Bowhunting Elk.

[Arrowhead]

Looking for any and all input on bowhunting elk as far as bowhunting goes.

I have lurked on quite a few other posts regarding calling and such but wanted to get soem bowhunting specific info.

Average shot distance?

Point size?

I am shooting 70#'s 30" arrow.

Best shot to take? Quartering away? Broadside?

Worst shot to attempt?

Thanks.

 

[wmidbrook]

I've read a wide range of opinions on this one and haven't shot an elk with a bow so I'm no expert by any means.

The arrows I use fly well with 100 grains on the end of 'em so I'm sticking with that rather than trying to gain an extra pound or two of KE by trying to make 125 grain broadhead fly as well.

I'm using innerlocs 'cause they a) aren't mechanical, b) are tough and rated well and c) fly right where my field tips go

They've taken a pig and will take an elk alright.

 

[Speckmisser]

Hey Arrowhead,

What's up, did a herd of elk move into Cary recently?

I haven't bowhunted elk yet, so can't say much more... but just the thought of hunting elk in NC kinda rang my bell and I had to say something. Sorry.

 

[Constitutionalist]

I use 125g points for two reasons:

1) I need the extra weight (400g min arrow weight for my setup)

2) The heavier the point, the more accurate and consistent your arrow will fly

Front of Center (FOC) Calculator


I have yet to sink an arrow through an elk, but I have decided to only launch on a broadside opportunity. To me, and this is just my opinion, the chance of not recovering an animal due to poor decision making is totally unacceptable. I will let any animal go if the animal isn't within my abilities. Ethical calls are left to each hunter individually and I am not trying to preach, so enough of that. Just remember Elk are the same size as a horse, and are just as strong and probably have twice to three times the endurance (or it just SEEMS that way!). They can cover GREAT distances if hit with a poorly made lethal shot. Yeah, the black bears and coyotes have to eat too, but I prefer to let them earn their chow!

Regarding the weight of the tip issue: Start with 85g arrows and group them. Then jump to 100g, and 125s. I did this with my daughter, and the difference between her 85g groups and 100g groups were incredible. The FOC calculator will help you decide which is the best setup to attain maximum accuracy (if this is what you are after).

Shot distance: With the few people I know who've harvested elk with archery equipment, the distances have ranged from five yards (yeah, he could count the lashes) to sixty yards (an eighteen year old who bagged a 360 class bull his first year). A lot of this depends on the area where the elk presents itself. Example being the Wilderness Area where I hunt. To get a thirty yard shot is almost a miracle due to the extremely heavy vegetation. If your area is flatter you run the chance of hunting off the edges of MASSIVE meadows where the only available shot may be on the better side of seventy yards. What does ol' Chuck Adams say? Take the distance you can group five arrows within an animals kill zone (eighteen inches for elk), then subtract 20% of that distance for your maximum hunting distance (or words to that effect). I am prepared to handle any elk out to sixty yards (via that beautiful range finder I carry).

Broadhead: I use the Gold Tip Gladiator mechanical heads. I practice with them extensively and am comfortable with any shot to sixty yards. Whichever type head you use, I believe YOU must be comfortable with the setup in order for you to be effective. I am solely after accuracy and have molded my setup to achieve this goal.

I hope this has helped and not confused you. A question: You have paper tuned your bow, right?

Thanks and good luck!

Eric

 

[hunthog]

The size of the broadhead is less important than the placement of the shot. Even though an Elk is much larger than a deer his kill zone is close to the same size. That would be about 8".

Best broadhead - Strong, one that will cut on contact, sharp as a razor with fixed, not expandable blades. My $.02 is that mechanical blades have no place in Elk hunting. The hide is too thick, the fat is too heavy, the bones are too big and mechanicals are too flimsy. Want to test your broadheads? Go to a butcher and buy a steer shoulder knuckle. Step back 20 yards and shoot it with one of your broadheads. If it self destructs try a different one. When you find one that will break, stick in with little damage or shatter the knuckle then you have the right one. 100gr, 125gr or 160gr no matter. Whatever flies right and holds up to severe abuse.

Distance - Simply said, whatever distance you feel comfortable with and where you can reliably place a shot in an 8" circle 100% of the time from all shooting positions. And I mean ALL shooting positions. Never be tempted to take a shot beyond your comfort zone. A long track in tough country will result and may result in a wounded Elk that will suffer for weeks.

Best shot - Quartering away and low and tight forward. Good shot - Broadside, low and tight forward. Marginal shot - Quartering toward you. No shot - Facing you or walking away. Tough shot at all times is a shot where the front leg is in the rearward position when you shoot. That makes the kill zone about 4" because the huge 2" thick shoulder blade covers the top half of the vitals. Try and time your shot so the arrow will impact when the front leg is forward. Also - do whatever you can to avoid hitting high or too far back. A deer will go 300 yards with a liver shot where an Elk will go 2 miles or more.

hunthog

 

[BlackTimber]

125 grain tip.

About the only difference between 100 grain and 125 grain heads is the thickness of the blades. I'll take a heavier blade when hunting elk, any day.

I could get 400 grains with the 100's but 125's are easier to shoot. Won't plane as easy as lighter heads.

1/4 away shot is optimal, broadside I'll take anytime. 1/4 toward is tough but doable if done right. Anything else and it walks.

