Hit/lost bull

[utah400elk]

So…I am helping a friend with his NM elk hunt. He is in the Gila in NM unit 15. Last night he shot a bull. He was not sure of the yardage and held for 30. He had really good blood for the first 250 yards. The bull then turned up a steep slope and he quickly lost blood.

He thinks he heard his bull bugling this morning and moving off with his cows. He is not sure where he hit it and didn’t get a pass through. He cant smell the bull and no birds on the carcass yet. Any helpful ideas?

 

[mdhunter61]

I don't think it bodes well that the bull went 250 yards and then turned up a steep slope. I am no elk expert tho, so hopefully some of the seasoned elk hunters chime in soon.

 

[Deez Nutz]

If you think he is dead, find somebody with a dog EDIT: before you track too much scent all over the place.

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[Addicting]

We can smell the bull

I’ve never smelt a bull that I wasn’t close to. Our sense of smell isn’t great. If you can smell the bull you need to do a grid search from down wind.

 

[utah400elk]

Sorry…typo. He can’t smell the bull

 

[utah400elk]

My buddy should have ranged the bull and paid more attention to where the shot hit but he was super jacked. Bad situation for sure. This was a 340 class herd bull he had seen a few days earlier.

 

[Nick87]

Good luck. Low hit?

 

[utah400elk]

He has no idea where he hit it.

 

[Lostinthewoods]

Did you find the arrow? What does it read?

Any pictures of the blood? What did it read? Muscle? Lung? Liver? Etc

Did he hear a hit? Specifically asking in case he heard the dreaded shoulder thud.

As mentioned. It’s never ideal when bulls start climbing steep stuff. Most lethal hits or heavily injured animals will not travel up.

 

[MTGomer]

How long is the steep slope that he turned up? If he fatally hit, it is unlikely that he continued up it for long. If it’s a short distance to the top, disregard this, but if it’s a long ways, I would go downhill of that slope and look.

 

[Deez Nutz]

Most lethal hits or heavily injured animals will not travel up.

Most, yes, but definitely not all. I shot a bull a couple of years ago that turned and ran straight up hill for 1/2 mile and then died just over the back side of the ridge. Broadside 25 yd double lung. Just when you think you've got them figured out they do something like that to piss you right off.

 

[Wyhunter]

They can sure go a long ways on a gut shot if thats the case. Blood will be hit or miss. Try to find an area where he may have jumped a fence or deadfall/elevation change to get the blood to come out again. Smell the blood where you found it and see if it has a gut kinda smell to it. Like stated above, sound of impact and blood information will tell you a lot. Grid search for blood. They are tough animals.

 

[utah400elk]

The up hill is 300-400 yards and steep. No arrow found and not a pass through. He said the shot sounded like hitting a watermelon and not the shoulder.

 

[cgasner1]

Good luck. I usually have a hard time finding them if they clear a 100 yards that’s not a good sign of things to come for me

 

[utah400elk]

I will try to get pictures of the blood.

 

[utah400elk]

He searched for over an hour and could not find the arrow. He did get a strong smell of elk but the area was overrun with fresh elk sign. They moved back into the area after he left last night.

I am bummed for him. He ranged the shot distance and 30 should have been a dead elk.

 

[TayBou]

This really depends on the terrain. Can you see a ways, are you in thick timber? Do you have a good direction of travel? What was the orientation of the bull when he was shot?

I just went through a tough track, uphill shot, quartered to, shot for 20, he was 25 yds, so a little low. Couldn't find blood or the arrow, spent 4-5 hours at the shot sight and known travel path, then started making circles in the direction he went and eventually bumped him 250 yds away from where I shot, he did a death run and recovered him with the arrow inside him.

The main thing I can suggest is keep going back to last blood, and get on your hands and knees. Depending on the hit, if he stopped bleeding when moving up hill, go to the top of the hill and start looking where you think he may have turned side/down hill and grid, focusing on logs or other features that might more easily show blood. Direction of travel from single drops of blood can make a huge difference.

 

[Valley1320]

We searched for over an hour and could not find the arrow. We did get a strong smell of elk but the area was overrun with fresh elk sign. They moved back into the area after we left last night. I am convinced we heard him moving off with his cows at first light.

I am numbed for my friend. That was a big bull. We ranged the shot distance and 30 should have been a dead elk.

Best bet would be to get a look at the elk herd if you can find them again it's open enough country and see if you can see him with them

 

[bigsky2]

I’ve found that a lot of times they will loop back to where they came from after they are hit. Even if it doesn’t seem likely, I’d check there.

 

[utah400elk]

Best bet would be to get a look at the elk herd if you can find them again it's open enough country and see if you can see him with them

That is his plan.