Being a die hard bowhunter myself of course I'm going to opt for the bow any day. There are many reasons why. First of all let it be known I don't have anything against rifle hunting. And yes the bow is a very lethal weapon even at low poundage. Killing an animal quickly and humanely is something we all want, regardless of the weapon. A well placed shot can be accomplished by both. You just have to be a lot closer with a bow and that in itself can be a real challenge and an awesome rush. One that is totally different than a rifle kill. You'll have a whole new excitement about hunting as well. You said you already bought a bow, now you'll experiement with different types and weights of arrows, broadheads,(muzzys of course)arrow rests, release or finger shooter, the list goes on. You'll enter the elk woods next year like a kid with a new toy. As far as elk hunting goes, hunting them with a bow requires a different strategy than rifle hunting does. The kill zone is still the same. You'll owe it to the critters to do plenty of practicing so you know what your effective range is. So become familiar and more importantly confident with your equipment and you will do fine. Remember when all else fails bugle aggresively. Enough said! elknut.