This has been bothering me for months. I called this bull up for my friend on the archery elk hunt. The Shot was 7 yards and the hit looked to be really good not a pass through but I could see the broadhead (rage) poking out the other side a little bit. The arrow went in right behind the left shoulder and was back a little on the other side. We watched him walk off, thinking he would tip over any second for about 100 yds as he walked into the timber, We waited 2 hours to take up the blood just because we were amazed he made it as far as he did. I was able to take a few photos while he walked off. Well we never found the bull. After about 300 yards of good blood we found the arrow. It had worked or he pushed it through, And the after this the blood got less and less . After about 800 yds the blood stopped. He never layed down or ran he just walked the whole time . We looked all day nothing. we wnet back for the last to days of the hunt and found nothing .He has went back and found nothing. I would consider myself an experienced hunter/guide he is new to bow hunting I didnt know what to say or think even with a good hit on one lung I cant believe he went as far as he did . Anyways Just thought I would see what you all think?
What do you think?
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Guns_Buns_N_Beers
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Looks like a good hit to me. A bull can live a very long time on one lung if that is all that was hit. These pics look like they are stills from video footage correct? If so why not post the video on monstermuleyclips it will make it a lot easy to see where the bull was hit. One things for sure elk are some extremely tough animals.
marley
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That arrow looks to be right where I would've put it. Who knows, those suckers can take a punishment.
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Darktimber
Guest
Was he quartering towards the hunter when it was shot?
I took the pic's with my still camera as we watched him walk off. My friends said the bull locked up at 7 yards and he was at full draw, one more step and he wouldve been broadside but he wouldnt take it so he tucked as close to the shoulder as he could I was calling behind a bush so I really couldnt see that good what was going on But I told him the same thing I would have put it right were he did . My bull last year was hit in the same place it was a pass through . It went twent yards and tipped over .
BIGJOHNT
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The rage broad head my have not opened up until it exited ? Shots looks to be there. Thats the only think I can think of. It went threw like a field tip . Hasn't there been problems with expanding broad heads on large bone animals getting damaged and not opening ?
HorseCreek
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If the blades didn't open it most likely would have passed through. Try the obvious...coyotes, crows, magpies. Good luck finding him.
Watch out for Beavis he's a real b!tch.
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Watch out for Beavis he's a real b!tch.
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That is a crappy deal, hard to say what happened. We all know they are a very tough animal, maybe he survived???
A couple years ago, I had a similar thing. Broadside, complete pass through, it was a severe downward angle though. Found pieces of lung even on the trail. Tracked him that evening, the next day, next day and another day 2 or 3 days later if I remember right.... Lost him. Talk about a crappy felling, sometimes it just isn't meant to be...
Mntman
"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
A couple years ago, I had a similar thing. Broadside, complete pass through, it was a severe downward angle though. Found pieces of lung even on the trail. Tracked him that evening, the next day, next day and another day 2 or 3 days later if I remember right.... Lost him. Talk about a crappy felling, sometimes it just isn't meant to be...
Mntman
"Hunting is where you prove yourself"
S
stinkystomper
Guest
I'm thinkin that he either had a cow tag and didn't see the horns or had a bull tag and wanted bigger after hitting the wrong elk?
Dude I dunno lol
Dude I dunno lol
E
elkmtngear
Guest
Looks like a good hit, I think that bull is probably dead. He could have been right there close, and you just missed him, unless he was bumped.
We have found several bulls that were hit well with little blood trail, by circling and using the wind to smell the bull. A bull has a very strong scent, and many times, you can walk right to it that way.
Best of Luck,
Jeff
http://www.elkmtngear.com
We have found several bulls that were hit well with little blood trail, by circling and using the wind to smell the bull. A bull has a very strong scent, and many times, you can walk right to it that way.
Best of Luck,
Jeff
http://www.elkmtngear.com
outdoorsdude
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The shot was low. The rage deflected/walked off a rib or cartilage, making a brisket shot.
While I'm throwing out educated speculation and opinion, get rid of the rage head and go cut on contact.
While I'm throwing out educated speculation and opinion, get rid of the rage head and go cut on contact.
I agree with the broadhead as being suspect. I personally won't shoot a mechanical. With archery things don't always go as planned and I want to take as many possible problems out of the equation as possible. I have shot and recovered two bulls that were hit in marginal at best spots. 1st the bull took a step and I hit him too far back. Complete pass through and recovered the bull. 2nd the bull jumped the string and instead of hitting him broadside in the boiler room the arrow entered parallel and in line with the spine. 20" of arrow penetrated and tracked the bull 800 yards and recovered. Obviously in your case shot placement was good so there has to be something else going on. I would think he should have got a complete pass through. I would look into arrow/broadhead. I shoot FMJ's and G5 strikers and have no intention in changing with the results I have seen.
