Humain way to Kill an Elk.

[ELKCHSR]

As I was reading thru these, I rememberd vividly the last elk I shot down in Wy last year...
My gun is a little off so the bullet didn't go thru the lungs as is my main prefferd choice. it hit her hard in the shoulder and powdred the bone, then went into her spine and bounced into the far shoulder meat. When I walked up to her, she was still moving her head around, obviously the rest wouldn't move because of the spine hit. I really hate to lose meat and don't like to hit any animal to many times with my 300 WTHBY. So I reached down and cut her throat. I don't see any problem with this and it is quick and humane. The only thing is, you have to be ready for the shower of blood that comes out when you do this...
If I have to put a second bullet into an animal, I will just shoot it in the sides right thru the lungs, it can't do any thing but pass on very soon after....

 

[Pygmy]

Cutting the throat on a still living game animal can be hazardous to your health.. Yeah, I've done it too, back when I was young, dumb and full of cum, but it's a good way to get hurt....A bullet is cheap and through the ribs or through the neck at the base of the skull ruins very little meat.....

Moosie...That waiting 1/2 hour to an hour should pertain to animals that run off out of sight when you are not sure of your bullet placement.. Basically the reason t for doing that is to allow a gutshot animal time to lay down and stiffen up....Any animal hit in the boiler room is going to be dead within seconds, not minutes, so what's the use in waiting if you are sure of a good hit...If the animal goes down and is still alive within sight, such as a spine shot or the shoulder shot that Elkchsr described, It's probably going to take quite a while to die...Hours, perhaps many hours...It needs to be finished off ASAP...Sure there's a chance that it may try to get up and get underway while you are walking up to it...That's good reason to keep your rifle ready for a followup shot just in case...

 

[Highcountry]

A couple years ago I had a buddy that thought he was gonna slit the throat on a raghorn. It was hit hard and i thought it was about over, my buddy just missed getting torn a new one by that bull. The bull still had enough fight left to get up and chase my buddy for a few seconds. I can remember laughing my ass off as I was watching this from about 200 yards across the meadow.
-Highcountry

 

[Fullabull]

This happened to my hunting partner with his last two bulls. The first one was a high hit and broke the spine to where the bull could not use its hind legs at all. He was not bleeding out very fast and would have probably stayed alive for quite a while. Luckily my partner was not to far and was able to finish the bull off with a shot to the neck.

The second bull was hit hart in the vitals and would not have lasted to long, but he was about 200yrds away. So my partner walked closer to him and again finished him with a neck shot.

Both of these bulls would have died in time. But when you are able to see them and watch them die (suffer). It is the hunters responsibility to make the suffering as short as possible if the opportunity is presented... And it should not matter if it is a trophy or not.

We owe is to the animals we hunt and respect. And be thankful they are not carrying guns and bows. Now that would be a challenge :-0

 

[JLG]

I have no problem using a second bullet to seal the deal. Watching something suffer for 30 minutes would haunt me for the rest of my life.
A few years ago I though I made an instant kill shot on a Javelina from about 150 yards. Pig dropped like a rock. It was up hill and I was using my heavy barreled .223. I am thinking it's dead, take the knife, gut the pig, come back and get your gun and gear. Turns out, I broke the pigs neck. I ended up finishing him off with a 3" buck knife, while standing on his snaring, pissed off head and as you can well image 3" didn't get the job down the 1st, 5th or God knows how many times I stabbed him. To this, day and to the end of my days that will haunt me. I wish I would have brought the gun and used the second bullet, no watching or kniving for me. Good Luck, JLG.

 

[Wapiti Slayer]

I'd say #1 as long as it isn't still trying to escape and #2 if it's down but suffering. I don't believe in making them suffer any more than ya have to. I've experienced all three and that would be my choice. Unless you have a HUGE trophy you don't want to mess up for mounting I'd take #3. I do Taxidermy on the side For Artistic Taxidermy and man some of the stuff you see come in blown to hell and they want it done perfect!

 

[nitro x]

Its not in my nature to let a wounded animal suffer any longer than necessary.nor would I spoil meat I did not have to.
There Are 3 ways to kill Quickly.The BBB if you will.Breath, blood, and brain.The lungs are the slowest then the heart, then the brain being the fastest.
Head shots are the quickest, and on a Cow I would probably get close enough to shoot her in the head and be done.But not on a wall hanging bull.On a bull I would get close enough to finish him with a heart shot that did not hit either shoulder(to save meat)and be done.
This of course is under the Idea circumstance they were not getting up.After seeing several animals go down you can tell if one is likely to get up or not,but you can still be surprised once in a while.
If I thought it may get up I would shoot again from where I was .If I thought the first shot was fatal IE lungs or heart But a long chase was coming I would try to shoot the spine if they were in range .(you don't always have to hit the bone to send shock waves through the spine and knock him down again but the bone is best)this will anchor him .That should do it if not get close enough to make it count.
All of this is if the wounded animal hasn't gotten out of sight.I don't chase wounded animals for at least 30 min.gun or 1 hour archery.
PS I haven't seen the best luck shooting bedded animals. If their bedded you can usually stalk pretty close and cow call,Make a kissing sound, or low volume bird whistle to get a standing shot at a curious animal.
I realize not all situations are the same but personally I would not have taken a shot from across a canyon at a bedded animal.

[ 04-10-2004, 11:10: Message edited by: nitro x ]

 

[BrianID]

I've done #1, #2 & #3
I won't do #3 unless I'm bow hunting.
In 2002 I shot my buck out of his bed and he roled over on his back with his feet in the air and kicked a couple times so I shot him agian even though he was already done for. Unless the animals is stone dead I always chamber a second round and shoot again if I have a good shot . If I don't have a good shot from where I'm at but I'm very confident the animal isn't going to get back up then I will do #2. If I'm not sure if the animal is down I will stay were I'm at or get to a good vatage point so I can watch what it does. I think it is a bad idea to walk up to an animal that would likely get up in most situations because all it might give you is a butt shot as it gets up to run.

 

[nitro x]

I can list a few critters I have seen rolled of a bed to, but the way deer and elk lay their bones often cover part of their vitals and the bone can deflect a bullet or arrow.there are more obstructions near the ground you may not see like sticks and rocks. its a lot easer to get close and get them up for a good shot.
when they are bedded they are more reluctant to get up this makes a stalk easer.