My neighbor, who is 71, took a 5 point elk this year on public land with a custom recurve. His first archery elk ever. I rag him because its not a self bow with obsidian heads. I cant shoot a bow because of cross dominance, but I really respect the guys that do. He shoots every day in his back yard. Wish we could do that with Parkers. Nice buck, Mark!

Congratulations on a dandy buck! Looks like you might have gone through the shoulder blade, slick tricks are tough heads.

Thanks! Was a solid thru and thru, double lung. I shoot my bow at 70 lbs.

Learned a couple of lessons, I always try and set up for a 20 yard shot, and will not shoot over 40. I have 4 pins on my sight, 20/30/40 and 60 yards. (The 60 for follow ups which I have thankfully never had to shoot), The deer came in, and was fascinated with the Tinks scent wick I had hanging close to the pop up blind I was in, and stayed at about 5 yards for 10 minutes. When he went to leave, the line he took made me shoot at a “short” 17 yards. I didn’t take any “hold under” with my 20yd pin, and the shot ended up about 4” high, and just above the chest radius, so the deer bled internally, and left no blood trail at all. Fortunately he only went about 70 yards, and I found him by sweeping search.

Your plan is exactly how I approach things, except I am usually about 15' - 20' up in a tree. I've never used Tinks, but other guys I know swear by it.

Here's my PA buck from back in November. Not a giant by any means, but it weighed 211 pounds dressed and is my biggest archery buck in over 30 years of hunting. He came into a scrape and was facing slightly towards my left at 8 yards. The arrow with Spitfire broad head went in at the base of his neck, down through the top of the heart and out under the right front leg. I was about 18 feet up so the shot was at a steep angle. That's what I like about an elevated position, the exit hole is usually low and you get a lot of blood on the ground. He went about 60 yards.

Another nice buck!

I should have added that I have put a 15 yard pin in my sight