Wounded Elk Help

Hey everyone, Well I was thinking i'd be posting some success pics on here today but it hasn't ended the way I've been hoping. Yesterday I hit my first elk, a nice little 5 point bull on the Wasatch front, but I still haven't found him. I'm headed up today to look some more but wanted to see what you guys think... So it was a 45 yard broadside shot and my arrow passed completely through, I didn't see exactly where the arrow hit but it looked like it was right on target. I found my arrow completely covered in bright red blood so I know it wasn't a lung or gut shot and if it was a leg shot it seems like I would have hit bone, maybe not though. The blood trail was really easy to follow, not tons of blood but a consistent amount for about 150 yards until he bedded down. I waited for about 45 minutes before following the trail but I ended up bumping him from his bed. There wasn't a ton of blood where he bedded but there was some. After he jumped I waited more than 2 hours before following again and thats when it went down hill. After the blood in his bed I couldn't find any trace of blood. I was able to follow his tracks for about 50 yards but he got on a well used game trail and I lost his tracks. I think I hit him above the lungs and have heard of elk going for days with that kind of injury. What do you guys think? Anybody have a similar experience? I hardly slept last night thinking about it, any help would be awesome! Thanks guys
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Archer11,
I made that shot on a whitetail one time. above the lungs and below the spine. I followed a promising trail for the first 50 yrds. Then it stopped, grid search did not find her. Don't know what happened. I just blew the shot. The one thing striking me is your bull layed down after 150 yrds. Makes me think he was not feeling to good. In my tiny experience with elk they run to the next county after being bumped. Keep searching. Good Luck, We've all been there....
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Any update???
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BOHNTR
Sounds like a high hit.....like in the back strap area. I hope you get on him again, but it's been my experience IF it is a back strap type hit, he'll be chasing cows in a few weeks.
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ARCHER11
Well tonight's search efforts didn't turn anything up. BackpackerTX I also found it strange that he bedded down so quick... he obviously wasn't feeling too hot! After bumping him I thought he'd just go another 100 yards or so and bed down again or bleed out but I can't turn anything up. I'm going back tomorrow to grid search a little more then glass late afternoon to see if I can find him out and about or maybe find sign of some crows or something. I was really hoping for some meat but its looking like that's out of the question for this year, hopefully I can at least get the antlers or find him alive and well
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sneekeepete
"BOHNTR" wrote:Sounds like a high hit.....like in the back strap area. I hope you get on him again, but it's been my experience IF it is a back strap type hit, he'll be chasing cows in a few weeks.
 +1

Good luck on your search and way to keep after him.
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JDavid
That's a bummer Robby. I hope you can find it. Good luck if nothing shows up by the weekend and you would like help looking let me know.
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I hope that you're able to track him down! That does seem like it was a good hit if he bedded down quick, but maybe it just hit the backstraps. Hopefully you'll have some updates soon. Good luck!
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ARCHER11
Thanks guys ill keep you posted. I'm off to see what I can find tonight, hoepfully I can turn something up!
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Any updates? I am hoping that "No News is Good News" applies here. [-o<
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ARCHER11
I wish it did but I wasn't able to turn anything up after a few days of looking. Ill be deer hunting in the area for the rest of the year so hopefully I will find him alive and maybe get a second chance but who knows... Thanks for everyones help! I may not have been able to get a bull out of it but I learned a lot and hope to avoid some mistakes I made in future hunts!
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That is a bummer deal. I had a similar issue with a buck last year. Hit him in the liver I think. Bumped him from his bed and then nothing. I feel for you, it's a heartbreaking deal, but good job getting into that position in the first place. Hopefully you find him and have another chance at him soon.
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nuttinbutchunks
Had a similar experience opening day in American Fork Canyon. I shot a cow right in the chest from about 15 yards pushing a 440 grain Easton Epic 340 at 275 Ft/s! I thought "Dead elk"! She ran down the other side of the hill where I shot her and bedded down in the grass before I could see where she went. The grass ws so tall she disapeared, and I lost her. I went home to get my Weimaraner dog thinking he could track her down. While I was gone my son jumpted her from her bed, and she walked up a hill and vannished once again. I got back with my dog and my son told me what had happened, I followed a blood trail to where it dried up. I should have left and came back the next day. I would have found her dead. But like an idiot, I trailed her. Looking down at the grass tryuing to find more blood, my son walked right up on her and she thundered off.
Labor day I went back there to look around and fould a hind quarter bone assembly completely void of any meat. The critters got her ](*,) But that's all I could find. #-o
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