Hit Bull High

[LandLakes]

Your write-up is pretty clear and captures the situation well. I've made some slight adjustments to improve the flow and clarity while keeping it casual:

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Arrowed a bull this weekend at about 25 yards, but I hit him a little high. He was standing broadside, and I hit about 10 inches below the top of his back. The arrow didn’t get great penetration—probably only about 8-10 inches.

After being hit, he ran off but stayed within 150 yards, still looking for a cow. He went over a hill, and I lost sight of him. He looked like he was bleeding pretty well, with a nice red streak from the arrow sticking out. Waited for an hour before pursuing and looking for blood.

I searched for 6-7 hours but only found one or two drops of blood. Since I shot him early in the morning, the grass was still dewy, and he was in a grassy, open area, which made it harder to find blood compared to brushier stuff. I checked all the trails in and out of the area and into the bushes but couldn’t find any more blood. I also walked through a lot of the brush within 200 yards of where we last saw him but didn’t turn up anything.

He had a group of about 10 cows with him before we called him away. I’m guessing the cows were about 100-150 yards out of sight when I shot. About 20 minutes after the shot, we saw the cows on the opposite hillside, about a mile away, running back into the brush. Didn’t see him with them, but I’m not sure why they were so spooked. Was thinking he may have circled back towards the cows after he got up over the hill and caused them to spook out of the area.

Walked towards where we saw the cows hit the brush and heard a bull bugling down in the brush. I couldn’t get eyes on him to see if it was the same bull or not. I’m planning to head back this evening to look for him again or try to find a blood trail, or maybe get eyes on the bull that was bugling when they come out to feed. Didn’t want to go in after them this afternoon for fear of spooking them out of the area completely.

Anybody have any insight on similar situations? What are your thoughts on the chances of recovery or survival of the elk?

Attached is a picture of where I believe I hit him.

 

[BBob]

Your write-up is pretty clear and captures the situation well. I've made some slight adjustments to improve the flow and clarity while keeping it casual:

Using an AI helper???

 

[LandLakes]

Using an AI helper???

Haha forgot to edit that part out. Had to make sure it sounded good.

 

[mt terry d]

I'm betting he survives.

 

[Pharmseller]

He’s dead under a tree somewhere, probably closer than you think.




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[BigAntlerGetter]

First guy that says hit the void needs to go sit in the corner and think about life. Bull is dead or dieing.
1. There is no void below the spine, where the Lungs sit in the cavity it is 100% occupied 100% of the time. That’s why the chest moves in and out, if there was a void the ribs wouldn’t need to expand when the animal breathes in. If you think there’s a void, start looking up animal surgeries and you will see 100% filled 100% of the time.

2. High lung shots take a while to bleed, remember the chest cavity and lungs need to fill
Before blood comes out the wounds,

3. 8-10” of penetration could be more, if your arrow broke and is missing that much most likely the broadhead is sitting in the offside ribs. Had a bull several years ago break of 6” of arrow, that 6” was stuck in the offside ribs and would have had 20”+ of penetration that the arrow didn’t show.

4. If you did only get 8-10” penetration you may have only gotten one lung, he’s not going to live especially when his chest cavity is filing with blood, his lungs will compress and he will suffocate.

Get back out there, punch your tag he’s dead, that’s always been my rule, you draw blood with a legit kill shot, punch your tag and search for that 1 animal. Call in tracking dogs even, but he deserves 100% of your effort


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[Pharmseller]

Not to mention, unless the arrow backed out, it’s acting like a lever moving up and down, shredding lung with every step.





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[hiker270]

Maybe dead maybe not. I for sure would be going back to the area and watch for crows, ravens or buzzards. Found a bull in New Mexico several years ago that I hit in the front shoulder. About 6-8 inches of arrow penetration. Had a lot of blood at first after 100 yds or so it slowed and finally I couldn't find any. 24 hrs later the next morning I went back and heard crows or ravens down a ravine. Went down and found the bull.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'm feeling like you probably hit high and put it in the spine.



What did the shot sound like?

 

[Matt5266]

Had the same thing happen to me years ago on the biggest bull I've had a shot at. Probably 340 ish. Made me sick. Never found him. Punched my tag and called it a season on the best tag I've ever drawn. Still makes me sick when I think about it.

 

[High Climber]

Not saying he is alive or dead because I didn’t see the actual shot but it seems you didn’t get much penetration. Was it an uphill shot, level, downhill? What was the distance, arrow setup etc. What did the impact sound like?

This picture is a little misleading, the scapula is bigger than that and kicks back at more of an angle

 

[Ross]

How far out from the shot were the drops of blood found ? Any froth to them or just bright red? Sounds like no arrow found ? Blood trailing is a slow meticulous process and not fun. Good luck

 

[insanelupus]

If you know where he was when you called him in, check that area up to 600 yards or so in that direction. My limited experience and a few others, when hit with a potentially lethal, but not immediately, shot have tended to go 500-600 yards in the direction they were last safe in/ called from.

Good luck.

 

[cnelk]

What broadhead were you using?

 

[LandLakes]

Maybe dead maybe not. I for sure would be going back to the area and watch for crows, ravens or buzzards. Found a bull in New Mexico several years ago that I hit in the front shoulder. About 6-8 inches of arrow penetration. Had a lot of blood at first after 100 yds or so it slowed and finally I couldn't find any. 24 hrs later the next morning I went back and heard crows or ravens down a ravine. Went down and found the bull.

For sure. Just hoping the grizzlies aren’t on him in the morning if we can find him.

 

[Wellsdw]

I track with a dog ALOT of high hit deer every year. About 80% show up on cameras with in a week or two. I disagree with a high hit like that is a dead animal. Generally the blood trails go as follow. Little blood at first, say 30 yards. Then good “bright blood” often confused as lung blood. Actually dense muscle blood likely backstrap, also inline with poor penetration. After usually a couple hundred yards blood will trickle out and become more sporadic. Sometimes right before you loose all blood you will find a pool of blood, this is where the animal stops and is like wtf happened. Then trots off. This is where I usually leave the ball, for my dog to circle back and find something. You may be able to get a tracker through United blood trackers out to come help, but honestly high hit is low recovery. My rule of thumb for marginal hit 6hrs, guts 8-12.
Good luck man. Hope it works out.

 

[LandLakes]

What broadhead were you using?

Montec G5. Fixed blade. Don’t care too much for expandables

 

[Pharmseller]

Had the same thing happen to me years ago on the biggest bull I've had a shot at. Probably 340 ish. Made me sick. Never found him. Punched my tag and called it a season on the best tag I've ever drawn. Still makes me sick when I think about it.

You, sir, are welcome to the best seat at my campfire anytime.




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[LandLakes]

How far out from the shot were the drops of blood found ? Any froth to them or just bright red? Sounds like no arrow found ? Blood trailing is a slow meticulous process and not fun. Good luck

Yeah, arrow was still in him as I watched him crest the hill. Looked for blood where I arrowed him. Couldn’t find any. I imagine it’s there somewhere, just so hard to find in grass. First blood we found was about 100 yards uphill from where I shot him. Just a drop or two of red on a rock and a blade of grass. Not pink or frothy, but may not have been enough blood there to tell. Tried to trace his steps from there but couldn’t find any other blood.

 

[LandLakes]

I'm feeling like you probably hit high and put it in the spine.



What did the shot sound like?

Just sounded like a normal shot honestly. Everything happened really fast lol