Patience...

[Guy Miner]

All of us who are hunting with kids or new hunters... Remember some patience.

My youngest son, now 20, is so doggone slow to actually fire a shot that it about drives me crazy! He wants everything to be perfect before he presses the trigger. I've actually seen game just slowly walk away from him, and get away, all while he was trying for the perfect sight picture... Still drives me nuts, but I don't get mad at him about it. He's always been that way. Sort of incredible to me that he's actually managed to take a couple of mule deer and a bear. I thought he and the bear were going to continue their staring contest all afternoon before he finally shot!

A few years ago I did shoot a decent buck that he simply couldn't see, despite the fact that we were standing next to each other. He had target lock on the three does 50 yards from us, while the buck was sneaking away off to the left, at 50, 75, 100 yards... Finally I shot it at about 125 yards and my son said "Oh, that buck!" Pretty funny, he didn't see it until I shot it - and it was right out in the open in sagebrush & grass country...

A friend who just took up hunting last year, about 40 - 45 years old I'd guess, is likewise inclined. He had a coyote in easy range last year. It slowly walked across a hillside, then sat and looked at us. My buddy was looking right back at him, 150 yards away, through the Leupold atop my old .30-06, in a nice solid sitting position, and NEVER touched the trigger the whole time, despite me encouraging him to shoot the coyote. After it simply walked away he explained that it just didn't "look right" through the scope! Sheesh.... Ah well. Maybe this year...

I release some tension on the heavy bag in my garage after hunts like that, but I don't let them know that they're driving me nuts with how slow they are to shoot...

Guy

 

[SJB358]

I think I was the same way until I learned, it is never going to be perfect out there! My boy is much the same at 13 Guy. He passed up an opportunity last year with a deer at close range because he was fixated on the deer and not getting his rifle to bear. Wife is the same way. They will get it, but I think the more experience we all get helps us get on game quicker and put a round downrange. Waiting for the perfect shot lots of times leaves you with an empty feeling and 2nd guessing. Just takes a deer to come right on in to you and make you shoot quick to get past it though. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Target lock! Man, I'm still taking heat from my hunting partner about an incident with four bull moose. We topped a hill driving to a hunting area, surprising four bulls in the middle of the road. Long story short, I never pulled the trigger. I was focused on a young bull, waiting for the larger one behind it to move so I didn't drop two animals. Gil was exasperated, saying, "Shoot him, Mike. Shoot him!" He was looking at a really lovely bull standing in the ditch not twenty yards from me, but I was fixated on the three standing in the middle of the road, willing the two behind to move. When the moose recovered their presence of mind, together they rushed into the thick bush at the side of the road, depriving me of steaks that evening.

Guy, every time I take a young hunter afield, I'm aware that they are likely unsure of their ability and of the shot. I always think they take too long. Then, again, Gil thinks I take too long. On the elk I dropped last week, Gil chided me for not taking the shot sooner. However, he was about 80 yards to my right and didn't have my perspective. I could see other animals coming out to graze that he never saw. I wanted to see all that had been hung up in the bush before I pulled the trigger.

Hey, good that you have a heavy bad to whack!

 

[efw]

I've been mentoring a young man for a few years. A couple of years ago we were in the blind together and a deer stepped into an open area. Matthew looked at him through the 2.5x scope and said, "doe" and looked behind it in hopes a buck would follow, just like I taught him. I brought up my 8x binocs and noticed it was a spike, and said "shoot it!".

He lifted my Win 94 30 WCF and I plugged my ears, watching the buck which at this point was staring at us. The buck watched a moment and I said, "shoot." The buck took a few steps back away from us, stopped to look back and I said "Shoot buddy!" The buck stood there for one last look, and I said "SHOOT THE DEER MAN!" and "BANG" just as the deer jumped out of the clearing.

Clean miss.

We emptied the rifle and I had him dry fire w/ his shooting sticks. This year he'll shoot my 257 AI w/ a nice crisp trigger and most importantly LOTS of practice. And he won't have me sitting w/ him, either...

I suppose I'd rather have 'em take a good clean confident shot than wound, but I'm with you Guy. I was heartbroken and honestly think I took it worse than he did!

