collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: Hee Haw *censored*  (Read 3196 times)

Offline CampCoffee

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Apr 2009
  • Posts: 15
  • Location: Edmonds, WA
Hee Haw *censored*
« on: November 02, 2010, 08:30:45 AM »
I feel like a *censored*. Shot a spike and didn't recover. Don't know if any of you have done that, but it's sickening. :'(
Sunday morning there was lots of wind, snow, and swirling around. I was on stand on Bethel, and several groups of elk were coming thru the funnel. I catch sight of a spike about fourth in the row. The herd was moving fairly quick, so I had to count tines (it was a 2x1), aim and fire before he got thru the opening and would lose him. My sight picture was high on the front shoulder as he was heading at 2o'clock. Hit him and off they go.
There was 2-3" of snow on the ground so we tracked the blood, over the ridge and down into the other drainage. By the time we lost him, we had spooked him three times, traveled 2.5miles, and we'd spent seven hours tracking him. The last few hours he pretty much stopped bleeding, only a BB size drop every 20-feet. He headed off downhill into the ugly rugged, and he had dropped below the snow line. We knew we couldn't follow his trail without the snow in that mess.
Any thoughts on dealing with a bonehead stupid shot that wounds an animal. All I can say is I am vowed to not rush my shot on an elk again, whether that means I score or not. :bash:
I want to see you shoot the way you shout.
– Teddy Roosevelt

Offline Lowedog

  • Trade Count: (+6)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2007
  • Posts: 2624
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #1 on: November 02, 2010, 08:35:51 AM »
It happens.  Elk are tough animals.  It is possible that you bullet didn't make it through the shoulder and if so a good chance he will survive the injury. 
"Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching- even when doing the wrong thing is legal."
— Aldo Leopold

Offline robodad

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Nov 2007
  • Posts: 4437
  • Location: PA, WA.
    • frog4life !!
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #2 on: November 02, 2010, 08:38:01 AM »
Here you go  :spank_butt: Now off you go and don't do that anymore !!
The essense of freedom is the proper limitation of government !!!

Offline tshoote30

  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2010
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Vancouver, Wa.
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2010, 08:39:53 AM »
It happens.  Elk are tough animals.  It is possible that you bullet didn't make it through the shoulder and if so a good chance he will survive the injury. 

 :yeah: that sucks though.

Offline Superhunter333

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Hunter
  • ***
  • Join Date: Oct 2010
  • Posts: 168
  • Location: Eastern wa
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #4 on: November 02, 2010, 08:42:52 AM »
sorry to hear that. it happens  :bash:
Vegetarians are cool. All I eat are vegetarians - except for the occasional mountain lion steak.
-Ted Nugent

Offline wapiti hunter2

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Sep 2009
  • Posts: 3274
  • Location: Yelm
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #5 on: November 02, 2010, 08:55:21 AM »
I lost an elk last year so I know how you feel.  My lesson was NEVER HURRY!!!  If you don't have time to make a good clear shot, and enough time on the clock (mine was at dusk in rain) to recover, then don't shoot.  It was buck fever that made me hurry and pull the trigger and I have felt sick ever since.  BTW, I found the carcase this year during early muzzy, nice 4x5 100 yards past where we gave up the search.

Offline Hunter Dug

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Longhunter
  • *****
  • Join Date: Mar 2009
  • Posts: 548
  • Location: Washougal
  • Owner: S&D Skull Works
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2010, 09:17:07 AM »
The lesson to learn here is next time you make a shot you are not sure of give the animal at least and hour before getting on the trail. The second and most important if your jump the animal while track after the first hour than you need to STOP and wait at least another hour or even better 2 before continuing tracking.  Very hard to do but a must. Always be perpared for a follow up shot.  Now I dont know what the weather conditions were but that may have played a part in your choices.  Bottom line is you have learned a huge lesson and I bet you will not make that mistake again.  Good luck and keep your head up I too know how it feels to lose an animal,  the horse is still saddled, jump back on.

