Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: birddogdad on November 13, 2014, 09:10:54 AM

Title: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: birddogdad on November 13, 2014, 09:10:54 AM: curious how many of you have harvested Elk that have been wounded by bad shots from others. I have taken 2 in 3 seasons with this. 2012, elk had ankle blown out exposed bone, terrible infection. 2014 bull had taken an poorly chosen shot from behind directly in the ham near tail.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: lokidog on November 13, 2014, 09:15:40 AM: The first elk I was in on the kill (archery, I finished him off), had an arrow scar though the front of his hind leg. It was a pass through and was healed up nicely, 1986.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: lewy on November 13, 2014, 09:41:16 AM: I killed a bull with half an arrow and broadhead in him, looked like a tree stand shot
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: MLhunter1 on November 13, 2014, 01:41:14 PM: Shot a cow Tuesday. After skinning her found a broadhrad buried in her leg. Completely healed. So much scar tissue wrapped around it you could barely get it cut apart. Wasn't this sept that it happened. Tough critters.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: coachcw on November 13, 2014, 01:57:29 PM: everyone I kill has a wound when I recover them :chuckle: I have killed close to 40 elk and had one with a broken rib from a small caliber weapon.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: mkcj on November 13, 2014, 02:06:32 PM: The elk my son shot his first, had been shot in the front knee, it was a Dec. hunt and she had been shot a month or more earlier and was emaciated. After thinking about it I called the WDFW and they said that we should not eat it and throw it out, by then the season was over and we couldn't get a new tag which they do for cases like this.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: 100 grain on November 13, 2014, 02:50:02 PM: Not an elk but brother shot a bear 1 week with a bow (couldn't find a blood trail but knew he hit it) . He was all bummed out that an animal was hurt and couldnt find it then the following week shot the same dang one with a rifle...it was already healing really well
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: WSU on November 13, 2014, 03:02:00 PM: No elk but I've killed a buck with a broadhead in it.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: h20hunter on November 13, 2014, 03:03:07 PM: Not an elk for me as well....this years muley doe had been shot in the hind qtr with an arrow. Healed on the outside, still plenty of damage on the inside.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: hunterbuilder on November 13, 2014, 03:04:44 PM: I've never knowingly taken a wounded elk but the cow I got a few years ago had a broadhead and 2 rifle slugs in her. They were found during the meat processing and she showed no sign of injury.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: passing-thru on November 13, 2014, 03:27:33 PM: In around 1987 or 88 I shot a cow on a cow tag in Lewis River area off the 90 rd. I still hunted MF then. She went down and I was walking up to recover her. As I got close to where she was a cow came stumbling out of the trees where rest of herd had gone. Assuming it was my cow I shot her. As I walked up the stink hit me. Looked as if sometime during the archery season she had been hit in ham. Infection was all through hindend. Nasty, turned out it wasn't my cow. Mine was where she fell. Figured id saved her from slow painful death and left her where she lie
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: T Pearce on November 13, 2014, 04:09:12 PM: Not mine, Dad had drawn a cow tag for one of the Blues units. Opening morning as they stepped from the truck to start their hunt there was a bunch of shooting in the bottom of the draw.
Not long after as they were watching escape routes a young hunter anounced that he was pushing a wounded cow up the trail (ankle broken) Dad said he yelled back to him that he had a tag and asked that the young man keep pushing her up the hill. He did and dad notched his tag beside his pickup that morning, (his last elk) 1980?
If that fellow was to read this and recall the story please pm me.
Or just accept a big thank you. His time is short and he still speaks of that hunt.
Tom
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Grizman on November 13, 2014, 06:37:10 PM: I shot a cow elk in Idaho that had a 8" dead limb sticking in the left side of her neck. It was just ahead of her shoulder going in the bottom of the neck and just below the skin. The limb was about 3/4 around. It must have been there for a year or more as the entrance was completely healed and there was no infection around the stick in the meat. The exposed end was slightly shorter the length of the neck hair and looked like it had been pretty well rounded off. I have a couple of old pictures and I will try to scan one it and post it.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: coachcw on November 13, 2014, 06:51:47 PM: Oh yeah I shother a bull thatag had a huge gore wound in his neck from the bull nail bender got in 2008
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: jrebel on November 13, 2014, 08:24:09 PM: My archery cow this year had been shot with a rifle. It looked as if she was shot from the rear breaking her hip and exiting in the same side front shoulder. The shoulder had a hole in it and the other front shoulder had bullet fragment. Really glad I took her out of her misery. She would have probably lived, but that back leg had to be painful.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Rakkasan00 on November 13, 2014, 10:02:55 PM: Damn. That's all I have to say. These Elk are fricken tough sons a bitches.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: 4fletch on November 13, 2014, 10:37:57 PM: Bull from 3'yrs ago had a bullet scar in the front quarter completely healed up
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: elk247 on November 13, 2014, 11:06:17 PM: I shot a archery bull that upon skinning found a rifle slug in the back strap. A few inches of meat were discolored and in all I lost only a couple steaks out of the deal. The bull was otherwise healthy, wound healed and fit as can be. Wish I had pictures.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Humptulips on November 13, 2014, 11:11:30 PM: When I was just starting hunting I was with my Dad and his hunting partner when we came on the tracks of a lone elk. My Dads partner had a cow tag. They started tracking it and followed that elk for probably a mile over some pretty rough ground. When it crossed a draw my Dad said this elk is hurt because it had a hard time getting up the other side. It had went down on its knees.
Not long after we sighted it about a 100 yrds away and my dads partner shot it. It was a cow.
It had two broken legs. No sign of a wound. I think it must have broken them in a fall. One front leg was dangling and it was not using it. One back leg was broken close to the hip and it was swelled up tight and using it. Meat was no good and they left it after cutting it open and inspecting it.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Buzz2401 on November 14, 2014, 05:56:26 PM: The bull my mom shot this year had a 9mm FMJ that hit the fumur and just stopped. Totally healed over
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: plugger on November 14, 2014, 07:23:17 PM: A bull with 3, 22 bullets. A bull with what we figured to be a 44 slug in the hind quarter and a cow with a broad head in the back and you would not have known anything was wrong with them until you skinned or started cutting them up. We did figure the one with the 44 had a problem once we hung up the quarters. It was 15lbs lighter than the other side.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: GoBeavs85 on November 15, 2014, 09:51:34 PM: Surprised to hear of all the elk w bullets in them. Seems like all you ever hear is how many animals archery hunters wound.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Big6bull on November 16, 2014, 09:22:43 AM: Not wounded but severely sick. I got 15 lbs of meet off a young cow elk. Wdfw didn't even want to look at it. It was a special permit. They told me it was safe to eat without even looking at it... :yike:
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: usmc74 on November 16, 2014, 01:46:06 PM: My hunting buddy found a doe in a gravel pit with a broken back (fell in?). I still had a valid deer tag, so I went over to get it.

