Well my self, brother and father are headed out to Wyoming for our first elk hunt towards the end of September. I've been practicing my butt of and am shooting really well out to 22 or so yards I'm confident that within the month I'll be confident at 25 but something in the back of my head is nagging at me saying "your probably gonna need more range than that, gonna be hard getting a cow/bull in that kinda range" it's really starting to screw with me.....
I've hunted whitetails most my life and never shot one over 25 yards with a bow and arrow but something is making me think elk will be harder.....
So if you could please help me and tell me I'm crazy!! We will be doing spot and stalk and calling style hunting and I have an either sex tag. Im really excited for this hunt just getting nervous that my ability's will be to limiting.
I have been in 2 elk hunting trips. One time I didn't see a elk in 5 days. One trip I shot a bull at 15 yards
My longest poke so far has been 28 yards, the rest have been in 20-25 zone.
Sometimes they are too close. One time, I had a bull at 3 steps, bugling his brains out, head on. No shot. Another time, I was on one side of a small tree while a big bull raked the other side. No shot again. Last year, I had a cow and bull at 5 yards. As soon as I tried to get the bow in position, they boogied. Oh, I almost forgot the herd of cows that surrounded me last year, anywhere from 5 to 30 yards. That time, I killed a lodgepole in front of a cow at about 20 yards.
THEY DRIVE ME CRAZY!!!!
Of the 8 elk I've killed only one was past 25 yds and he was 27 yds, the rest have been between 15-23 yds with one at about 7 yds. Elk have an uncanny ability to pin point your calling location and come straight to it. I've missed out on FAR more elk because they came in too close and busted me than I have because I couldn't shoot far enough. Relax, if you are shooting confidently out to 25 yds go hunting with confidence and bring your camera.
I hunted elk for six years with a compound and never had a shot. There is a learning curve!
Since switching to traditional gear I have figured a few things out and have taken 3 bulls and 2 cows. One cow might have been 25 yards max. The rest were under 20 yards, with the biggest bull at 8. Yes, EIGHT yards!
Don't fret it - it is very possible to get close to elk. My thought is that the reason that compound hunters tend to have higher average shot distances is because they tend to shoot before they get close enough! Just because they shoot one at 30 yards doesn't mean they couldn't have waited a bit and shot it at 15.
I have only killed one-a big cow on the ground at 8-9 feet. Shot through heart with arrow still in paradox.
I have been elk hunting 3 times, and have yet to loose an arrow. I know you can get them close because I have talked to too many folks that have done it, and seen a gazillion videos of guys shooting elk under 20yds!
Good luck on your hunt!
Bisch
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
I have been elk hunting 3 times, and have yet to loose an arrow. I know you can get them close because I have talked to too many folks that have done it, and seen a gazillion videos of guys shooting elk under 20yds!
Good luck on your hunt!
Bisch
If I were an elk, I wouldn't get close to you either.
QuoteOriginally posted by DarkTimber:
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
I have been elk hunting 3 times, and have yet to loose an arrow. I know you can get them close because I have talked to too many folks that have done it, and seen a gazillion videos of guys shooting elk under 20yds!
Good luck on your hunt!
Bisch
If I were an elk, I wouldn't get close to you either. [/b]
Good point
My answer is...It depends on the country you will be hunting.
If its dark timber, lodgepole especially. 25 yards feels like a mile because the cover is so dense.
In open country with parks and open timber patches, you may wish you could shoot 100 yards. :)
Of the twenty plus elk I've seen shot with arrows. (Most of them being called in)' I would say the average is 15-20. Those are compound and tradbows kills by me and my hunting partner.
That said,I have had many a bull hang up 35 plus yards that would have been dead bulls if I was shooting a compound, or was comfortable shooting at that distance. My personal longest was 32 and it was three years ago. However, I would not suggest shooting at that range unless you have hunted alot of elk before.
A bull elk has the ability to make a 10 yard shot seem difficult despite their size. You will be shaking like a squirrell passing a peach pit!