Offline 400out

  • Radio Active YAR
  • Washington For Wildlife
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2009
  • Posts: 5451
  • Location: in a bunker
  • HA HA! VERY FUNNY!
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2010, 11:08:55 AM »
If he was heading down go back in there and head down too! If you got him good enough he won't want to go up  :twocents:
Granted the ability to cause a A nuclear explosion that produces a rapid release of energy from a higher power resulting in the sudden and catastrophic demise of a thread.

Confucius say:
A crowded elevator smells different to a midget!
Man that go to bed with itchy butt wake up with stinky fingers!
Man who fight with wife all day get no piece at night.

Offline CampCoffee

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Apr 2009
  • Posts: 15
  • Location: Edmonds, WA
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2010, 11:14:04 AM »
My buddy and I did give him an hour after the before we started tracking. Then after the first jump, we gave him another hour and ate lunch.
Funny thing, we came across 2 hunters who saw the blood and started tracking but they got sidetracked after a while and lost the trail. We got worried we'd get to the spike and just see a gutpile so we hurried too much after that. In hind sight, losing him that way to someone else would be better than what happened. :bash:
I want to see you shoot the way you shout.
– Teddy Roosevelt

Offline Elkstuffer

  • ALL THAT'S WILD TAXIDERMY
  • Business Sponsor
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2007
  • Posts: 1492
  • Location: Tieton, WA
    • Facebook.com/allthatswildtaxidermy
    • All That's Wild Taxidermy
  • Groups: WWSF, NWTF, RMEF, DU, SCI, MDF
Re: Hee Haw *censored*
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2010, 11:28:00 AM »
Go back up there and look for the birds. If he is dead they will find him. It's cold enough that you could still recover some meat. You will feel better knowing that you did everything that you could to recover the animal. We owe them that much. Good luck!
Serving Central Washington and the Northwest for all of your taxidermy needs since 1999.

ALL THAT'S WILD TAXIDERMY
960 Dilley Road
Tieton, WA 98947
(509)673-1579

"If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it."     Fred Bear

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

2025 Canning by Skillet
[Today at 12:05:10 AM]


Taxidermy Issues....HELP! by Skillet
[Yesterday at 11:21:26 PM]


Palouse buck deer by high_hunter
[Yesterday at 10:58:24 PM]


Palouse/Mica (GMU 127) Access for Trades Work by high_hunter
[Yesterday at 10:54:30 PM]


AUCTION: Custom knife by Alden Cole by Dan-o
[Yesterday at 07:29:06 PM]


More Kings! by bear
[Yesterday at 06:19:16 PM]


Spot lock in the salt? by GWP
[Yesterday at 02:45:08 PM]


Seeking packer OnCall for early archery unit 328 Naneum/Colockum by dreadi
[Yesterday at 02:09:41 PM]


GPW Trail Closures by Kingofthemountain83
[Yesterday at 01:49:27 PM]


Pre season Archery SALE by BigJs Outdoor Store
[Yesterday at 01:32:46 PM]


Good Fishing Guides in Puget Sound by hiway_99
[Yesterday at 01:17:16 PM]


49 Degrees North Early Bull Moose by B4noon
[Yesterday at 10:42:06 AM]


Challis/salmon idaho packstrings? by 2MANY
[Yesterday at 10:05:30 AM]


Good day of steelhead fishing! by snit
[Yesterday at 08:10:42 AM]


Bonaparte Lake by AntlerHound
[Yesterday at 07:48:39 AM]


Honda BF15A Outboard Problems - FIXED! by pickardjw
[Yesterday at 07:39:38 AM]


KODIAK06 2025 trail cam and personal pics thread by kodiak06
[Yesterday at 06:27:05 AM]


New to bear hunting by JimmyHoffa
[July 22, 2025, 10:39:22 PM]


Best all around muzzy (updated) by riverrun
[July 22, 2025, 09:17:25 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal