Hit a elk can't find him

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New Member
Feb 23, 2014
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Co
JJ that would make sense if that was the bull he was about the same size and from the direction that we had last blood from, he also came off the highest point in the general area, after we bumped him he ran a 1/2 mile till he disappeared over the hill from there there are no trees for another 3/4 of a mile in the direction that he was headed, thinking that was him I need to go c that rancher and talk to him c if I can look for him there, again there are no huge woods in that direction for a bit
 

jjenness

Very Active Member
Sep 30, 2011
666
62
Lewistown, MT
Depending on the type of ground you can always dry track him too. Just remember to look for the track every 8 to 10 feet, it's slow going but can pay off.
 

tdcour

Veteran member
Feb 28, 2013
1,100
26
Central Kansas
Best of luck to you! I can't offer any better advice than what has already been said. My buddies cow ran a long way this year too. Stay persistent and you will find him!
 

buckbull

Veteran member
Jun 20, 2011
2,167
1,354
blue light in the dark, you will be amazed at how any spec of blood will stand out that's naked to your eye in day. run to wall world if you don't have a blue light on your head lamp,
If I'm just tracking specs of blood, I'd much rather track at night with this method than during the day.
 

gypsumreaper

Active Member
Mar 13, 2014
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0
Also get some peroxide and if you think you see blood spray it, it should foam, mark ur trail as well with marking tape this helps you be able to look back an see your trail and help look at direction he was headed, and don't walk right on ur tracks and blood. Move off to the side put one person ahead to kinda follow track and keep eyes forward looking while the other follows slowly looking for blood. Good livk


If you get meat from the store then dont criticize me for having the courage to go out and kill my own meat
 

Hilltop

Veteran member
Feb 25, 2014
3,845
2,228
Eastern Nebraska
After this amount of time I would be looking for scavenger birds like crows and buzzards. They can lead you to a carcass very quickly after it has been dead a while.
 

Gr8bawana

Veteran member
Aug 14, 2014
2,671
605
Nevada
Oh man that sucks for you and the animal. Just keep at it, from all that blood that loooks frothy he is dead out there someplace.
It may not be salvagable whe you find it but it is bound to happen if you hunt enough. Go ahead and tag it and help teach your
son about searching for a wounded animal as long as it takes.
 

libidilatimmy

Veteran member
Oct 22, 2013
1,140
3
Wyoming
Great info from JJ about the wind. While not always the case, a good rule of thumb is that elk generally go uphill to avoid predators, in this case you, so pay attention to your elevation while searching

I feel for you, stick with it and the bull will turn up eventually. I'm not sure about the rules in Colorado, but you should have a right to go look for a wounded animal on private land if you inform the land owner and explain the situation to him/her and the local Warden.
 
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tim

Veteran member
Jun 4, 2011
2,420
1,067
north idaho
I know a guy, that shot a nice buck on a Wednesday mid morning. He looked until dark on wed. blood trail disapperead. blood like yours. very red, not pink. Wednesday night at dark he gave up. he went back and looked all of Thursday and no luck. he got someone to help him\his wife. no luck on Thursday. Went back at it on Friday and found the buck in his bed still alive. One more shot and the buck was dead. The buck looked at the hunter with a weird look, either hurry up and finish the job or about time you showed up.

Moral of the story, keep looking, until you find him. I should know, I am that guy.
I do need to say, there where many times in that 3 days I thought of giving up hunting.
 

WapitiBob

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,385
58
Bend, Orygun
"The shot was perfect quartering away, entering in his ponch and exiting in his opposite armpit. The bull went 1.5 miles from where I shot him, makes zero sense how he made it that far but they are some damn tough animals."

A friend made the same "perfect" shot this year and never found his bull.
When you have a quartering away angle and aim for the far leg, you hit the back lobes of the lungs and liver. No arteries, mediocre bleeding, and they go a long long way. Put it in front of the far leg, 1/3 up, you'll hit lungs center mass, main arteries, and you'll watch him fall.
 

Red Raider

Member
Oct 1, 2013
122
0
Midland, Texas
Friend who hunts in New Mexico south of Cloudcroft, just found 2 bulls with arrows in them. He called the P&W and they want him to take them to where they are. Said they had been dead about a week. Sad Sad
 

Work2hunt

Veteran member
Mar 2, 2013
1,366
11
St. Louis, MO
This morn was our last morn to hunt here in CO we had a bull follow 8 cows past us at 17 yds I let my son shoot first he hit him quartering to just a bit when he shot,
The bull ran our to 70 and I put one behind his front led quartering away a little low.
The bull ran for 30 yds then walked up the hill and would stop every once in a while we saw the blood coming out of him when he stopped, we tracked him 600 yds out in a field and lost all blood.

This is what the blood looked like where he stopped, pretty sure he is dead just no idea where,
Any advice ?


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Any update?
 

[email protected]

New Member
Feb 23, 2014
35
0
50
Co
We were back this morn and walked some of the neighbors ranch they all joined us with there 4 wheelers, we established a great relationship and think if they would find him they will call, du to work we can't get back till sat morn.
I'm pretty sure he is somewhere on there place just havnt found him yet.
They had a 370 bull die on there place last yr and nobody came looking for him, they were excited to help out so that part turned out great.


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barberx8

New Member
Sep 30, 2014
3
0
Sounds to me like a pushed animal..Usually one lung..If disturbed too early they will go a long ways..If left alone a couple hours one lung they will pile up...Archers biggest enemy is being impatient!
It will keep..