Awell told story, great pics too. While your Dad harvested his elk with a modern bow, he's still a bowhunter, and I'm sure a very proud and successful one. Hunting elk with any kind of bow is darn tough.
Understanding that the chase, and the journey is whats most important is the key to hunting elk.
I've done it 5 times now, still have not killed one, had some blown chances, and some that never materialized. Never once did I have an unsuccessful hunt. Many will never understand that. But fortunately, many do.