I had to give up Archery Elk. After taking a few deer with my bow I got into the Elk thing. All my deer had died within 40 yds so I was sold on how leathal an arrow was. My first shot at a Bull was un up hill 35 yrd shot on an open hillside that felt so good that I just slowly backed out of the area to get my buddy to help with the hard part. When we retuned about 45 min later we found nothing,no blood ,no arrow just tracks everywhere. The next year I made sure I was tuned and dead nuts on for the hunt. The end of the first day I had a spike run up to me about 20 yards away and turn broad side and just stood there wanting to die. I came to full draw and in my mind I must of drawn a circle around the whole elk and spikes then put an arrow in the center of the circle that was about 4 inches above the back of the elk because thats exactly where I watched my arrow go. The elk actually turned his head to see what the noise was then trotted strait at me until he saw me at about 10 feet away. The next year I had a drawn permit in Idaho
for a Rifle hunt. I shot a 5x6 in some heavy cover about 150 yds out. I saw the bull fall and was waiting for my brother to come to me when out pooped my bull 75 yards up the hill with a blood spot the size of a paper plate just behind his shoulder.3 hits later and a quarter mile deeper into Hells canyon it was finally dead. I hunted a few more years with a bow but never felt good enough about a shot to take it. I would love to be in good enough shape to try again but now it would not be fare to the animal if I was lucky enough to stumble into one. One of my brothers seems to get one with a bow almost every year now but they are both in shape for it and work damm hard for em. I am cursed with the fat lazy gene and fish a hell of a lot more than them. Anyone want to trade elk meat for salmon. I didn't think so...
Don't hunt Elk with a bow. Hunt elk harts and lungs with a bow and be commited to a lot of work if ya get the shot.