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Posted by: 95wolv
The main thing is BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET, just last week, here in MN, a 15 yr old boy was shot in the head by a 45 yr old hunting partner in his group, the boy was dressed from the neck down in blaze orange, with a camo hat, and was walking back to camp at dusk when the older man shot him. I find this a total lack of any hunting "skills" whatsoever. How can anyone who roams the woods just blast at any noise or movement in the woods, hoping it was a deer, when you know your own group, or even family, is in the very same area? And please tell me how, this time of year, when most trees are bare, that you can't see a body size clump of blaze orange walking in the woods?? I can see a brown deer in thick brush, and can pick out blaze orange several hundred yards away,especially if its moving, but then, I bowhunt, so my targets have to be close enough to see the whiskers on their noses before I shoot, far too many "hunters" go down to Walmart, buy an orange jumpsuit, a box of shells, and drive to the woods with no plan other than to blast at anything that moves so no other shooter can "beat" them to a shot,so they can get home and go back to sitting on the couch drinking beer and catching the rest of the game.A real hunter scouts the area,knows the terrain, and has specific shooting lanes picked out to make clean, clear, one-shot kills on a plainly defined target. And a real hunter is willing to spend days, if needed, waiting for a good shot that will put down game quickly and humanely. Sorry to vent so long, but seeing all the meaningless deaths every year really sets me off, OPEN YOUR EYES, KNOW YOUR TARGET, AND PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE !!!!!!
Posted by: okiedude
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Originally posted by: ShadyRascal
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.
Congrats....my 12 yr old son missed a 10 pt sunday morning...he was sick, but he said"I might have missed, but I am just glad I got the chance to see him!" WOW....I couldnt believe he said that. I was proud of him for thinking that way! Congrats again Shady
Posted by: duneittilludie
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.
Posted by: ShadyRascal
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.
Posted by: ShadyRascal
Thanks, Ten.
Posted by: ShadyRascal
Here is a link to another forum, where we are able to post pictures. Ajay's in there with his deer as well as me with one I got last Friday, and some other guys with big ol muleys.
http://www.dunereview.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3949&st=0
Posted by: haywoodjalikme
Well here is my thoughts
I wish I could say I have never wounded a deer with a gun or a bow but I cannot.
I have been deer hunting for 23 years and to the best of my knowledge I have lost 6 deer in 46 seasons between gun and bow.
2 of 6 I found at a later date, both were with the bow and the shot place placement was off and were shoulder hits and with less blood that a lung hit the blood trail was lost in thick cover. Both of these I was actually within 30 yards of while searching the next day and never saw them.
2 others where high hits, above the lungs but below the spine. Both of these deer were harvested in the later gun season by another hunter after they were shot by me with my bow a month earlier. Both said the clean through wound was actually healing very well.
2 others I have no expanation, both were in the open at the time of the shot at maybe 50 yards and were shot with a 30.06. Both ran to thick cover and laid down right away. An hour later both took off when I started to look for the trail. I never found either of these deer, one maybe have been harvested by the neighbor but I couldn't be sure since he shot many times so there were alot of holes.
All of the above were open shots and none were hurried. Most would say 6 lost in 23 years and 46 seasons isn't bad but out of those 46 seasons I was probably successful in 30. SO that brings it to 1 out of 6 deer I've LOST if you do the math. None were lost due to lack of looking, all were looked for the entire next day.
There is nothing worse than going to bed knowing you left and injured animal in the woods. Since I haven't lost a deer in many years now and still remember the 6 I lost and here is why I remember.
The 4 I lost bowhunting I blame myself. I had an old compound made in the mid 80s which was pretty slow and yardage judgement was a big thing so 2 were from my error in distance judgement and the 2 others were just bad shot placement. I have since switched to a newer bow and learned so many things after I learned to tune my own bows that when I think to my earlier bow kills with the older bow was that I was just plain lucky!
