Shot bull. Having a hard time finding him.

[Amincey34]

Little update, I’ve had the wife trying to find a dog all day with no luck. Bull was shot at 714 this morning. Haven’t left the area since. Have flagging tape on POI & blood. Gridded this thing out, still working it now. No birds in the sky plan on staying until dark and then trying again in the AM. Slow and steady. There’s a bog with 3-5 inches of muddy water and super tall grass to one side and impossible to see anything. Not giving up…


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[Marble]

There is no such thing as a No Man's Land. You either catch lungs or you hit spine/above the spine. That's a scientific fact. Keep a positive attitude and go find your bull.

There is. I've seen it personally and other pics.

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[ElkNut1]

Consider going back to the spot you shot him. Now remember where he was when you first located or heard him bugle BEFORE he came your way! Go to that area you first heard him. I've found several bulls this way when in essence they had led me near a 1/2 mile away in a different direction. Search that original location spot diligently looking for blood as well once there. -- Wounded elk have thing for going back to where they came from, Anything is worth a shot!. Good luck!

ElkNut

 

[Ucsdryder]

There is. I've seen it personally and other pics.

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Where does this void exist? The only time I’ve seen people talk about a void is when they get confused at how LOW the spine really is. Everyone assumes the spine is at the top of the back.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I should correct, above the spine, if you miss up there and chip the vertebrae, I would call that no man’s land. You will get muscle blood and not much else

 

[Ucsdryder]

I should correct, above the spine, if you miss up there and chip the vertebrae, I would call that no man’s land. You will get muscle blood and not much else

People call the void the area between the lungs and spine. The void doesn’t exist.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I’m not a biologist, but I wonder if there is any difference if lungs are inflated or deflated when the shot happens, I would imagine if they are deflated… there may be a little space in the chest cavity? Hunting like a lot of things is a game of inches… it could be the difference from a quick clean kill and a wound

 

[jmez]

Doesn't matter if inflated or deflated. Lungs are in contact with the entire chest wall unless negative pressure is lost and the lungs deflate.

It was a non vital hit. Shit him in the back strap.

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[Hnthrdr]

Doesn't matter if inflated or deflated. Lungs are in contact with the entire chest wall unless negative pressure is lost and the lungs deflate.

It was a non vital hit. Shit him in the back strap.

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Good to know, like I said I’m definitely not an expert, I’d love to tell OP that his bull is dead, but I think you are right.

 

[Happy Antelope]

Good luck. Hope you find him. Post pics when you do.

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

His entire body cavity has to fill with blood before you get a blood trail if you shot high, start a grid search every 5 feet and go from there he’s dead, now it’s just ur spot to find him, call friends or something or call in a blood tracking dog. There’s no “void” in the chest cavity of an animal, he coulda went 100 yards before he started bleeding. Punch ur tag and spend the rest of ur hunt searching for him


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[Indian Summer]

Also I would look/ listen for birds, they will find him quick if he is dead and will be all over him in a day or so, how long has it been since the shot?

This. It’s the Hail Mary pass. Get to a high point above where the elk went and listen and look for circling birds.

 

[SDHNTR]

That’s all I can think about is that little space above the lungs. I could puke right now.


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Doesn’t exist. The spine dips WAY down between the shoulders.

 

[Flatgo]

A little late but try using your nose. Get downwind of where you think he might have died and start sniffing. Usually really easy to smell a dead bull if the winds right. I will say too. If it’s a good hit in thick timber they typically don’t run to far before bedding up. I personally really get nervous if I don’t find an elk within 200 yards of the shot. After that the odds of finding a bull goes way downhill in my experience

 

[rclouse79]

Hope you found him. I am curious if you sharpened the blades from factory and what your draw length, draw weight and arrow weight are. Only if you feel like sharing of course. I made a similar shot to what you described with a 1.5 sevr I had sharpened and he bled like a stuck pig. I do understand there are a lot of variables involved.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Wounded animals will often move downhill and will lay down in water if they can find it.

 

[Amincey34]

Back out again this morning beating feet. No birds in the sky or smells in the air other bulls are screaming… I think I’m gonna punch my tag regardless. Gonna give it until dark today before I lose hope. For the guy that asked about my draw length I’m at 70lbs at 29 1/2 inch draw and yes I did touch them up from factory …. They were shaving hairs. This was my first bull and first archery animal after training for 3 years .. the first 2 years of archery I refused to hunt due to inexperience and lack of confidence in shooting ability to wound an animal.


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[GPool1842]

Little update, I’ve had the wife trying to find a dog all day with no luck. Bull was shot at 714 this morning. Haven’t left the area since. Have flagging tape on POI & blood. Gridded this thing out, still working it now. No birds in the sky plan on staying until dark and then trying again in the AM. Slow and steady. There’s a bog with 3-5 inches of muddy water and super tall grass to one side and impossible to see anything. Not giving up…


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Has she looked into Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery on Facebook yet?

 

[Amincey34]

Has she looked into Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery on Facebook yet?

Neither of us have Facebook.


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[Jbenson]

Unfortunately, I have some experience and insight on this. Exact same thing happened to me last year. 30 yard shot, slightly uphill. Bull whirled after the shot and I seen the arrow hanging out the off side. Shot was perfect left to right, but high. Looked for hours, never found a drop of blood or the arrow. Long story short...he was back in the same bedding area 2 days later, almost got another shot at 20 yards. I could see the dried bloody broadhead wound. I'm only assuming it was a single lung hit on the near side, didn't hit anything on the off side, because of the uphill angle. He was still screaming bugles, chasing cows, 100% alive and well. Heartbreaking to lose a bull! If you hunt long enough, it happens. Hope this helps.