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MT District 302 lost Archery Elk found - Medicine Lodge

This thread has taken in interesting turn. Sadly ethics are no longer valued by many.

After handling the elk, my thoughts are this arrow was likely deflected. I can’t see the arrow stopping in the loin, if someone actually shot it straight on. But that is just my best guess.


My shot placement on this elk, is a great example of why ethical shots are so important. This was a “great” shot in my mind. The elk died quickly. After getting up to the elk, you can see I missed my mark. I did everything I could to make this a slam dunk shot, and in the end, I still had to rely on a little bit of “luck”.
I made the turn inadvertently, due to ethics. Just saying ethics should be practiced unequivocally with both arrows and bullets. I agree I'm confident to say that lots of long range rifle shots are not confidently known by the shooter where they actually hit. You're right, appears you had a good shot and had some luck.
 
interesting turn of events.

When I arrowed it, the shot was in that 'void' above vitals. Right behind shoulder but too high. Bull was in at water hole and I believe part of him being in water to his belly threw off my perception of where to aim and he definitively flinched down at the release then wheeled out of there.
I once pulled my muzzy fixed blade broadhead and two inches of arrow from a bull I lost 2 weeks prior when helping a rifle hunter. Bull came in rutting hard within a herd and the guy shot it with his rifle.

Was not till I found piece of arrow and broadhead I realized it was “my” bull from two weeks ago. All was encased in a semifirm “capsule” of I guess scar tissue. Two of the blades were separated from broadhead body laying next to it in that pocket.

Guy I was helping was a turd and I was regretting offering to help his hunt till it closed out a tough situation for me. then I was glad to be there. wrote that archery hunt up here back in 2010. Guy was such a turd I swear he was on verge of trying to ground check the bull but I put a stop to that and said, get yor tag out and start punching it.
How many bulls have you maimed and left to rot?
 
I know several people who take questionable shots with archery and rifle, in fact a guy just lost two deer a few days ago because of poor judgment with a rifle and both made it to the swamp and died someone in the water.

People may hate on crossbows but for me it's what I use to feel ethical when I go out during archery season. I don't have time to practice with a compound like I would need to so for me I feel more confident I will make a clean shot with the crossbow but still know my limitations on distance and angles of shots.

One guy I know feels more enabled by his ravin crossbow because it goes ridiculously fast so he claims he can shoot deer to 100 yards. Glad he hasn't had the opportunity to do so.
 
I know several people who take questionable shots with archery and rifle, in fact a guy just lost two deer a few days ago because of poor judgment with a rifle and both made it to the swamp and died someone in the water.

People may hate on crossbows but for me it's what I use to feel ethical when I go out during archery season. I don't have time to practice with a compound like I would need to so for me I feel more confident I will make a clean shot with the crossbow but still know my limitations on distance and angles of shots.

One guy I know feels more enabled by his ravin crossbow because it goes ridiculously fast so he claims he can shoot deer to 100 yards. Glad he hasn't had the opportunity to do so.
Crossbows are great for people who have become disabled and are unable to pull back a traditional bow. They should to be used like a compound and kept under 60 yards in my opinion. I have had 2 back surgeries and currently have 2 partially torn rotator cuffs along with a herniated disc in my neck. I still use my compound, but bought a ravin crossbow if it ever gets to the point that I can no longer draw my bow. They get a lot of hate, but there is a place for them. Maybe they should have a weapon specific season for them like muzzleloader or short range seasons.
 
2 of my elk had bullets up against their scapulas from prior years wounds undoubtedly from extreme long range...

Rifles hunters can also be dipshits apparently.
I shot my 85th and 86th elk tonight, have never found a bullet in one that wasn't mine. Did find 3 .22 slugs in deer over the years.

But I just dont have your vast knowledge with elk.

Today was stellar, 5 cows and a bull. 2 tags left for tomorrow.
 
I’m not bias toward one weapon over the other but something that is increasingly getting annoying to me is the amount of animals that are getting shot and lost and always being chalked up to being hit in the “void”.

I do recognize that is a real thing but it seams everyone tries to use it as an excuse for a poor shot.
I shot a doe with a rifle 3 nights ago right at dark and never found a drop of blood or hair but knew I killed her. Walked 100 yards into the greenbrier and there she was. Big globs of fat instantly plugged the holes.

I just wonder how many times things like that happen and when people don’t see mass amounts of blood on the ground the immediately go to thinking it’s hit in the void.
When I was younger it was explained to me that hitting the void was about as rare as you could expect because of the small size. Now it seems it’s hit by every neighbor around and every person I encounter.
 
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