What do you think of this?

[Calif. Hunter]

Maybe I'll get flamed for this, but I wouldn't want to watch an animal die for 45 minutes? Why not move and put another bullet in him? (I don't have a problem with the 548 yard shot.)

Here's a couple of pics of the 168 TTSX. The shot was 548 yards (velocity 2014 fps, eneregy 1512 fpe) and angling away. I was in a valley and the bull was on the ridge. The wind was calm. The bull didn't react when hit. As I chambered another round and was getting steady again a bull that was with him took off. My bull casually took a few steps which put him behind a tree. I couldn't get another shot. Though the shot was long, I felt good about it. I heard the hollow thump of the bullet on impact. As the elk just stood there behind the tree I was in the position to shoot given the opportunity. Minutes go by and he's still standing there. My buddy walked a few hundred yards to get a better angle. He sets up the spotting scope. Probably 15 minutes pass and the bull finally lays down. A few more minutes pass and he tries to stand but can't. I'm starting to feel good about it. A few more minutes pass and the bull stretches his nose to the sky in attempt to draw air. Every few minutes he repeats the gasp. He's in his death bed. Finally after about 45 minutes he takes his last gulp of air. His head hits the ground on its side and he roles down the hill about 20 feet. It's over. The bullet struck a rib, punctured one lung (missed the heart), went through the lower part of the shoulder, and the hide stopped it. The recovered bullet weighed 167.2 grains. Talk about weight retention!

 

[elk_hunter]

If he had opportunity to get a better angle/get closer and put more bullets in him, I feel he should have, in my humble opinion. It's one thing to lose an animal/track him and find him 45 minutes later -- but another to sit and hang out watching the animal die and not expediting when given the chance.

 

[noharleyyet]

Guess he didn't wanna take a chance on pushing & losing it? How long do archers wait?

 

[Delw]

Guess he didn't wanna take a chance on pushing & losing it? How long do archers wait?

Very good point

 

[Moosie]

It's hard to Judge. On one hand, if he was good enough to slip a bullet in the first time, he should have again. On the other hand, some times after the second shot if the animl has any gumph it will leave.

 

[AZ402]

Guess he didn't wanna take a chance on pushing & losing it? How long do archers wait?

I think it just depends. I like to wait a half hour regardless of rifle or bow. That's unless I see or hear the animal go down. I've see as many slow rifle kills as I have slow archery kills.

 

[TLC]

Guess he didn't wanna take a chance on pushing & losing it? How long do archers wait?[/QUOTE]


depending on the hit, I wait anywhere from no time waiting to maybe 10 minutes. but, have been lucky enough to see most of the animals I shoot go down. also, have never taken a shot of more than 20 yards. like that close feeling I guess.

and agree. should have tried to find a way to get another shot at the elk to put him down quicker.

 

[elk_hunter]

I fully understand not pushing an animal and being concerned about it taking off and burying itself in the forest somewhere...but in this example, it would seem as though the hunter could have/should have pursued another shot. I see both sides of the coin on this one...

 

[Calif. Hunter]

A few more minutes pass and he tries to stand but can't.

I don't think it is the same as the archery situation. He is about 1/3 of a mile away. He hit it once at that distance. Couldn't he move to the side to get an angle around the tree and put another bullet in it?

 

[Delw]

Cali I have to disagree its the exact same as an Archery situation. if a critter lays down behind a tree you can move and get a shot off using a bow as well.
at least with an archery situation your close enough to the animal to see what direction its going, with a gun at that distance you might not be.

with out actually being there its impossible to say wether its BS or not.

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Yeah, but with a bow you are not over 500 yards away. I don't think the elk is going to spook, especially if you use even a modicum of caution. So I do not think it is the same as an archery situation. His buddy is off to the side, havuing set up a spotting scope at a better angle....tht didn't spook the elk and they were not concerned about the movement of his friend or the setting up of a spotting scope.

My buddy walked a few hundred yards to get a better angle. He sets up the spotting scope.

 

[IDHunters]

Should have shot it again after he knew he hit it. Elk probably didn't know he was there and any energy he had to move would have been gone after shooting it again.

 

[Hunterman]

45 min. watching an animal die shows me this dude is heartless. If his partner can get a couple of hundred yards closer, and set up a spoting scope, why didn't he put a bullet into the bull? Or why didn't this so called hunter mover after his buddy got set up. No respect for the animal at all..

Hunterman(Tony)

 

[JoseCuervo]

Sitting there that long is wrong. He should have used that 45 minutes to hike back to the truck and get a better backpack, or at least some lunch and maybe a beer.