ID unit 43 archery lost 5x5 Bull recovery

[Wassid82]

I hope this post can help ease someone's mind. I have been the person in the past that made an ethical shot on an elk and thought I had tagged out......only to find that when I approached the spot where the elk should be..... I found nothing. It was a gut punch in the worst way.

This past weekend my son and I were hunting in ID unit 39. He tagged out on a 5x5 young bull. when caring for the meat on the mountain we found an arrowhead logged in the left front quarter pushing through the bone. I thought of the archer who probably was sick to their stomach earlier this fall thinking they made a perfect shot and tracked a bull for hours only to come up empty handed. Sorry. I hope you know your efforts weren't in vain and the bull wasn't a waste

Instead it made for an amazing experience for my teenage son. It was his first bull elk. He is on cloud nine.

 

[Short Track]

Was the area of the old broad head infected ? Not so sure I would eat the meat in that area... They are tough animals...

 

[Wrench]

I wish you'd had said it's a vpa and unit 6.....

That's mine.

 

[Beendare]

Mine went down in 25y with a Thunderhead.

What BH was it? Photos?

 

[Wassid82]

Was the area of the old broad head infected ? Not so sure I would eat the meat in that area... They are tough animals...

there was extra fluid around the area and we cut out the tissue around the board head. I agree that it might not be worth the risk.

 

[Wassid82]

I wish you'd had said it's a vpa and unit 6.....

That's mine.

sorry...I have been there too. But maybe a similar thing happened with your bull

 

[Wassid82]

Mine went down in 25y with a Thunderhead.

What BH was it? Photos?

that is a good question but I didnt take time to figure it out on the mountain. we were in a snowstorm while processing everything.

 

[Wassid82]

here was the bull and the lucky hunter

 

[gentleman4561]

here was the bull and the lucky hunter

Congrats to your son! Great bull!

 

[Steelruger22]

What a great first elk. Congrats to the both of you!

 

[Wrench]

there was extra fluid around the area and we cut out the tissue around the board head. I agree that it might not be worth the risk.

You'll 100% know when it's infected. My pard killed a bull that had taken a horn through the back into the tenderloin. The tenderloin was very swollen and when he touched it with a knife, a 32oz pile of puss....the smelliest stuff I've ever been around squirted out.

It was sub awful.