X marks the spot #7

[cnelk]

This one is dedicated to Swede...

Who shoots from above?

[elkmtngear]

I'm takin' him

[Bowhunter]

elkfromabove_zpsacba11b5 copy.jpg (254.36 KiB) Viewed 4991 times

[Swede]

Bummer. Elkmtngear had him shot just when I started to draw. It happens that way sometimes. I killed one like the bull above several years ago. It had passed by my cousin about an hour earlier and one mile away. Just a few minutes before noon he came in front of me like cnelk's picture, and that ended the story except for the pack out. My cousin Jim came in very handy then, but for some reason he has not hunted Oregon since. The pack out was 1.33 miles up the side of a canyon to the top.

[Swede]

I like Bowhunter's shot placement better. Note the path of the arrow through the animal when shooting from above. It is always good to hold high at that shot angle.

[Bowhunter]

It comes from shooting whitetails from a tree stand for 22 years

[Freebird134]

You guys are way more comfy with quartering towards shots than I am. I'd be at full draw waiting for him to lift that right leg over the log.

[Backcountry]

You guys are way more comfy with quartering towards shots than I am. I'd be at full draw waiting for him to lift that right leg over the log.

X2

[Swede]

Ain't no question. I will shoot him just where he is in the position he is in. No better shot is ever asked for by me. This is not a "high percentage shot". It is a slam dunk. That aside, you never know what that bull will do after he hops over the log.

[cnelk]

Im going to rewind the scenario to which I believe took place just before the pic was taken

Obviously the hunter saw the elk prior to this point.
The bull was probably walking.
As a stealth hunter, you have to survey the situation and you know that the bull would slow down, probably stop at the large blown down

The elk did just that.

I not sure exactly what some of you guys want for a shot... but it doesnt get any better than this.
The kill zone at that angle is ~8in.
The elk looks to be less than 20yds
The arrow will stick in the ground after passing thru both lungs.
You will probably watch the bull fall

This one is a gimme...
The 'high percentages' here are:
You're done hunting
your pack out is downhill


Shoot him where he stands

[JJ Overkill]

ive shot a "few" whitetails just like this one. they never ran more then 50yds. he would be dead before I was able to descend to the ground in my climber stand.

[no limits]

for sure my arrow is already in the ground on the other side of him

[wideangle]

Yep I would be looking at the imaginary x real hard when I released.

[easeup]

someone here has to be the dummy.
What is a tree stand?
here in west TX there is nothing that high off the ground and I have yet to even take a deer from more that 4 ft above the ground.

X marks the spot in the pics looks a tad too far right and might hit the scapula. would not the best shot be about 4 in to the left same height?

[JJ Overkill]

easeup, that's not entirely true. I took my biggest buck down in ft hood. my stand was 16 ft up in an oak grove. im not sure what part of texas your from though.

[Backcountry]

My biggest concern with this shot would be pulling to far left and only.getting one lung.

[BarW]

I think bow hunters x gets top front on one lung and middle of the other lung. 8" circle is like having to hit a pie plate at 20 steps. If I can't do that I need to save my money and practice more

[cnelk]

My sketch of what I believe where the scapula is...

There is a BIG kill zone here guys

[Vanish]

X marks the spot in the pics looks a tad too far right and might hit the scapula. would not the best shot be about 4 in to the left same height?

This is a common misconception and one that cost my dad his first elk. Growing up hunting whitetails, we were told to shoot behind the leg, but this just isn't as good an idea with an elk. cnelk's drawing pretty much answers why. The scapula comes much further forward than the old school was led to believe, even on deer. Shoot the V above the leg and you're in a much higher percentage region. SHooting behind the leg puts you in liver zone, especially with a angling towards shot.

[otcWill]

I agree wit cnelk. They don't get alot easier than this.

[Coveyleader]

Although do-able, I'd still like him to turn a bit. He's quartering to a bit more than I like. I understand where the arrow needs to go, but I'd fell confident waiting to see how it turns out. Also, if it's clear after he jumps that log would make my decision even easier. Maybe even shoot him when he starts to step over the log.

Last year I had a bull at 30 yds, broadside eating some bushes........ great shot. I knew he was coming closer and let him come in to 10.

[lang]

I'd let him over the tree, he's calm and just trying to decifer the best way over the log: one leg, two legs, or all four. If I'm in a tree, and he's clueless I'm being patient for the broadside or quartering away.

[LckyTylr]

One thing I'd consider is . . . what if he decides that it's NOT the right spot to step over the tree. On the other side there is a mess of pick-up-sticks that he might not want to play in. If he's considering Stepping over the tree, then yeah, I'd say he is going to take that path in front of him, but if he's thinking that he will jump over the tree, he might not want to land in all of those sticks where he can't see the ground very well. So, what if as you are squeezing the release, he turns his head and heads right at you, then where are you going to hit him? Additionally, if he's going to hop over that tree, he's going to be tense and ready to load his legs . . . I know elk aren't as fast as whitetails, but if he ducks a little bit to load his muscles and ducks even more at the sound of your bow . . . he's hit high.

There are a lot of "Ifs" here, but I have killed a lot of animals out of a treestand. He doesn't know you are there, we are all assuming, so I'd wait for him to make his decision, cross the tree right there or closer to you. Either way, when an animal is that close to you and you are in a treestand, MANY opportunities will often be presented to you. Pick the first one that you know you can capitalize and the only question you should have is "do I pack the backstraps out or start a campfire and have lunch?".