Got a razzing, cause I missed the first shot (archery). NOTE: Arrows don't survive hitting granite.

Second shot got it. Was good eating, no meet damage.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: LeviD1 on November 17, 2014, 01:57:29 AM: Ive only shot a buck with about an 8" hole in its upper chest from a fight he must have got in. only buck ive ever grunted in and shot him running at me from 5 ft. he was itching for another fight.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: D-Rock425 on November 17, 2014, 11:27:09 AM: Quote from: GoBeavs85 on November 15, 2014, 09:51:34 PM
Surprised to hear of all the elk w bullets in them. Seems like all you ever hear is how many animals archery hunters wound.
i would bet more animals are shot and lost with guns than archery.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Humptulips on November 17, 2014, 12:10:07 PM: Quote from: D-Rock425 on November 17, 2014, 11:27:09 AM
Quote from: GoBeavs85 on November 15, 2014, 09:51:34 PM
Surprised to hear of all the elk w bullets in them. Seems like all you ever hear is how many animals archery hunters wound.
i would bet more animals are shot and lost with guns than archery.

I would go the other way on that. I would think it is less likely for an animal to heal up with an arrow in it.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: D-Rock425 on November 17, 2014, 12:43:36 PM: Quote from: Humptulips on November 17, 2014, 12:10:07 PM
Quote from: D-Rock425 on November 17, 2014, 11:27:09 AM
Quote from: GoBeavs85 on November 15, 2014, 09:51:34 PM
Surprised to hear of all the elk w bullets in them. Seems like all you ever hear is how many animals archery hunters wound.
i would bet more animals are shot and lost with guns than archery.

I would go the other way on that. I would think it is less likely for an animal to heal up with an arrow in it.
i did say anything about healing. I just think the number of animals shot and lost by rifle hunters is greater than that of archery hunters each year.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: steelhead59 on November 17, 2014, 01:46:13 PM: My wife killed a cow elk 4 years ago that had about a 2 inch long bull elk antler point in its hind quarter. It was covered in scar tissue.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: blackveltbowhunter on November 17, 2014, 02:13:06 PM: Last year's bull had an arrow in his neck/shoulder area. Shot a cow with a muzzy ball in her hindquarter. Have shot several late archery bucks that were shot with rifles (I assume) one had large chunk blown out of his hindquarter. Heavy infection, lost all meat in that quarter. Another had a slug in the top if his shoulders. Healed over with gristle. Another late rifle buck had a
Large open wound on the top of his back. Don't know if bullet or fighting. It was oozing and smelly, but no meat loss.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Shawn Ryan on November 18, 2014, 05:51:21 PM: I shot my first archery cow broadside; aluminum arrow broke in half. Shot went through the nearside lung and liver. Found her 3 days later about a mile away, still alive, but almost dead with gallons of coagulated blood in her chest. My buddy finished her as we sneaked in close. My 1/2 arrow was still inside her, cutting on both the broadside end and the broken aluminum end.

Shot a mule deer buck on the edge of the Palouse that had a fully expanded .30 caliber bullet on the outside of the ribs: bullet had shot through the rib cage, but not exited the skin. The bullet was encased in scar tissue. I have no idea how the deer survived that previous shot.

Shot another mule deer in the Palouse that had its rear leg blown apart at the ankle. Bare bone sticking out, severed completely, and barely hanging on by a little skin and tendons. The buck was still getting around, but not using that rear leg at all.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: carver52 on November 18, 2014, 06:09:39 PM: I've never shot an elk, but several deer have had wounds. One was a whitetail buck that had been jumped by hounds{hunting in Louisiana hound season}. Heard several shots fired then hounds went another direction. Soon a buck came toward me stumbling along and bedded 30 feet from me watching his back trail with head up, ears scanning. Finished him off. On dressing him out found he had no heart left in his chest and largest piece of lung tissue was silver dollar size. Two rounds from .270 destroyed the chest and several 00 buck pellets were scattered around.
