First trad elk hunt

[RedShaft]

I would worry less about setup and more on hunting an area and hunting hard to put one on the ground than about your setup.
Good luck brother. Be sure and take us along please....

[Chewie146]

Oh I think I hit up above the lungs.  I think it was a passthrough but didn't hit the good stuff.  We searched for 3.5 hours.  Kept going back to last blood and started again.  We never found the arrow.  Everything is incredibly thick after the fires.  Lots of 6 foot tall aspens and locusts.  Stinging nettle has grown huge as well.  The way she went up that hill, I don't think she was hurting all that much.  With as hot as it was today she's ruined if she did go down.  I don't think she did, though.  Still sucks.  This is the first big game animal I've lost.  It was about 60 yards of good blood and little bitty drops after that.  Did a lot of crawling to find those last ones.

[Chewie146]

Well, we went back up today and are pretty sure we saw the same cow up and about that I stuck yesterday morning. There was a bit of blood where she was, but very little.  It concerns me that she hasn't stopped yet, if that blood was indeed from this AM.  We bumped them out hiking down out of the same honey-hole about 10:30.

[Chewie146]

Well today was the last day I was able to hunt.  It was bittersweet.  I'll be wondering about that cow.  That's the first big game animal I've ever lost.  The only thing I can think to chalk it up to is bad luck.  I can't be certain I did not hit her high, though. The arrow is nowhere to be found, so I can't even look at that.  However, I think next year will be a different story, if I draw and if I get another shot.  Family time calls this weekend.  My dad will be hunting starting Tuesday.  I still have turkey and bear tags left, so we shall see where the season goes from here.  Good luck to everyone else and good night.