If he's man enough to be a hunter, then finish what started.

Go back and keep looking for that bull. Last year a friend's wife arrowed one, the tracked it a LONG ways but thought it may not be hit bad (her draw weight is marginal, thought it might have been shallow).

The went back each day for 3 days, on the 3rd day they stopped for lunch and noticed some birds over the ridge. They climbed over and found 3 black bears fighting over her elk.

The meat was bad of course, but at least they salvaged the rack.

I agree with all these post I think that the only elk he should be going after is that one bull. He should have respect for the animal and himself to finish the deal. I know I did it on a deer two years ago and kept hunting for that animal and it made me sick when we never found it. I had a complete pass threw on a bedded buck and good blood and it just quit bleeding so this sort of stuff happens you just have to roll with the punches I guess.

I would agree with this, if after 10 hours there is not a sigle drop of blood and no sign of a hit on the elk, move on. Don't waste a season on "what if's". I don't consider this situation unethical.

I have been on hunts where I knew I hit the animal just to look at the video that night and see the deer drop just as the arrow sailed right over its back, close but a clean miss.

There was no blood. The elk did get up and move around, but was in a 50 yard circle for the 10 hours. The elk got up in the evening and the last they saw of it was going over a hill a mile away. They went and tried to see the bull again but he probably crossed over to another ranch. They have been there 5 more days and have not seen it again.

Every effort has been made to recover the bull.

We try very hard to take proper shots. If you do not get the right shot, you do not shoot. The elk was broadside and turned to face him about the time he released the arrow. He was not sure were he was hit.

No Blood...Time to go hunting again.

I have to agree based on the information we have. Until I confirmed either way I would consider my tag filled and keep hunting for that bull.

Had a friend do the same thing on a really nice bull. Saw it walk over a ridge close to a mile out and never saw him again. He went so far as to post flyers in the area and post on forums. In the rifle season he got a phone call and and someone found his bull. He called the DWR office and they let him tag it and keep the skull and horns. (That's all that was left) Ended up being a really great story.