wolfen68

Quite honestly, at that point I would be so pumped with adrenaline that all rationale would have vanished from my psyche and I would most certainly be pulling the trigger and letting the arrow fly.

BobCo19-65

That's not good.

whitetails & muskies

Some pretty bad decisions here. Neck shot...NO WAY. Some others...NO WAY.

Last year when we were elk hunting (Muzzle loader) my one buddy shot a bull in this near scenario, at probably a mere 75 yards. Had good blood, let him sit overnight. Got on him the next morning, after we quartered my 5x5 :-) that I got that morning. We got on that bugger and he bedded ALL night and we jumped him in some rough thick stuff and he disappeared :-( Terrible feeling. We spent an entire day and a half looking for him and never found him. After bedding all night, then getting up the next morning to get away, with a 348 grain bullet through his brisket/neck area...Doubtful and arrow would have done more damage than a big bore bullet.

reylamb

Keep in mind that a quartered shot on an elk gives you about 5 feet of animal to pass through. Me? Nope, no shot there.

BagginBigguns

No bad decisions here. I assure you that the neck comment above was merely sarcastic. The decision to shoot for behind the shoulder is a good one. Your buddy's shot in the neck/brisket was merely a poor shot. At that angle one should be able to easily hit a double lunger and maybe liver as well. That is a fatal shot 100% of the time. A 100% fatal shot is always a good decision.

That's 5 feet worth of damage to inflict, with no bone to get in the way on the exit side (such as the front shoulder in a quartering away shot).

whitetails & muskies

Bigguns - one major consideration you need to think about. It may be a lethal/killing shot, BUT, will the animal be recovered without an exit wound? He may die, but the yotes, or wolves will have a good dinner. Remember, we are talking an elk here....an animal that has an incredible will to live, and size to do so.

BagginBigguns

You bring up a good point, and I think it is something to consider when deciding whether to shoot, but I think it's a consideration for any shot angle. I have personally arrowed numerous whitetails at a quartering-away angle. Every single time my arrow has hit the opposite shoulder, which stopped penetration... no exit wound. I recovered every one of them in very short pursuit. I certainly would never pass up the quartering-away shot opportunity for fear of hitting the opposite shoulder. Similarly, I think I would take my chances with the slight quarter-to angle. As I mentioned before, at least at that angle, there's no heavy shoulder bones to stop penetration (assuming you avoid the close-side shoulder). I think with true arrow flight, there's still a good chance of pass-through, IMHO.

MA Jay

I'm with Baggin on this one. If I hit this slightly 1/4 ing bull through the near lung, catch the back of the rear lung and let's say my broadhead stops embedded in the very last rib on the far side and doesn't punch free. He's still dead .. and I can track this guy with the blood from the entrance hole .. the tops 200 or so yards he can go.

I do agree with someone's earlier post that if you don't have the time to do the work after the shot .. your hunt is over. I personally would gladly fork over my own cash to push my ticket home back a day to get this brute processed!

WV Hunter

Honestly, I'd have to make the decision at that time. But based on what you said...my gut tells me that I would take him. Elk have a much bigger kill zone than the small whitetails I hunt, so I believe I'd have no problem making a good shot. I've taken whitetails at that angle, knowing exactly where to place my arrow for a quick kill. It's not the best angle, but it can be done.

Fieldmouse

Sounds like a good shot to me.