My eyes aren't the best when looking at the pictures and since they aren't a broadside view I might be off base, but it also looks to me that the shot was too low and may not have gone into the lungs. It may also have been a combination of the broadhead that was used, but like most others I'm just trying to make an educated guess.
2lumpy
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-08-11 AT 12:39PM (MST)[p]If you enlarge those pictures it looks to me like that arrow may have gone in under the lung and above the heart. I can't see anyway that arrow could have hit either lung. It looks to be angled straight in and low.
I think TopGuns eyes are better than he thinks.
DC
I think TopGuns eyes are better than he thinks.
DC
treedagain
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looked good to me..
S
ShowThemToMe
Guest
For the price of a couple of Montechs that woulda been a dead Bull!
Definition of 'Mechanical'= It can & will happen(Fail!)
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
Definition of 'Mechanical'= It can & will happen(Fail!)
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
S
ShowThemToMe
Guest
You're right lumpy!
Especially when the Knife doesn't open!
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
Especially when the Knife doesn't open!
Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can
2lumpy
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No doubt bud. The more moving parts the higher the risk, true for space shuttles and projectile points. Every now and again Murphy takes a bow. However, even milk straw through the heart or lungs will make you blink but I guess there perfect storms that come long and things live in spite of what hits'em and where.
Either way, pucky happens and that bull should be swiss steak! Yes?
Opps, they're hank'en flank straps, got to go!
DC
Either way, pucky happens and that bull should be swiss steak! Yes?
Opps, they're hank'en flank straps, got to go!
DC
1FastGambler
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I disagree that it looks like a good hit. Its way too low and too far back especially considering that the bull was quartering towards the shooter.
I zoomed the pick up really big and can see the bloody spot where the arrow entered.
Lungs were not touched, heart was not touched.
Possible hit to bottom of liver and guts depending on how severe the angle was. If the bull was down hill from the shooter he's still alive. If it was level ground or up hill he's probably dead.
I'd give that bull about a 10% chance of survival, but theres 90% chance he's now coyote & bird dung.
Bummer for sure. I don't like rage broadheads, but I can't blame this on the broadhead. In my opinion you didn't recover the bull due to bad shot placement and shot angle.
I had a bull jump my string several years ago and he traveled just over 5 miles. We did recover him thanks to my hunting partners' outstanding tracking skills.
No doubt that elk are darn tought critters and can recover from some serious trauma.
I'm not sure I really understand the physics behind why an arrow penetrates deeper at 30 yards than they do at 10 or less, but this is what my experience has been.
I zoomed the pick up really big and can see the bloody spot where the arrow entered.
Lungs were not touched, heart was not touched.
Possible hit to bottom of liver and guts depending on how severe the angle was. If the bull was down hill from the shooter he's still alive. If it was level ground or up hill he's probably dead.
I'd give that bull about a 10% chance of survival, but theres 90% chance he's now coyote & bird dung.
Bummer for sure. I don't like rage broadheads, but I can't blame this on the broadhead. In my opinion you didn't recover the bull due to bad shot placement and shot angle.
I had a bull jump my string several years ago and he traveled just over 5 miles. We did recover him thanks to my hunting partners' outstanding tracking skills.
No doubt that elk are darn tought critters and can recover from some serious trauma.
I'm not sure I really understand the physics behind why an arrow penetrates deeper at 30 yards than they do at 10 or less, but this is what my experience has been.
Broadside_Shot
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In my experience (which is suspect at best)there are two reason that you didn't get a pass through at that distance.
1. The bow/arrows are not properly tuned causing the arrow to be very unstable at first and after 15 or so yards the fletchings take over and straighten the arrow out. So at the 7 yard distance the arrow could be wobblely and possibly hit and cut in a different place than the fletching are showing (Lower, Left, Right. Etc.) and it loses kinetic energy hence the no pass through.
2. With expandable heads one blade can hit a hard spot such as a rib and only catch with on blade and in turn really spin the arrow to where it again dosen't cut in the line as the arrow seemed it should penetrate.
I know these might be hard to understand but my point is that there was another factor in place that didn't allow the arrow to pass through.
1. The bow/arrows are not properly tuned causing the arrow to be very unstable at first and after 15 or so yards the fletchings take over and straighten the arrow out. So at the 7 yard distance the arrow could be wobblely and possibly hit and cut in a different place than the fletching are showing (Lower, Left, Right. Etc.) and it loses kinetic energy hence the no pass through.
2. With expandable heads one blade can hit a hard spot such as a rib and only catch with on blade and in turn really spin the arrow to where it again dosen't cut in the line as the arrow seemed it should penetrate.
I know these might be hard to understand but my point is that there was another factor in place that didn't allow the arrow to pass through.
