Your Personal Wounding Rate- Archery Elk

[BRI]

Really hesitant to even post, but I've been bowhunting 38 years and have seen a lot of good and bad and learned a lot over the years. Not sure exact number, maybe 50ish, but I've been involved (both myself and hunting partners) in a lot of harvests and unfortunately several wounded animals.

I think people get overconfident in their ability to "make the shot" under questionable circumstances. Then they talk themselves into thinking they made the perfect shot when, in reality, they didnt and probably know it if they're being honest with themselves. They convince themselves they made a good shot and proceed to quickly only to jump an animal. Nearly all animals hit lethally have bedded down inside 200 yards, even though they might be alive for several hours.

Quartering to shots are the worst, in my opinion because you swear that elk was broadside and you made the perfect shot behind the shoulder. Thinking you made the perfect shot, start tracking after waiting an hour (or sooner, thinking perfect shot) only to jump the animal within 150 yards. After that, good luck and likely lost animal. Me personally, I've had two bulls (2000 and 2002) where this happened. Found them later over a mile away from where they were jumped. Ever since, I really try to focus on the opposite side to determine angle. In my experience, a quartering to shot typically results in an elk being alive for 3+ hours. As a general rule, waiting longer is never usually a bad idea. I've gotten into the habit of, if I don't see the animal fall, wait 3 hours minimum.

I read an article about aiming for the V above the lower leg and got into the habit of aiming there. Make the perfect shot and it's a quick kill but subsequently hit a couple high in the shoulder blade and watched the arrow only go in 3" and either snap off or fall out. I don't believe those elk died. Doesn't make me feel good, but knowing they likely survived is an easier pill to swallow. Not my aim point since.

 

[Bighorner]

I wounded my fist deer in 2004. I did not have range finder and shot low through a front leg. This was a fatal shot because the landowner put her down and I never hunted that farm along the Gallitin again.

Since then I have had a clean miss on a cow and been successful pretty much every year on either deer or elk.

That is not to say I did not have a little luck. I had a bad shot on a spike. Luckily it been down after being bumped once and I found it by listening for coyotes first thing the next morning. That was a year after a wounded the doe.

I made a good shot on a bull that went straight up hill, in rain, in regen/blow down that would have been hard to find had I not heard the crash of him falling and rolling slightly down hill. Hard hit elk will certainly go up hill. I think they are dead on their feet and just don't know it yet.

My last elk was with a recurve and died within sight. I am a lot more patient and conservative with shots theses days. I hope I haven't jinxed myself. I am headed out for elk with a rifle Tuesday for the first time in 3 Years.

I don't want to tell people what to do, but if a guy is wounding elk every year or multiple elk per year, it might be time to do some serious self reflection. I think there are far too many folks that say " he'll be soar for a few days but elk are tough." Sometimes they make it, but if you hit guts, they will die a slow death.

 

[elkhuntinfool78]

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

I would be all for this, however you would be asking for people to be honest about it as there would be no viable way to force people to uphold to that regulation and I don't think many would notch their tag upon drawing blood.

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I lost the first elk I ever shot. I felt sick to my stomach. I searched for 3 days. I stopped bringing my tag for the rest of the season, I didn't deserve another chance and it just felt wrong for me. I passed up a lot of opportunities in the past before that because I thought elk hunting would always be great where I hunted, but I was wrong and started feeling more pressure to shoot the first bull I saw.
I definitely learned my lesson and I never take a rushed shot.

My dad had a buddy that lost every single animal he ever shot with a bow. Deer, elk, bear, he lost them all. He had the worst buck fever and I think he eventually quit bow hunting because he kept losing animals.

 

[Nick87]

My Norman, God rest his soul, used to be able to locate wounded animals using only his nose. A super smeller he was, my Norman. He said he could smell their “run hormones.” Helped me find a deer I accidentally shot right through the rump one time, despite me and all my “goddamn lady lotions” fouling up his super nose. Have you all tried smelling them out?

Norm also used to call bow hunters “forest faeries.” His words, not mine.

Sincerely,
HuntTalk Ma’am

I think I know...

 

[mtmuley]

I think I know...

Keep it a secret. mtmuley

 

[BAKPAKR]

My Norman, God rest his soul, used to be able to locate wounded animals using only his nose. A super smeller he was, my Norman. He said he could smell their “run hormones.” Helped me find a deer I accidentally shot right through the rump one time, despite me and all my “goddamn lady lotions” fouling up his super nose. Have you all tried smelling them out?

Norm also used to call bow hunters “forest faeries.” His words, not mine.

Sincerely,
Hunt Talk Ma’am

I have a friend who sniffed out a wounded elk and, later, a wounded bear after we lost the blood trails. Each needed a follow-up shot. The elk had been gut shot with an arrow and the bear had been hit above the spine with a 300 RUM (could still use it front legs).

