My mistake, lost my elk

[cnelk]

When a hunter tells me they have never lost an animal…,

I say “Yet”

 

[Marble]

Really sorry you had that experience, losing an animal is never fun for the hunter or the animal. With respect, are you saying choosing a neck shot was the defining factor in making it a horrible shot, as you called it, or is the message to not rush a shot in general? It was said she had no idea you were there and were able to get down and rest the rifle over your knee. What point in the process was rushed, as that is mentioned as the main point. Or are you saying, despite having plenty of time to take the shot, taking more time for a decidedly better angle would be the choice next time despite the potential to be made and end up not getting a shot?

My message is not too rush. I will still take a neck shot in the future, but I will be more careful and make sure I do everything I can to do it right. I can't count how many animals I've taken that shot on. It's always worked.

I did sit and get a rest on my knee. But we were over 10k and I had just stopped walking after about 100 yards. I'm in great shape, so I wasn't breathing hard, but I imagine if I took just a moment longer I would have calmed down a bit and thought about the shot process a bit more.

In reality, I could have backed up 10', taken my pack off, and laid down over my pack. That's what I did last year at 300 and 350 yards.

So, looking back, I think I just didn't take the time I needed to make a good shot.

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[Marble]

What caliber and type of bullet?

300 wm 200 grain Nos AB @2895 fps.

I do not know for sure where I hit it. I never was able to see it post shot. My guess is that based on blood marks left on the ground when it laid down, it was a through and through wound at the base of the neck near where it hit the shoulder. Didn't see any bone at any time, and it was walking/ running normal. I've seen animals survive wounds like this, but idk.

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[Marble]

One of the fellows I was out hunting moose with took a 40 yd shot at a mid fiddy bull moose. He checked out his gun with a bore scope I have out at the cabin to. This would have been his first ak bull moose and he was very well prepared. He felt terrible about it. But when he got home he shot his rifle again n it was way off. Got knocked off in tough country
But you had the opportunity for a great hunt and got one so not bad

I haven't shot my gun yet since I got back. I doubt it is off, but you never know. It has NF scope on it. Next weekend I'm going to go bear hunting. I'll take it and see how it shoots.

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[grfox92]

Sorry to hear this @Marble .

I have lost two or three whitetails with the bow over the years. Its a shitty feeling, however its always a learning experience.

 

[LongWayAround]

I had a similar experience with a neck shot on a whitetail doe. A chipshot turned into a rodeo. I got the deer but didn't feel very good about it.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

When a hunter tells me they have never lost an animal…,

I say “Yet”

Or, their lying.

 

[35WhelenAI]

Thanks for the follow up. I've struggled with this debate myself. Is the neck shot worth the outcome, positive or negative. With the consideration being the animal. I do not matter at that point. For me, I'm not gonna put the animal at that kind of risk. It's OK to not fill a tag for me, IMO.

The shot you described passing up would've done a nice job, IMO, from a hard angle to vitals with that bullet and chambering. If it doesn't, that elk is on three legs with severe internal damage, one of them not being a hind quarter where they get most of their power.

My lost elk was 80 yards broadside (2009) resting over a downed tree. She went down, all four legs in the air. In 2 feet of snow, she rolled, swapped ends and headed downhill like nothing happened. Saw blood coming out the exit side as she hit the willow thicket in a stream bottom as I was offhand at that point, all flustered.

It was a high lung shot based on what I know about elk anatomy. The aim was to center the lungs. If there is such a thing as the "no man's land" below the spine and above the lungs on elk, my best considerations say that's where I hit. Possibly resting over a glove off of a snowy downed tree affected point of impact, but that makes no difference. I didn't do my job other than take as many variables out of the shot as possible.

To my mind, I did go for the most likely lethal zone. Really no different than what happened to you in that the animal was lost, other than my thought is the heart/lung vital zone is a more likely area to get a lethal outcome when considering size of the target.

However bad I feel, I feel I took the best shot I could to get a humane kill. That was with a Hornady 250 gr Spire point from a 35 Whelen AI. Tracked her for over 4 hours, copious blood splatter where she went through pines, just a drop here and there in the open areas. For two years in a fit of nostalgia, I went to the 250 grain lead core bullet. Before that I was a Barnes X disciple, and since they came out, I have been a 200 TTSX disciple.

It's a good time for reflection. For me, I would not put the word "doubt" in the vernacular whether the rifle is hitting where it should be or after neck wounding a cow elk. Make sure that rifle is hitting where you think as you go for that bear. Good luck to you!

 

[Marble]

Thanks for the follow up. I've struggled with this debate myself. Is the neck shot worth the outcome, positive or negative. With the consideration being the animal. I do not matter at that point. For me, I'm not gonna put the animal at that kind of risk. It's OK to not fill a tag for me, IMO.

