Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Ethical or not? 1376 yard elk by a 12 year old

Good post..

You shoot Doves you don't hunt them, same situation here with this Elk. Obviously hunting is not a prerequisite for tagging game animals. However, I think it makes it much more rewarding.

Ethics has become an undefinable notion any more. Time of flight on that bullet would still allow that elk to change position enough to make it a bad shot.

First elk at 1376 yards and first shot is a miss, the adults should be ashamed and the kid should be sent through another hunter education course...

If he can make the shot, "ethical" has nothing to do with it.

That was a long poke.
Looked like there was time and cover to get quite a bit closer, although there are no guarantees.

I would think twice before hunting with that group again after that spectacle.

Personallly when it starts to get what I call long... I'll take a zero shot first to test my swag... just how I prefer to roll.

But ethics are what each person feels is right or not...

Those that don't feel right, don't do it, those that do, go ahead

I still guarantee all you flipping bitchin idiots on this thread that more are wounded up close by idiots that shouldn't even be in the field than are by long range shooters.

Not directed at smokepole, just replying in general.

Show me you can make that shot 9 out of 10 times and I'll agree with you... He missed the first shot-game over.

I wasn't referring to the kid, I was referring to John Burns. The subject of your post that I quoted.

When my sons were that age I was teaching them how to stalk and maneuver as close to the animal as cover permitted. It would be close enough to where we would have to use hand signals and not speak in a normal voice.

Sorry, but to me that wasn't hunting,that was just shooting.

Apparently you've never done any shooting with JB, I have.
It may be worth your time to get out of your comfort zone and see what can be done with proper equipment and a ton of practice, even if you'd never hunt at extended range.

As for the youngster shooting that bull, It's not how I hunt but I don't feel the need to look down my nose and condemn them for not meeting my standards.

To me hunting is getting as close to the animal without getting busted by the animal. Knife, spear,archery, muzzle-loader or rifle. Long range is shooting. Too many variable that can go wrong shooting long range at animals in my opinion. Shooting at paper, steel targets or rocks at long range is a different story. They normally don't move after the shot!

I wouldn't want anyone shooting at you...

My boys and I practice shooting long range a lot,and they both shoot very well.great fundamentals. They also hunt with me all the time and are savy hunters. Our goal, get as close as possible,but be able to make long shots if necessary. Both have made long shots. My oldest boy shot a 170 inch mule deer at 410yds. My youngest shot a nice antelope at 385yds. Both were 1 shot kills with my 243. If I told you how old they each were when they made the shots, you wouldn't believe me. This year,one shot a deer at 100yds,the other shot his at 180yds and my bull was 200 yds.all off our sticks, all 1 shot kills. I say all this to make the point that regardless of how far you choose to shoot,it takes lots of practice and repetition. Also all our shooting is from hunting positions,never from the bench after load development was done.

Thumbs down from me but I have a killed a total of four elk all less than 100 yards. I'm just not into long range shooting.

Not

Elk are not the enemy. They deserve better than to be subjected to stunts.

As hunters we have a lot more latitude of this ever more accruing spectacle as that is what I personally see it as, a spectacle and its selfish too. But as previously stated it is legal and the elk was dispatched and hopefully the meat will be enjoyed. But I do wander since it is out there for the world to see what non-hunter’s (not anti-hunters but non-hunters) perception of that spectacle is?

Hard tellin. None of us know the trigger time that kid has. It's quite possible that at that range the kid made a better shot than had they put on a stalk. A long stalk and his imagination running wild w a pulse thumping his heart out his chest and maybe that bull runs off wounded and never recovered. Maybe.

That being said. I can't Imagine ever taking that shot. Or letting my kid. Nice big bull that's forsure.

I am sad for the kid. He's being prodded to shoot after a clean miss. His lack of excitement in the end makes me wonder. His first elk and he's not exactly excited. ???

Stunt.