I assume everybody on here is a good ethical hunter until proven otherwise. I just came back from the cabin, and a local kid wounded and lost two animals, a nice Doe which the coyotes got to because he could not find it right away, and a nice 8 pointer(so he says) that he lost the blood trail of. Both tracked accross my property. I do not have a problem with that, I do have a problem with two wounded and lost animals in a week! I know this post comes after the start of most big game seasons, however I just wanted to remind everybody to not be afraid to wait for a good shot.

I am mostly venting and thanks for the oportunity to rant.

 

I completely agree. I know there are some cercumstances where you cannot help not finding the animal, even after a good shot is made. Two in one week though seems a bit excessive. One year I passed on a nice buck because I did not have a good shot. I could have made the shot, but it would not have been a clean one. I was not comfortable with taking a questionable shot, and having to track the animal over the mountain. I would rather let it go, and wait for the right shot.

 

Did he happen to mention what he was shooting with? (caliber)

I know bullet placement and everything and it sounds like he needs a trip to the range but I'd be curious as to what he's shooting.

I think another problem is that people simply don't shoot enough. We all hear the same thing in deer camps and the feed store every year "My dad has the same box of ammo he's had for 20 years and he loads up and shoots once and goes home...blah blah blah"

Yeah well marksmanship is a perishable skill. You need to practice. Not at a bench either. A bench is fine to sight in your rifle but you need to go out and practice the actual field position you will use when you're out hunting. I generally don't have a table and bench when I'm deer hunting.

Speaking of sighting in I wonder if some people even do that before the season. They buy some cheap ammo to sight in so they don't waste their expensive hunting ammo and wonder why they miss their deer. They don't test different brands and bullet weights to see what their rifle works best with. They mount huge scopes on their rifles and diddle around with the magnification endlessly and then can't find the deer in the scope so they end up shooting blindly. That or they think they're snipers and try to hit deer six or eight hundred yards away and end up wounding them when they can't calculate wind drift or bullet drop at those extreme ranges.

Of course we'll all hear about all of these wonders at the gun store, the feed store and the gas station over the next few weeks. The mythical 700 yard shots. How one bullet Pa got his deer yet again. About Only headshot Harry. About .22 Rimfire Robert and all the others. In actuality you get a bunch a people who pick up a gun once a year, who can't shoot for crap and wound deer and occasionally other hunters.

 

I too have passed on nice deer do to shot quality.

CQ- This kid was bow hunting, good points on sighting in and shooting often, though. I do not get to shoot my rifle a lot through out the year, but I make sure to blow through a box or two before the season to make sure everything is working properly, sighted in, and I am comfortable with shooting again so that I can make a good confident shot.

 

Not gonna dispute anything you say here CptQ, we have all, or most of us at least, seen the same things.

I would add a word about passed shots. While it is true the good hunter will wait for the proper opportunity to make a well placed shot and even wait for the animal to be in an area where a second shot, if needed, is possible it is also very important to know where the bullet will go after it exits the animal or if it is a clean miss.

With the ranges that rifles will lob a bullet it is vital to have a backstop and know that the bullet will not travel thru the brush or over a hill and do unintended damage at it's terminus. While it is rare for a stray bullet to hit someone it does happen.

My wife's Aunt was hit and killed while walking in their pasture more than half a mile from where the shooter was. He was in heavy brush, shot at a deer and missed. The bullet made it thru a couple hundred yards of brush and timber before entering the open area.

This man was shooting a 30-06 which is kind of a middle of the road rifle for the guns you find folks using today. Some of the super loudenboomer cannons people pack will be deadly to well beyond the, roughly, 2000 yards an '06 is capable of. Even a 22LR Rimfire is able to lob it's 40 grain slug out very nearly a full mile.

The gun, like any tool, must be used in a safe and reasonable manner. To do otherwise is irresponsible and potentially deadly.

 

Interesting reading....Thanks guys for reminding anyone who read this.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

It's still bow season here in Ohio until the last week in November. I passed on a 20" spread 10 point whitetail buck at 8 yards last Saturday, due to heavy brush in the way. By the time he cleared the brush, he was facing away from me and there was no angle to ensure getting a proper killing shot. I watched him walk directly away from me until he was out of sight.

Part of bowhunting is accepting the limitations of weapon you are using, and waiting until that clear broadside or quartering away shot presents itself. Also practice, practice, and more practice so when the shot happens you can put the arrow where it needs to go. This will ensure a quick and clean kill. I believe the animal that is going to help feed my family deserves no less.

 

My younger son Ajay at age 12 got his first deer Saturday, a muley buck. Hit him at (rangefinder) 204 yards and dropped him right in his tracks. Good broadside shot, very slightly quartering away and uphill on a steep slope. He put that bullet right through it's heart. Shooting a 260 Remington 120 grain at 2800fps.

We shoot all throughout the year so I was confident in his shooting and told him to take the shot. We passed on some others before that.

Here in Montana just about everyone who can walk hunts. But you would be amazed to go to the rifle range just before the season opens and watch the numbskulls "sighting in" their guns. Makes me cringe. Lotta guys out there just whoop-whopping away with 7 mags thinking stuff will fall.

Anchoring your animal right where it should be is very rewarding, and tracking and possibly losing an animal totally sucks. Hunting is all about discipline, including controlling your excitement when judging the shooting situation.

 

In my opinion most people dont practice as much as they should and it shows a lack of respect for the animal you are attempting to harvest.I know quite a few "hunters" who claim that they dont need to practice because their weapon was on the last time they shot it,uh no it does not work that way.Anyone shooting any weapon at game needs to be good enough that a accurate shot is second nature and then and only then can you be consistent with your accuracy.If you can shoot a 1 1/2 " three shot group at the range with your favorite rifle thats great but the reality is that your 1 1/2 " will be 3" or 4" or more at best under field conditions.A few weeks ago i was shooting at the range while sighting in a new scope on my 30-30 and i was amazed but not surprised to see the horrible 100 yard groups that were being shot by others.Knowing your limitations with your weapon of choice and hunting within those limitations will make for a ethical and enjoyable experience.

 

Congratulations to your son for his skill and for his first deer. That's something he will remember for the rest of his life and tell the story of many times. When he is a little older it will dawn on him how lucky he was to have a father that cared enough to take him hunting and teach him to be a real nimrod. Keep up the good work.