[MTLivin]

I hit a BIG bull last night on a quartering away shot. It went in 1/3 way up, 3-4 inches behind shoulder. I cannot remember exactly how hard he was quartering, but he was looking back and turned back to see my buddies cow call. He moved a bit after the the shot and i saw the arrow sticking out about half or a bit more in a good position and not too angled, looked like it was in a lung. We found blood close and tracked him till midnight. The blood was dark red, sometimes thick and others watery, not frothy, great in areas and thin in others. We tracked him about 300 yards through **** soo thick you wouldn't guess an animal that size would even get through. That alone took 3 hours. Lost good blood but have it all marked out. Going back up in half hour and i hope to god he is dead close by. Didn't get to the truck till 1am.

I cannot imagine that that shot didn't hit anything vital, it looked good, but a little far forward for that angle. This was at least a 6x6, maybe even 7. Would also be my first bull, wont be posting anything again till sat night or sunday, packed camping gear in yesterday and staying up all weekend. Wish me luck finding him! i may need it.

P.S. anyone ever have a rib completely throw off a quartering shot? Just some of the thoughts going through my head.

 

[bhanks55]

sounds

like a possible liver shot. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[acridlon]

Best of luck!!! I hope you find him close...

 

[PUG]

yep....

Sounds like a liver hit....he should be dead by now...post pics when you get back with him!!

PUG

 

[holger_danske]

P.S. anyone ever have a rib completely throw off a quartering shot? .

Mike Lapinski recommends only broadside shots on elk, no quartering away shots, for that very reason.

And, what the heck are you still doing in front of the computer??? Sun has been up for 3 hrs and it's gonna be hot today... go get him!


Best of luck w/ recovery! :thumb:

 

[heitmann13]

Best of luck and I wanna see some PICS!!!!

 

[WaterboyUT]

Best of luck. Hope you find him soon. Looking forward to seeing pics.

 

[USNarcher]

A bull can go over a mile on one lung in less than an hour. Nothing wrong with a quartering shot as long as you calculate the other side. If you hit liver he probably wouldn't go far. They also tend to go towards water if they haven't piled up within the first hour. Good luck.

 

[cheetah8799]

P.S. anyone ever have a rib completely throw off a quartering shot? Just some of the thoughts going through my head.

I shot a deer a few years ago and had this happen. Quartering away, arrow hit well but manayed to bend and slide along the ribs right under the skin. Managed to go right into his front leg, ripped everything up really bad and the deer bled out within a fairly close distance. Pretty lucky really in my case...

 

[bhanks55]

rib

always a possibility but who really knows. If half the arrow was sticking out I would say he hit ribs but I think he may have hit the liver considering the blood trail.

 

[RxBowhunter]

always a possibility but who really knows. If half the arrow was sticking out I would say he hit ribs but I think he may have hit the liver considering the blood trail.

I agree. Sounds like a liver hit. Get back on the trail and take your time. You should be able to find him. Good luck!

 

[Lien2]

I hit a BIG bull last night on a quartering away shot. It went in 1/3 way up, 3-4 inches behind shoulder. I cannot remember exactly how hard he was quartering, but he was looking back and turned back to see my buddies cow call. He moved a bit after the the shot and i saw the arrow sticking out about half or a bit more in a good position and not too angled, looked like it was in a lung. We found blood close and tracked him till midnight. The blood was dark red, sometimes thick and others watery, not frothy, great in areas and thin in others. We tracked him about 300 yards through **** soo thick you wouldn't guess an animal that size would even get through. That alone took 3 hours. Lost good blood but have it all marked out. Going back up in half hour and i hope to god he is dead close by. Didn't get to the truck till 1am.

I cannot imagine that that shot didn't hit anything vital, it looked good, but a little far forward for that angle. This was at least a 6x6, maybe even 7. Would also be my first bull, wont be posting anything again till sat night or sunday, packed camping gear in yesterday and staying up all weekend. Wish me luck finding him! i may need it.

P.S. anyone ever have a rib completely throw off a quartering shot? Just some of the thoughts going through my head.

Do you mean 3-4 inches behind the SHOULDER, or the front leg? It's not in the liver if it was behind the shoulder. Sounds like you maybe hit the opposite side shoulder, but I don't know your set up (draw weight, arrow weight, etc.).
Either way, I think he's dead! GO GET HIM! :wink:
Good luck.