Killed another whitetail with 14" of spinal column exposed by a bullet that never quite hit the bones. Both bucks had traveled between a 1/4 to 1/2 mile before I helped them along. Tough animals for sure.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: RadSav on November 18, 2014, 06:11:53 PM: I'd bet nearly half of my bulls have had bullets or round balls in them. None were hampered by them at all. Never knew until I butchered them. My biggest blacktail was mounting a doe when I shot him. He had a hole in his back so big I could put four fingers in it and down between his ribs and his shoulder blade. This was a week after rifle season in OR. Freaky seeing maggots living in a live deer that was heck bent on leaving his last seeds in a doe. Doubt he would have made it through the winter, but he was getting it done while he could!
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: wog on November 18, 2014, 07:02:21 PM: jumped a cow bedded down, heard her run off, eased in and found blood in bed, thought it was one of my guys so i waited 2 hours no one showed up. found blood trail in and blood trail out finally, tracked about 1/2 hour, when she ran into a downed log with broken branch witch she rammed with back right leg at the knee started good blood trail. another 1/4 mile i caught up and finished off at 10 yard. caught up to her on a cliff she had no where to go but down or back over me she fell 150 feet but was dead before she hit the ground. another cow 3 years ago with broadhead slice thur her nose , she had been on the run , probably chased by and bumped a 1/2 dozen guys in nile, was soaking wet with sweat and looked completly paniced at 20 yards was happy to get her after i dressed her out i saw her nose wound, that had to hurt and may have eventully killed her
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: go4steelhd on November 18, 2014, 07:25:42 PM: I took this guy during 2010 rifle season. The dark spot on the shoulder is from where he was hit with an arrow. Just the broad head was left in his shoulder and it had become infected.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Bucks2Ducks on November 18, 2014, 07:34:24 PM: Oh man that had to be one up set archer, just a bit to far forward. At least that bull didn't go to waste!
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: bullkiller on November 19, 2014, 12:55:16 PM: The bull I killed last year had a total of 11 -22 bullets in it. Thought out the left side and both back quarters. Didn't have a clue anything was wrong with him until we skinned him out.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: coachcw on November 19, 2014, 01:37:14 PM: Quote from: bullkiller on November 19, 2014, 12:55:16 PM
The bull I killed last year had a total of 11 -22 bullets in it. Thought out the left side and both back quarters. Didn't have a clue anything was wrong with him until we skinned him out.
22 cal ?
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: coachcw on November 19, 2014, 05:52:02 PM: berger vlds wound the hell out of elk :chuckle:
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: tjthebest on November 19, 2014, 05:59:44 PM: When i was younger i shot a doe that had both of her ears clipped. Like she ran under a lawn mower or just barely missed being scalped. Game check station aged her at 9 years old. not sure how she lived so long with only half of both her ears... Im not sure if i even have a picture. ill have to ask my dad.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: lee on November 20, 2014, 08:02:03 AM: Quote from: RadSav on November 18, 2014, 06:11:53 PM
I'd bet nearly half of my bulls have had bullets or round balls in them. None were hampered by them at all. Never knew until I butchered them. My biggest blacktail was mounting a doe when I shot him. He had a hole in his back so big I could put four fingers in it and down between his ribs and his shoulder blade. This was a week after rifle season in OR. Freaky seeing maggots living in a live deer that was heck bent on leaving his last seeds in a doe. Doubt he would have made it through the winter, but he was getting it done while he could!

