Things I Wish I'd known about Elk Hunting

[mtmuley]

I rifle hunt only. And I always have a cow call. mtmuley

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

What?????

Put it right in the < that is created by the scapula and the humerus. On and elk it's about a 6" triangle that has a tremendous amount of vasculature and the top of the heart. Hit them here and you'll likely watch them fall. If you go forward two ribs from the back that's 100% guts and you've made a miserable day of searching.

Ribs equal lungs on a standing bull. I have chased way more shoulder shot bulls than I care to remember. Bulls shot in the ribs usually die in sight.

 

[JLS]

Ribs equal lungs on a standing bull. I have chased way more shoulder shot bulls than I care to remember. Bulls shot in the ribs usually die in sight.

You must hunt different elk than I do.

 

[seeth07]

Ribs equal lungs on a standing bull.

You are basically right. On all animals, the diaphragm attaches to the rib cage roughly just inward of the end of the ribcage by the First rib. This makes sense because all animals have ribs to protect their main vital organs (heart and lungs). However, the diaphragm isn't straight across the body. In fact. Almost the entire liver will also be tucked behind the protection of the rib cage yet it is outside the diaphragm. Therefore, if you hit an elk with an arrow or bullet and it passes through the rib cage on both sides, you are for sure going to hit liver, lungs and/or heart. In all of those shot scenarios, the animal is dead.

 

[FlatlanderAZ]

You must hunt different elk than I do.

Almost certainly I do.

 

[JLS]

In all of those shot scenarios, the animal is dead.

Certainly dead, but not necessarily recoverable.

 

[Kracker]

Don't hunt an area because you like the area, hunt it because the elk are there.

 

[Roughwater]

Figure out ways to keep your vital stuff organized during a Elk hunt so you don't have to search through your gear to find it. When you wake up at 4 am you don't want to waste time trying to get organized. Try to have a specific location for all your vitals and when you use it put it back in exactly the same place. When you are tired there is not much more frustrating than not being able to find that key piece of gear you need right now.

Pay a little more to buy the lighter more compactable low temp sleeping bag in the beginning cause it's what you want and if you don't buy it now, you eventually will anyway. You can always unzip it in warmer weather.

If you camp out of your truck or near your truck let yourself be comfortable. Buy a big tent you can stand up in or almost so and get you a cot with a foam mattress. Lack of sleep can catch up to you on a hard hunt. Make your camp as comfortable as possible. Lately I often set up 2 camps. A base camp and spike camp so I can be nearer to the Elk. If you set up a spike camp it's still nice to have a base camp that you can retreat to when weary where you can truly rest and not have to be wondering whats snapping those twigs in the middle of the night. When I was younger I wanted to rough it. Now I rough it by necessity but when it's time to rest I want to rest. My hunts have gotten longer because being retired I can hunt longer. I still can't afford that motor home or even a small camper but a person can make do pretty well with a sizable tent for not much money.

 

[Hammsolo]

Prepare - practice with your weapon in “real” situations. Get gear that is quiet, and keeps you dry. Wet = Cold = Loss of focus = No elk. Get in shape. If you pack Hunt, put it on and load it up. Then hike.

Persistence is key - I’ve spooked loads of bulls by giving up seconds early. The early, late, and grinding hunter gets the elk. Comfortable doesn’t cut it. I love hearing complaints from road hunters about the lack of game in an area.

 

[wyoelkfan15]

What?????

Put it right in the < that is created by the scapula and the humerus. On and elk it's about a 6" triangle that has a tremendous amount of vasculature and the top of the heart. Hit them here and you'll likely watch them fall. If you go forward two ribs from the back that's 100% guts and you've made a miserable day of searching.

I agree with shooting them in the pocket, however, my last elk was third rib from the back about mid body, full pass through and double lung, elk dropped 20 yards from where I shot it. It fully depends on the body angle to the shooter.

 

[JLS]

It fully depends on the body angle to the shooter.

Certainly the point of aim will change with body angle, but you're still trying to hit the center of the vitals.

 

[Kiwi]

A lot of great advice here. One of my favourites, for all hunting, is when you don’t know your next move or you’re getting impatient, just wait. Sit, relax and look / listen.

 

[mtmuley]

You are basically right. On all animals, the diaphragm attaches to the rib cage roughly just inward of the end of the ribcage by the First rib. This makes sense because all animals have ribs to protect their main vital organs (heart and lungs). However, the diaphragm isn't straight across the body. In fact. Almost the entire liver will also be tucked behind the protection of the rib cage yet it is outside the diaphragm. Therefore, if you hit an elk with an arrow or bullet and it passes through the rib cage on both sides, you are for sure going to hit liver, lungs and/or heart. In all of those shot scenarios, the animal is dead.

