Elk shoulders, what your shooting through!

[HARPERC]

....Edit: I guess E T H I C A L is a 4 letter word here now......

Has been since I got here.

 

[greatwhitehntr]

About in here.
Would be a little more precise if I didn't have big fat sausage fingers but illustrates my point.
What do you think?

 

[greatwhitehntr]

9 times out of 10 would I notice is the central nervous system is just wrecked with the Berger bullets

 

[Jluck]

Depending on the shot you are presented that might be the only *Rule 1 Violation*al shot to reach the vitals.

Edit: I guess E T H I C A L is a 4 letter word here now.

It's early here and pre coffee so my passive-aggressive cryptic deciphering brain isn't working well. Only words I can think of...

WAIT for a better shot or..
PASS on that animal if it's never going to move.

I personally HATE cleaning blood shot meat and throwing it out. YMMV.

 

[Bravo 4]

Different strokes for different folks. I normally try to take at least one shoulder out. I've had the deer of a lifetime run a couple hundred yards after a perfect broadside hit and expire next to an old dirt road, only to be stolen. And had another run a ways and jump into some fast moving water, never to be seen again. I try to drop them where they stand, and if not then make sure they cannot go far (I will also shoot till I know they are done). I would rather lose a little meat than lose it all.
I also hunt deer on a small piece of property and don't need deer running and jumping the fence onto the neighbors. Also had a buddy that lost a bull elk in Colorado because it made it a few hundred yards and crashed through a rancher's fence. That fella wouldn't let him retrieve it even though it was but 50 yards on his land. And he had known the guy under good terms for 10 years, even offered to pay for the fence.
Maybe I wish all this weren't true and I had the ideal hunting locations, them I may view things differently.

 

[memtb]

I'm kinda like Bravo 4. Circumstances determine whether it's ....none, one, or both shoulders. If it's in wide-open country, public land.....behind the shoulder! If he/she/it can go over a steep, ugly ridge (or similar) and I want "that" animal......it's likely "both" shoulders! memtb

 

[Buck3]

It's early here and pre coffee so my passive-aggressive cryptic deciphering brain isn't working well. Only words I can think of...

WAIT for a better shot or..
PASS on that animal if it's never going to move.

I personally HATE cleaning blood shot meat and throwing it out. YMMV.

Not arguing with you, just pointing out that different areas present different opportunities.

In some areas around the PNW the brush can be thick where the elk like to hang out. I spent 2 days waiting for a clear shot on my last elk, and it was only a high neck shot. It's either be patient and wait as they walk around, or you can try and bump them and hope they don't go far. Either way I would prefer not to shoot a shoulder if I didn't have to.

 

[bigngreen]

There are cases for many different shots, some times you have to weigh some meat loss to gain a whole animal, sometimes you don't. I've had shoulder shot elk shove themselves into some crappy stuff with just their back ends then I've had a LOT of elk shot back behind the shoulder just stand there then flop over and they just can't move after getting hit, granted most of that is the bullet that just blows the life out of them but some of the worst retrievals I've had have been from trying to break them down vs just destroy the lungs.

 

[Elkeater]

I'm generally a meat saver shot kinda guy. This year I shot an antelope in the shoulder but that was an accident. I don't think I've ever shot an elk in the shoulder. I did put a bullet through a bulls neck once and I've slid a bullet in front of the shoulder on elk quartered hard towards me but never actually taken a shoulder shot. I still use a good bullet that will stay together on impact just in case I hit a shoulder though. 10 elk most shot through the lungs and that has resulted in few making further than about 40 yards and only one making 100 yards.

 

[T.Rep]

I normally go for behind the shoulder but it doesnt always work out that way. I shot this bull through the front shoulder quartering to me at 45yds on a steep downhill angle. 4th day of a 5 day hunt, crappy weather, other hunters, etc....Took the first shot presented to me and executed it. He went 100yds and piled up. Arrow buried to the fletching and stuck in the offside ribs. Shooting 75lbs with a 450gr arrow and fixed blade broadhead. I dont believe there is a right or wrong answer, just go with your gut feeling in that situation.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Good post, cutting your own elk is a good thing to learn. Its not just the thickness of bone, its the angles. A bullet will skip off of water if shot at an angle. That knuckle is nasty. Especially with the trend to go to smaller steel ringing cartridges.

 

[JJE2MT]

Thanks for posting, a good reminder is always helpful.

 

[RevJim]

I try to stay away from the knuckle, preferring a high shoulder hit or base of the neck. I "much prefer" a quartering away, aim for the opposite shoulder shot. But, I "always shoot (repeatedly if needed) all the wiggle out of them"!

 

[chindits]

Darn fine job processing those front quarters