Scout’s honor.

Disclaimer - I was never a scout so I don’t know if “scout’s honor” means much from me, but it did happen.

 

[Valley1320]

Lost the first mule deer I ever shot with my bow back when I was 16. Followed blood for seemed like forever, never did find her I believe she died. Tried a frontal shot on a mule deer buck a couple years later with to light of a arrow setup mixed with not knowing what I was doing like I should have and didn't get him killed saw him out feeding a couple evenings later. Then bout 3 or 4 years ago would have been the year before I started using magnus broadheads I stuck a deer way high with a cutthroat broadhead head and he lived. Saw him feeding numerous times in the alfalfa field after the hunt ended and could see the wound healing up high above his lungs evidently. I was bummed I didn't get him but it was great to see him live and heal back up. Almost got a shot at him the next year after that but got to dark on me.

 

[Nick87]

Keep it a secret. mtmuley

I am.

 

[Nameless Range]

I've loosed arrows 5 times on 5 elk - 2 bulls and 3 cows. One of the bulls was kissed on the brisket and blood was drawn but I lost its trail and it got away. That's 1 outta 5, so 20%. I think that is pretty representative of folks if not even a little lower based on the stories I hear.

 

[INMT]

I've been rifle/shotgun hunting since a kid. Just started bowhunting 3 years ago. 1 arrow released, 1 bull recovered.

I've wounded 3 animals with a rifle over the years and recovered them all. Thankfully never lost an animal.

 

[jt13]

100% wounding loss here. 0 for 2 on archery bull elk.

Lost one in Montana in 2016 and lost one in New Mexico in 2023.

 

[ismith]

My Norman, God rest his soul, used to be able to locate wounded animals using only his nose. A super smeller he was, my Norman. He said he could smell their “run hormones.” Helped me find a deer I accidentally shot right through the rump one time, despite me and all my “goddamn lady lotions” fouling up his super nose. Have you all tried smelling them out?

Norm also used to call bow hunters “forest faeries.” His words, not mine.

Sincerely,
Hunt Talk Ma’am

Damit Greenhorn!

 

[WildWill]

I've only let fly one arrow at a elk and it soared disappointingly over her back. So technically I'm at 0% but only because I suck at getting close to elk with a bow. As for rifle and muzzleloader I've killed 3 elk and am also at 0% loss rate. I have a much wider pool to compare from with deer. In the last 20 years I've conservatively shot 30+ deer with my bow and was only unable to recover 3. The last one of those was a buck I shot at 8 yards on the ground facing head on. Still don't know what happened there never found the arrow had to be in him. Found a lot of blood I followed for a long way but no luck.

 

[Ought Six]

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

I agree. There would at least be a lot less losers posting about wounding an animal on social media, which would be better for the hobby.

Also, force people to put some sort of identification on their arrows. At least if a carcass was found with an arrow in it they would know who shot it, and if they knew the guy shot another elk (probably posted it on social media), they’d have some enforcement. Wouldn’t always work but might make guys think about questionable shots.

 

[cgasner1]

I agree. There would at least be a lot less losers posting about wounding an animal on social media, which would be better for the hobby.

Also, force people to put some sort of identification on their arrows. At least if a carcass was found with an arrow in it they would know who shot it, and if they knew the guy shot another elk (probably posted it on social media), they’d have some enforcement. Wouldn’t always work but might make guys think about questionable shots.

Pretty solid idea really

 

[Bhoesl]

Luckily I’m at 100% success rate if we’re talking elk only (sample size of only 1, lol). I have lost a few deer, not sure the exact number but I’d guess around 10% maybe. I’d like to think that number has gone down over the years, but it definitely still happens to the best of us.

 

[golfer]

Pretty solid idea really

Most wardens can’t determine the let off. I don’t think the idea of identifying arrows would gain any ground from and enforcement standpoint.

 

[dgc1963]

I was at 100% till last yr on a deer here at home hit a doe good shot but sat in my tree for a bit then came down went to the arrow I could see it bright red n dripping from my tree looked great but it was close to dark and I was in a very thick area so I backed out and was coming back at 1st light to go get her
It had rain in forecast but starting around 10am woke up around 4 and it was pouring went out and never found a drop of blood an being so thick couldnt find a thing after 40 plus yrs of bow hunting this bothered me so much
A friend did talk me off the ledge by saying after all this time loosing 1 is still a good record but still hate loosing any animal
I know it can happen but we owe it to the animals we hunt to do everything we can to lessen the chances

 

[cgasner1]

Most wardens can’t determine the let off. I don’t think the idea of identifying arrows would gain any ground from and enforcement standpoint.

Locking your house only keeps a honest person honest. It couldn’t hurt any and at least would potentially cut down on making it socially acceptable.