Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:46:27 PM

Title: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:46:27 PM: So another hunt wa member and myself were out hunting the last day yesterday and I shot an elk. 165yd broadside shot, thought I nailed him pretty good but he jumped Straight into the thickest brush ever. We followed his blood trail for a total of 5 hrs in and out of the brush. It went from heavy to almost nonexistent, and along the way we found the three following bones mixed in with the blood trail. Anybody seen this before or know where I could have hit him? We let him lay over night and tried again today and still nothing. Really not sure how his blood trail just disappeared, we lost it on a gravel road so it wasn't like he could have went far. (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftapatalk.imageshack.com%2Fv2%2F14%2F11%2F13%2Feb77a7304a22d9b4163daf180e0fa02c.jpg&hash=b5d6f888825a7bd819efa15ee8cb23a2a912b2b4)
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: rackattack on November 13, 2014, 04:52:13 PM: If those bones are from the elk, I'm going to guess you nailed a leg. :dunno:
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: pilebuck on November 13, 2014, 04:52:30 PM: I don't really think them r from ur elk being no flesh on them. How long did you wait before you went tracking? And also were the bones at the spot where you shot ? What a bummer :twocents:
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: pilebuck on November 13, 2014, 04:53:22 PM: Looks like a hind leg if anything
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: bear hunter on November 13, 2014, 04:53:39 PM: Looks like leg bone to me. Good luck
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:54:06 PM: No bones were not at that site but did have flesh in them. Also blood drops had bone frag as well.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: kentrek on November 13, 2014, 04:54:51 PM: Yeach I'm guessing he's running like a 3 legged dog....he wont be far ! Prolly still Alive tho....maybe be dead tonight...

Good luck !
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:55:07 PM: How would he be able to keep going for so long with that much leg damage?
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: pilebuck on November 13, 2014, 04:56:59 PM: I have seen them run far and strong with completely broken leg.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: coachcw on November 13, 2014, 04:57:26 PM: leg bone
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:58:05 PM: Is it illegal to use a dog to find an animal as long as I've already shot it?
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: erk444 on November 13, 2014, 04:59:16 PM: I've seen them go with no leg at all :yike:, they're some tuff critters!
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: pilebuck on November 13, 2014, 05:01:09 PM: :yeah:u :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:
Quote from: erk444 on November 13, 2014, 04:59:16 PM
I've seen them go with no leg at all :yike:, they're some tuff critters!
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: mfswallace on November 13, 2014, 05:02:29 PM: Quote from: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:58:05 PM
Is it illegal to use a dog to find an animal as long as I've already shot it?

Yes if trying to track the elk

Not if your just out for a walk with your dog or bird hunting...
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: gotcha on November 13, 2014, 05:03:53 PM: Def leg bone.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: tjthebest on November 13, 2014, 05:05:49 PM: Animals do not need all 4 legs to travel long distances.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on November 13, 2014, 05:08:04 PM: Cannot see picture, but if near (within reasonable distance) of Centralia am willing to come help look.
I see picture now,pretty small for leg of an elk.
surprisingly clean...
:bash:
head downhill towards any drainage,
.
It is pretty cold out so there is a chance of salvaging something.
Go out tonight and listen for coyotes, they will be on that animal.
If it is dead, crows and jays during early daylight.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: kenzmad on November 13, 2014, 05:12:54 PM: Get ahold of Elk247. He is a bloodhound!
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: zike on November 13, 2014, 05:15:16 PM: Animal with a damaged front leg will avoid going down hill, you can tell by the tracks. They will slip a lot going downhill. Bad rear leg will not like to climb, if you can tell what leg it is, it will give you an idea where to look.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: STIKNSTRINGBOW on November 13, 2014, 05:20:55 PM: Comparing size of bone to lighter, might be rib..
it is probably lying in the bottom of a ditch under a bush near last blood...
where are you going to be at 4:30 AM ?
I am willing to help if I am able.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Magnum_Willys on November 13, 2014, 05:24:04 PM: Yea leg shots can stop bleeding completely in an hour or so. I've seen them lay overnight then get up and hobble away the next day. He is within 1000 yards of you though if not pushed. Couple guys and start grid search hunt - 20-50 yards apart, walk half-mile loop back. good luck. You will find him if you have the patience and terrain isnt doghair reprod.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 05:27:01 PM: Dog hair reprod is exactly what it is. Why it took us 5 hrs the day before.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: pilebuck on November 13, 2014, 05:35:34 PM: I feel bad for you guys it sucks I know exactly how it feels alot of good suggestions so far.Good luck the effort counts I have been there and the only thing that made me feel better was I put a good honest effort to find the animal :tup:
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 05:39:13 PM: Were gonna try again tomorrow *censored*ty thing is I have to take a math test tomorrow at 10 so I have that to mess with.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: mfswallace on November 13, 2014, 05:47:10 PM: Quote from: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 04:46:27 PM
So another hunt wa member and myself were out hunting the last day yesterday and I shot an elk. 165yd broadside shot, thought I nailed him pretty good but he jumped Straight into the thickest brush ever. We followed his blood trail for a total of 5 hrs in and out of the brush. It went from heavy to almost nonexistent, and along the way we found the three following bones mixed in with the blood trail. Anybody seen this before or know where I could have hit him? We let him lay over night and tried again today and still nothing. Really not sure how his blood trail just disappeared, we lost it on a gravel road so it wasn't like he could have went far. (https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftapatalk.imageshack.com%2Fv2%2F14%2F11%2F13%2Feb77a7304a22d9b4163daf180e0fa02c.jpg&hash=b5d6f888825a7bd819efa15ee8cb23a2a912b2b4)

