My 13-yr-old son, Ryan, has been deer hunting patiently and diligently with me for three year (see pic 01). We had been backpacking hunting in the national forest, where we had awesome times, but there are fairly few deer. Then, recently, I got one while we were hunting a friend's private land when Ryan didn’t have a reasonable shot. Nevertheless, I was proud that Ryan was extremely happy to be involved in a jointly successful hunt and did much of the work butchering the deer (see pic 02). Then a few weeks ago, when I was 200 yds away, he made all of the right decisions and made a one-shot off-hand 64 yd kill on a fairly-big buck (with small horns) that died three feet from the blood spatter (see pics 03-04). Already experienced, he worked hard in dressing, skinning, and butchering his deer. We were camping nearby, and (along with some steaks we needed to cook), we grilled his deer’s tenderloins over the campfire and ate them (Pic. 05). I was glad that I had left him briefly to do some other things (cook breakfast), and he did all of the decisions and shooting on his own. Good man. Best shot I never made. Now, I just need to the same with my 11-year-old younger son. We tried, a few days later, and he had a shot at a deer at about 50 yds, but he is too small to make an off-hand shot reliably. So, he rested his forearm on a branch, which makes sense, but the branch broke and sent the deer away. I got him a shooting stick for his very-recent birthday.
My son was just getting started deer hunting. We had seen little and had no shots throughout the season. Just after legal shooting time on the last day, as we were heading in, a group of deer came up a fence line parallel to us, single file, in easy shooting range. I remarked that sometimes it works out that way and we watched them pass by and headed on in, me not only proud of us for not having shot, but even more so of my son for not even suggesting that we do so.
Not a real member - just an ordinary guy who appreciates being able to hang around and say something once in awhile.
Happily Trapped In the Past (Thanks, Joe)
Not only a less than minimally educated person, but stupid and out of touch as well.
Sometimes it’s hard to pass on a questionable shot.
BTDT and was less proud than lucky at times. And then there's WTF did I get myself into here? (Which doesn't mean Wednesday Thursday Friday, though it can look like that kind of a time-frame might be required.)
Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'.
Long ago I was driving in in Alaska in late December between Eureka and Glennallen and saw a red fox bouncing around about 300 yards away on the edge of a frozen pond. I pulled out a Mod. 788 Rem. in .223 caliber that had an old 4 power Lyman with a small dot. Mr. Fox was going away at an angle and when I thought every thing was right I pressed the trigger and down he went.
The snow was butt deep to a tall moose and I had no snow shoes, by the time I got to the fox I was cussing my self for not controlling my killer instinct. By the time I got back to the car I was looking like Frosty the Snow Man.
I was very lucky I hit the fox tight behind the shoulder, taking out some vitals and breaking the off shoulder. I was also vey lucky I did not wound the fox and end up chasing him all over Alaska.
Oh ya, it all ended ok for me once my pants dried, but I would not take that shot again. I got lucky.
[quote] Ever been proud of a shot...?/[quote] last fall.....two shots and two elk.....both shots only a few seconds apart.....one at 335 yards and one at 375 yards......30-06.,,,....180 grain accubond.
I was deer hunting in Texas several years ago. While up in a tree stand, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye, turned to get a better look and out walks a beautiful bobcat. I am thinking oh COOL ! I have never shot a bobcat. I drop the binos and reach for the old Ruger 30/06. I have the cross hairs aligned and there is maybe 8 more oz. left on the trigger pull when out walks 3 bobcat kittens. Needless to say I never completed the trigger squeeze. I spent the next 10 or 15 minutes watching her try to teach the kittens how to stalk a rabbit. One or the other would start to lose patience and try to get ahead of Momma Bobcat and she would somehow bat it the kitten back in its place and continue the stalk. They were unsuccessful, but the kittens learned a good lesson inpattience and stalking skills. I still have'nt killed a bobcat. Porsche73
Pards first sheep for himself. 275 yards downhill on top of a bluff
I had the video camera going to record the kill. He looks over his shoulder before taking the shot to see if I’m ready to record and sez. Hold everything!
Wtf I’m thinking, I don’t have the lens cap on, it’s in record mode.
He says look behind you at that full moon coming up through those wispy clouds. It was beautiful so I took some footage of that and then he made the 1 shot kill on that sheep
Been my hunting pard for 30 years or better. That lil story sums it up as to why about as well as anything could.
That whole hunt was probably the most satisfying hunts I’ve ever been on. Had it all hardship, weather, lil danger involved, and utterly beautiful the ground we covered
Add fresh sheep ribs over an open fire when we hit timberline and our protein starved bodies from working so hard
Pure bliss, punctuated with bouts of misery.
Helluva time we had
I'm pretty certain when we sing our anthem and mention the land of the free, the original intent didn't mean cell phones, food stamps and birth control.
"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell
I have turned down a number of iffy shots on overseas guided hunts due to either range, wind or other conditions, and gone home empty handed. And would do the same thing again under identical circumstances.
Passed on the largest elk I've ever seen. About a 350 yd poke but the winds were around 35+mph. Pretty sure I could have hit him, but I had no idea where that might be. Took a fair 6 by that was at about 150 yds.
Sometimes it’s hard to pass on a questionable shot.
I am not saying I've never tossed one out there, but while I did it a couple of times in my youth, I quickly realized its not worth the hassle.
I won't shoot unless I'm 200% sure of the shot. Even then every now and then something will happen that I don't care for.
Passing shots, especially the larger/older etc. the game, is EASY these days. Its just not worth it. Even the 221 inch mule deer I passed on a moving shot. Much happier that I didn't screw him up and loose him or make him suffer, and very happy for the guy that killed him 3 days later!
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
