If you place the arrows too high, it could keep the animal alive and in pain. You need to understand that there are very lethal shot locations that can be made, and we have nothing against someone choosing to take those shots. One of my hunting buddies has a barnes X bullet he recovered from the hide on the opposite side of a cow elk he shot. Animals shot here, generally will go down in minutes, if not seconds. Educate yourself on anatomy – know ahead of time where you need to aim, and where you are comfortable aiming to make a clean shot, and STICK TO IT! Because of that, don’t shoot. My objective most times I shoot a big game animal and any time I'd shoot an elk with a bow is a double-lung shot. I am aware of the proper shot placement, and have taken two mule deer with this shot that died within sight – one traveled about 30 yards, the other about 6 feet. I held right on his trachea in the dark mane hair above the esophageal groove. At the shot the bull crashed forward through some brush, but stopped after about 35 yards. Animals shot here, generally will go down in minutes, if not seconds. You could hear arrow cutting swamp reeds on his far side for quite a ways. That is the question that confronts us, hunters when we have a deer in our sights. Plenty of guys still shooting with stick bows and getting it done every season. I love the way you guys put your info out there. The Golden TriangleIf you look at the anatomy of a bull elk, the “golden triangle” that I am talking about is just that, golden if you ace it. I had a big bull moose under 20 yards, frontal for what seemed like an hour, but was only about 4-5 minutes. If I double lung the bull, he is going down in a hundred yards…especially if I bugle after my shot to calm him down. Each and every one of us has to to determine just what the most effective range and shot placement is, that we are most comfortable with as ethical and responsible hunters. A better way to focus on the elk shot placement comes from a picture that is centered just above the shoulder of the animal: One final picture depicts where you would aim on an animal that is facing you. The brain. Elk are incredibly tough animals, and a broadhead in the neck or shoulder won’t typically provide the lethal results we desire. Never have I missed a frontal shot, nor had an animal turn on me upon release. Thanks Larry for the positive feedback! Too low one way and hit the leg, or too far to the side and catch the shoulder bone, or too low another way and get brisket. He went in depth with telling me about all the arteries that converge in the front of the heart, which sits fairly close to the front of the chest. Bowhunting: Frontal Shot Placement. If you’re hunting solo, a bull will typically come to the call head-on, and if you can put your arrow into the thoracic opening, you’re going to take out throngs of arteries as well as a number of vital organs. Hoping to go up this Saturday and let the crows and buzzards find him for me. Deadly shot, If made. I don’t care if he dies in 30 or a hundred yards. The bullet weight required increases as bullet diameter increases. The arguments against taking a frontal shot, however, are worth taking a look at as well. Elk Frontal shot courtesy of Elk 101 Where to aim for a quartering to shot: The quartering to shot is very similar and is a shot is will take on deer but not elk unless I am slightly elevated or slightly below and have the angle to place it within that 11×9″ window otherwise I’d prefer almost straight on Not much can be debated regarding a standing, broadside shot. I would strongly advise against aiming behind the shoulder on a quartering-to shot as you will get one lung at best and the bloodtrail will typically be difficult. About the only obstacle to consider is the smaller ribs that will be encountered at the back-end of the ribcage. That determination can change from year to year based on better or declining proficiency. The time-tested and proven standby is the traditional broadside shot. I’m not going to recommend taking these shots, but I’m also not going to advise against these shots. There is absolutely no question in my mind I killed that bull. We always recommend to shoot whatever works best with your setup. I have just let the air out of the balloon…it IS a dead bull. If the bull is quartering away and you shoot that spot, and the heart is missed….that means you only get one lung. I also have a 46-second 'shoot' video taken with my digital camera. Rangefinders have eliminated much of the guessing game in judging distance, but many times an opportunity presents itself so quickly that we don’t have time to get an accurate range. Scrolling through Facebook, I came across a similar video from Trevor Johnson. A pass through, and that is what you get most of the time if you hit that bull where I have shown you. 37 is a long poke and probably better left to shots with less potential to go wrong. Shooting off-center (especially combined with a low shot) on a frontal shot exposes an arrow to deflection off the ribs, resulting in the arrow penetrating between the rib cage and the shoulder blade. July 21, 2011. ADVERTISEMENT. Practice at the distances you plan to shoot. Frontal is best avoided if possible, especially on heavy critters. However, he never shed a drop of blood, and I assume the mane hair was sufficient to absorb the bleeding from the cut in his hide over the trachea. Tune in to learn when to use it, when to avoid it, and steps you take to ensure it ends in a clean harvest. However, it is imperative that the hunter that shoots this shot has a complete grasp of an elk’s anatomy as well as great shooting skill. Due to the large hip and leg bones on the rear quarter of an elk, a straight-away shot is not typically a high-percentage or advisable shot. I love what you guys are doing and the way it is presented. Well there you have it,,, The frontal shot is the best shot to take and gives hunters the best over all kill opportunity and the best opportunity for a double lung or heart shot according to you. The only time I would pass on this shot angle, at this distance, would be if I was shooting a very light caliber (6.5 Creedmoor and under), or a very soft bullet. A shot here on a broadside animal can be anything from a direct heart shot, to hitting the top of the heart to a double lung hit even with the shot being a little high. Take some time to study the information MasterGuide Joe gives you here–over and over again! Best feature EVER on shot placement. 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