Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Outfitters and "Draw blood policy"

Yes!

And by the way..............."Long range hunters" should be held to the same standard.

When I shot long ranges I was fortunate and I never wounded or missed anything, but I pushed my luck way too far, and I think most of the "Long Range Hunting" stuff today is only adding leverage to the anti-gun anti hunting people. I "grew up" and saw it for what it was. I don't condemn it because I have no right to do so. I made a lot of long shot myself. But I never asked anyone to work for free either.

If I shot at any deer, elk antelope or anything else and I wounded it, and was unable to recover it, I would feel a moral obligation to punch my tag, and I think the same is true for any real hunter. We see the films and many hunters see them, think to themselves "I'm a good shot, so I can do that". And many can. Until something goes a little bit wrong. I have seen it many times and many shots were from friends who I KNOW are excellent marksmen, but when you push things WAAAAY out there you get into variables you can't control and sometimes can't predict.

Also keep in mind that the films you see are the ones that you are shown. You do NOT SEE the ones that get away. Most of those are erased and deleted. Or they will tell you they missed clean, but at super long range you can't know that for sure. Bullets at 800-1200 yards do not have the same effect as they do at 100-400 yards. But those animals die too. The "anti's" know it and will use it against us.

My remarks are not a condemnation but more a plea for some deep thought as to what we are doing and why. The only "why" I can think of is some kind of bragging right, not a demonstration of marksmanship. Marksmanship could be better demonstrated on targets which don't die a painful death and get away, and don't give Anti-Hunting people leverage to regulate us further. I used to shoot 1000 yards a lot and sometimes I still do, but for the last 20 years or so I have had a policy that I will not shoot over 500 meters at game, and in 95% of the cases I won't shoot over 350 because there is no reason to. I am not such a poor hunter that I can't get closer. I turned down a 437 yard shot at an elk just 5 days ago. The body angle was wrong and the shooting position was a bit unstable. I am pretty sure I could have done it, but pretty sure to me is NOT the same thing as SURE!

Now as a man with MANY years of experience as a guide I would not make a "draw blood rule" hard and fast. There would probably be exceptions. But that should the the call of the guide, and it should be final. If for example, you had a scope failure or a gun malfunction, and you didn't try some shot that was unreasonable or risky, the guide might make a judgement call and let you try again with another gun, but it should be his call. It's his time after he does his job correctly the 1st time, so a 2nd time is all time he gives you as a gift, not something you paid for. Demanding any time from any worker for free is not reasonable. If your boss wanted to have you give him 1-4 days of your work for free would you do it? If a carpenter was paid to build a shed and did so, and did it well, with everything done exactly as ordered would it be reasonable to demand another shed for free?

These things should be discussed BEFORE you make a contract. If you and he can't agree, don't hire him. It may be best for you to go it alone if such things are not to your liking. There's nothing wrong with your opinion anymore than there is with his.

But when money is paid it's no longer just opinions. Now it's a contract, and specific performance is outlined both by the guide and by you too.

Talk over the details first and write them down. Ask the outfitter and guide if he is selling you X many days of his time OR if he is selling you an opportunity for a good shot at game. If he agrees to sell you the days then you have reason to want another chance and another and another, until the days are used up
If on the other hand he is selling the opportunity and you get that opportunity and mess up the shot, you'd have no reason to complain.
If a guide tells you to shoot and you are not comfortable with that shot tell him so. And THAT should be discussed in full before the hunt. Any guide that tells you to shoot and then want to quit you if you don't shoot is not a man you should hire. I have had clients hold their fire when I thought the shot was easy, but that's what I was hired for and if the client holds fire I know he's the boss and that's what he paid me for. I don't get to vote and I accept that. He can use up the time I sold to him as He wants.

But would an animal and let it get away........now there is one more animal I can't guide the next hunter to. That's not the same as holding fire.
When blood is drawn the guide is the boss, not the hunter. Ask questions and get references. You want a guide that is good at his job and one of those jobs is tracking and following blood trails. But most importantly, practice your shooting and take shot you KNOW you can make.