It's been a long time old friend. 12/3 pics and 12/6 a must read ending

[HuntandFish]

6x6 I have great respect for your story, and am glad you have had a great hunting experience this far. but I would like to make a comment on your hunting practice.

I do not find it ethically right for someone to take shots at animals especially bow hunters that see proof that there shot hit and wounded an animal, and continue hunting for different animals afterward. You have chosen the animal you wish to harvest, you then most likely mortally wound this animal.(with a 60yrd shot) Have confirmation of this later, apparently do nothing to try and finish this great animal off. But some how find it perfectly acceptable to start your hunt for another animal.

In fishing they have rules that apply to this same principal, such as if you hook and land a fish with bait and then release this fish it counts as part of your limit. The reason for this is the mortality rate is extremely high when this happens. Just like what has happend to the elk you wounded.

I realize there is no rule governing this with hunting, but there should be certainly.

Let me also address what others (that practice this hunting method) will surely counter with. Yes that animal has a very high likely hood of dying. It is now winter and there is not rich source of food, and winter is hard enough for these animals to get through, let alone with having to deal with infections, internal bleeding, weakend body and muscle response, etc.

60yrd shot on a fully winterized elk is irresponsible, I know allot of you bow guys will disagree but the penetration power alone not to mention decreased accuracy in the field at 60yrds is to far. If you are an ethical hunter you would not be taking a shot past 50yrds, I certainly do not.

Yes I know it happens with modern firearms also, and the same rule applies.

All I am trying to say is, if you are going to shoot an animal and are unable to recover it, have enough moral fortitude to consider your tag filled. It is incidents like this that will ban bow hunting for the rest of us, and certainly gives the bow hunting community a very bad name when the Snider family from bellevue comes over to see the elk at suncadia and see's your elk walking around (assuming it survives) with an arrow out of its side.

I am glad to hear you held yourself back on elk #2  you were trying to stick, and are going to wait for a better shot.

I am not mad you personally 6x6 I just do not agree with your actions. Go back and ask that land owner if you can set up on his property and try to recover the elk you origanally shot.

Regards,
H&F 

[Small_Savage]

Simply amazing write-up, thanks for sharing something so personal.  Best of luck on this and all hunts.

[300wsm]

Hunt and Fish,  It's very easy to sit behind a computer and judge.  The elk he hit is alive and doing just fine, 6X6 has this confirmed by more than one source.  6X6 has worked his but off on this hunt and is a great guy, I wish him the best. 

I'm sure he is going to give an update later today or tomorrow that will have everybody very happy!!!!

[colockumelk]

Hunt Fish why do you think you are so high and mighty because you "wouldn't" shoot that far?  Who do you think you are?  I am one of those that if I wounded an elk and couldn't recover it I would still hunt.  We put in for special permits for far too long and spend far too money to try and get a chance to hunt branch bulls to not put your tag on a live animal.  I think it would be foolish to tag an animal that you can't find.  But you know what I don't sit there and judge others if they do that.  It's their tag do what they want with it. 

This state has decided that they will sit  by and let the Natives shoot as many animals as they want.  They hardly enforce poaching.  THey also have decided that they don't care about proper game managment and only care about the money 6x6 spent on his tags.  So why should we punch tag soup when we spend so much money on an opportunity once every 7-10 years.  Oh and just because your effective range is 50yds doesnt mean that others can't shoot better than you can.  The range you mentioned is your opinion and only your opinion. 

A word of advice.  Before you decide to start one of your first posts with something truly as negative as what you just posted maybe get to know some people first.  Way to make an impression. 

6x6 dont' listen to snobbish people.  Youre a great sportsman. Keep on truckin and I can't wait to see some kill pics. 

[huntnnw]

+1 colockumelk... I will take a 60 yard shot on a elk in heartbeat!! I took a moose at 60+ with complete pass thru's!

[Austrian Hunter]

+ 2 colockumelk!!!  Go and get them!!!  I loved your story, I pray for you to tag the one you dreamed about!!! 

[Austrian Hunter]

Hunt and Fish,  It's very easy to sit behind a computer and judge.  The elk he hit is alive and doing just fine, 6X6 has this confirmed by more than one source.  6X6 has worked his but off on this hunt and is a great guy, I wish him the best. 

I'm sure he is going to give an update later today or tomorrow that will have everybody very happy!!!!

