Your Move Hoss 2021, Episode #3

[WapitiTalk1]

Location: Somewhere in the elk woods
Hunt Pressure Status: Minimal
Hunt: Solo Hunt
Camp Type: Backwoods spike camp
Tag/Timeline: Archery, 3 PT or better bull; early Elktember; around 4:30 in the afternoon.

Well, this is exciting!  This morning, you were into em’ thick on the south side of a dry ridge with no shots; you’re now sitting in the bottom of a small, steep draw to the north of that ridge.  As the heat of the day kicked in and the elk moved to bed, you decided to dump down into the gulley to filter some water, grab some lunch, kick back for a while, and recharge for the evening hunt which will take you back towards camp (through where you got into em’ this morning).  Just as you’re getting antsy to head back over, you hear something moving up the draw, kicking rocks as it moves, popping and crunching the dry twigs and pine cones.  Quick as a hiccup, you leave your pack, and move to where you sit now (red arrow).  You first see big brown coming towards you on the game trail when he is only 30 yards or so away.  Right before he rounds the corner (as far as you can see on the blue trail coming from the SW), you come to full draw.  Big brown stops to do a bit of rubbing on the tree, where you see him NOW.  You’re no more than 20 yards from the bull.  In the same moment, you hear some cow chatter on the other side of the draw, coming up from the west.  I will tell you that this bull will “probably” move off the rubbing, to the north, across the small stream where your pack sits…… on his way to where the cows are (wink, wink… you may have one more angle/shot opp at big stinky if you’re patient).  That’s all the intel you get…….               

Thermals are as shown; your position is as shown (again, around 20 yards from the trail). Your move Hoss; quarter back this thing and tell me what you think is going on and how you’re gonna bring this fellow home for dinner. Is there anything you feel you could have done better up to this point in time?



Reminder, 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. 

[Shawn Ryan]

No shot for me. Yet. I'm at full draw, so I'm just holding as long as I can hoping he moves in a way that presents a shot.  For me, it helps to relax a bit when I need to hold for a long time, which lowers my bow just slightly, but I'm also afraid that slight movement will spook him. (If I was better, I'd be relaxed at full draw, pin on my target, but I'm not.) I'm concerned about what I do when the shakes start--do I try to keep on him, trying to settle, or let down. Hopefully, I make the right choice.

He'll bust as soon as he gets near my pack/where I've been lunching. I don't think leaving my pack there is much worse than the stink that's already hanging around down there, but it doesn't help. Would have been slightly better to have it on my back right now.

If he turns to go service those cows without presenting a shot, then he's getting a nervous grunt from me, immediately.

[WapitiTalk1]

Update: And his 20 seconds worth of advertising/rubbing are done. Big Stinky is now on the move, walking slowly, to head down the trail and across the small stream to go see what his cows are up to. You're still at full draw, have the wind/thermals. Your move mister.... Are you shooting here?

[Shawn Ryan]

Those G3's are amazing, but still no shot for me. Yet. Angle is wrong and the rub tree is in the way. He'll keep moving; come on and turn left! Or at least just take a step.

[ctwiggs1]

Seems like a reckless shot at this point.  You might clip a lung, but I think you’re likely in for one of those 12 hour tracking jobs with the current angle.

I’m not shooting.  Just questioning life decisions at this point.

[Matth]

I don't think the angle looks terrible, i'm shooting.

[Stein]

I would wait for him to take one or two steps, likely to get a better angle.

[Timberstalker]

Punch it in there on picture 002!  Just barely miss the rubbing post!  Let it fly, and watch him die.

Done deal.  At that range you can punch into his vitals no doubt.

[WildcatRanger]

2nd pic, I might take the shot. I'm shooting a fixed blade, 600 grain total arrow weight with 300 grains up front.
I would not have left my pack, it only weighs 15 lbs.

[SpurInSpokane]

I tried real hard to talk myself into a shooting angle on the second photo, but I think I'd just have to keep waiting if I could...