I am gearing up for a elk hunt this year. I've been scouting for the past couple weeks and really caught the fever this weekend coming within 20 yds of a bull and 2 cows, so back to the topic, i know that it all depends on approaching angle and all but where is the sweet spot. I am not afraid to track and animal, just wana limit it if possible. Thanks in advance.
You really want a good broadside or quatering away shot on an elk. They are a tough animal and it is big country.
Northern, 130 makes a great point about being tough to bring down... Put it where it needs to be, and they can STILL go 1/4 mile with very little blood; it can sometimes take a while to fill up their body cavity before blood starts spilling out and leaving a good trail. Somehow miss one lung? Well... you can be in for one wild ride, as I experienced last year. This story's going to appear in a magazine later this fall, but it'll undoubtedly be edited for space reasons... here's the full account if you weren't around for it: http://forums.bowhunting.com/showthread.php?t=15487
How true the statement below is. Add that blood trail on old pine needles and the task really can become a challenge One word of advice, stay away from the shoulder. I would prefer a quarter away shot and then aim for the opposite shoulder.
Thanks alot for the information. It seems that i may be in for a little more than i had thought. The picture of the vitals that 130 provided are a huge help to understand the shot placement.
After you make the shot.....REMEMBER, to start calling right away. The elk is not sure what just happened but it knows something happened. If you can remember to start calling right after the shot, it can slow that elk down and let the bleeding begin. It's a great tool to have in your tool box but worthless if you can't remember to use it.
