Still licking my wounds

[JTeLarkin08]

This September I had the same elk tag that I had in 2017.. I had high expectations for the tag and I will be honest they were all blown away.. I had probably the best elk hunt I will ever have in my life. I had one of my best friends calling for me and a new best friend in camp.. We hunted our *** off.. We were on bulls every single day and heard more bugles than I could even begin to count.. On day 3 we called a bull in on a string but he circled a little bit down wind and gave me a shot at 65 yards. Between the bull ducking and rolling and my arrow hitting a small branch I hit the bull high in the front shoulder.. we got on the bull again later in the week with a group of cows, so I am happy to know that he will be just fine. On day 7 is where a little part of me died.. We had a good solid 300” 6 point bull come on a string to 24 yards broadside .. I had ranged a tree at 37 yards and one at 26 yards.. Somewhere in the bull coming in I got the two trees mixed up or thought that he was further than he was and shot him for 33 yards.. I know I misjudged him but my arrow once again hit way high over the lungs in the front shoulder.. It wasnt until reviewing the footage that we realized not only did I misjudge him but he also ducked my string 8-10 inches at 24 yards. Might as well have been a hill country whitetail.. Had he not ducked it would have been a dead bull. I haven't wounded a big game animal since a whitetail when I was 14 years old. To wound two bull elk on one of the best hunts of my life absolutely whipped my *** mentally.. I still havent picked up my bow.. It will happen soon.. I am gonna have to start shooting target archery again.. I definitely let multiple people down including myself and my pride is hurt. But time to get over it. Here is the first bull we saw of the trip. I’m glad this wasn’t one of the two I wounded.





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[dgilbert]

What bow are you shooting?

[RedBear78]

Keep at it my friend thanks for sharing.You got a good hunt in and learned a few things.I’ve had to learn a few things along the way too.I feel your frustration but you’ll get em next time.Heck if your getting that close maby I can hire you as a guide one day.

[docmay]

I know the pain! It happens to every single one of us if we bowhunt long enough. The people that say they have never missed or never wounded an animal haven’t hunted that much!

[Bisch]

Sorry to hear that JT! When crap like that happens to me, I feel the same way as you do now. I also think sometimes it’s just God telling you it ain’t your turn!

Better luck next time out!

Bisch


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[ByronB]

You will be just fine......see your avatar. Just simple errors in the moment that can be corrected on your next trip. I am sure next time you will be posting pics of an elk.

[RascalArms]

It happens. Put it behind ya, get back after it and move on brother.

[lanceodom]

Oh man, I feel your pain. It happens. Let me tell you the next bull you drill will feel that much better.

[SabineHunter]

Wow, two dead bulls, most likely. Real shame.

[ByronB]

Wow, two dead bulls, most likely. Real shame.

You may need to go back and re-read the original post. The first bull he hit high in the shoulder was alive and well several days later running around with his cows. At least that is what I gathered from the post when I read it.

[texan16]

Man, that is a horrible series of events but the good thing is, it is in the past and you can move on. You can’t do anything to change it, except grab your bow and start shooting. Look forward to the opportunity for redemption and keep on keeping on.

[db@100]

I have very little experience in killing elk with a bow so I have a question. At yes 25 yards, wouldn't your 20, 30 and maybe 40 yard pins still be in the kill zone?

[slayr]

Wow, two dead bulls, most likely. Real shame.

You’re a real piece of work…..You sound like a junior high school girl making comments about someone who grew their titties first.

[Slick8]

You’re a real piece of work…..You sound like a junior high school girl making comments about someone who grew their titties first.

Thankfully iced tea easily cleans up from my phone...lmao.

To the op, it happens to the best to us. Like doc said if you haven't then you've likely not hunted much.

Get a little practice in then go chase a wise Ole snorting doe. One of the toughest quarry out there and should get your confidence back.

Thanks for sharing and best of luck to ya.

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[SabineHunter]

You may need to go back and re-read the original post. The first bull he hit high in the shoulder was alive and well several days later running around with his cows. At least that is what I gathered from the post when I read it.

Well, if you got shot in the shoulder with an arrow, how long would it take for an untreated wound to get infected? Not in a couple of days.
It is just a shame. BTW, these kind of self revealing tragic stories are exactly the kind of ammo the antihunters look for and use against us. IMHO, if we shoot and don't recover, we don't need to blast it out on social media.