 

[Elkman]

Even though it is was 50 years ago I remember my first buck. He was the last deer that I shot at near the end of a longgggg weekend. The first was a doe, then another buck, then ?. All very clean misses, my dad was pretty patient with me. On the last circle of the weekend a great buck came running past me at full speed. I was sure I hit him and when dad and I went to look we found blood and then the buck. He is 25 across with a very heavy 5X6 rack. Guess all that practice helped.

 

[Elkman]

Dr. Mike
I have been waiting patiently for a month now for your pictures of an elk, bear, moose or one of the many species that you have a tag for. I hear through the grapevine that you may have accomplished part of your mission, however I see no pictures, no writeup, nota nothing. Did I miss them while I was in Wyoming?

 

[DrMike]

Bill,

I did a write-up a short while back about an elk (http://www.noslerreloading.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=17028). I hope to be out for moose and whitetail on Friday. I'll be certain to let you know if I connect then. All the black bear I've seen have been well under six feet, so I've opted to pass so far.

 

[JD338]

I took my oldest daughter out this year for her first deer hunt during the early doe season in Sept.
She had 3 different opportunities to shoot a doe but she never took the shot. She was not comfortable taking the shot and didn't want to wound the deer. These all would have been dead deer for me but this was "her" hunt. I tip my hat to her for the decision she made.
We will have a couple more chances coming up with muzzle loader season and the late doe season. I am confident she is going to make a clean shot on a deer.

JD338

 

[SJB358]

The more times you get them out, the more chances they have. Just a matter of odds. I try to push the boy as much as I can to get out, but ultimately, it is his choice. Good luck to your daughter Jim. Scotty

 

[Elkman]

I have three children, all spent the greater part of their free time, camping, shoooting, and in fall hunting camp. All took hunter ed, none hunt. I tried but as Scotty says I realized that it was their choice to make, not mine. They all love the outdoors and hiking camping etc. but do not hunt.

 

[DrMike]

They all love the outdoors and hiking camping etc. but do not hunt.

That is worth a lot, even when they don't fully embrace our passion.

 

[SJB358]

They all love the outdoors and hiking camping etc. but do not hunt.

That is worth a lot, even when they don't fully embrace our passion.

It is pretty hard for normal people to embrace this stuff as much as we do. When we are focussed so much on how to get more time to hunt, people start to think we are ready for the looney bin. Heck, I am trying to figure out how to hunt and get paid for it when I retire. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Heck, I am trying to figure out how to hunt and get paid for it when I retire.

You have been infected. Can we blame Col. Boddington?

 

[jmad_81]

Every once in a while I have a great shot at a yote run off because I took to long to get everything perfect. Critters stand a better chance of getting away when it seems like I have a lot of time to get the shot off. If things get into hurry up mode, I have no trouble shooting and usually have no trouble making a good hit. Its is something that I have been working on for a few years now. I know I need to shoot faster, but I don't want to make a bad shot either. Lots of practice is in order I guess.

 

[SJB358]

Heck, I am trying to figure out how to hunt and get paid for it when I retire.

You have been infected. Can we blame Col. Boddington?

I am not sure who to blame, but it does get harder to go back to work after every hunt. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Thinking back to last hunting season, I recall passing on several large does because I wanted to ensure they didn't have fawns. Consequently, at the end of the season, I still didn't have a whitetail doe in the freezer. I certainly had ample opportunity to pull the trigger, but I couldn't convince myself there were no fawns accompanying the does. I can't say that I regret passing on pulling the trigger in this case.

 

[cloverleaf]

My Daughter will not hunt with the family this year. Last year she was with me the entire weekend we had to hunt. It was great to have her with me, but we did not see a deer. The year before, ( my daughters first) I made the mistake of leaving her with my father-in-law. He left her on the stnd alone (she handles a rifle well and is safe- it was fine) and when A nice big doe came along she reports being so enamored with watching it, she forgot all about the gun over her knees. There are pics on her cell phone but she never looked through the scope. Now honestly, that was fine with me. She had a good time, enjoyed herself and we have a story between us. But crap I wish she would have pulled the trigger!

My Nephew is giving up after four years of trying. I guess it will be the "old farts"
this time. If my body dosent start cooperating soon Im not gonna go either. Tendonitis and arthritis in my shooting hand and trouble with my back have me not looking forward to the cold and marginal chances at a buck. I dont get a shot unless it walks in front of me. I try and only take "good" shots, but bet your biscuits I take 'em when they are there. CL