30 yard pin here, soft cow call, and let her fly.

[flyfishWA]

30 yard pin here, soft cow call, and let her fly.

[Stein]

Bark, then let one fly about 4" to the left of Crunchy's mark.

[bornhunter]

Do I have a cow tag?

[WapitiTalk1]

Do I have a cow tag?

Not for this hunt/state