mtnkid85
WKR
Well it happened to me and I feel sick.
Had a great morning three different call ins brought bulls in to 20 yards, 15 yards and then finally got a good mature bull to go through my shooting lane at ~35 yards. I think perfectly broadside front leg straight down (not really forward or back) looking in my direction.
I run a 3 pin sight with pins at 25,35,45. I put my middle pin right on him, I remember leveling my sight and thinking about my anchor. Release the shot and immediately thought I made a great shot. I didn't see the arrow impact, as he whirled I saw my arrow fall out the other side, full pass though. I shot at 10am.
He was with another bull and they took off through the timber together.
Before going to get my arrow I sat down and waited 25min, then went over to my arrow and waited another 10min.
The arrow has fat along the entire shaft, bright red blood along entire shaft and what I thought where maybe some bubbles in the blood on the fletching.
I begin slowly blood trailing him, its steady but not heavy. Pea to ~quarter sized blood droplets coming out both sides. No bubbles in droplets.
Im moving very slowly and quietly, eventually I step on a stick that cracks and I hear elk moving off in front of me. I immediately stop and back directly out. This happens at 11:30, a hour and a half after the shot. Looking at onxmaps we had only covered 300 yards.
At this point Ive backed out and left the area, went and got my brother to help track. We return back to blood trail 3hrs later, 4.5 hours after I initially shot him. Sure enough I had bumped him out of his bed 20 yards ahead of where I backed out from.
There was definitely blood in his bed but I was underwhelmed by the amount. After he left his bed we where not able to find another drop of blood and only the slightest tracks to go off of. My brother and I then proceeded to grid search a large area above and along the same elevation he was at. Never found a thing.
After a day of contemplation Im questioning my shot location and wonder if I hit him in the void or "no mans land" above the vitals? I had ranged the tree he was in front of at 35yards so he was probably 33-34yards. My sight picture was maybe in the upper half of the lungs when I realeased. I was also shooting though a window in the trees that I think caused me to hold back from his front shoulder slightly. So maybe slightly back and slightly high...
So if anyone has any input to help me learn from this experience Im all ears. Should I have waited longer? How would you interpret the bloody arrow with fat on it? I can't help but wonder if I gave him more time would he have died in that bed. After I bumped him should I have tried to stay with him instead of backing out?
Ive got to work today and tomorrow, then Im headed back in there to search more. But I feel like shit. This is my first archery bull.
Had a great morning three different call ins brought bulls in to 20 yards, 15 yards and then finally got a good mature bull to go through my shooting lane at ~35 yards. I think perfectly broadside front leg straight down (not really forward or back) looking in my direction.
I run a 3 pin sight with pins at 25,35,45. I put my middle pin right on him, I remember leveling my sight and thinking about my anchor. Release the shot and immediately thought I made a great shot. I didn't see the arrow impact, as he whirled I saw my arrow fall out the other side, full pass though. I shot at 10am.
He was with another bull and they took off through the timber together.
Before going to get my arrow I sat down and waited 25min, then went over to my arrow and waited another 10min.
The arrow has fat along the entire shaft, bright red blood along entire shaft and what I thought where maybe some bubbles in the blood on the fletching.
I begin slowly blood trailing him, its steady but not heavy. Pea to ~quarter sized blood droplets coming out both sides. No bubbles in droplets.
Im moving very slowly and quietly, eventually I step on a stick that cracks and I hear elk moving off in front of me. I immediately stop and back directly out. This happens at 11:30, a hour and a half after the shot. Looking at onxmaps we had only covered 300 yards.
At this point Ive backed out and left the area, went and got my brother to help track. We return back to blood trail 3hrs later, 4.5 hours after I initially shot him. Sure enough I had bumped him out of his bed 20 yards ahead of where I backed out from.
There was definitely blood in his bed but I was underwhelmed by the amount. After he left his bed we where not able to find another drop of blood and only the slightest tracks to go off of. My brother and I then proceeded to grid search a large area above and along the same elevation he was at. Never found a thing.
After a day of contemplation Im questioning my shot location and wonder if I hit him in the void or "no mans land" above the vitals? I had ranged the tree he was in front of at 35yards so he was probably 33-34yards. My sight picture was maybe in the upper half of the lungs when I realeased. I was also shooting though a window in the trees that I think caused me to hold back from his front shoulder slightly. So maybe slightly back and slightly high...
So if anyone has any input to help me learn from this experience Im all ears. Should I have waited longer? How would you interpret the bloody arrow with fat on it? I can't help but wonder if I gave him more time would he have died in that bed. After I bumped him should I have tried to stay with him instead of backing out?
Ive got to work today and tomorrow, then Im headed back in there to search more. But I feel like shit. This is my first archery bull.
