Congratulations on your elk. We all learn by experience and it takes humility to sometimes to listen others when they are right and we are wrong. You are excited about your elk and should be, but listen to these guys and consider whether you should take head shots in the future. The chest is a good lethal target and a whole lot bigger than the head.

There seems to be a general self righteous taint to some people's responses. I'm sure no one else has ever exaggerated the details of a hunt or told a fishing story. Regardless, honesty makes for a good "applies to everything" policy. I made a lot more mistakes as a teen than many and learned a lot of my ethics because others were willing teach me. I listened and learned because I sensed a genuine investment, not because they were taking the role of judge and executioner.