The 2 I lost during gun season were the first 2 years with my Ruger M77 30.06. I was so mad, I have always been an excellent shot with a gun since I was very little and went from a little M1 carbine deer hunting which I never missed with to a more powerful and lost deer the first 2 years. Finally the 3 year I shot a 10 pt buck in a cut corn field at 60 yards, he was standing still and I shot and he didn't move! To make this long story short I shot this buck 5 times and he just stood there! Finally he turned around and walked back off the field, when he turned around I saw he was just tore open on the other side. 5 shots to the chest with a 30.06 and he still went 75 yards into the woods! This was the last year I used Remington shells! I have since switched and never been happier but even so no matter what brand was used 5 shots to the chest was pretty strange!
Know how to adjust and check you equipment. Even with a good lung hit with a bow I've had deer go 20 yards and deer go 150 yards. I had a single lung hit deer go even farther after bumping it over an hour later. Know the area you hunt and where the deer travel when they are not being hunted, it will come in very handy if you lose the trail.
And it may sound silly but if you lose the blood trail think like a deer! My boss is disabled and I always help him recover his deer. Sadly he doesn't understand the concept of aiming through the animal(example; if the deer is quartering towards you and you have a crossbow rather than not shoot or wait for a better shot he shoots aiming BEHIND the front shoulder! Well luckily he did catch a lung but the arrow exited the guts. Guess what NO BLOOD and he didn't notice where the deer ran only that it went south! Finally 2 hours after looking for blood I gave up and just thought if I was gonna run south where would I go and found the deer in about 15 minutes.) I've found many deer that way, thinking where would I run or if I was hurt where would I lay and hide if I was injured. It helps believe me.
Finally not to dis anyone who says to practice alot at the range. If you have problems being consistant with a gun which is no gun related by all means practice. I generally take 4 shots a year with my gun. 3 shots at the range at 100 yards(size of a nickel) and 1 at a deer. I am however a believer that you should shoot your bow til your wrecking arrows then shoot at least 50 more at a spot target or shoot one at a time if you have to! There are more variables to a good shot in archery in my opinion.
Next this is not directed to anyone in this thread and I'm sorry for the long post but when you listen to some you would think they have never wounded an animal hunting or ever took more than one shot. I can admit I've wounded deer and learned from it and have been very fortunate since. I know many who claim they have never lost a deer and many use an semi auto or pumps which you can shoot pretty quick and they usually shoot til the deer falls. There are cases where a 2nd shot is needed but I have found when you believe in you shot and you equipment you usually don't need a 2nd shot. I had a semi-auto and would never trade my bolt action for another semi auto.
WHEW!
Jeff
Posted by: haywoodjalikme
oops
I left out in my first lllooooonnngggg post that I do shoot other guns during the year but my deer hunting rifle only about 4 times.
My post was so long my memory most have been starting to go by the end...lol
Jeff
Posted by: CaptainQuint
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.
Posted by: CaptainQuint
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Originally posted by: MotoF150
around my parts every year there are many pet dogs being shot during deer season that everybody is buying bright orange doggie coats for their doggie.
Well, around here if your dog is off of your property running on someone else's property chasing livestock or deer or otherwise being a pest he's going to be shot and rightfully so. I know of several instances where hunters have shot roaming dogs who have been caught running deer or otherwise wrecking a hunt. A neighbor recently shot a neighbors dogs when they were out bothering his stock. Neighbor understood. His dogs shouldn't have been out running loose. If my dog gets out and the neighbor shoots it so be it. I should have kept him on penned up better.
Bottom line is that your dogs do not belong out running loose. They're a menace to the surrounding neighbors, their property and local wildlife. They deserve any fate which befalls them when they leave your property. Just because you live in the country doesn't mean you can let your animals run loose. I wish town people who move out here would learn that.
Posted by: UGLY88
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.
Posted by: UGLY88
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.
Posted by: UGLY88
Amen 95wolv. I am surprised that MN does not have a blaze orange rule for hats? In WI the hat if oe is worn needs to be at least 50% blaze orange.
Posted by: deanz400
The boy that was shot was in the correct amount of blaze orange ,the guy that shot him had been doing some drinking ,and he said he took asound shot ,boy is that stupid.
Posted by: deanz400
one of the best ways to get used to shooting is to take .22 and shoot the heck out of it ,gets you used to trigger pull and sight picture .
Posted by: tencubed
Quote
Originally posted by: CaptainQuint
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.
