I am going to CO elk hunting in September for the first time. My friends say take the compound, but I don't want to.
I am shooting a 50# recurve with a 536 grain arrows (2 blade 125 grain buzzcuts or 122 grain razorheads with bleeders). How far should I expect a shot? I am 100% confident inside 25 yards and 85%+ confident at 30 yards. I plan on dialing it in by September.
Should I expect to get an elk within 30 yards of me? I would prefer to spot and stalk, with a two man calling team. The alternate option would be to sit in a tree at 25 yards from water. Any trad bow shooters out there with some words of advice? Let me say, I am perfectly willing to go home empty handed for the right experience and memories.
This is your call only shoot what you know you can hit.
Clarification, my main question is should I reasonably expect to stalk elk inside 25-30 yards or do I wait till I can shoot accurately further .... or do I get in a tree and wait them out? I will only shoot what I know is a kill shot.
It's certainly reasonable to expect to stalk within 25-30 yards of an elk. I've blown a lot of stalks at 25 yards trying to get to 20... and could have killed them at 30. But that's just me.
Trying to get close is where the thrill is. The closer the stalk the greater the thrill.
It's your hunt! Do it the way YOU want to.
:thumbsup:
I practice out to 40 but won't shoot past 30.
My only experience is with deer, and I have never had to actually gun shoot many deer out of bow range. hehehehehehhe
Just a newbie trying to prepare. Thanks for the patience and responses.
I honestly haven't had that many encounters where distance was the problem. Typically getting a good, clear shot at the right angle is the limiting factor.
However, you will have better luck getting bulls really close in heavy cover, where their visibility is limited. Don't set up on big meadows where bulls can inspect your setup from beyond bow range!
I shot my bull last year at 4 yards talk about the thrill of a life time.You can get them real close , just go and try a little of it all , no matter how it goes you will have a blast.Inside 30 yards can be expcted if you are on good ground.Best of luck to you.,,,,,,,,Sam,,,,,,,,,
4 yards ..... now that's my kind of hunting. Nothing compares with thunderchickens up close! hehehehehhehe
I have to stop myself right now, I can't start talking about turkeys, I won't make it to next year.
Well, awbowman, I've killed four elk with an arrow - all BTW with a compound before I came back to traditional. The first and fourth were at 12 and 15 yards while the middle two were 39 and 40 yards. I have also been inside 25 yards on a couple other bulls that I didn't get a shot at or missed. So to answer your question, yes, you can get within your traditional bow range on an elk. Determining what that range comes out to be only comes with a lot of practice. From what you've said, stick to 25 yds or less, it's certainly doable.
Since this is your first time, figuring out how to get to 25 yards is the fun part. Hopefully you get into enough elk to learn how.
Hunting elk on the ground is one of the most fun things I do. I haven't sat in a tree stand in years.
Shoot what makes you happy, practice, and stay within your personal range. You can get elk close, keeping your composure when they are close is another story. Have fun!
On the 5 elk I have shot, the average distance was around 18 yards. Your good to go with your recurve.
I really don't understand why folks think it's all long range shooting when they come out west. I hear it all the time, "You need to be good out to 60 yards". All BS!
awbowman- I don't have an answer for you, but I will be waiting for for all the people who actually have comments, recommendations and answers for you. I'm not stealing your post, I'll be just ghosting along.I do hope you have a fulfilling hunt that meets all your expectations, and good luck.
Butch L
OH I will have fun! Nothing like hunting with the trad.
I think I can hold it together .... every been 5 yards away from a gobbling boss gobbler! You will think the ground is shaking, but it's just your heart beating! Darn addictive heathens!
20 yards and under is my rule on all big game. I do shoot well to 30 yards on targets but, they are targets. Elk are not, they are a lot more fun when in at 4 or 5 yards. Really gets your blood pumping. Enjoy the hunt, good luck.
I've killed more than 2 doz. elk with the bow and 90% were killed at 25 yards or less. Rifle hunting is about shooting, bowhunting is about HUNTING!
More than 2 dozen with a bow Jason?????? :notworthy: :notworthy:
I will have to agree with that. All the elk I have killed with a bow have been less than 20 yds. Calling elk is all about getting them close.
That said, I would not take a shot over 30 on an elk, too much to go wrong, and that a big animal to take chances with.
Jake -I am old.LOL! I've been doing this for a long time. Not all of them were with trad gear, quite a few were with a compound, but 25 yards is still 25 yards!LOL!
:D
I've got elk in CO from 3 to 35yds with my recurve.
If they're answering a call you have to watch out you don't get trampled or gored. Even with no call I've come within spitting distance many times. Just make sure you stay down wind. They smell or hear you before they see you.
Either way I'd bring the simple bow. They just work better for rough terrain hunting.
CJ
I don't know why people think you can't hunt with a stick bow. I get frustrated with people telling me that sometimes. Most of the hunts I have been on where my brother takes a rifle are within 40 yards. I don't think it's unreasonable to think 20 yard shots on big game are impossible. Don't listen to the naysayers. Shoot at whatever distance you can as long as you know you can make the shot ;)
awbowmwn,
If anything your biggest issue will be getting too close. That has been my experience, at least. The bull in my avatar was shot at 3 yds. He was closer than that before I shot him. I have been stepped on and run over on several occassions.
An important factor is the type of habitat in which you will be hunting. If it has a lot of wide open parks, then yes, distance me be an issue. Where I hunt it is very thick and brushy so a long shot would be 25 yds or so.
Sounds like you are good to go. Have fun and don't worry about it.
Brett
Awbowman, if you catch them when they are rutting hard then a recurve/longbow is ideal. Like mentioned above you can get close, REAL CLOSE! I have had many elk within 15 yards, problem often times is they come straight at you and getting a good shot angle can be the trick and if it arises you better be ready because they disappear in a hurry as well which is why a sightless bow that can be shot quickly is so handy for hunting the rut. Good luck, there is nothing better....Shawn
QuoteOriginally posted by awbowman:
....I am shooting a 50# recurve with a 536 grain arrows (2 blade 125 grain buzzcuts or 122 grain razorheads with bleeders). How far should I expect a shot? I am 100% confident inside 25 yards and 85%+ confident at 30 yards. I plan on dialing it in by September.....
Sounds like you have your answer right here...100% inside 25yds
scedvm, we are going Sept 10-20th in SW Colorado to try and hit a little pre-rut and some early rut times. We will be hunting in two man "teams". Our plan is to have one main "caller" and one in an optimum ambush spot possibly calling back sporadically.
Elk can be tough some times. I've passed shots at 15yds and killed them at 35. You have to know your capabilities and take the shots that you can make.
Closest was 7 paces and furthest was 35 yds.
Mike
I'm going this fall also, you have to know your comfort zone and be willing to stick with it. For me it's 25 yards or less.....hopefully less!! It will be a thrill if it all comes together!
I read that the average bow harvest in PA was 18 yards. This did not separate compounds from traditional equipment
I would only take shots that I am 100% confident in making. If 25 is that for you then keep it at that. Anything else would be irresponsible.
My biggest mule deer and elk I have shoot were both under 20 yards and that was with a compound.
Last year I had my hand on the string, arrow nock on two different bulls under 20 yrds with no clear shoot. On my cow elk hunt during rifle season last year I had a spike bull at ten yards with my recurve in hand. I even did a practice draw on him. One of the reasons I switch back to traditional archery from a compound was because I was counting on my equipment to get the shoot and not my woodsmanship skills. I was getting less and less quality shoots each year with the compound verses when I had to get close with the traditional gear that I had shoot with in the past.