Do you know something

[whacker1]

+3 colockumelk 

I am new to archery, but I have seen this will all weapons.  15 years to wait for a permit in this state is a reason I would not be boiling tag soup just yet. 

[HuntandFish]

300wsm I am not sitting behind a computer and judging. I am stating what I believe is a moral principal that one should follow. Yes I understand that people see the elk alive still today. You all do understand that this is a several month long process for this elk to die from this type of injury. I will give you the benefit of the doubt for not considering this when posting such a comment. I also have no doubt 6x6 is a great guy and has worked his butt off. I am merely stating a principal that I believe most hunters should start to apply to there hunting standards.

colockumelk I do not understand why you would think I am high and mighty for stating a general truth about bow hunting and its normal standards. And yes from comments you have made today and on previous posts I believe you would shoot and wound many animals and continue hunting. That is your right under the current law, it does not however mean it is a good thing to do. How does having put in allot of work or time or money compremise a moral standard, this statement to me makes no logical sense. Yes indeed it would be foolish to tag an animal that you did not recover, from the monetary standpoint that is. I will not even spend time addressing the natives and how the state deals with them, for that does not apply to anything I have said. Although I do think that how this state deals with "natives" is absolutely absurd, and we all pay the price. I never said 50yrds was my effective range, and indeed it is an opinion. I do not believe I need advice before I post my opinion, and the comment I made has nothing to do with 6x6 or anybody else. It is merely making an opinion based on a true story. I have no problems with 6x6 at all, I relate with his story deeply.


Wacker1 I addressed in my original post that this type of action goes on with all disciplines of hunting. And what does length of wait have to do with anything I have posted. Is it a valid reason to kill two elk or more with one tag.

[6x6rack]

Archers are not 0'fer on 6 pts this year in the Teanaway! Pics and dance Two tomorrow.

I will address this now so I dont need to again. Hunt and Fish, with all due respect allow me to explain. I took three days to follow an elk with almost no blood trail over 11 miles. I only stopped when a private property owner would not allow me access to track it unless I was sure it was on his property. I was not.

I saw the elk alive and well with other bulls like nothing had happened, grazing, and two days ago saw him again with the arrow broken off. I have practiced all summer for this hunt and can hit a pie plate out to 70 yards with broadheads. I took a shot I felt was well within my, and the bows, abilities. No one is more dissapointed than me that I didn't recover this elk and this is the first animal in my life I have not recovered. As a result I passed on several shots at 370+ bulls this past week that were 55-65 yards, eventually shooting a bull I had passed on twice previously. I shot my bull today at 44 yards with a clean pass through hitting almost the exact same spot. He went 50 yards. A 44 yard pass through, and 60 yards with 4 inches of penetration...I wish I could answer that mystery because I would have had a 390 class bull down a week ago.

What I learned is this. A 700+ pound bull is built different than a 450 pound bull. In the future I will be inside 50 if I have a chance to pull back on such an animal again.

All I can say is I gave a 150% effort to recover the bull, and didn't start hunting again until I was 150% positive he was alive and well. I appreciate your sportsman's ethic to recover a wounded animal. Nuf said.

[wayner]

6x6, I really have enjoyed your write up. I can relate to it in a small way. All I can really say is congratulations, and I hope it was everything you hoped for.

[colockumelk]

And yes from comments you have made today and on previous posts I believe you would shoot and wound many animals and continue hunting. That is your right under the current law,

Wow huntfish nice to know that you are so much better and more ethical than me.  You have made quite a good impression of yourself so far.  So please tell me aside from this "unethical" post on this thread that I made, what other posts did I make that would lead you to believe that I would have no problem going around the woods shooting and wounding animals and then continue to hunt.

Just so you know I have NEVER!!!! Lost an animal.  Why.  1.) PURE LUCK!!!  2.) I only take a shot I know that without a doubt I can make.  So before you get all high and mighty maybe do a little digging before you start throwing stones.  Oh yeah welcome to the site.

[colockumelk]

Oh yeah 6x6 hell yeah brother.  Way to make it happen.  I am completely stoked.  I can't wait to hear your story.  I am so proud and happy for you.  Congratulations.  Way to stick with it and make it happen.   

[krout81]

Yehaww, awesome story and I hope you get another chance. 

[rosscrazyelk]

Right on.. I have been waiting for this to happen for you since I heard you had the tag. Awesome.