The only elk I failed to recover was a young bull. He was moving around behind some trees and finally gave me a shot with just his front shoulders exposed. I was trying to stay off the trees so held center of the shoulder. He was within my comfortable range and I was prone and calm. I had killed a lot of game with that rifle at ranges that far and farther and was confident I could put one right through the shoulders and put him on the ground. 300 Win Mag with a 180 TTSX. At the shot he stumbled, hit the ground and then got up and took off with about 15-20 others.
The ground was dry but we marked the spot, did a search all over where he was last seen and down the mountain where the herd ran. We ran out of daylight with no blood, hair, single track leaving the group, etc. Came back the next day with more guys and OnX and laid out of grid pattern. It snowed overnight so any chance of blood from the previous day was nill. Swept the whole side of the mountain with no elk found.
Still makes me sick.
Too high? Too far forward? Dunno...but I do know it sucks to lose one especially when you know they were hit hard enough to come off their feet. The cows he was with were antsy but not real jittery. I should have waited for the vitals to be fully exposed. Woulda-coulda-shoulda. My only comfort is that I have dug enough old hardware (bullets and broadheads) out of elk that there is a chance he made it.
