09-29-2012, 10:42 PM
Just got back from a week of bow hunting for elk. I should start by telling you that some of you are going to criticize my ethics. Judge if you must, but I say, what the heck. Also, I hunt with a crossbow due to a bad wrist (yes, I have a handicap permit).
Day 1: We had 4 bulls within 200 yards, but I never got a shot. I had a spike at about 35 yards, but it was just too brushy.
Day 2: Started off by working a large herd bull (6 point or better, never took the time to count points, but he had at least 30 cows and we were right in the middle of his herd). After crawling through brush for over 200 yards I ranged the bull at 50 yards. He started coming closer and I raised my bow for the shot and noticed that my rear sight was gone! %^&##$%@!!!!! The bull turned and walked away. About 30 minutes later my brother shot a bull calf that my buddy called in 3 times. With a broken sight on my bow, I decided to try using my brothers bow even though I have a lot of difficulty shooting a regular bow because of my handicap. After that, my buddy called in 2 cows for me, which I never got a chance to shoot. Next thing I know there is a spike standing there at 15 yards. I started drawing the bow and the bull turned to run. My buddy stopped him with some mews at about 30 yards. I had the bow pointed in the right general direction, but I couldn't find the trigger on the release. I finally found it (but hadn't aimed yet) and the release let go. The arrow went into a tree right over his back. Clearly the release and bow didn't fit me, so I went back to the crossbow even though I had a broken sight. I thought, I can just aim down the arrow. A while before dark, my buddy called in 6 point for me and I took 2 shots without a sight by looking down the arrow (15 and 40 yards, both clean misses). The next day we did some adjusting on the release and I went back to my brothers bow.
Days 3-5: We had bulls in shooting range every day. My buddy hit a really nice 6 on day 4 with a straight on front shot at about 10-15 yards. We found 1/2 the arrow and some blood, but we tracked him for 1.5 hours finding less and less blood as the bull ran up hill about 1/2 the time. Since he was running up hill so much and bleeding less with each passing yard, we decided the arrow must have glanced off the sternum either downward or to the side and that it was only a flesh wound. I'm sure he'll live.
It was the most fun I've ever had without killing something.
[signature]
Day 1: We had 4 bulls within 200 yards, but I never got a shot. I had a spike at about 35 yards, but it was just too brushy.
Day 2: Started off by working a large herd bull (6 point or better, never took the time to count points, but he had at least 30 cows and we were right in the middle of his herd). After crawling through brush for over 200 yards I ranged the bull at 50 yards. He started coming closer and I raised my bow for the shot and noticed that my rear sight was gone! %^&##$%@!!!!! The bull turned and walked away. About 30 minutes later my brother shot a bull calf that my buddy called in 3 times. With a broken sight on my bow, I decided to try using my brothers bow even though I have a lot of difficulty shooting a regular bow because of my handicap. After that, my buddy called in 2 cows for me, which I never got a chance to shoot. Next thing I know there is a spike standing there at 15 yards. I started drawing the bow and the bull turned to run. My buddy stopped him with some mews at about 30 yards. I had the bow pointed in the right general direction, but I couldn't find the trigger on the release. I finally found it (but hadn't aimed yet) and the release let go. The arrow went into a tree right over his back. Clearly the release and bow didn't fit me, so I went back to the crossbow even though I had a broken sight. I thought, I can just aim down the arrow. A while before dark, my buddy called in 6 point for me and I took 2 shots without a sight by looking down the arrow (15 and 40 yards, both clean misses). The next day we did some adjusting on the release and I went back to my brothers bow.
Days 3-5: We had bulls in shooting range every day. My buddy hit a really nice 6 on day 4 with a straight on front shot at about 10-15 yards. We found 1/2 the arrow and some blood, but we tracked him for 1.5 hours finding less and less blood as the bull ran up hill about 1/2 the time. Since he was running up hill so much and bleeding less with each passing yard, we decided the arrow must have glanced off the sternum either downward or to the side and that it was only a flesh wound. I'm sure he'll live.
It was the most fun I've ever had without killing something.
[signature]
