noharleyyet
Well-known member
...did laugh.
Sad find
- Thread starter wytex
- Start date
...did laugh.
Pre tenderized steaks no less.
Laelkhunter
Well-known member
Just second guessing, but with a hit like that it wasn't instantly fatal. Possibly the hunter didn't wait to let the Bull die, but instead tried to follow too soon pushing the Bull from his deathbed. Anyway, a terrible waste of a beautiful animal. Anything you can salvage to not make it a total waste. A Euro mount would be perfect, and display the Ivories with the Euro mount in some way.
Last edited:
shootbrownelk
Well-known member
Bad shots and lost animals happens more often than folks realize. I've found numerous lost archery shot animals over the years, both deer and elk. It happens with rifle shot critters too.
SilverDollars
Active member
Yep. This is exactly why I don't bow hunt for elk. I respect elk too much to possibly let this happen because I am NOT an expert with a bow. Using my rifle I am sure to get more internal damage thus a death usually occurs sooner and the elk is much easier and quicker to find. Plus, the time it might take to trail a bow-shot/wounded elk, and allowing time for the animal to expire, the meat can quickly spoil before you find and/or recover the elk. This is especially true in the warmer weather associated with archery seasons! There is a reason the old timers say, "It is cold enough today to kill a hog". The density of the elk can quickly cause spoilage within itself. I find it sadly interesting when I watch some of the bow hunting "elk hunting shows" and they don't want to push the wounded elk, so they back out until the next morning. They never mention how spoiled the meat is, they are just looking at the rack! Besides, I am macho enough to NOT need to have the "rush" of a bugling bull that responses to my calling. TOO EASY! I like the later rifle seasons as this is a totally different hunt and MUCH MORE OF A CHALLENGE, and, the weather is much cooler! I like that kind of hunt and the meat is not as likely to spoil before I find a rifle shot elk!!! To each, their own. 
Last edited:
Yep. This is exactly why I don't bow hunt for elk. I respect elk too much to possibly let this happen because I am NOT an expert with a bow. Using my rifle I am sure to get more internal damage thus a death usually occurs sooner and the elk is much easier and quicker to find. Plus, the time it might take to trail a bow-shot/wounded elk, and allowing time for the animal to expire, the meat can quickly spoil before you find and/or recover the elk. This is especially true in the warmer weather associated with archery seasons! There is a reason the old timers say, "It is cold enough today to kill a hog". The density of the elk can quickly cause spoilage within itself. I find it sadly interesting when I watch some of the bow hunting "elk hunting shows" and they don't want to push the wounded elk, so they back out until the next morning. They never mention how spoiled the meat is, they are just looking at the rack! Besides, I am macho enough to NOT need to have the "rush" of a bugling bull that responses to my calling. TOO EASY! I like the later rifle seasons as this is a totally different hunt and MUCH MORE OF A CHALLENGE, and, the weather is much cooler! I like that kind of hunt and the meat is not as likely to spoil before I find a rifle shot elk!!! To each, their own.
Well, I disagree with almost all your points but that is fine. Healthy discourse makes for interesting discussion. I believe no one is an archery expert, calling an elk is not too easy, I know first hand of archery harvests where the animal was feeding when shot then went right back to feeding and fell over and died on the spot.
Weather at this time was quite cool, and the meat would have been fine after a night lay but not several days. It was plenty cool enough to" kill a hog".
Many times an animal is left to expire overnight without losing any meat to spoilage, that is one very real consideration when out elk hunting.
We are not "macho enough" to forego an archery elk hunt because it is too easy.
Not maning to be an azz but just how many elk have you called in on public land and harvested? It's not that easy.
I believe you picked the wrong forum to bash archery hunters.
BrentD
Well-known member
One can always archery hunt elk without calling them. No law says you have to call. The one time I did it, I did not call. Got close (<30 yds) to 7 bulls. Only had a cow tag...
It's also completely possible that the hunter is still looking for the bull. Just because someone recovered "my" animal before I did doesn't make it theirs. If they came forward and could somehow prove it was their shot, I'd see no reason to not give them the rack.
As far as archery hunting elk being easier than rifle....that's funny.
As far as archery hunting elk being easier than rifle....that's funny.
Besides, I am macho enough to NOT need to have the "rush" of a bugling bull that responses to my calling. TOO EASY! I like the later rifle seasons as this is a totally different hunt and MUCH MORE OF A CHALLENGE, and, the weather is much cooler! I like that kind of hunt and the meat is not as likely to spoil before I find a rifle shot elk!!! To each, their own.
BAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Even "Wendy the slow adult" laughed at this.
Great bull. My brother and I ran into a couple of cows that had been shot in one of the Laramie areas last weekend. We saw the birds first and then the downhill thermal carried the smell. Sad. The coyotes were on them already. I wish I never saw animals that had been shot and never found. Seem to come across a few every season anymore.
Irrelevant
Well-known member
I've lost a bull. I'd never accept the rack if someone found it and tried to give it to me.
Zach
Well-known member
It even happens on good shots, things happen.
A buddy of mine shot a 320 bull in CO a few years ago. He was within 70 yds of finding him for 3 days, just missed it. It was found 3 weeks later and those antlers are now hangin on his wall. I had the privilege of picking them for him since he's a NR.
npaden
Well-known member
So what was left when you went back for it?
JonathonJEB
Active member
Bad deal. I hate it for the hunter. It will happen to everyone that hunts if they hunt enough. Glad you found it.
The body cavity had been opened and scavenged but not quite as much as we thought it would be. The smell was amazing to say the least. The head and carcass were left for a week and no one had come by and claimed the head or contacted the GW. I'll post a carcass pick when I get the camera back from the field.
The shot looked to be far back, almost to the back quarter and above mid line on the body. Probably went a ways with little or no blood trail. He was in an opening that I am very surprised no one found him. The area was hunted and is still being hunted hard by many folks.
The GW said he would not be inclined to give out our contact info if a hunter asked him about a gut shot elk being found.
Any number of reasons could have resulted in the bad shot, he had been hanging out in some very thick alders. We still are surprised he was not found earlier. The GW will go in next year to look for an arrow or broadhead.
Here is the one week after the find pic. Pretty easy to see the hunter was not back to claim his trophy. Something had turned the entire carcass over to get at the body cavity. We're thinking a black bear, area has plenty of them.
He had been lying there for 1 1/2 + weeks by then.
He had been lying there for 1 1/2 + weeks by then.
I bet, the smell carried for hundreds of yards. Still makes me gag to think about it.
I still find it hard to believe no one found this bull.
We are getting the teeth aged and getting him officially scored. We rough scored him and were very surprised. The GW thinks he goes higher than the score we got.
I still find it hard to believe no one found this bull.
We are getting the teeth aged and getting him officially scored. We rough scored him and were very surprised. The GW thinks he goes higher than the score we got.
Sorry, I didn't notice that you quoted me.
I'm not sure where the law stands, but in my opinion, if you are actively trying to recover the wounded animal (i.e., not looking to call, pursue, shoot at any other animals), you still have a legitimate claim to it. As soon as you quit "recovering" and begin "hunting" again, it's not yours.
Of course it's really hard to prove whether the hunter gave up the search, but that's where the line is in my mind. In most cases, I think it'd be safe to say those antlers mean more to the guy who wounded it than to someone who just happened to find them.
I agree with that sentiment Madtom, but obviously the hunter did not put much effort into looking. He was dead in a small meadow and the birds and smell were apparent from hundreds of yards away.
The Game warden also had no qualms about us bringing the head out and getting him tagged.
My question would be if the hunter found him days after he had gone"bad" should he or she be charged with wanton waste? Would he or she report themselves to the GW or ask for help in looking for the bull? I personally know of wounded elk by a NR hunter in this very area last season that the hunter reached out to the GW for help in looking for the wounded animal. We also kept our eyes open for that very bull so we could get him to the hunter if found.
I do know this, if one of us had wounded that bull we would have done transects for weeks if necessary to find him. Not saying the hunter didn't look but apparently they sure didn't look hard.
The head was left at the site for a week after the initial find.
I do think your posts lead to good discussion, thanks for the discourse. I know this is a touchy subject, is why I made this thread. Perhaps it will lead some to be better trackers and/or hunters.
The Game warden also had no qualms about us bringing the head out and getting him tagged.
My question would be if the hunter found him days after he had gone"bad" should he or she be charged with wanton waste? Would he or she report themselves to the GW or ask for help in looking for the bull? I personally know of wounded elk by a NR hunter in this very area last season that the hunter reached out to the GW for help in looking for the wounded animal. We also kept our eyes open for that very bull so we could get him to the hunter if found.
I do know this, if one of us had wounded that bull we would have done transects for weeks if necessary to find him. Not saying the hunter didn't look but apparently they sure didn't look hard.
The head was left at the site for a week after the initial find.
I do think your posts lead to good discussion, thanks for the discourse. I know this is a touchy subject, is why I made this thread. Perhaps it will lead some to be better trackers and/or hunters.