Experience? mtmuley

 

[Hammsolo]

Ribs equal lungs on a standing bull. I have chased way more shoulder shot bulls than I care to remember. Bulls shot in the ribs usually die in sight.

I think I know what you’re trying to say, but if taking literally this almost sounds “if it’s brown knock it down.” Ribs run from stem to nearly 3/4 stern. They also run spine to sternum. A newer hunter needs more specifics I think.

 

[Nick87]

What?????

Put it right in the < that is created by the scapula and the humerus. On and elk it's about a 6" triangle that has a tremendous amount of vasculature and the top of the heart. Hit them here and you'll likely watch them fall. If you go forward two ribs from the back that's 100% guts and you've made a miserable day of searching.

Agreed that triangle between scapula and humerus is best place to zip an arrow. An old timer friend of mine thought me that when I first started bow hunting, I thought he was crazy at the time when I was a kid. I told him that seems like a small target close to the shoulder blade. His response was "you need more practice and/or your not close enough." He was right. Imo they die faster in that triangle and the blood trails seem to be much heavier. I wouldnt want to be more than 6" behind the shoulder on a broadside shot but that's just me.

 

[seeth07]

Give me that quartering away shot where I can zip it in slightly right behind the shoulder

 

[Wildabeest]

I’ll second the recommendation about planning how you are going to get an animal out. I think it’s something that’s often overlooked by new elk hunters who get caught up in the excitement of the hunt itself. It can really put a damper on a great hunt if you’ve got an animal on the ground and absolutely no idea how you are going to get it back to the truck or what you are going to with it after that.

 

[Gerald Martin]

What?????

Put it right in the < that is created by the scapula and the humerus. On and elk it's about a 6" triangle that has a tremendous amount of vasculature and the top of the heart. Hit them here and you'll likely watch them fall. If you go forward two ribs from the back that's 100% guts and you've made a miserable day of searching.

@JLS beat me to the punch. This is great advice for where to aim.

Also, someone earlier said you can’t let an elk lay overnight without it spoiling. It’s either true or it’s not, depends on the time of year and temperature and humidity. I have been part of the recovery and butchering of four elk that were left overnight. Three archery bulls and one rifle. The three archery bulls all came through with no meat loss due to dry weather overnight temps @40’s and the elk still in their summer coat which allows body heat to escape.

The rifle bull was killed in early Nov. just before a misty rain settled in. He had thick underfur in his hair and the humidity and rain sped up the bacteria even though the temperature was actually cooler than the archery bulls. We lost about a quarter of that bull.

Given the option of trying to recover a marginally hit bull in the dark or letting it lay until morning light for better trailing conditions, I will back out every time.

If you jump a bedded bull in the dark and he knows he is being pursued the odds of ever recovering that elk have just gone way down.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Also in regards to anatomy, not all rib shots are equal. A foot behind the shoulder is behind the diaphragm if you are low, it’s almost the center of the lungs if you are in the upper third.

Also not all lung shots are equal. I used to believe that every double lung shot = instant death. That’s until I watched a double lung shot elk stand for over two hours before I decided to back out and come backs the next morning ( I couldn’t get close for another shot). I recovered him right there at daylight.

When is opened him up the front lower lobes of both lungs were center punched. The shot was slightly quartered to me. The arrow entered through the back part of the leg muscle and exited about a foot and a half behind the opposite shoulder, 1/3 of the way up from the bottom.

The leg muscle blocked the entrance wound and the wound channel through the diaphragm was plugged by stomach matter preventing the lungs from collapsing.

The broadhead must not have severed any major blood vessels because there was less than a quart of blood in the chest cavity.

I am convinced that bull died from peritonitis from the ruptured diaphragm and stomach rather than blood loss or a pneumothorax.

I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Three days is all you need to hunt elk.... . First day is spent charging up and down the mountain dreaming of bugling bulls peeing on themselves as they come rushing to the call.

Second day is walking up the mountains wondering if it might not be as easy as you think.
Third day is dragging yourself up a different ridge, hoping to find some poop that isn’t petrified or a track that isn’t dirt cement. Afternoon nap is a little longer and time for a change of plans.
Fourth and continuing trip days are spent sleeping in, going to town to get a good meal at the cafe. Evenings are spent crying into several beers and cursing the wolves.

Next 365 is split between never wanting to go back and bragging to your buddies how tough it is and how you are gonna get one this year.

Welcome to the world of average elk hunting.

I figure an average of 12 days hunting per shot taken as a rule of thumb. I am not an average elk hunter, well below it in fact. I am persistent and stubborn when I set my mind to it, and I try to give myself plenty of time. Blind hogs, acorns and all that.