Shot bull. Having a hard time finding him.

[DaleW]

Any sign of him?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Did you know that a raven has 17 rigid tail feathers called pinions, while a crow only has 16? The difference between a raven and a crow is just a matter of a pinion.

, my method is if it makes you say man that’s a big bird, it’s a raven. If not, it’s a crow. Coincidentally, there are no baby/immature ravens, just crows.

 

[Billy Goat]

I don't know if I would really call it a void. My experience was gutting a bull I had killed with rifle. As I was gutting it, I noticed what I thought was a stick laying close to the spine (bull was on its back). I grabbed it and felt it was attached (by soft tissue) and realized it was an arrow. I pulled it loose and found about 9-12" of arrow with a 3 blade broadhead like a G5. The broadhead was covered in scar tissue. Entrance was 4-6 ribs from the back, and it broke a rib going in and then stopped against a rib on the other side. The bull was young, a 4 point, and was running a herd of a dozen cows. I hunted him off and on for 2-3 days. He was completely fine.

I've probably cleaned and quartered 100+ elk over the years, and I, for the life of me, cannot explain it. There is a huge artery against the spine, and the lungs go right up against that.

My only guess is the broadhead was really dull and whatever tissue it came into contact with as it went through the bull didn't get cut.

I saw another picture last week of a similar hit, but it was really far forward. At the very front of the thoracic cavity. Which makes even less sense.



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Pass through, that's exit side, entry was same. 3 blade fixed head.


Killed 2.5 weeks after the first shot. It was up and active with other deer, lots of infection, however if it was active that long after I think it probably would have made it.

Sometimes things just happen, just like humans, animals have different drive. I never would have thought an animal could survive that.


In livestock I see them survive through things that I can't believe. Then at the same time some die for the dumbest things.

 

[Coveyleader]

I hit a bull pretty high a few years back. Only found blood where he had passed by brush that would rub on the side of his body, I assume he mostly bled internally. I searched for 2 days, and couldn’t find him. When I did a week later, a tree full of ravens told me where he died, exactly 1 mile from where I shot him. You can see the entry/exit wound in the photo below.

Keep at it OP, I know the conundrum you’re going through and I felt better that I punched my tag and kept looking for my bull, even though my freezer was still empty after I found him.

View attachment 602860

That right there is why i shake my head on “ I hit him in shoulder, high, low whatever but he was chasing cows like nothing happened”

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

That right there is why i shake my head on “ I hit him in shoulder, high, low whatever but he was chasing cows like nothing happened”

Yup. I’ll add that this bull bugled as he was running away after my shot.

 

[ShortMountain91]

View attachment 603573

Pass through, that's exit side, entry was same. 3 blade fixed head.


Killed 2.5 weeks after the first shot. It was up and active with other deer, lots of infection, however if it was active that long after I think it probably would have made it.

Sometimes things just happen, just like humans, animals have different drive. I never would have thought an animal could survive that.


In livestock I see them survive through things that I can't believe. Then at the same time some die for the dumbest things.

How in the world was this deer still alive after that bow shot?! This goes to show that anything can happen in hunting. Just amazing

 

[Happy Antelope]

What state and Unit is this in?

 

[Laramie]

Things aren't always as they seem with archery hits... Guarantee the guy who shot this bull searched hard. No clue if he lived or died but seemed to be doing good in these photos.

 

[Geewhiz]

Sucks to lose a bull. Been there.

I would like to see you find an image on the interweb of a bull in the position yours was in when you shot and show us where you hit him.

Was he level with you or were you shooting up or down at him? I shot a bull the other day and thought I hit him just a touch high but in the moment I didnt even think that he was a bit below me so it ended up being about perfect. If he was a bit above me it could have been a bad deal.

 

[Alaskan89]

If you were at higher elevations when you shot the bull and if you hit him good like you think you did, he will travel downhill and look for water.

 

[Geewhiz]

If you were at higher elevations when you shot the bull and if you hit him good like you think you did, he will travel downhill and look for water.

Ha not always. Just when you think you have them figured out they do the opposite.

 

[Alaskan89]

Ha not always. Just when you think you have them figured out they do the opposite.

Yes, there is always the exception , just trying to give this hunter some ideas to help him find his bull.

 

[BBob]

Things aren't always as they seem with archery hits...

That's for sure. Years ago (I think around the early 90's) Pete Shepley the PSE Boss shot a nice bull. Didn't recover it. A year or two later someone shot a bull and while gutting it the lungs wouldn't come out. There was a scarred over broken off arrow through the top of the lungs pinning them to the rib cage. The shaft was an experimental Easton/PSE with I believe a PSE Brute broadhead. Pete was one of very few shooting those shafts at that time so it was determined to be the bull he had shot but not recovered.

 

[Marble]

Things aren't always as they seem with archery hits... Guarantee the guy who shot this bull searched hard. No clue if he lived or died but seemed to be doing good in these photos.
View attachment 604209

I see shots like that and think about a lack of penetration. Could be because of several things.

I see shots like the white tail above that has an arrow right through the lungs and it makes me think it was a dull broadhead. Maybe not dull per se when it was shot, but maybe it dulled enough to not do the job of slicing through flesh like it should.

Be interesting to see some type of testing that shows how different types of broadheads perform as they pass through hair, bone and flesh. Basically putting a quantifiable basis for how well a broadhead retains its edge.

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[Coveyleader]

I’ve said it 100 times, hit elk well, dead quicker than anything. Hit them just a tad off, get your water bottle ready.

None of this makes the OP feel better. My guess at this point it’s all about the ravens and magpies.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve said it 100 times, hit elk well, dead quicker than anything. Hit them just a tad off, get your water bottle ready.

None of this makes the OP feel better. My guess at this point it’s all about the ravens and magpies.

Ive thought similar, last year in the same day! It’s amazing how hard it is to kill an elk…it’s amazing how easy it is to kill an elk (with an arrow)

 

[cnelk]

Elk ain’t hard to kill… they’re just easy to miss.

 

[Laramie]

I see shots like that and think about a lack of penetration. Could be because of several things.

I see shots like the white tail above that has an arrow right through the lungs and it makes me think it was a dull broadhead. Maybe not dull per se when it was shot, but maybe it dulled enough to not do the job of slicing through flesh like it should.

Be interesting to see some type of testing that shows how different types of broadheads perform as they pass through hair, bone and flesh. Basically putting a quantifiable basis for how well a broadhead retains its edge.

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Dull broadhead straight through the lungs still kills 100% of the time. I have seen deer shot with a field point through the lungs die fairly quickly. Kids...

The infection looking hit right being the shoulder has to be an extreme angle shot that didn't penetration lungs/chest cavity.

I have all over 100 big game archery kills personally and have been a part of another 100+ as a guide. I have seen quite a bit. That picture is misleading at best. Deer and elk die when they have a hole in their lungs. No exception.

Yes, single lung hits can severely delay death but they won't end up with a puss filed infection.

I agree the pic you quoted was a lack of penetration but it wasn't the broadheads fault.

 

[Billy Goat]

Dull broadhead straight through the lungs still kills 100% of the time. I have seen deer shot with a field point through the lungs die fairly quickly. Kids...

The infection looking hit right being the shoulder has to be an extreme angle shot that didn't penetration lungs/chest cavity.

I have all over 100 big game archery kills personally and have been a part of another 100+ as a guide. I have seen quite a bit. That picture is misleading at best. Deer and elk die when they have a hole in their lungs. No exception.

Yes, single lung hits can severely delay death but they won't end up with a puss filed infection.

I agree the pic you quoted was a lack of penetration but it wasn't the broadheads fault.

It was through and through, pictured was the exit side of the first shot.



It defys anything I would believe.

 

[insanelupus]

If you were at higher elevations when you shot the bull and if you hit him good like you think you did, he will travel downhill and look for water.

For general whitetail advice, probably

But elk, well I'm certainly rethinking that. They can, will, and do go uphill.

It also seems if the shot is less than ideal but still fatal, a straight line exit from the scene of the shot is often followed by a buttonhook, in any direction they feel like.

Elknut mentioned he's seen them go back to where they'd been before the shot. That resonates with me and I'll keep that in mind for the future.