Thor222
I'm easing along in the woods. With my old compound bow. I spy a buck walking a trail. I've never been in this neck of the woods but its windy and he doesn't know I'm there.
I pull down my headnet all the way. Roll my cap around so the bill won't hit the string.
I know the ballistics of my bow awful good. Unfortunately I'm shooting a low BC arrow combo. I prefer the penetration capabilities.
But I do have a few good things going. I've got on comfortable warm waterproof new boots. The latest in high tech underwear to keep me warm(no cotton) but good old wool over that. I've got goretex in the pack in case it rains. I've got a layer of scent blocker suit on in the middle. I've washed with unscented soap, treated myself with baking soda, I'm a mix of new and old. Got that xstatic bacteria preventing longies on. Warm and dry. Have some of the new camo patterns too that help me blend in well. But no ghille suit. Heck those are so outdated anyway-- from centuries back....
The terrain is down a draw. So there is a gully between myself and the deer. Being I've never been here I don't know yardage. But I do know that if I miss guess more than a yard or two and its over 20 yards (which it is but just a bit) then I'll either miss or have a superficial non life threatening wound. Don't need that under my belt. So I take out my old rangefinder and spin the wheel while the buck is nibbling along. Got it now. 23 yards. I was thinking more like 27 but that gully can fool ya. I've always hunted with one sight pin thats adjustable. Its an easy way to work it and won't get me confused in the heat of the moment.
I move my pin to 23 yards. The wind from the fresh norther is really howling in my face and in my favor. But its blowing my arm and bow around fierce. So i ease back and lean back and sideways against the near tree. Gives me a good solid rest.
I draw back with my release(its from the 70s so don't go howling after all the chinese used them centuries ago) and settle my sights through my peep.
When the buck is head down and quartering away a bit I trip the release and the old 2117 and Zwickey are on the way.
Solid double hemo pneumo thorax hit. Give it some time and go get him.
So is that hunting? its not long range. takes advantage of tools that I don't need to use but are not any newer than 23 years(bow is 23 years old, arrrows, release, heads etc. are older).
Its all in how you view it yourself. Its why this thread is so lame anyway. Remember we are to band together. Not apart and call names.
I've killed animals with my knife, with a broken arrow. Both at zero distance IE I've had hold of them. I've used a spear. A longbow, recurve, compound. Wood arrows, aluminum, carbon. All kinds of heads INCLUDING flint. I've used pistols, 45s, 3 inch 44s, 357s, 3030 contenders. I've used shotguns, slugs and buckshot. I've used a bunch of rifles. I've shot 45,50,54 MZs. And MZ pistols.
Each one was an experience. From zero yards to 3 yards to over 500 with iron sights to over 800 with scopes.
And in the end it doesn't mean anything to you and I could care less. But to me they were all special and memorable. None much more important or exciting than the rest.
We are here to please ourselves. Its a solitary sport mostly.
Personally anything mentioned here is hunting.
And IMHO, the easier the shots that are taken, IE 100 yards out of a stand, are probably closer to shooting than hunting, than when the person makes it challenging. Its the nature of the beast and often of the male ego to keep it interesting.
The end point here should be that if you are capable only at 50 yards then you don't stretch that. I'm a bowhunter a bunch. Whats my lethal range? Depends on which bow I choose and what game I'm after. Its a variable. But I know my limitations and choose not to exceed them, regardless of the quarry, small or record book size.
The rest, including yourself, would be best served to look inward, rather than casting stones outward.
Am I far from the truth here?
Respectfully, Jeff