Lien2

 

[Tom_in_CT]

good luck!

 

[MTLivin]

Well, thanks for all of the encouragement. But after all of the signs add up, i think the shot was deflected off a rib and either between the ribcage and shoulder or into the shoulder. Let me explain my thoughts...

First the arrow would have hit one lung only, my fault for not hitting farther back. Liver is out of question. The arrow was sticking out alot very shortly after the shot when he turned and moved off. He never ran off, he walked off and continued to bugle 2 or 3 times shortly after the shot!!! This worried me. We herd him walking close by for 10 minuets but this stuff is WAY too thick to chase for a fallow shot. Gave him an hour before tracking. Blood was good at first, then got to be a drop or two after about a hundred yards. Muscle blood is also very dark red, this was not lung blood. After .23 miles (according to my gps) of tracking, the blood ended. It was weak at the end and after seeing it in the light im amazed we were even able to track him through that thick stuff at night!

I picked up the trail yesterday and a buddy and i scoured every possible trail for 100 yards or more, Nothing! He never bedded down, never went downhill (actually uphill was more like it) and never panicked. I shoot g5 montecs with 71# draw.

I know that shot would have ripped through a deer, antelope, goat ect... and killed quickly, but this was a big bull, and those ribs are hard!!! He must have been quartering too hard for that placement. Behind the ribcage completely would have killed him, but that is alot of intestine to go though and no guarantee it would have made it to the vitals.

I know a guy who shot a bull with rifle that had a full arrow still in its shoulder, they are tough animals. I hope it only hit muscle and he can recover. I met some other good hunters in the area and they said they would keep an eye out for him and call me if they find or see him. Those hunters too had muscle hit elk and seen them later in the season. We also walked alot of that area in the past two days without any sign of a dead animal nearby.

I will only take broadside or slightly quartering shots on elk from now on! Please learn from my mistake so you don't have to do it yourself.

 

[WIbow]

Well, thanks for all of the encouragement. But after all of the signs add up, i think the shot was deflected off a rib and either between the ribcage and shoulder or into the shoulder. Let me explain my thoughts...

First the arrow would have hit one lung only, my fault for not hitting farther back. Liver is out of question. The arrow was sticking out alot very shortly after the shot when he turned and moved off. He never ran off, he walked off and continued to bugle 2 or 3 times shortly after the shot!!! This worried me. We herd him walking close by for 10 minuets but this stuff is WAY too thick to chase for a fallow shot. Gave him an hour before tracking. Blood was good at first, then got to be a drop or two after about a hundred yards. Muscle blood is also very dark red, this was not lung blood. After .23 miles (according to my gps) of tracking, the blood ended. It was weak at the end and after seeing it in the light im amazed we were even able to track him through that thick stuff at night!

I picked up the trail yesterday and a buddy and i scoured every possible trail for 100 yards or more, Nothing! He never bedded down, never went downhill (actually uphill was more like it) and never panicked. I shoot g5 montecs with 71# draw.

I know that shot would have ripped through a deer, antelope, goat ect... and killed quickly, but this was a big bull, and those ribs are hard!!! He must have been quartering too hard for that placement. Behind the ribcage completely would have killed him, but that is alot of intestine to go though and no guarantee it would have made it to the vitals.

I know a guy who shot a bull with rifle that had a full arrow still in its shoulder, they are tough animals. I hope it only hit muscle and he can recover. I met some other good hunters in the area and they said they would keep an eye out for him and call me if they find or see him. Those hunters too had muscle hit elk and seen them later in the season. We also walked alot of that area in the past two days without any sign of a dead animal nearby.

I will only take broadside or slightly quartering shots on elk from now on! Please learn from my mistake so you don't have to do it yourself.

That sux man!

 

[MTLivin]

Mike Lapinski recommends only broadside shots on elk, no quartering away shots, for that very reason.

And, what the heck are you still doing in front of the computer??? Sun has been up for 3 hrs and it's gonna be hot today... go get him!


Best of luck w/ recovery! :thumb:

I agree with Mike Lapinski! I was waiting for my buddy, tracking with two is always better. And i hate to say it, but not many people would have passed up this shot on such a nice animal. I will know better next time.

P.S. The shot was only 40 yards, it was my aiming that was off, the arrow hit where my pin was, i can admit that.

 

[jlamp]

Sorry to hear about your loss!

 

[King]

That sucks. It's always crushing to lose an animal.