One deer down, almost an elk, bow hunting tales.

[Okanagan]

Grandson Jon killed a large bodied old spike deer on opening day of archery deer season, Sept. 1.  That morning he had drawn on a buck with a big rack at 12 yards, but the deer spooked at the draw and he did not release.  Back to the same stand that evening, the big old spike showed up and he considered not shooting, but with a busy life and family, he filled his tag.  Using a mechanical broadhead that opens to two inches wide, he cut a huge diagonal slice in the buck's side as it angled in and forward high on the last rib.

Three grandsons bow hunted that opening morning, on a Sunday, and we heard their stories when they all showed up at church at 10:00.  Grandson Code did not see a deer on opening morning. 

My son showed up at my door this morning before work to tell me that he had stuck a 5x5 bull elk yesterday, opening weekend of archery elk, but apparently did not kill it.  Two grandsons got his text during church and left to go help him track and maybe pack meat.  They waited an hour, then followed the bull for at least 1½ mile, down to the bottom a huge canyon and then down the canyon, with ever decreasing blood trail.  The bull never laid down.  That indicates to me that he was not hurt very badly nor losing enough blood to grow weak.

There were lots of elk tracks but the blood kept them after the right bull.  Eventually there were gaps of 300 yards between blood spots on ferns, till finally he quit bleeding and they lost the trail in the moss and duff which rarely shows hoof prints.  The shot was a surprise quick opportunity through a hole in brush at 18 yards.  The arrow hit the bull on his left side, angling forward and upward.  My son thinks that the arrow passed under the spine and above the lungs, which is unlikely but possible IMO if animal movement caused the lungs to sag at the moment the arrow hit.  Bummer.

[FinsnFur]

The pics aint, I say the pics aint loading