I've been lucky enough to arrow 3 elk in my short elkhunting carrier, also lucky enough to recover all three in under 50 yards.

 

[wmidbrook]

With 100 grain broadheads my arrows weigh 425 grains +- a few grains with 11.8% FOC. I'm pushing 69/70s KE

With 125 grain broadheads the arrows would weigh in @ 450 grains. I'd probably gain a pound or two KE, and FOC would go up to 13.7% FOC.

With innerlocs, the replacement blades are the same for both 100 grain & 125 grain broadheads according to their website so I would not be gaining anything there by moving up to 125 grain broadheads.

With my current setup, I'm putting 90-95% of my shots into 8" @ 60 yds.

Anyone know if 14% FOC is better than 12% FOC for tighter groups???

Since I'm not doing any 3d or match shooting, I'm not too worried about getting tighter groups.....but, if I could tighten up my group a couple inches or more by changing FOC, why not? I guess I can experiment by buying some 125 field tips but am looking for opinions on FOC really.

Does bumping up broadhead weight ever result in having to adjust anything other than your sights to get back in tune?

 

[shovelerslayer]

I have managed to arrow several elk with a set up much like yours (70# PSE with 30" arrows and 100gr. heads). Only strong advice I can give you is:
1) That anything over 40 yards is too far in my opinion. An elk can duck or jump an arrow as well as any deer, and a slight change in arrow placement makes a big difference.
2) Broadside or quartering away are the only shots I would take. I don't shoot the quartering towards shot because the shoulder is covering much of the vitals. Therefor you most likely will either have to go completely through the shoulder (unlikely) or you'll hit him/her back in the guts.
I am just giving my opinion, and others may have other opinions.
I worked for a summer out of Raton at the Vermejo Ranch, is that where you are going? During that time I watched tons of HUGE BULLs, but they wanted $10,000 to hunt them ( about $9,990 more than I could afford).

 

[wmidbrook]

Thanks for the input SS. I think you were talking to Arrowhead (still have that old A5 Arrowhead?) but in case you weren't...no, I'm going to 5b in NM....

SS>>I bet that was quite an experience working the Vermejo ranch.

 

[Arrowhead]

Thanks for all the excellent replies.

I have to read them several times to gather it all in. I appreciate the honest input. Pretty much sounds like the shots I would take on a whitetail would be the same for elk. Quartery away or broadside. I do plan on sticking to cut on contact blades.
I have been using 100 grain muzzy for the past 8 yrs. Only on deer and hogs so far.
I am competent with a bow and am not one to take wastefull shots.


If all plans comes together I'll be in area 15A in NM. Should know within the next few days.

Speckmisser >> No elk in CARY=Catchment Area for Relocated Yankees

Thanks.

 

[Speckmisser]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div>

CARY=Catchment Area for Relocated Yankees[/b]

LOL!!! That's the first time I'd heard that one, but it sure is accurate!

Keep us posted on your hunt. I'm hoping to bowhunt elk next fall in Oregon (or possibly CO), and I'm itching to hear some success stories.

By the way, I shoot a recurve, and my go-to heads are 140gr. Magnus Journeyman (total arrow weight about 539gr). Haven't actually shot them at anything but turkeys (missed), but from the way they blow through my Delta 3-D target, I'm confident they'll do the trick on deer, hogs, or elk.

 

[hunthog]

Hey Speckmisser,

I'll let you know how we do this year in Oregon. We're leaving on the 5th of Sept and returning at the end of the season. My partner and his 16 year old are going along. Sure would like to see the kid get one.....sure would like to see me get one too. Well, it's "any" Elk so the girls better watch out because I'm a meat hunter. I've already had my experiences waiting for a bull. I past on a cow the first day out several years ago that was a sure shot and didn't get an opportunity the rest of the season. Never again. I can have just as much fun calling Elk to the other guys.

hunthog

 

[hronk]

I shoot 125gr Rocky Mtn Razors. Yes there are more modern and compact 125 gr. heads but I have been very successful with these so why change. I shoot 29" 2219s at 68lbs. from an older Hoyt Spectra. I will only take under 30yd shots, broadside or quartering away. I also try to keep my aim lower on the animal than on other game. Works for me. Good luck.....hronk

 

[treekiller]

I've taken a number of elk over the years, all but one with a recurve or longbow. I only take broadside or slightly quartering away shots. I'm right-handed, but left-eye dominant, so I limit my shots to 20-25 yards at the furthest.

Used a number of sharpen to the point broadheads with two blades. I never failed to recover a lethally hit bull, but the bloodtrails were difficult to follow at times. The straight cut from a 2-blade head would close up too fast. Two years ago I switched to a 3-blade Wensel Woodsman 125 gr broadhead and have taken two bulls with them. Haven't had any trouble with the bloodtrails (actually both were down in under 5 seconds) from the 3-blade heads.

Some guys claim a straight on shot low in the throat is a sure kill shot. It might be, but not by me, I'm not confident enough to make that shot everytime. The margin for error is too great!

I prefer to place the arrow 4 to 5 inches behind the front leg about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up the chest cavity. That gives me a slight margin for error.

The bull in the photo was from 2002. As you can see the 3-blade opened up quite a gusher.

treekiller