Your Personal Wounding Rate- Archery Elk

[bigsky2]

This topic seems to keep coming up and I'm curious to get some actual numbers, at least amongst the Hunt Talk crowd. I get the feeling that most state game agencies probably have no idea what the numbers are either. If you've got thick skin, post up some more details in the comments. Please don't turn this into an archery vs rifle discussion.

I've personally lost three bulls. I like to think my likelihood of not recovering an animal has decreased significantly as I've gotten more experienced. Two of the bulls I didn't recover were two of the first three bulls I ever shot. Back then I hardly knew anything about archery hunting. I just went to Sportsmans Warehouse and got some hunting arrows and some broadheads that "fly like field points". Aiming for a certain arrow weight wasn't even on my radar at that time and I likely didn't know that tuning your bow was a thing. I didn't get a pass through on either of those bulls, and looking back I know my arrows were way to light. I don't know if pass throughs would have been the difference between me recovering them or not, but it sure would have increased my chances. Hunters starting out today have a lot more information at their fingertips so hopefully they are more likely to avoid those mistakes when it comes to having the right setup for elk. If I remember correctly, both of those bulls were 20 yards or less but they were walking when I shot, which is a shot I never take anymore. Fortunately, I've only lost one in the past ten years (hit shoulder blade), but my rate is still higher than I'd like. Hopefully it will continue to decrease with the more elk I shoot.

 

[elkhuntinfool78]

In the past 25 years of bow hunting I've lost 2 elk. One was a cow my first year of bow hunting. It was a perfect broadside shot at 10 yards and looked like it should have been a perfect double lung shot. Upon recovery of the arrow it appeared that the mechanical broad head I was using never opened up. Mechanical broad heads had just come out at the time and my local sporting goods store sold me on them telling me how great they fly.

I tracked her as far as I could but with no blood trail and a ton of other elk tracks I was never able to find her.

I went to fixed blades after that and haven't looked back although I am sure the new mechanical heads are probably great.

Second one was 4 or 5 years later and I shot a young bull right at last shooting light. Even though it was still legal shooting light, looking back I know I should have held off as I was having a hard time seeing my pins clearly. Tried to force it anyway and regretted it afterwards.

Since then I seem to have gotten my equipment dialed in and learned when and what shots to take. Like anyone I'm definitely not immune to making another mistake but I feel confident anytime I release an arrow.

Nothing wrecks a hunt like wounding an animal.

 

[cgasner1]

I’d hope most people are like you @bigsky2 and learn from mistakes and become a better hunter. I feel I have over the years. I think the high loss rates we all are suspicious of has more to do with the guys that don’t take it seriously and stayed at that entry level and just don’t get why other people have success. That and those stupid sliding sights

 

[peterk1234]

Been bowhunting 25 years. I've wounded one. I usually harvest one deer with a bow each year. I've yet to draw on an elk.

I've had some difficult tracking, but I've always found them. I refrain from taking crazy shots. 95% of my shots have been under 25 yards.

 

[Nick87]

I’d hope most people are like you @bigsky2 and learn from mistakes and become a better hunter. I feel I have over the years. I think the high loss rates we all are suspicious of has more to do with the guys that don’t take it seriously and stayed at that entry level and just don’t get why other people have success. That and those stupid sliding sights

This has been my experience. It can and does happen to everyone, but I'd say the overwhelming majority of it is repeat offenders with no change in sight.

 

[Wyhunter]

I have lost 1 bull elk and 1 mule deer buck. The bull, I was shaking so badly that I should have never released and made a bad shot. It was a gut shot broadside at 42ish yards. Tracked it for over 2.5 miles before the blood trail dried up. The deer was my first year archery hunting and I took a frontal shot. Very little blood and did not recover him. Both were huge learning experiences for me. After the bull, I tore apart my setup and started over from scratch.

 

[mtmuley]

This has been my experience. It can and does happen to everyone, but I'd say the overwhelming majority of it is repeat offenders with no change in sight.

I work with and have known a lot of the same guys that archery hunt for years. It's the same ones sticking and losing elk every season. mtmuley

 

[Forkyfinder]

I work with and have known a lot of the same guys that archery hunt for years. It's the same ones sticking and losing elk every season. mtmuley

Seems like we need to revise regs . I wouldnt hate it if people were done when they drew blood. Period.

 

[Nick87]

Seems like we need to revise regs . I wouldnt hate it if people were done when they drew blood. Period.

Might be a tough one to enforce ?

 

[mtmuley]

Seems like we need to revise regs . I wouldnt hate it if people were done when they drew blood. Period.

A fuzzy feel regulation with no way to enforce it. mtmuley

 

[Forkyfinder]

Might be a tough one to enforce ?

All of em are when theres no enforcement.... Ive ran into precisely 1 game warden in nearly a decade of at least 4 days hunting per year

 

[Forkyfinder]

A fuzzy feel regulation with no way to enforce it. mtmuley

Its not a lot different than evidence of sex, punching your tag, etc

 

[Nick87]

All of em are when theres no enforcement.... Ive ran into precisely 1 game warden in nearly a decade of at least 4 days hunting.

I get it. I have been stopped twice in 30 years here. Of at least 45 days hunting each year.

 

[mtmuley]

Its not a lot different than evidence of sex, punching your tag, etc

Yes. It is. mtmuley

 

[bigsky2]

I’ve never thought a regulation being tough to enforce was a good reason for not having the regulation at all. I like to think that the majority of people are willing to follow the law.

 

[cgasner1]

Seems like we need to revise regs . I wouldnt hate it if people were done when they drew blood. Period.

A revived bow hunters course that everyone has to take and a mandatory field day where you have to hit a pie plate at 40 every year would be more realistic

 

[mtmuley]

I like to think that the majority of people are willing to follow the law.

From reading experiences on various sites and real world information I have heard that is clearly not the case. mtmuley

 

[cgasner1]

In t

I’ve never thought a regulation being tough to enforce was a good reason for not having the regulation at all. I like to think that the majority of people are willing to follow the law.

In the case of Montana I think splitting the season would be a huge help the archery season would have more guys that are proficient with that weapon in the field and less that are recreational. The same could be said for rifle I’d bet seems like most people favor one or the other but use both so they aren’t as proficient

 

[Forkyfinder]

I’ve never thought a regulation being tough to enforce was a good reason for not having the regulation at all. I like to think that the majority of people are willing to follow the law.

At least in the hunting community i think thats true. . . Dont see a lot of thermals for example, even though odds of getting caught are likely near 0.

 

[bigsky2]

From reading experiences on various sites and real world information I have heard that is clearly not the case. mtmuley

There’s a ton of people that don’t follow the rules. I think it’s just that those are the people we talk about. There’s not really a reason to talk about all the people that follow the law.