Elk (pic added)

[newhouse114]

My elk this year was  a little putt but perfect for my wife and I. I’m posting this to bring home a point while elk hunting with sharp sticks. DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO FOLLOW THE CRITTER. I made what my son and I thought it was a perfect shot. The elk even posed and showed the arrow buried to the fletching about an inch above the elbow. What didn’t show was the fact that I was above the elk and a slight quartering towards me angle, resulted in a single lung and paunch shot. We expected to find the elk within 50 yards of where it walked into the timber. Even so we waited an hour and a half before following. We bounced the elk about 100 yards into the timber and backed out for another two hours. By this time it was 85 degrees and blood looked like scab on the salal and rhododendron jungle the critter went through. It was a slow track with minimal blood but we worked it slow and steady. We noticed a tree shaking and started working towards that, then an elk bolted out of there and ran over the ridge. At that point we thought we’d lost it. My son went over to where the tree was shaking and found my elk dead. It probably expired while we were right there. A pinch over five hours from shot to recovery. So folks, even those perfect shots might not be as perfect as you think. Give the critter TIME.

[Mike Bolin]

Congratulations and thank you for sharing. As tough as it is, it's always better to wait a bit longer to blood trail a critter. A good reminder for sure!

[GCook]

Good advice.  Glad you made the recovery.

[Sam McMichael]

I am glad your perseverance paid off. Congratulations!

[Cory Mattson]

Good job
Appreciate the reminder
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[BAK]

Way to go!   

[rastaman]

Way to stick with it!  That's one of the hardest things for me to do...have patience before taking up the trail.

[Walt Francis]

Congratulations and thank you for sharing. As tough as it is, it's always better to wait a bit longer to blood trail a critter. A good reminder for sure!

X2

[trad_bowhunter1965]

Great tip thanks for sharing. And Congratulations 
and now how about share some photos of your elk

[RIVERWOLF]

>>DON’T BE IN A HURRY TO FOLLOW THE CRITTER.<<
Sound advise for any critter that doesn't go down and expire  in sight. 

Good on you for hanging with it , and not giving up .

Congratulations !  ,....but, we gonna need some pics ;^)

[newhouse114]

[kennym]

Nice job!! 

[Kirkll]

You are a lucky man....Congrats on a good retrieval.  I've seen a couple elk lost taking a quartered to you shots like that and jumping on a blood trail too quickly.

 I had it happen myself one time unintentionally. The elk was dead broadside & it turned slightly just as i loosed the arrow. Fortunately the leg was forward and i missed the shoulder blade and caught the lungs, but the exit was ugly and my fletching was green and red. I went back to camp and ate breakfast and waited on my hunting partners to return to camp. We found it in a creek bed still alive after a 4-5 hour wait, but it was too exhausted to get up on its feet.

the ones my buddys lost, they found them bedded down and after they jumped them, they didn't leave a blood trail at all.... i've seen the same thing on deer lost.... Its a tough call sometimes on how long to wait.   Kirk

[Tater]

   Congratulations, good information, it's really tough to make yourself wait on following up after the shot.

[RIVERWOLF]

a picture aways adds to any story eh ;^)

Beautiful animal !   Congratulations  .... enjoy the many gifts given my friend.....

[Bisch]

Congrats on a cool critter!!  Glad it worked out and you made the recovery.

Bisch

[Roy from Pa]

Congrats Chuck...