Taking the right shot

orchemo · Oct 30, 2013

Got back from Idaho last week. Opening morning or elk hunting, I had a bull come down the hill right towards me. As I turned, he angled to my left and passed with about 25 yds away, but on the other side of a thicket. When he emerged, he was going straight away at about 75 yds, lunging through the snow.

I pulled up, but the only shot I had was a Texas heart shot. I decided to let him go and take my luck tracking him in the snow. I then thought to myself...should I have taken a shot or did I make the right choice to pass on the shot?

I waited a couple minutes then started towards his trail. About 10 minutes later, I hear more noise coming down the hill behind me. As I turned and waited, a fellow hunter from a camp up the road, came down the hill. He had been tracking the bull since sun up when he spotted him bull and shot him straight on in the chest. Weird in that there was no blood on the trail?

The guy said when he bedded once, he found a little blood spot, otherwise the bull had been going strong. We crossed paths twice through out the day as he was still trying to follow the tracks. The second time was several hours later and he had lost a trail.

I kept hunting, thinking maybe I would find the bull bedded someplace. No luck.

Move ahead 5 days. I am hunting over a forested ridge top and spot lots of bird activity a couple hundred yards below me. I stop and survey the area and see the birds but nothing else. As I move down the hillside, I spot a bull under a tree. I watch him a few minutes and something is afoul. I walk down and find the bull from 5 days before.

The critters had started to much on him and there were wolf track around him. It was said to see a bull shot and not recovered.

I then thought back to the shot I passed on, if I would have know he was injured, I would have taken a shot. But hind sight is 20/20. But, it also reaffirmed my decision to only take the shot I wanted and pass on a low probability shot (at least for me).

I looked over the bull briefly, no really entry or exit hole. I can only guess that the other hunter shot high chest. Sad to see such a beautiful animal wasted.

Anyways, had a great time hunting. Sunny skies, dry weather and 8 - 10 inches of snow. Was great to see all the tracks in the snow (mountain lion, wolf, deer and elk).

Cheers

Guy Miner · Oct 30, 2013

Although I cherish the "right shot" through the heart, lungs, shoulders...

Knowing how rare it is to get a shot at a bull elk, I'd have probably taken that "Texas heart shot" at 75 yards. When I hunt elk the past few years I'm normally carrying the .375 H&H, and 260 gr Nosler bullets. I'd think slamming that bull in the hip would do a fine job of knocking his pins out from under him. If not the .375, I've carried the .30-06 with 180's or heavier.

Then I could place a second and kill him. I'm fine with two shots, if that's what is necessary. Sometimes it is.

And yes, I really would rather wait for the classic heart/lung shot or the shoulder shot...

Guy

DrMike · Oct 30, 2013

If you have a cartridge that gives mass and velocity, the Texas heart shot is acceptable. I've shot and dropped two elk with that particular shot. One wheeled and started to run at about 75 yards when I shot him with a 250 grain Kodiak FN from my .356; he dropped immediately. The other, standing less than fifteen yards from me, received a 175 grain TTBC from a 7RM; it was the only shot I had in dense bush and he only managed to go about ten yards before piling up. The shots were not ideal, but they worked quite well. I had confidence in my load and in my shooting.

truck driver · Oct 31, 2013

Texas heart shot, Ya I've dropped a few white tails with it using a Bow, only shot they gave me and they didn't go far,That broad head on a 30" shaft did the number on their inerds :lol:

OU812 · Nov 8, 2013

I agree with Guy 100% but I have seen the Texas heart shot used on the south end of a north bound elk at pretty close range and it worked very well. Knowing that I too would have taken the shot.

Elkman · Nov 14, 2013

I am with Guy also. But enough gun and the right bullet is important. I killed a small bull back a few years ago, that had three 243 bullets, near his spine and hams. I know that they were from a 243, because the guns and shooters showed up a little while later. Whether they would have gotten him I don't know, but he was on his feet and still had nearly a thousand feet below him to travel in. I can say I have made that shot several times, including a couple standing looking at me.
If I were you I would not beat myself up about not taking the shot. If it didn't feel right it was the right decision. The fact that the bull was hit counts for nothing, you had no way of knowing. I have taken shots, that after retrospect I would have taken back if given the opportunity. Most came out fine but a couple that come to my mind did not. I would much rather wish I "had" taken the shot, than wish I hadn't. Nuff from me!

cloverleaf · Nov 14, 2013

Some one on this board told me once, "if you hunt long enough, sooner or later even the right shot can go wrong". Sad to see the animal not recovered. Sounds like the guy who took the shot worked hard trying to find his bull. Thats the main thing. No way you could have known he'd already been hit, the way it sounds. Coyotes gotta eat too. CL

SJB358 · Nov 18, 2013

I am with Guy and the others, that is the sorta shot opportunity I don't hope to ever take, but carrying the right rifle and bullet combo will anchor them, and let you get a 2nd round in them. I carry plenty of extra, an extra round wouldn't hurt me too much..

I know some will not agree, that's fine, but I hunt long and hard to pass killable elk. I wouldn't particularly look for that shot, but a shot onto the base of the tail is going to plant them, and a good bullet isn't going to ruin a bunch of meat either.

Bill's right though, if your inner elk hunter told you to pass the shot, it was the right answer..

Glad you got out to some great elk country though..