I had an uncle, has since passed , walk up on a 80 whitetail doe that was wounded. He was a large strapping man ,6'5, 255 lber, afraid of nothing or no one..... As he stepped up to her ,she kicked his right foot about seven feet straight in the air. As he laid on the ground next to it, he gave her a one handed shot with his well worn .30-06. If a half grow doe can do this kind of damage a bull elk can be worse, I imagine something like a rodeo bronc , with large weapons attached to his head.
Now as for not being properly prepared to harvest animal..... You could write several books on the subject. Slitting throats and such are by now means necessary when you have a gun in your hands..... and if you are out of ammo, you have not planned properly.
