The Elk are Back

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This is where I get lost. Australia has plenty of Kangaroos, kangaroos are suppose to be edible. Why do we hear of so many Kangaroo issues?
I have eaten meat from roos I have shot but not everyone likes it or has a mental block with eating it.
The biggest problem with roos is we have created an artificial environment for them in providing water for our stock so they are now evenly dispersed over the landscape in far greater numbers. Our blackfellas prefer to drop into Macdonalds now rather than go out and get a roo to drag over the fire.
We have roo harvesters but the markets for roo meat are limited now, Russia was taking a lot but has since shut down as some problem with meeting health standards with the product harvested in the paddock in often very hot conditions, field dressed and then taken into a chiller box at the end of a nights work. Most culling now goes to pet food and cull targets are rarely met.
Exclusion fencing, (woven wire, 6' high) is getting a bit of a go on now in western areas primarily to protect sheep from dingoes but is having a benefit in fencing the roos out so hopefully will help.

Ken
 
Elk die fine with a well placed shot in the vitals area. Many elk killed with well placed shots with a .270, .308, .30-06, etc. And probably plenty with a 30-30. The rifle you can shoot accurately and taking a disciplined shot saves a lot of time trying to find the blood trail. Have dropped them with one shot with 30-06 and 300 WSM and chased them all over the mountain with poor shots same rifles. Probably had the fewest long tracking recoveries with archery equipment. They don't go very far with a well placed broadhead.
Shot placement is really the key. And I know of at least six bulls shot that had healed over broadheads stuck in them. The arrow struck in a bone. Places which would have reslted in a dead elk pretty quickly with the same placement by a bullet. A lot of bow hunters and rifle hunters don't know the limitations of their weapon and just start flinging projectiles at an elk.
 
The slightly quartering away shot behind the rib cage is ideal, but a premium bullet or a premium trocar broadhead can usually penetrate a rib cage. A issue with "whitetail" broadheads is you can lose most or all the thin razor like blades, so it becomes more like a target arrow, and lodges in the far side so no exit hole. Retrieval then becomes very difficult without a tracking dog.
 
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The slightly quartering away shot behind the rib cage is ideal, but a premium bullet or a premium trocar broadhead can usually penetrate a rib cage. A issue with "whitetail" broadheads is you can lose most or all the thin razor like blades, so it becomes more like a target arrow, and lodges in the far side so no exit hole. Retrieval then becomes very difficult without a tracking dog.
The arrow heads I know of found in elk have been stuck in the shoulder blade or a vertebrae. Elk have a much thicker hide and heavier bones than a deer. I have shot some broadside in the chest with a 06 and have no exit hole. The bullet lodged under the hide on the far side. Double lunged so they didn't go far. But no exit hole means little or no blood trail.
 
The arrow heads I know of found in elk have been stuck in the shoulder blade or a vertebrae. Elk have a much thicker hide and heavier bones than a deer. I have shot some broadside in the chest with a 06 and have no exit hole. The bullet lodged under the hide on the far side. Double lunged so they didn't go far. But no exit hole means little or no blood trail.
This is true. Funny thing I noticed was the 30-06 went clean through a couple of them and the 300 WSM traveling faster with a heavier bullet seemed to frag out and didn't exit, but the damage was extensive. I like them both. Thought about going to iron sights on the 06 to use as a brush gun, but kinda quit hunting because I don't have the time for it and beef just tastes better.
 
Velocity is a negative if you don't have the right bullet construction. Traditional 06 factory loads won't reliably exit even an adult doe. Mags are worse. I used to use ballistic tips in a 30 cal hand gun. The deer would usually just hump up till you put a finisher in them. Construction covers velocity.

Shoulder blade shots really vary depending on the animal and the part of the blade you hit and the tip construction. I had a wounded elk bedded in a thicket and put a quiver of steel trocar tipped arrows thru a front shoulder. Then I calmed down and waited for the head to drop. Most arrows had no blades attached when I removed them, but they all penetrated. Ziwicky rules.
 
This is true. Funny thing I noticed was the 30-06 went clean through a couple of them and the 300 WSM traveling faster with a heavier bullet seemed to frag out and didn't exit, but the damage was extensive. I like them both. Thought about going to iron sights on the 06 to use as a brush gun, but kinda quit hunting because I don't have the time for it and beef just tastes better.
I have a Remington 700 BDL in 06. Has iron sights, but I added a scope. Have played around a little with hand loading some Woodleigh 240gr weldcore bullets. I've read some good reviews about passing through both shoulders on moose with them. It's a real heavy hitter round.
 
I tried some Swift A-frame 200 grain bullets in the 300 Win Mag. They were about a step above FMJ. They sure went clean through but I want something that opens up a bit more going through. I went back to the Nosler partitioned bullets. They have always worked well for me.
 
Velocity is a negative if you don't have the right bullet construction. Traditional 06 factory loads won't reliably exit even an adult doe. Mags are worse. I used to use ballistic tips in a 30 cal hand gun. The deer would usually just hump up till you put a finisher in them. Construction covers velocity.

Shoulder blade shots really vary depending on the animal and the part of the blade you hit and the tip construction. I had a wounded elk bedded in a thicket and put a quiver of steel trocar tipped arrows thru a front shoulder. Then I calmed down and waited for the head to drop. Most arrows had no blades attached when I removed them, but they all penetrated. Ziwicky rules.
For archery on elk I am partial to the 3 blade fixed blade broadheads like G5 Montec. They seem to hold together pretty well.
 
I've used my Browning BAR .338 Win. Mag. With 210 gr. Nosler partion bullets for 35 years. I've killed a couple Elk, at 400 yds. They took 1 step sideways and went down, one of the moose I shot at 30 yards was right under the chin. Shredded it's spine and flipped him onto his back. Last years raghorn bull.20211127_125845.jpg20211127_125759.jpg20211207_072452.jpg
 

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