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.
Posted by: tencubed
Quote
Originally posted by: ShadyRascal
My younger son Ajay at age 12 got his first deer Saturday, a muley buck. Hit him at (range-finder) 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 2800-fps.
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.
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.
Posted by: tencubed
Jeff makes an excellent point about very few people ever talking about the animals wounded and never found. If you have hunted a lot this has more than likely happened to you. I once shot a buck thru and thru three times from about 60 yards with a 45-70 and he just took off. Never did find him even after looking for two days and watching for birds for a week or more. Saw a buck the next summer with big white patches on his right side where the exit wounds would have been. Always wondered if it was the same animal. Have also lost other animals over the years and these always make me wonder what I could have done better.
If I were able to stand up and fire, like Jeff, three rounds into the size of a nickel at 100 yards I would probably practice less at the range as well. Well, maybe not since I like to shoot just for the fun of it.
Posted by: CobraR6
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.
Posted by: Sparky8370
I have had my firarm hunting license for 5 years and my bow license for 4 years, which would allow me to get two deer a year. I haven't gotten one. I haven't had the time to practice. I was hitting the center (about 3-4" circle) with my bow at 30yds but I still didn't feel comfortable with that, and wanted more practice. I did get a turkey one year with my shotgun, but we had been shooting skeet every other weekend. We'd get a box of 90 pigeons each and miss 2-4, and most of them were first shots. I really don't have any time to practice, but still get my licenses evry year expecting not to even go out because the money goes to a good place. I've actually only gone out for deer twice with my shotgun and never with my bow.
Posted by: Sparky8370
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Originally posted by: JDGrizz
Quote
Originally posted by: MotoF150
around my parts every year there are many pet dogs being shot during deer season that everybody is buying bright orange doggie coats for their doggie.
Well, I'm curious. Are there deer hunters in the dog owners fenced in back yard? Or are the dog owners stupid enough to let their dogs run loose in the woods during deer season disrupting hunting? If not one of the above, could this just be BS urban legend started by some anti-hunter with too much time on their hands.
May not have been an accident if the dogs were "running deer"
Posted by: Sparky8370
I think anybody who has a hunting accident due to their own negligence should have their hunting priveleges suspended indefinetely. We don't need a few jaacasses ruining the reputation of all of us. I won't ever get a deer until I have the time to practice. The only times I went out, I had been practicing. Oh, and I heard them running the path too. We were set up on one deer trail, and heard them on another and could only barely see any movement. Wasn't a shot I or anybody should take.
Posted by: xFreebirdx
Interesting reading....Thanks guys for reminding anyone who read this.
Posted by: MotoF150
around my parts every year there are many pet dogs being shot during deer season that everybody is buying bright orange doggie coats for their doggie.
Posted by: MotoF150
yes, in rural parts people let their dogs run loose, the pet dogs are not running deer they are in the woods chasing raccons and rabbits and there are a lot of wild dogs running around and the pet dog is just in the woods protecting his territory, most of the woods around here have heavy brush and vines that the deer tend to hide in during hunting season so some hunter may hear something in that heavy brush and shoots without seeing what it is, thinking its a deer, some hunters are using super high powered scopes shooting from a top of a mountain across to another mountain and some dogs have a color and look like a deer. I think its a great idea to put a bright colored orange coat or vest on ur dog.
Posted by: JDGrizz
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.
Posted by: JDGrizz
Quote
Originally posted by: MotoF150
around my parts every year there are many pet dogs being shot during deer season that everybody is buying bright orange doggie coats for their doggie.
Well, I'm curious. Are there deer hunters in the dog owners fenced in back yard? Or are the dog owners stupid enough to let their dogs run loose in the woods during deer season disrupting hunting? If not one of the above, could this just be BS urban legend started by some anti-hunter with too much time on their hands.
Posted by: JDGrizz
I think you hit the nail on the head, Sparky 8370. I have seen some pretty mangled dead deer around here that were killed by dogs. It pretty much a unwritten law in this area that if you let your dog run wild, causing trouble, and it doesn't come home, it's your fault. I have a Border Collie that is a member of our family. I care enough about her to keep her on my own property.