Good luck and keep us posted.
ONe last suggestion, When a bull is coming in, STOP... look down, take a deep breath and then make sure you scan your lanes and find the twenty yard trees. When he crosses that threshhold he's yours.
DP.
Elk under 20 yards can certainly happen so good luck to you, gets really exciting under 20 yards so be prepared :scared: :scared: :archer2:
You guys are unbelievable. I would truly fall to pieces if a bull walked within 20 yds. of me. What a rush it must be. My neighbors son went once and said he couldn't believe how much noise they made as they approached. He said they plow through everything.
I'm no supeer caller, but every single elk I have called came within 15 yards of my position except for one that was about 25 out when he busted me. Except for the one at 25, every elk I have called was at a time when I had only a cow tag! :mad:
Like said above, they do know exactly where you are so it's a good idea to work with another hunter with the caller trying to bring the elk to the shooter.
They will either be well within range or way too far out for you is my experience, now whether or not they present a shot is the $64,000,000 question! If you even think they are going come close enough to shoot, you better have your bow arm at full extension and your hand on the string. I use my bow to break up my outline and obscure my face.
A guy could write a book on how to seal the deal with an incoming bull....
I think I would respectfully disagree with David. The trouble is bulls will freeze for no reason. If your arm is extended you may be like that for some time. If you weren't shaking before, wait until you have to hold your bow up for three minutes in a stare down. :)
I hunt with a longbow for elk for this exact reason. I rest my lower limb on my forward knee, standing with my back against a tree,and with my tab hand ready to draw. The long bow is long enough to keep my bow at a respectable height while at rest.
I also tuck my chin and try to look down when they get real close. Those last few yards, I follow the bulls movement with my peripheral vision.
I think,bulls seem to sense at close range when your're googling at them. If they catch your eye, they will grind to a halt, stare, bark, and boogey.
Anyway, I try to have my kill spots in mind and when they walk into them, I swing draw, anchor and release. I try not do this if they are actively looking at me.
Bulls will swap ends like a whitetail if you pick the wrong instant. if you do it right, you will almost smile just before you release, because you know you nailed it.
If you do it wrong, the bull leaving (especially a whopper) will sound like a jeep crashing through the timber. It will awe you with their power. Usually this is followed by dropped bows, quiet f bombs, and other general temper tantrums. Or maybe that is just us. :)
Anyway, to each their own but that last second or two, I think is the difference between killing bulls, and just telling the story.
Must of been all those arm waving exercises where you have to hold your arms straight out that I did in my career in the Navy that allows me to get away with it:-) I think I may bend my arm with my elbow resting on my torso, but I know I have my bow in front of my face and have survived the stare down unscathed even calling extremely softly to sound like an elk a ways off while the bull is right there in range.
All of the elk I have killed with a bow have been under 20 yards...my closest being at 7 yds. All have been Bulls. It can be done as many other posts in this thread attest to.
Good luck!
I've killed 3 under ten yards and one about 30! Very exciting. Good luck..
Completely different animal, but I found out it would have been very helpful to be comfortable at 30-40 when hunting elk in Kentucky a few years back. With limited hunting and no natural predators they usually were pretty content if you were 30ish plus yards away. They live in areas with lots of human contact. It was almost funny on some occasions. They would stand at about 40 and watch you. If you took a step forward, they would take a step back.
I shot my biggest bull at 4 yards
Five seasons and counting without an arrow in the air. I've gotten a handful from 40-50 but nothing closer. The people I've hunted with have all gotten elk inside 20, so it's certainly possible. Good luck!
Went Co bow elk once early in my life. I was a young, stupid hot **** (longbow) kid. 35 years later it's got a lot easier inside 15 yards and I'm not a hot **** now. Longbow of course, aint changing. (Wish the Co tag was the same as back it the day for bow)....