Did you let him finish his business before ya harvested him? :chuckle:
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: erk444 on November 20, 2014, 06:59:58 PM: Quote from: tjthebest on November 19, 2014, 05:59:44 PM
When i was younger i shot a doe that had both of her ears clipped. Like she ran under a lawn mower or just barely missed being scalped. Game check station aged her at 9 years old. not sure how she lived so long with only half of both her ears... Im not sure if i even have a picture. ill have to ask my dad.
I shot a whitetail doe a number of years ago near Curlew that had a half of ear on one side. The land owner laughed when I told him and said they would do that when they came across new fawns in their fields during the spring.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: hiway_99 on November 21, 2014, 09:12:18 AM: My cow elk from montana this year had bird shot in the front quarter. I found a few pellets when I was cutting up the meat.
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: westernarcher on November 22, 2014, 08:18:37 AM: Quote from: GoBeavs85 on November 15, 2014, 09:51:34 PM
Surprised to hear of all the elk w bullets in them. Seems like all you ever hear is how many animals archery hunters wound.
:yeah:
My first elk i shot had just gotten shot in the front leg. I heard the shot and about 2 minutes later a spike came hobbling into the clearcut I was watching. I finished it off and waited about 10 min for the shooter to follow up. Nobody showed so I tagged it.
Upon getting back to the truck with the first load of meat a guy came out riding his bicycle. I asked him if he had shot an hour earlier and he admitted to shooting but "the bullet had gone right over the elks back." He hadnt even bothered following up on the tracks. :bash: He totally denied that this was the bull he had shot at. Said that the spikes were way taller on the one he shot at. :rolleyes:
Title: Re: how many of you have taken a wounded Elk
Post by: Biggerhammer on November 22, 2014, 09:46:30 AM: Quote from: go4steelhd on November 18, 2014, 07:25:42 PM
I took this guy during 2010 rifle season. The dark spot on the shoulder is from where he was hit with an arrow. Just the broad head was left in his shoulder and it had become infected.

That Bull was someone's heart breaker! I bet the guy that launched that arrow still replays that shot every day.