What happened?

[LongWayAround]

It sounds to me like you hit your bull well. He went 80 yards and died. The next day, you saw a similar bull and found the one that you actually shot. All good in my book.

I've had more than my fair share of struggles...

Similar example:

My buddy shot and dropped a young bull a few weeks ago. When the herd busted, a very similar bull came out with a mark on the sirloin area. My first thought was that was "his" bull. His bull was DRT.

Another time, a friend killed a bull archery hunting. We spent all afternoon searching the drainage where the herd had gone. His bull did a little loop and died right below us in the open.

 

[Timberline001]

Putting down an animal with a gun in Idaho archery season could get you in serious trouble.

I’m pretty sure shooting one at night with your bow would get you in trouble in Idaho as well. I honestly thought that was illegal everywhere but maybe that was just an assumption.

 

[dirtshooter]

Based on that pic and the angle I think you only got one lung.

You aimed for the entrance and should’ve aimed for the exit

On that picture with the red X could you please mark where one would aim for exit? In my less experienced archery ways I'd have shot that same spot as the OP

 

[Beendare]

Based on that pic and the angle I think you only got one lung.

You aimed for the entrance and should’ve aimed for the exit

Agreed

 

[Wentzler1425]

I’m pretty sure shooting one at night with your bow would get you in trouble in Idaho as well. I honestly thought that was illegal everywhere but maybe that was just an assumption.

It is likely illegal in all states that don't allow hunting after dark.....but ethically I can't see any sane person thinking a second shot in that scenario isn't the right thing to do.

 

[cnelk]

On that picture with the red X could you please mark where one would aim for exit? In my less experienced archery ways I'd have shot that same spot as the OP

This would be where my sight would be on a bull like that.

 

[Scoot]

My guess is that either the angle or the entrance is off slightly in the OPs picture (probably the angle) and that only one lung was hit. It's really easy for critters to be more quartering to or away than we think when we're at full draw and ready to send it. I agree with Geewiz that if everything was exactly as the pic shows, that guy would be down really fast. I'd bet he was quartered away a little more than that.

 

[jmez]

I had some circling fears of meat spoilage, so I didn't get an oppertunity to gut him and find out what I hit exactly.


Also - yes I did harvest all the meat, and all appears in great condition.


This doesn't make any sense to me? You had the greatest anatomy diagram you could ask for laying right there. You had fears of meat spoilage and didn't gut him, yet you saved all of the meat? If you quartered, or did gutless you certainly could have taken the 10 minutes to look where you hit. No one knows what happened, including you. No one's guess is any better than another and it is simply a guess. Had a perfect opportunity to learn from the experience. Much better advice on the dead elk laying in fron of you than on the internet.

 

[Bull_n_heat]

Had a perfect opportunity to learn from the experience. Much better advice on the dead elk laying in fron of you than on the internet.

I mean, it does sort of depend on to whom he or she is listening to on the internet, particularly if it's me

Congrats on the bull. Really good example of knowing when to push and when to pull back. Giving it a night saved you a lot of headache.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

Most likely what happened is you hit a rib on the entrance and that deflected your arrow forward and didn't double lung.

I agree you should have double lunged with the shot posted, but we can not assume a perfectly straight path thru the animal. I also agree shooting back a little farther is the best bet when shooting qtr-ing away shots. Couple inches more give a lot more leeway.

I finally also agree the elk you saw in the AM was a different elk. Hard to know for sure, but depending on the amount of entrance hole from the broadhead, the amount of air entering/exiting the chest cavity thru the wound may have been enough to keep the one lung collapsed but not collapse the other. Chances are, once the wound sealed over and bleeding stopped, the air exchange in the damaged lung allowed pressure to build up in the chest cavity to cause a pnuemothorax and that eventually killed the elk, suffocated it to death. Would also explain the gas in the tissue since gas would have tried to escape through any possible route.

The good news is this, despite the slower death than desired, this is still a much more clean way to kill an elk than getting eaten alive by a pack of wolves or starving to death in the harsh winter. So do not beat yourself up over this. You persisted and found the elk, it was a lethal shot and you got some good meat from him. Good job.

 

[rclouse79]

Hard to say. The only thing I would have done different is to take that second shot at 60 yards if I was sure I hit him on the first shot.

 

[Marble]

Thanks for all the replies. Certainly alot learned here. My own opinions - obviously the shot wasn't right for some reason, he was closer to broadside than quartering away (ie 45* angle), but I just can't imagine I hit both lungs and he was still head up 2hrs later that night. (Need to find a better representation of lung location). I'm 50/50 as to whether it was the same elm. On one hand, given the location, elk density, and similarities (I knew "both" bulls were relatively small 4-5pts), and being 30 yards from where he was bedded, just seems unrealistic to think it wasn't him. My own hypothesis on that - perhaps with how very little he ran/moved, a single lung would take even longer to become lethal, and the morning movement accelerated that.

On the other hand, He did seem a little gassy skinning him(A few little "pshhh" noises, did not hit stomach), and it does seem odd he would just happen to die in the 45 mins between glassing him and making it up the hill.

Rigormortis takes about 6 hours to fully set. Depending on a few other factors, it could be faster or slower. It then takes about 24 hours to wear off.

What was the condition of the carcass?

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