Depends on how you hunt them,
W/ a caller set back from you, it's very possible your shots can be under 20yrds. Now if you hunt solo, things can be a lot trickier, which tells you shots are more likely to be further than the caller set behind you method. Remember, a lot of times bull's will stop and rake a something on their approach. This can be the break you're looking for, try to approach him as quickly as possible while he's occupied w/ raking. They will usually have their eyes closed and the noise from battling the brush can give you an advantage.
I hunted elk for many years in several states and never had problems getting elk in close 5-25yds getting the shot is the hard part. Killed them too but I hunted by myself most the time sometimes with a partner, very little bugling and always used a couple different cow calls. Don't expect all the elk to act like what you see on the TV shows and vidio's either those are ranch elk and they don't act like public land elk, just saying.
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/elk3.jpg) (http://s904.photobucket.com/user/TmPotter47/media/elk3.jpg.html)
Stop worrying about the little things, enjoy the mountains and your family. Your going to work your butt off and there is nothing like it, you will either love or hate it but don't try to predict what's going to happen. Just let it happen!!!
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/Utahpicks2.jpg) (http://s904.photobucket.com/user/TmPotter47/media/Utahpicks2.jpg.html)
Tracy
Excellent post with a legitimate concern/insecurity for effective distance; great stories all consistent with my experiences as well.
I've had bulls, cows & fawns within a stones toss but have yet to harvest one for various reasons; 0-25 yds. will get the job done I believe.
Getting one is bonus...I just hope that you can get into them and experience the magic :notworthy:
The smell of elk, their size, their sounds and their habitat is the bomb! The ultimate trad bow experience!
Best of luck.
Kris
I have made four trips after elk and as other's have said have yet to loose an arrow. Not because I couldn't get close though, twice I have had cows under 20yds while waiting on a bull to get open and ended up getting busted. Passed on a calf at under 15yds. Exciting stuff, hope to go again.
Thanks guys!! We are so excited, we will be fully guided for this hunt so hopefully there knowledge will at least show us some elk, hunting is hunting but I sure would love to see them. Thanks again for all you input I feel much better.
So what is your standard for kill zone...and how quickly can you get an arrow into that kill zone when an opportunity presents itself...I would think more about being able to shoot quickly than being able to shoot farther if calling them in
DDave
I called one in less than twenty yards but he came in directly towards me - no shot. When he continued on I couldn't shoot until he was 33-35 yards, due to trees. That was just too far with poor angle for me to shoot.
But it was exciting. Hope to do it again sometime.
I have only shot one with a bow. I'm guessing 23-25 yds. After that hunt, it is all I want to do. There is nothing like elk with a longbow. I'm not going this year but I am already excited about next. We will be back in the Bridger Wilderness chasing the elusive Wapiti. Like some others have said, enjoy the experience. I wouldn't worry about yds to target, your practice will make the necessary corrections out to a range you are comfortable with. Enjoy.
I don't mean to be Debbie Downer but push yourself to practice farther if you can. Even if you're not consistent. You will at least know you can reach out that far and you may even surprise yourself. After I started practicing out to 30 yds. I was in the kill zone quite often.
I say this because I recently came home from WY empty handed after a pronghorn hunt. All my shots were 30+ yds. I was just under their belly every time. I started telling myself "they'll be closer, don't worry". Well, I should have worried a little more I guess.
Regardless, practice further than you normally would shoot and pray they come in closer.
-Jeremy :coffee:
On my way home now with a 5x5 shot at 13 yards and I had a 4x5 pass at 5 yards. Yes u can do it!
last bull I took was at 6 yards with a buddy calling behind me and a decoy. However, I've had lots of encounters where I've been surrounded by elk with several well under 20 yards milling around. Sometimes they are too close and you can't move or draw. Know your limitations and stick with them and enjoy the ride!
As a kid growing up in western Colorado, I hunted elk quite a bit with m old 47# Bear Kodiak hunter. The biggest bull I have ever seen in my life - I missed 3 times over 30 minutes, with the longest shot I took at 15 steps. The third shot, I had buck fever so bad, my arrow went so far over his back that I believe NASA still classifies it as orbital space junk. You can get close - just take your time and have patience.