The shot you described passing up would've done a nice job, IMO, from a hard angle to vitals with that bullet and chambering. If it doesn't, that elk is on three legs with severe internal damage, one of them not being a hind quarter where they get most of their power.

My lost elk was 80 yards broadside (2009) resting over a downed tree. She went down, all four legs in the air. In 2 feet of snow, she rolled, swapped ends and headed downhill like nothing happened. Saw blood coming out the exit side as she hit the willow thicket in a stream bottom as I was offhand at that point, all flustered.

It was a high lung shot based on what I know about elk anatomy. The aim was to center the lungs. If there is such a thing as the "no man's land" below the spine and above the lungs on elk, my best considerations say that's where I hit. Possibly resting over a glove off of a snowy downed tree affected point of impact, but that makes no difference. I didn't do my job other than take as many variables out of the shot as possible.

To my mind, I did go for the most likely lethal zone. Really no different than what happened to you in that the animal was lost, other than my thought is the heart/lung vital zone is a more likely area to get a lethal outcome when considering size of the target.

However bad I feel, I feel I took the best shot I could to get a humane kill. That was with a Hornady 250 gr Spire point from a 35 Whelen AI. Tracked her for over 4 hours, copious blood splatter where she went through pines, just a drop here and there in the open areas. For two years in a fit of nostalgia, I went to the 250 grain lead core bullet. Before that I was a Barnes X disciple, and since they came out, I have been a 200 TTSX disciple.

It's a good time for reflection. For me, I would not put the word "doubt" in the vernacular whether the rifle is hitting where it should be or after neck wounding a cow elk. Make sure that rifle is hitting where you think as you go for that bear. Good luck to you!

I do plan on shooting it in the next few weeks. The rifle shoots better than I can. And I have killed a bunch of animals at fairly long distance with it. My bear hunting spot has some potential for some really long shots. So I need to make sure it's good.

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[Jaquomo]

Thanks for the follow up. I've struggled with this debate myself. Is the neck shot worth the outcome, positive or negative. With the consideration being the animal. I do not matter at that point. For me, I'm not gonna put the animal at that kind of risk. It's OK to not fill a tag for me, IMO.

The shot you described passing up would've done a nice job, IMO, from a hard angle to vitals with that bullet and chambering. If it doesn't, that elk is on three legs with severe internal damage, one of them not being a hind quarter where they get most of their power.

My lost elk was 80 yards broadside (2009) resting over a downed tree. She went down, all four legs in the air. In 2 feet of snow, she rolled, swapped ends and headed downhill like nothing happened. Saw blood coming out the exit side as she hit the willow thicket in a stream bottom as I was offhand at that point, all flustered.

It was a high lung shot based on what I know about elk anatomy. The aim was to center the lungs. If there is such a thing as the "no man's land" below the spine and above the lungs on elk, my best considerations say that's where I hit. Possibly resting over a glove off of a snowy downed tree affected point of impact, but that makes no difference. I didn't do my job other than take as many variables out of the shot as possible.

To my mind, I did go for the most likely lethal zone. Really no different than what happened to you in that the animal was lost, other than my thought is the heart/lung vital zone is a more likely area to get a lethal outcome when considering size of the target.

However bad I feel, I feel I took the best shot I could to get a humane kill. That was with a Hornady 250 gr Spire point from a 35 Whelen AI. Tracked her for over 4 hours, copious blood splatter where she went through pines, just a drop here and there in the open areas. For two years in a fit of nostalgia, I went to the 250 grain lead core bullet. Before that I was a Barnes X disciple, and since they came out, I have been a 200 TTSX disciple.

It's a good time for reflection. For me, I would not put the word "doubt" in the vernacular whether the rifle is hitting where it should be or after neck wounding a cow elk. Make sure that rifle is hitting where you think as you go for that bear. Good luck to you!

There is no "no man's land" below the spine and above the lungs. The Void is a myth. Any veterinarian or physiologist can attest to that. It is a high lung shot, and an animal can go a long way with that hit, and can survive if it is an arrow shot.

 

[Marble]

There is no "no man's land" below the spine and above the lungs. The Void is a myth. Any veterinarian or physiologist can attest to that. It is a high lung shot, and an animal can go a long way with that hit, and can survive if it is an arrow shot.

Well, I think the term is subjective. But I have seen it first hand and shared by friends of arrows from rib to rib, below the spine, in the thorasic cavity, still in an elk and the elk is just fine. I wouldn't call it a void, but that shot is survivable under certain circumstances. Definitely a rare exception.

I haven't seen or heard of it with a rifle. Not to say it doesn't happen. Evidence left from a bullet going through and healing would be very difficult to see during a regular field dressing.

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[Jaquomo]

I've seen the shot on elk from rifle hunters I've guided, and they usually run a ways but eventually go down.