What shot angle, where did u aim, running shot?? Seems like Need more info to give any solid advise :dunno:
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: billythekidrock on November 13, 2014, 06:01:45 PM: I agree. Leg bone.
Seen several deer and elk that have lived with this type of wound.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 06:25:30 PM: Shot angle he was facing me but quartering away, I said broadside but I think quartering would be a Better description. I aimed for the heart an he was sittin chewing grass. I believe that answers all above^
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: jrebel on November 13, 2014, 06:41:13 PM: Those don't look like leg bone to me....first, it is two small to be leg bone and second, leg bones are round or oval and those bones are not.

Possibly:
Rib??
Spinal Processes ??
Jaw bone??

hard to tell for sure, but does not look like leg.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: billythekidrock on November 13, 2014, 06:43:09 PM: Nope. Definitely shattered leg bone.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Outdoorskindaguy on November 13, 2014, 06:44:18 PM: If you shot a leg hes probably still alive. so if your trying to find him i would go to last blood you found and then stop following blood and just go in circles or go into where you think he might be and hunt instead of track. If you keep on following a blood trail in thick brush your likely to just keep pushing him without ever getting a chance to spot him.another thing to keep in mind, if he has had a chance to stiffen up and is bedded down he might let you walk right by him and not move depending on how secure he feels, (they know when they are hidden).had a buck do that to me... anyways Good luck
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: brew on November 13, 2014, 06:58:04 PM: i'm off tomorrow if you need help looking call me 360 280 3853 I'm in tenino bryan
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Rakkasan00 on November 13, 2014, 07:09:36 PM: Hey,
Some of the blood was up higher in the brush and some looked as though it had air bubbles in it. I wanna say like bleeding out of his mouth. Lots! If blood. 5+ hours worth of constant blood trail. I feel bad for this animal.
We will have 3 of us on it in the morning.
Thanks for the offers guys. Might take you up on it if it gets to be later in the day with no luck.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Stein on November 13, 2014, 07:25:39 PM: I'll wager my guess, you hit behind the heart and below the lung. Those are rib bones, bled out quite a bit and then sealed up.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 13, 2014, 07:39:34 PM: Rakkasan00 was the buddy with me. Stein that's a very good wager. Rib bones were my first guess. Shot with hornady superformance sst 165 gr 30-06 and i know they can do some real damage.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Fullabull on November 13, 2014, 07:51:53 PM: I once she a muley buck that dropped like a rock on impact, a couple seconds later he jumped up and took off. We found bone like that close by. We found him not more than about fifty yards from where I shot him. What happened was the bullet hit his brisket and shattered bone but I was lucky and a piece of bone shot up and hit a major artery next to the spine. Pure luck. If that had not happened, he would have gone on forever.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: Rakkasan00 on November 13, 2014, 07:57:55 PM: I also agree Stein. Our take in the field as well. Plus he's been going strong for 26 hours.
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: mrgoodwrench on November 15, 2014, 06:26:46 PM: I'm guessing this bull never turned up?
Title: Re: Need tracking help
Post by: elkaddict652 on November 15, 2014, 07:13:52 PM: No sir. Gave it a whole nother days search and nothing. Picked up the trail where id Lost it last, but eventually it went cold. I feel like crap, it's eaten away at me but I'll be late deer huntin the same area so I'll still be lookin. My guess is same as steins that I hit below lungs an next to heart. Blew ribs out other side and he just gained to much ground to fast. How perfect of a miss though? An inch up or left and he's done. This deff solidifies my choice to move to .270wsm for a new elk rifle.