whitetails & muskies

How about carbons vs aluminums? I have taken several bulls with both rifle and muzzleloader, although this fall it looks like I will be going on an archery hunt. I have bow hunted for quite a few years, and a couple of years ago I switched from aluminums to carbon. I realize the heavier walled aluminums will carry more energy, but is this a concern, or not...I think not, as on numerous videos, etc., I have seen many bulls (and moose for that matter) taken with carbons.

As for broadheads, i have ALWAYS been a 100% cut on impact head guy. I love the Steelforce heads. I shoot 100 gr for whitetails, although am thinking about bumping it up to the 125's for elk.

Thoughts...comments????

BTW, as for the calling...well, if I wasn't calling two years ago when muzzleloader hunting, I never would have taken the nice 5x5 that year.

ELKINMTCWB

I shoot uver kill to most people. I have taken many bow hunters elk hunting with some good some bad times.The light carbons are not very good for elk.Last year I helped a guy TRY to get a wonded elk. It was a joke his arrow did not even go though the 1st sholder let alown exet.He may have had 3 in of penitration.
But my wife shoots 55# and kill a elk in les than 20 yards. BUT she shot a short shot and placement was perfict.This is the main deal just as any hunting.

NOW with all that said shoot the hevest arrow you can and the most poundage you can. I shoot a 90# mathews safari and a 550 gr arrow and will jump up more gr when I am hunting.I allso beleave the aluminum arrow is slighty better for 2 reasons.

1 The arrow will beak off in a leg movement. This leaves the head in the viatals to cut more.

2 So far I have not seen a pass thogh on a big elk with carbon.[I know there will be 10 guys post and say they allways get a passtough] This is just what I have saw.I do have 2 guys I hunt with that shoot carbons every year.every year they kill there bull.It seem like guys that come out to montana underestamate the size of elk[most guys I take are 1st timers] I think this is the reason the do not give elk the respect.

idahoelkinstructor

Whitetails & muskies, I have used arrows like ELKINMTCWB for the last 7 years with good results. With that said my friend came with me for 2 years and came back with two bulls. A four point bull and a six point bull, both of those bulls were big bodied and were killed with 400 grain Gold Tips. Out of the two bulls one was a pass through and the other was not, but the penetration was excellent. He was using Muzzy's and shooting his Mathews Q2XL at 65#. Like I have stated before I have used XX75's 2219 580 grain arrows to kill elk. Before that I used 2413 that weighed 500 grains to kill elk with good results too. I have had one bull elk that I didn't have a pass through either. I pulled the shot high and foward and ended up hiting the shoulder bone. I hit the lungs, barely, it was high and through the top of them. In case you are wondering the shot was only 15 yards away and broadside. I was a little too excited and pulled the shot, I admit I was lucky and thankful to not lose that bull. With making the switch to Gold Tips this year I am playing around with the add on weights and weighted straws to make my arrow heavier. I don't want to hunt with an arrow below 450 grains and do pefer it around 480 to 500 grains. Thats my personal choice, not saying a 400 grain arrow will not get the job done because it sure will. With a CUC broadhead like the Steelforce you should have no problems at all with a carbon arrow even if its only 400 grains. My wife will use a 400 grain arrow with a CUC this year, because her bow is 42# (thats the max she can pull and shoot accuratel) she will have to limit her shots to 25 yards max. Hopefully she kills a elk, the hard part will be finding a babysittter to watch our kids for a saturday or two. Getting the elk under 25 yards well that will be up to me.

whitetails & muskies

Good stuff....thanks and keep it coming. And believe me when I say this. I WILL NOT take a marginal shot with any weapon, much less a bow. And believe me when I say this also....I am sooooooooo looking forward to this hunt with the hopes to have some dark horned, ivory tipped bad boy screaming at me at 20 yards :-)

Oldguy

Where can I find the "ElkNut" video/cd ?

Kraton

www.elknut.com

Oldguy

Thanks Kraton!!

idahoelkinstructor

I am not sure why this is staying at the top but oh well thats cool. In teaching my archery education class this past week. I had a student who has his dad their. He dad was wise and a long time bowhunter, and I sure enjoyed his input and knowledge in the class. Anyway he only takes 4 days off work for bowhunting elk. He takes off a monday and tuesday, or a thursday and friday plus the weeked. He does this back to back weeks each year. That gives him 8 days to hunt during the rut plus two other weekends to scout and hunt prior to the rut. Of course this will not work for the out of state hunter. But if you live in a elk state and have a limited time to take off work that is the better way to do it. I admit that after 4 or 5 days of very hard elk hunting that it will tire the best of shape hunters out. I myself try to take opening weekend plus a day or two. Then come back for a solid 2 weeks for the rut. I do hunt hard, very hard. During my 2 weeks, I hunt hard for 6 days then I take it easy for a day or two. If I have a hot wallow that is being hit I will sit in a tree stand half days from noon on until dark. Or I will take an entire day off just to cool my jets and reenergize. Then I will hit it hard again until the end of my hunt. One thing to be considered too is that once the elk is down it takes a whole lot of work and some time to get it packed out. If you have to be back to work at a certin time that might limit where you can hunt on the last day because it might take a additional day to pull the elk out. I have had that happen to me back when I was in college. I took off a friday and weekend and killed a bull on sunday afternoon. By the time I gave the elk the needed 1/2 hour plus the short blood trail and then field dressing and deboneing it was almost dark. I had 4 miles to pack the elk out to my truck. I knew I couldn't do it by myself so I went for my familys help. My dad was a school teacher and needed to be back in school the next day as well. But the bull was in thick timber and I didn't have enough flagging tape to have a good trail to follow back to the bull. It was so thick it took me two hours in the dark just to get back to my dad and the truck. I was not sure if I could go back and find the elk in the dark or not. My dad made the suggestion that we go to the neares town 50 miles away, and make some phone calls letting people that we wouldn't be home until the next day and would both miss school/work. We made a good choice but still had people a bit upset that we both missed an unplaned day off. Lesson learned be flexable and tell people that if you are a day late you are packing out an elk! If that doesn't fly with them then make sure you don't hunt the last day even if you still have a tag. Unless of courese you want to loose your job or get kicked out of school.[:-][8D]

BareBack Jack

Idaho,
My dad always told me a story about when he was hunting up around Plains Mont. and they went on a Thurs-Sun hunt and on Sunday afternoon,he had a big 6 point bull walk out on a ridge in front of him not 20 yds,he said he looked at that bull and said hey big boy,and that sucker come unglued and took off like his butt was on fire.I asked him why he didn't shoot it,he answered back"Son I had work Monday morrning and there was no way I could get that bull out it 1/2 a day".Well that bull he saw was better than 30 years ago up on the Clark Fork.he has killed probaly 30 elk in his life so far and not one bigger than a spike or bull calf.

I say to the heck with work,if I get a chance I'm taking it and I will deal with work later.I can always flip burgers,but when I go home I will relive the whole thing over and over again when I see them horns on the wall.Meat lasts the winter,but horns live for ever.

As for my elk hunting tip- Hunt hard,do it right and enjoy it while it lasts.
BBJ

elknut1

Great stuff guys!!! It's got some great enjoyable reading. Jason, that's a great title too!!!

ElkNut1