Yesterday evening a buddy and I were working a gooooood bull, but got interupted by a smaller rag bull with all the cows. (i couldn't believe he had all the women) anyways he presented me with a 20 yard shot after an intense stairdown and i let him have it. It was dark when i found blood and we looked until 10:30 last night before we gave up. Hard to find where he went in the dark. Got a pretty good idea where he is so I'll find him today. I feel really good about the shot and there was plenty of blood. I will try and get a pic on here when i find him.
while i was having a standoff with the bull my buddy (who i thougt was only 10yds away) was having one of his own with a cougar on the edge of the field. I thougt he'd seen a ghost when we hooked back up. 2nd time that's happened to him. I drempt of bull elk last night he probably got ate by a cat.

Congratulations, sort-of. I know how hard it can be to leave your animal out there all night! Makes for a very long sleepless night waiting for daylight!
Looking forward to the pics! And the relief you will feel............

Is it just me or is it taking a long time to get that Elk out???

Looking forward to the pictures and information still............

glowball

Tell us you didn't loose that elk!

uuuuummmhhhhh......I AM thinking good thoughts for you fella! Any news?

Glowball,

I've been in your situation before. I hope you find , or have your bull. I lost mine after tracking for 6 hours total. Have also been tracked by cougar, but never a face-to-face situation.
I'm goin' out tonight 'til next Thursday. Dreamin' of the woods, family, many animal sightings and, meat in the freezer.

Good luck to all!!

Hate to say it but after 16 hours of searching the western washington brush sucked in my bull and did not kick him out. My buddy stuck one tonight right before dark marked the spot and we're gonna give this one plenty of time to die.
I just got back to comp sorry to delay the inevitable.
kris

Well........
atleast that cat will eat good.

So are you still hunting,or do you consider your tag filled this year?

Hey Glowball, just my personal opinion but from 1 bow hunter to another, please keep these posts about wounded animals off the internet where anyone can read them, hunters have enough problems with image (especially archers) from the anti-hunting crowd and we don't need you giving them more material. I wasn't going to say anything but now that you have to tell us about another wounded 1 your looking for, well I had to say something, wise up pal.

Pittsville

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anyways he presented me with a 20 yard shot after an intense stairdown and i let him have it.

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I feel really good about the shot and there was plenty of blood.

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It was dark when i found blood

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. My buddy stuck one tonight right before dark

Let me get this straight...

You made a 20 yard shot that you felt "Really Good" , PLENTY of blood. I'm curious as to what time you made this shot if it was only 20 yards away and you couldn't find a blood trail until after dark?

Then to top it off, you "GAVE UP" on this one and your buddy "STICKS" another one "RIGHT BEFORE DARK" .

As sportsmen we should only be taking ethical shots at these animals. NOT "sticking" animals at 0:DARK THIRTY and hoping we find them tomorrow.

What a shame...two wounded/wasted elk.

I'm with AkKings on this one. Do us hunters a favor and keep this info to yourself.

Camo

Glowball,

Sorry to hear about the loss of the elk. If you hunt enough, at some time, you will probably lose an animal. Bummer. I've lost a few ducks.

I hunt with a muzzleloader or modern rifle (shotgun w/ slug barrel) for elk because I don't have the time to dedicate to becoming a good enough archer for my taste. I have yet to shoot an elk at further than 35 yards, and that is with a firearm.

Two of the elk I have taken have had broadheads stuck in them, up high in the body cavity, but all they got was muscle. The elk had blood all over them, but were still getting along just fine.

Before you think this is a slam on archers, I helped a buddy butcher an elk a few years ago. While we were separating the front shoulder we hit a big old puss pocket, and out drops a flattened Maxiball.

It happens. Learn from the experience. Make sure you incorporate the lessons learned from this into your hunting style in the future. I would also notch your tag and bow out of the season. If I down a duck and me or the dog can't find it, we count it as part of the limit.

Andy

Well said and good points gentlemen.

I use to think most archers sucked. My neighbor one year stuck a bull, buck and a bear a never recovered one. My best friend is an archer and use to own a archery company. I know most are good people who spent time shooting their bows. My neighbor did every day for a month straight. Then a couple years ago I nailed a BIG buck at 50 yards with my .3006. I shoot Federal High Energy 180 grain TBBC. The energy at that range is around 3000 foot lbs. More then enough to knock down anything. I tracked that great blood trail for over a mile and half. AFTER I let 25 minutes pass. Blood was dark and foamy. A Heart and lunger shot. It was a week later when I recovered the horns on that beast. I had to stop tracking when I lost my blood trail in the rain. Even my heat tracker failed.I spent a full week kicking myself. When I found the what was left of the deer, the shot was right through the boiler room. It was still two hundred yards past my last marker tape. But the price we Western WA hunters pay is THICK brush and rain. So even us rifle hunters lose a few. And even me at that. Someone who shoots a 1.5 inch group at 200 yards on a normal day. And can shoot deer at 288 yards off hand one shot drop shots.

I found blood right away at around 7pm then left and when i come back with my buddy it was dark. We found my buddies bull within 10 minutes after we went back out. And as far as the mine went it was found thenest day by another hunter 600 yards away from where we were looking (by another hunter) with a cougar perched on top. He shot the cat with his bow and is now getting a rug made.
If you want to sit there and preach ethics to me save your breath.
Camo: two days later my buddy shot his elk. I don't live on this thing like some people. I'm sorry you are so perfect and have never lost anything in your life. Well I don't feel at all good about it and quit acting like it ain't a big deal to me cause it is.

Hey Glowball, I've got to kind of side with Camo and AKKings on this one. Being a bowhunter
myself, I realize the importance of being extra careful on the shot and also the time. I had a buddy that got a huge fine for drawing back on an Elk 5 minutes after legal hunting time.
It was great that you got the one Elk, But I'd keep the bragging rights to the ones you can put your tag on. PETA does use this stuff against us. As for me, I'd like to keep my right to Bow Hunt

get a grip guy that does nothing but give us bowhunters a bad name.think a little.

last year was my first experience at tracking. I shot a bull with my muzzleloader and he didn't even let all 4 knees hit the ground, it was also getting dark, i called my guru, he said go to town, get 2 flashlights and LOT'S of batteries, track all night, its easier to track wet blood at night if it's dry out, than in the daytime. Boy was he right, the flashlite reflects off the blood like a reflector. besides, your not trying to sprint anyway, 3 hours later, found the 3 point bull. stayed up all night/next morning getting him out. Moral is, don't go home and dream (worked for me, but i'm no expert.) :p

YOu can sure tell by all the reprimanding that we live in WA.

I have been with some of the best hunters in the world and if they have a good shot and there is enough light, they make the shot... they are not looking at their watch ready to check out on the time clock.

Now, I'm not advocating breaking the law... far from it. But come on... Anyway... new subject... some of you might be interested.

I am a Pastor in Tacoma (hint my user name) and we are putting on for the first time a Sportsman's Banquet. I have some excellent fishing guides coming and we will have some displays and some clinics... But for all of you bowhunters, our special guest is "Larry Jones". If you are into bowhunting then you have seen one of his many videos. IF your interested you can call our bookstore for tickets or call my at our church at 756-5300. Ask for Steve Novotny

Date: Saturday November 9th Salmon & Elk Chili... Feed starts at 6:30pm... come a little early if you want to mingle, share pictures and/or do what sportsman do... talk a good story.