anyonw killed there late season archery elk yet? ive been at the right place at the right time every day this season but i just cant make it happen, this is my first year elk hunting and ive had one shot every day. i can hit the target very well but infront of the giants... i choke

dont feel bad thats how it always plays out when i was archery hunting deer.

same with last year archery hunting elk, i got to pull the trigger but couldnt find the elk. now this year i havent been able to get a shot yet...

I had to give up Archery Elk. After taking a few deer with my bow I got into the Elk thing. All my deer had died within 40 yds so I was sold on how leathal an arrow was. My first shot at a Bull was un up hill 35 yrd shot on an open hillside that felt so good that I just slowly backed out of the area to get my buddy to help with the hard part. When we retuned about 45 min later we found nothing,no blood ,no arrow just tracks everywhere. The next year I made sure I was tuned and dead nuts on for the hunt. The end of the first day I had a spike run up to me about 20 yards away and turn broad side and just stood there wanting to die. I came to full draw and in my mind I must of drawn a circle around the whole elk and spikes then put an arrow in the center of the circle that was about 4 inches above the back of the elk because thats exactly where I watched my arrow go. The elk actually turned his head to see what the noise was then trotted strait at me until he saw me at about 10 feet away. The next year I had a drawn permit in Idaho
for a Rifle hunt. I shot a 5x6 in some heavy cover about 150 yds out. I saw the bull fall and was waiting for my brother to come to me when out pooped my bull 75 yards up the hill with a blood spot the size of a paper plate just behind his shoulder.3 hits later and a quarter mile deeper into Hells canyon it was finally dead. I hunted a few more years with a bow but never felt good enough about a shot to take it. I would love to be in good enough shape to try again but now it would not be fare to the animal if I was lucky enough to stumble into one. One of my brothers seems to get one with a bow almost every year now but they are both in shape for it and work damm hard for em. I am cursed with the fat lazy gene and fish a hell of a lot more than them. Anyone want to trade elk meat for salmon. I didn't think so...
Don't hunt Elk with a bow. Hunt elk harts and lungs with a bow and be commited to a lot of work if ya get the shot.

been close and seen a few herds, but not able to get shots off

seen 4 misjudged the distance so didnt take a shot. then measure out the distance after they were gone and it was well within my 40yd max range. pissed me off.

also had one run my arse over jumping onto the river bank.

hunted sunday night didnt seen a darn thing. about a inch of fresh snow in the first area i hunted but didnt see a single track.
moved down east and found a good area with lots and lots of sig but to many cougar tracks for my comfort so i headed for home.

now i just need to get someone to go with to split gas so i can get up again.

First ever hunt of any kind and it was Elk with a bow. No kill, no shots, but saw elk every day for 5 days and learned a heck of a lot. My best opportunity came on Sunday morning after a pre-dawn hike to the top of a ridge to an intersection I'd found. I set up pretty well but not quite well enough. Right on cue 3 cows and a 5x bull come up over the ridge and sidehill accross a little clearing I was set up on the edge of. If I'd of come to draw a little quicker I'd have had a nice 30 yrd shot at one of the cows broadside. As it happened, by the time I dropped my orange, stood up, and came to draw the three cows were far enough past that the bull was blocking (cows or spikes only). The only shot I had left on a cow was pretty much an ass shot. Talk about adrenaline though! I'm pretty much hooked now. Had a few other very close encounters with no chance for a shot. Those damn elk are haunting my dreams now. I'm going to go try for a westside dear now and see if I can loose my virginity that way.

Ain't that the truth! I just started archery hunting last year and caught the bug. With a bow season going on somewhere for something pretty much the whole time from September 1 to mid-December, it's basically killed my salmon season.

Only hunt that I ever puked on from adrenaline overdose.
I am addicted to bowhunting them buglers...
Just gotta draw the tags...

I read your story(ies) several times just prior to my bow hunt for inspiration. Awesome!

Good eats

yup i know how all of u feel, that adrenaline of a big elk infront of u stays with ya for a couple days... lol

Any recent reports for Archery Elk from the Yakima Herd? Heading back over to the Nile.