Shooting an Elk Facing You?

Roskoe · 12-23-2007, 08:25 PM

Tonight, I was watching Bowhunter Magazine TV - in which Dwight Schue shoots a bull elk (in Wyoming) coming into the call. From the camera angle, the shot appears to be directly frontal. Even if the camera man is was off to one side; the shot was, at best,quartering towards the hunter. I was always taught that this was an irresponsible shot - to wait for broadside or quartering away. Dwight did eventually get the elk - but I sat there thinking this was somewhat irresponsible to show on national TV.

atlasman · 12-23-2007, 08:54 PM

I wouldn't shoot anything facing me with a bow. The pressure to get kills on film has surely created quite a mess out there.

BowHuntingFool · 12-23-2007, 09:02 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: atlasman

I wouldn't shoot anything facing me with a bow.Â* The pressure to get kills on film has surely created quite a mess out there.

I agree 100%, this filming thing isn't such a great thing! To each his own.....JMO!

Greg / MO · 12-23-2007, 09:14 PM

Actually, if I'm not mistaken, it was Bowhunter magazine which ran a story earlier this year about the kill zone of an elk facing the hunter... the author had taken something like eight straight with that shot, and it was a pretty in-depth article about it. I'm not endorsing it personally, but it sounds like a shot that's more prevalent than you'd think...

GMMAT · 12-23-2007, 09:15 PM

I just watched it (had it taped on DVR). You guys are sure quick to judge....especially if you didn't watch it.[&:]

When the Bull leaves the set......he's got an arrow sticking out of his side......and it looks to be a perfectly legitimate, ethical broadside shot.

The camera work was what was horrible. If you have it taped.....go back and look at it again. The shot was great. Camera work was pitiful.

Cougar Mag · 12-23-2007, 09:17 PM

It was quatering toward but under the circumstances his best shot. IMO Dwight Schuh is at the top when it comes to bowhunting big game, so I'd have to give him the benifit of the doubt. I'm quite impressed with this particular segment because they were hunting on public land.

Carpmaster · 12-23-2007, 09:22 PM

As the elk spins you can definitely see the arrow protruding out of its side...broadside shot!

GMMAT · 12-23-2007, 09:24 PM

I'm glad you saw that carp. The cameraman and Dwight couldn't have been close together. The elk was facing the camera.....but the shot was broadside.

Greg / MO · 12-23-2007, 09:28 PM

There's still an article in the magazine about shooting them head on [8D]

(I didn't even see the show... just remember reading the story.)

davidmil · 12-23-2007, 09:28 PM

I didn't see the show, but to me, Dwight is one of the truly great hunters left in the TV business. He hunts deep and hard in hard to get to places. There aren't any fences, food plots, or frills in his hunts. There is no comedy or cutting up trying to entertain and say "Look at me". No fist pumps or buzz words or wild antics. His hunts are educational. He is a true hunter. If he felt he could make the shot I have no problem with him doing it. And face it, an elk is big and 15 yards is a chip shot. He's been chucking arrows a long time in deep woods and on tall peaks. He packs in, llama ins or something all the time. There isn't much "Staged" in anything he does. I feel the number one bow hunter in the world is still Chuck, but Dwight is right there with him. All the rest of these clowns can't teach me a thing. Dwight can. He made the shot and I have NO problem with him taking it. I'd give a lot just to sit around his campfire and listen to his stories. The ethics posse really should pick a different target on this one.