Now you know where to shoot a bull that is face-on! Video!!

[JPD350]

That's the way we like it, up close and personal!

 

[BTH]

Man... Call me old school, (even though I'm a whopping 28) but I hate to see videos like this promoted! The frontal shot is a 60% success shot (where the bull is found and not spoiled) on a stopped animal in MY opinion. Add in a moving bull and a shooter at full draw for extended time only drops the quick kill %... To each his own whether to shoot or not, but the regular joe that sees this thinks a 30-60 yard frontal shot is good shot and poorly hit bulls die only to feed scavengers. Yes this is a fatal shot if placed correctly but these are bull elk and are tough as nails!!! It is not uncommon for a single lung bull to be alive 4-6 hours after the shot. I guess I have too much respect for a mature bull that lives 5-15 years of winters,wolves, and hunters to take a risky shot as this video shows. Yes it has cost me a 340-350 bull at 15 yards waiting for a broadside shot but I'm not sick about it had I stuck the bull front on and never found him. For me it's too risky and know way too many friends that took that shot and lost the bull. Sorry for the novel. Lol

 

[JPD350]

Interesting BTH, 60% success shot? where do you get your stats from? and what were the parameters?

Each individual bow hunter needs to set his or her own effective limit for themselves, each bow hunter has different shooting abilities and demeanor while shooting under the pressure of up close hunting, maybe for him it wasn't that much of a risky shot.

Some people take 50, 60 or 80 yd shots and some people don't, there is risk every time you release an arrow, unethical risk is shooting past your ability. You used respective restraint on a 340 or 350 bull and that is fantastic but as the years go under your belt there is an 90% chance that you will take a risky shot or a shot at the edge of your ability and a 50% chance whether you retrieve that animal.

Just giving you a hard time!!

 

[ktowncamo]

Love to see this sort of video. I don't think I would have taken that shot but my hats off to the guy that can make that shot effectively harvesting an elk.

 

[123 4/8 P&Y]

That's a 20yd and under shot for me. I'd like to see him facing directly at me, not angling much before I release.

 

[BTH]

Interesting BTH, 60% success shot? where do you get your stats from? and what were the parameters?

Each individual bow hunter needs to set his or her own effective limit for themselves, each bow hunter has different shooting abilities and demeanor while shooting under the pressure of up close hunting, maybe for him it wasn't that much of a risky shot.

Some people take 50, 60 or 80 yd shots and some people don't, there is risk every time you release an arrow, unethical risk is shooting past your ability. You used respective restraint on a 340 or 350 bull and that is fantastic but as the years go under your belt there is an 90% chance that you will take a risky shot or a shot at the edge of your ability and a 50% chance whether you retrieve that animal.

Just giving you a hard time!!

It is simply my opinion on the 60% success shot as I said. I have a large group of bow hunting friends that, for the most part are pretty average as far as success on bulls with a bow is concerned. Having said that I hear every year more people losing bulls with the front on shot than shot and found. Compare the lungs on an elk to a dinner plate; shooting perpendicular to a broadside elk is shooting at the full circumference of the lungs, then put the bull facing you and the size of the lungs are drastically smaller like turning a dinner plate towards the shooter. (I know you know this ) Couple that with the tight spacing of the ribs on a frontal shot means less margin of error. And just say you get good penetration on a frontal shot that missed any artery, heart or lung and the bull is liver/gut shot which means most people give up and the bull dies to feed scavengers. (I have found many dead bulls from other archers thanks to ravens)
Now I'm not saying no one should take the shot as someone's comfort level and ability should determine how they shoot, but I know the ability of most archers and the time they really spend practicing, combined with the near euphoria of a bull screaming in your face usually throws ethical thinking and bow mechanics out the window. The only reason I don't like seeing videos like this is the average joe who practices the week before season that sees this as it is a shot in my opinion for the shooter with a high comfort level.
Looking back half of me does wish I would have taken a front on shot of the big bull I had up close, as now all I have are trail cam pics and videos of him with memories of what could have been. But this scenario happened after I took a longer shot on a big bull that jumped the string, causing a poor shot and the feeling I had and still have to this day wondering if I killed him. I really dont want to go through that feeling again nor have anyone else go through that feeling either, even though nothing in hunting, especially bow hunting is ever even close to 100% so it is inevitable.

 

[Switchbacks]

I see your opinion BTH, Mike is a seasoned veteran bowhunter that has taken multiple elk with a shot such as this. We are not saying take this shot no matter what, you have to feel comfortable and confident in your shooting. I know elk are tough as nails, I have shot and lost an elk that was a perfect shot (worst feeling for a hunter!) We are just trying to portray hunting as it really happens, we could have easily edited the shot out of the video, but we like to bring it to everyone just as it happens!

 

[vcb]

I'm with you BTH, well said

 

[Bonedalien]

agreed , well put.