Painful Lesson Learned

ElkNut1

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,396
Location
Idaho
I hit this bull in front of his shoulder as can be seen. The arrow passed through never to be found, he went 60 yards & crashed.

I'd venture a guess & say you caught a part of his front leg that impeded penetration, it happens! Good luck!

2018 Hit.JPEG
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
You didn't do anything wrong. You say your inexperience got you, but hanging up like that could happen to anyone anytime. Same with no drawing in time. Elk are sneaky and unpredictable at times. You have nothing to feel "inexperienced" about, that was all just what I like to call "Elk Hunting" :)

There is a ton of skill involved and there is some luck. Better luck next time.
 
Joined
Nov 27, 2013
Messages
1,802
You didn't do anything wrong. You say your inexperience got you, but hanging up like that could happen to anyone anytime. Same with no drawing in time. Elk are sneaky and unpredictable at times. You have nothing to feel "inexperienced" about, that was all just what I like to call "Elk Hunting" :)

There is a ton of skill involved and there is some luck. Better luck next time.


Not to be a Monday morning QB, but he did do something wrong, he took a long frontal on an elk. Bill Allard and Danny Moore pioneered this shot a long time ago and Bill stressed the fact that it is a very deadly shot, IF.......taken at very close range, sub 20 , sub 15 even better, and that you knew where to aim.

Tough break, but the lesson learned from this trip should be hold off on the frontal until they're almost stepping on you.
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2018
Messages
889
Location
Wyoming
Not to be a Monday morning QB, but he did do something wrong, he took a long frontal on an elk. Bill Allard and Danny Moore pioneered this shot a long time ago and Bill stressed the fact that it is a very deadly shot, IF.......taken at very close range, sub 20 , sub 15 even better, and that you knew where to aim.

Tough break, but the lesson learned from this trip should be hold off on the frontal until they're almost stepping on you.

I may have missed the distance. I won't take that shot more than 20y and I (personal opinion) think most guys shouldn't take it any further than 20y. I agree, but I also understand the controversy surrounding the frontal shot so I really hesitate to call that a "mistake". Man, hunting has so many personal decisions that need to be made. If you can hit a 9"x9" square EVERY time from a given distance...reduce that distance by 1/3 and that's the max frontal shot in the field IMO.

Maybe stupidly, but I passed up an 80y frontal with rifle the other day because I was on some steep scree and didn't feel like I had a comfortable position to get a precise shot off, and it was more of a frontal slight quartering shot. Looking back I lost the bull so I wish I'd taken the shot...it's so hard to make a good decision when you have one screaming at you.
 
OP
Ctitus25

Ctitus25

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 17, 2018
Messages
251
Location
Lochbuie, CO
Not to be a Monday morning QB, but he did do something wrong, he took a long frontal on an elk. Bill Allard and Danny Moore pioneered this shot a long time ago and Bill stressed the fact that it is a very deadly shot, IF.......taken at very close range, sub 20 , sub 15 even better, and that you knew where to aim.

Tough break, but the lesson learned from this trip should be hold off on the frontal until they're almost stepping on you.
It was 30yds, lesson learned.
 

Phizix

FNG
Joined
Oct 16, 2020
Messages
12
Its helpful to hear about the good and the bad. By hearing from honest people like yourself, gives new hunters like me more realistic expectations. When all you read about is guys killing monster bulls with perfect shots, it can really discourage newbs when they are seasons in without an animal on the ground. Thank you for sharing.
 

ia bhtr

FNG
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Messages
88
Location
NW Iowa
Its helpful to hear about the good and the bad. By hearing from honest people like yourself, gives new hunters like me more realistic expectations. When all you read about is guys killing monster bulls with perfect shots, it can really discourage newbs when they are seasons in without an animal on the ground. Thank you for sharing.
25 , as others have said , props to you for laying thing out as you did , I am going on my 1st elk hunt next year , guided , and at 69 years young may be my only elk hunt , so going to school on what you wrote may help me considerably next fall, Thanks much for the thread >>====> X
 

DavePwns

WKR
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Messages
441
Location
ID
25 , as others have said , props to you for laying thing out as you did , I am going on my 1st elk hunt next year , guided , and at 69 years young may be my only elk hunt , so going to school on what you wrote may help me considerably next fall, Thanks much for the thread >>====> X
Good luck on your first elk hunt!
 
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