I was taught to shoot whitetails in the "crease" or "behind the shoulder". For the past couple of years I've been aiming straight up the leg and have witnessed devastating results.
Now, my first elk hunt is fast approaching and I'm questioning aiming straight up the leg due to that massive shoulder blade looming just to the north.
What's your opinion?
Dusty
Just my opinion, but with the right setup, I think that aiming straight up the leg is ok on an elk, as there is a soft area behing the actual shoulder bone, but I tend to try and aim right up the back of the leg. Pretty close to the same spot but gives you a little more wiggle room for error.
I shoot just behind the leg too. Puts em on the ground quick. An elks shoulder is pretty thick in places.
Dusty, straight up the leg will work as the leg bone angles forward before connecting to the shoulder blade, much like with a deer. Having said that, I'm with Jake on shooting for the back of the leg for wiggle room.
In my opinion it is just as important to aim LOW on an elk. I aim for 1/4 to 1/3 up from the bottom. Experiences (mine and others) has taught me that things can get fouled if you are above the mid-line on an elk.
Good luck this year!
Thanks for the responses.
To StanM:
I have been told that before. I recently saw some "autopsied" elk and noticed that if I was to aim low and was to hit BEHIND the leg I would not even get lungs, only liver. So, I've been contemplating just shooting up the leg and hoping to take out the heart, upper ventricles, or lungs.
I know from experience that sticking your broadhead in a tree just above their back wont get the job done...just don't repeat my ability to pick a spot.
Good luck in the next couple of weeks.
Here is one of the skeleton
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/ElkSkeleton-1.jpg)
And here is one of the vitals
(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk140/oldtwohairs/ElkCirculatory-1.jpg)
Thanks for posting Kevin.Very helpful :thumbsup:
looks to me like right up the back of the front leg, and right in the bottom third will do the deed.
Great info here. I also like to line up on the back of the leg. Easy access to the boiler. As said before don't hit them to high. The top 8 inches is no man's land. Bottom third is perfect.
See Terry's thread at the top of the stack in PowWow. Many are taught that the "shoulder is the spot where the leg meets the body. That is NOT the case. They are also taught to shoot behind this "shoulder". As you saw, that puts you dangerously close to missing the lungs completely, deer or elk. You are on the right track.
ChuckC
If I'm not mistaken those are the pictures on the IBEP website and they are misleading according to the actual elk vital pictures I have seen.
The various photos I saw show the heart residing approximately 6" further forward than where it is shown in that artist rendition.
For those who have disected elk I ask if this is truly the case?
I hunt with Mike Lawson unit 40 in Colorado. He's been outfitting that unit for 35 years deer elk and bear. If I've heard him say it once I've heard him say it 100 times. "Right behind that crease". He sees some where aroung 20 elk killed every year with a bow. just thought I'd pass that on.
Art if that is actually where you hit it, you will be OK. But put it back 4" and you may very well be out of the lungs. It is that close. It is not the best shot out there.
ChuckC
I'm going with the attack dog aproach. Stay back, stay back behind the shoulder! Those big bones scare me!!
I have always put the arrow as close to the crease as you can but behind the shoulder. ELk have big bones and stay away from that shoulder. The cow I killed a few years ago had a scar about 2 inches forward of the crease where another hunter had shot and hit the shoulder bone. Keep in tight behind the crease and about a 1/3 the way up from the chest and you wont have a problem.
thats the thing, the "shoulder" of the animal, meaning the blade and thick muscle, is actually located VERY far up front, and high. the bulk of the blade is in the upper third of the body, and the angle of the blade is such that is draws a line on the very front of the elks body, when broadside. Most of the vital tissue is in front of the straight line that goes up the leg. The leg itself actually goes straight forward when it gets to the body, so straight above the elbow there is no bone there, beside ribs. and there is alot of room in front of that even before hitting any bone. This really goes for Deer, Moose antelope as well. Theres on old thread on the bowsite about this too. The best illustration I've seen on this is the one posted here, by BB.
(http://forums.bowsite.com/tf/pics/00small50340186.JPG)
You can see here where the crease would be, I've put an illustration here to make the point here.
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn33/elkbreath/00small50340186.jpg)
The line there is roughly (very roughly) where I would say most people call the crease, straight up from the elbow (the antelope here is a bit crooked so the line is too). the 2 dots are where most people would shoot, just behind the shoulder, or the elbow. The X is the purported spot to pick, if you agree with the illustration.
:clapper:
I've revisited that thread many, many times over the past year and a half. I thought about posting all of those photos but did not want to take the time to upload them to photobucket.
Thanks, elkbreath, for taking the time to post those up.
Dusty
Excellent photo study, thanks. Makes a couple shots I made much clearer. Do you have a link to the original thread? Tried to do a search but didn't have enough information.
QuoteOriginally posted by elkbreath:
[QB]
(http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn33/elkbreath/00small50340186.jpg)
I also studied BB's posts before making this shot. Down in 8 seconds at 80 yards. The shoulder blade is way high and forward.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/beachbowhunter/NM%20Elk%202008/IMG_0159.jpg)
Beachbowhunter,
Wow! That is impressive. What was your set-up? Really curious about the heads you were shooting.
Dusty
Nicely done Elkbreath.
It always confused me for people to talk about how far forward you should shoot animals in Africa, when your pictures and my observations have always been up the leg no matter where you hunt. That in the crease works but is cutting it close no pun intended.
Great visual thread.
A bull I took awhile ago entered where Beachbowhunters did, though I think it was even further forward and higher. It was a complete pass through. Upon the shot the bull ran approximately 50 yards or so. about ten yards after he whirled he went over a little ridge where we couldn't see him anymore. WE never heard him drop either, so we gave him about 45 minutes before tracking. I'll never forget standing up, having been sitting the whole time, and seeing him dead right in front of us... And then being astounded how high and forward the shot was (relative to my perception) and how effective. Since then I've taken several bulls in that area, and always just as effective.
MY opinion is that the african perception is correct, like Jack pointed out. Aim for that V! 8-)
When you shoot in the < section you get both heart and lungs. If I miss, I would rather it be forward into a bone and have the animal recover than hit the guts and possibly lose it...especially on an elk.
Dusty, I used my trusty Zipper Extreme 58@27, Carbon Express shafts with 150 grain 4 blade Stinger, total arrow weight of 620 grains. Going lighter this year.
Thanks for the post Dustin. This is a very important and needful discussion.
I have not killed an elk... missed my only opportunity, but have taken over 50 whitetails with the bow. It is my opinion that the lungs of a whitetail may extend a bit further back, in relation to the front leg, than an elks. Us easterners used to shooting whitetail may need to adjust our spot a bit when elk hunting.
My cousin has had two bad experiences after hitting elk tight behind the shoulder while they were standing broadside. He suggested that I take only a quartering away shot, angling into the vitals from the mid-body point. I don't think he is aware of this and other threads that discuss the < shot.
Good luck to all. And, thanks again for the info.
wayne
Gotta be careful on the quartering shots too...check out the size of the stomach in the pictures. It is like a hay bale.
Point well taken beachbowhunter.
Thank you.
put an arrow straight up the back of the front leg and halfway up the body and you have a double lung and a dead elk.
Wow thats an eye opener. I'd think that far foward would put you in the danger zone. Not the boiler room!!! Thanks
Straight up the leg and keep it in the lower third and you will be eating the finest venison that god put on the planet.
Chuck C , I killed a Pope and Young bull in 03, the hit was back about 8 inches from the crease and a little high, which just about centered the back lobe in his lungs, result dead elk in about 80 yards.
Again I've never seen it fail tight behind that crease DEAD ELK. enough said.