Elk Bow weight??

[CavScoutArcher]

Don't quote me, but I believe KY has a min of #45 for whitetails. At least on Ft. Campbell I know they do.  That being said. I would think the min for elk would be higher.

[cashhere]

Ky actually does not have a minimum, weight out in the state. The wife looked it up and did not find any min. weights. My biggest problem is finding the bow I want w/o the 1 1/2 year wait.

[Bowhunter4life]

I agree with working into a heavier bow...  Personally I don't take after Elk with less then 60# and I have a 30" draw with my "Elk" bow which is actually 70# at my draw and my arrow is 590 grains...

What bow are you looking for?

[TDHunter]

"a poor shot with 40 LBS or 80 LBS is still a poor shot."

I hate to say people are wrong on this site, but this just isn't true. You hit an ElK in the shoulder with 40lbs and there's a good chance you watch a wounded Elk run away with your arrow, and maybe die of infection. You hit an Elk with 60-80lbs in the same shoulder and it will most likely blast right through the heart.  It is a fact, with light gear you have a much greater chance of wounding an animal. Use a much as you can shoot accurately, the animals we hunt deserve the effort.

[Drake 15]

Sharp arrow and good shot placement. Keep the shots close. I have a short draw like yourself.

[COOCH]

Personally when I'm hunting elk size game I use my "MAGNUM BOWS" 70@28 I draw 29.5 and have killed several elk.If you can pull and control more weight I would strongly suggest it.Elk are thick skinned and tough critters and require a good bit of penatration for a solid double lung shot.

If you deside to stay with the lighter setup try and implement Dr Ashbys arrow enhancing tips they can be found in the Ashby Reports.

The national shot average for elk is around 27 yards,this is another reason I like heavier bows they are a bit more tolerent of  slight yardage miscalculation.

[flintznstyx]

But according to Saxton Pope in his book Hunting with the bow and arrow, Ishi's bow was about 46lbs at his 26 in draw and he used it to kill bear elk deer and i think he said his arrows were in the mid 300 grain. That is if my CRS is not hitting me at the moment.
Would not use 3 blades and sharpen with a file not honed. He said in there experiments that a more jagged edge cut flesh better than razor honed.
Get close and shoot straight. :-)

[duncan idaho]

Read the "ELK TRAINING THRED" about physical fitness, train hard and work into a higher poundage before your season starts. Good luck.

[David Mitchell]

Jagged edges cause blood vessel walls to close up faster than cleanly cut edges. Not what you want when you want blood on the ground.

[jhg]

I would work on more accuracy and maybe bump the weight a little, but not out of your "totally in control" zone.

What has been said about shot placement and the hunters ability to hold off on shots that do not assure penetration, is at least as important as anything else.

A lot of elk are taken by accurate, careful archers using bows that are pretty light.

 In the end, it comes down to the archer, not the tackle. I read about guys losing animals using the bigger weights, so the argument of how many are lost to light bows is not without its flaws. I think most animals are lost by shots that were in poor judgment- pushing the limits of the archers ability, not because of bow weight etc.

 Sure fine tune your tackle and go as heavy as you can shoot well, but don't think its the tackle that is going to kill that animal.
 
You are, with a shot you can make.


Joshua

[wapiti1997]

I would rather have an accurate arrow from a 42 pound bow than a strained one from a 60 pound bow.

A shoulder hit is bad, regardless of bow weight..

No minimum draw weight for bows and arrows in KY.

The drawing is supposed ot be Friday, good luck!

[sagebrush]

Some folks here are missing the point. It is possible to kill elk with a bow that light. Just not recommended. Those who think light is ok, how many elk have you killed with the light setup? Animals don't always stand there and let you shoot them broadside. They often turn when you shoot. You may not hit where you intend. That is when you need the extra power. How are you going to feel if you draw that tag and go through all the work and excitement to get ready and then you hit an animal and watch it run off? Then you track it for hours and hours and finally lose it. This is all my two cents. Gary

P.S. Yes I have killed elk with a bow and know what it takes. (16 so far)

[Charlie Lamb]

Sagebrush is on the money with his response. Just because elk have been killed with sub 50# bows doesn't mean it's a good idea.

As stated, there are more factors involved than just hitting the right spot.

Some say you owe to the animal, but I say you owe it too yourself.