how big before you shoot?

threelemonbob · Apr 20, 2004

Lets just say that you draw the L. E. elk tag that you put in for. How big of a bull will it have to be to shoot it opening morning? For me if I drew the archery tag i put in for it would have to be at least a 330 bull opening morning, the second week a 320 bull and the last week a 300 bull if i couldnt kill one over 300 i wouldnt shoot one. What about you guys, and be realistic.

elk_horn · Apr 20, 2004

If you drew an LE tag in Utah and you did your homework and scouted the area all summer you would know a 330 bull would be small! I certainly wouldnt shoot a 330 bull unless I was running out of time like the last day or two! Last year we where hunting the wasatch archery but didnt have an LE tag so we were hunting spikes and cows... we stayed the whole hunt and watched plenty of bulls that were 330 or better! The morning of the Rifle LE tag I guy shot a bull at first light maybe would score 280 at most... What a waste...but then again maybe he dint have the time to scout or hunt and maybe he's never seen a big bull....So I guess it all depends on how serious you are when you draw a tag thats taken years to get!

threelemonbob · Apr 20, 2004

if i drew i would scout all summer. But with my bow if i had a 330 bull walk past me opening morning i would probably shoot him even if i had scouted some that were over 350 because you dont get a lot of good chances.

DUVY · Apr 24, 2004

I keep putting in for wasatch mountains Any Bull,and I would take a whole month off if I drew the tag. I would shoot nothing less than a 350 class Bull. I am to cheap and dont like the idea of a guide but if I didn't have a 350 class or better the first week, I would make some phone calls.

I am in Utah.

BOHNTR · Apr 24, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-04 AT 11:13AM (MST)[p]Well, I've already arrowed a few in the 330-340" range so it would have to be in the 370" range or above on opening morning. I just enjoy my several days in the woods too much to arrow the same caliber elk first thing.

On the last day, it would have to be 350" or better. I've eaten tag soup at the end of many archery hunts in the past.....it's not too bad.

BOHNTR )))-------------->

elk_horn · Apr 24, 2004

After using my 11 points to draw out on an archer LE tag Im certainly not going to shoot a 340 bull opening morning when I have from the 27th of August till the 17 of september to fill the tag! I knoe two guys who drew this same tag last year and they held off and then finnaly one got a 355 bul and the other got 344 bull last day!...So I think I will pass on the smaller bulls and hold out for maybey 360 or better!~

Tuffbucker · Apr 25, 2004

It looks like I may have drawn the LE tag Ive been hopin for, so I would have to say that for opening morning, the bull would have to be in the 370 range for me to pull the trigger. Im going to scout a lot this summer, and Im not settling for anything smaller than a 350 bull....until the last day, then I'll shoot anything over 300......

Elkslayer · Apr 25, 2004

elk_horn,
What unit did you draw? How many points did you have? Good luck on your hunt. Alan

Benado · Apr 26, 2004

Last summer I saw 4 elk that scored above 365", so that's what I'd wait for.

elk_horn · Apr 26, 2004

LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-04 AT 10:43AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Apr-26-04 AT 10:42?AM (MST)

Alan... I drew archery Monroe used my 11 points/// very excited for this hunt...I will be there for the whole hunt! So I will be picky! I dont want to shoot just any bull...I would rather go home with nothing than to shoot a 280 to 330 bull! Just how I feel!

Elkslayer · Apr 26, 2004

elk-horn,
Thanks for the info and best of luck on the hunt. I had 8 points this year for archery elk and never seem to draw( panguitch lake). Maybe in the next few years. It will be interesting to see the bonus point odd's report late this year, I bet we see alot of high bonus point people who went for the new archery hunts. Best of luck on the hunt, post us a BIG!!!!! Picture. Alan