Ten rounds yearly....maybe?

[Anonymous]

I was asked to check out the Alaska hunting Reg;s for the express purpose of seeing the pictures of the young people in Alaska who have taken a wide variety of game, and I am glad you ask to do so so. My goodness, the young men and women have hunted everything from Muskox to Goats, very impressive. How old do you have to be to hunt alone in Alaska, 12 ? How old do you have to be to hunt with a parent ? Some of those young people looked very young.

There isn't a minimum age to hunt in AK. Hunters under 10 must hunt under the immediate supervision of an adult and on that adult's bag limit or harvest tags.

Hunters 10 or older may obtain their own tags after they complete hunter education and direct adult supervision is not required. At 16, every hunter must purchase a license.

It varies from parent to parent, but a lot of kids are hitting the field with mom and dad pretty young- my son started tagging along at age 5 on appropriate hunts and was knocking down small game at 8 (under immediate supervision of course!) and took his first caribou at 11. He tried at 10 but just couldn't close the distance.

Perhaps in contrast to folks many other spots- a lot of Alaskan teens are already pretty accomplished hunters.

 

[tim629]

i must say i'm guilty of not shooting enough this year. rode my horse every weekend except 2-3 from 2 weeks before memoral day until a week or two after labor day weekend and business has picked up for me. without any major trips planned I just grabbed the 280 or 22 when I saw a groundhog or had a bit of free time in the evening right after a cutting of hay was taken off.

this weekend I plan on confirming zeros and doing a bit of shooting since I leave for PA to go hunting at the end of next week.

not to make excuses, but I think so far I still have young on my side of the game: I do better shooting at a deer after someone else has missed it and it's running like crazy, otherwise I expect all my shooting to be within about 40 yards so although no desirable, I can/do get away with being more lazy than you guys that have to be ready for 40 yards or 300 yards.

if the wife lets me go west next fall to visit her brother, well that will be a different story and I will be doing a LOT more shooting through the winter, spring and summer leading up to a trip west

 

[Darkhorse]

I am one who will shoot one shot and call it good...or not, in which case I fix it. Now this is only with a few of my rifles I've had for decades and they seldom wander from year to year. All of these have been shot extensively in field positions in the past.
I am lucky in that I shoot on my own property anytime I choose. I do shoot my pistols quite a bit to stay sharp. And occasionally a scoped rifle when working up loads or when I get the urge.
But these days I mostly shoot my flintlocks. Mostly offhand. If you gain skill with a flintlock then a scoped rifle, to me, is a breeze. They teach you follow through, to hold through the shot, and to concentrate on the shot. Form is just as important on a flinter as a bolt action, maybe more.
So I really do shoot often. Sometimes not a lot of rounds but I try to make them all quality shots and I never quit on a bad shot.
I don't keep count of the rounds anymore. I used to, and kept all the bullet boxes for reference. But I know it's in the hundreds, some years a thousand or more. It just depends on time available mostly. But I absolutely enjoy shooting each and every shot.

November 11, 2016, I was thinking about this post today and spent some time remembering my Grandfather, a fine southern gentleman. He was born in the real oldtime country around the turn of the century and growing up he was the best rifle shot I ever heard of for 10 years of my life. He had some local fame when he was younger and this is saying something from people who had to shoot to eat often enough. And I heard a lot of the oldtimers relate to me instances of superb marksmanship they had witnessed.
I grew up on those tales and wanted to shoot just like him. He said, "Lots and lots of practice." My grandmother told me she would throw marbles across the back yard for him to shoot with a .22 longrifle with iron sights.
They started me with a .22 around the age of 5. We were country folk and had never heard of a benchrest and never had an opportunity to shoot with a scope. But we could shoot standing on our hind legs and kneeling against a tree. What you call real field positions. I guess that's why position shooting came easy later in life.
The deer had been wiped out and all we had were squirrels and rabbits mostly so hitting small targets was just normal.
Seeing as I'm in my 60's now I guess you could say I've been doing this a long time.

 

[ksubuck]

Three stories from this weekend.

A gentleman, who had just purchased a Nosler rifle with a Swarovski scope, attempted to sight in yesterday. Off paper at 100 and off paper at 50. The RO suggested he bore sight the rifle on the 25 yard lane. He snapped back that it was bore sighted at the store. RO again suggested checking the bore sighting and the owner again snapped back that this wasn't his first rifle. He got the boot.

This morning, I sat next to a guy shooting a nice old Winchester 94 using iron sights. Rear sight at max elevation. Off paper at 50. I lowered the rear sight for him and he hit paper for what he said was the first time ever with the rifle. He shot a 6 inch group at 50. Moved out to 100, I suggested he raise the rear sight a touch. He landed the next 3 shots on paper for a 12+ inch group. He proclaimed "good for 200 yards". Poor deer... I educated him a bit on iron sights, group sizes, killzones, etc. Think I got him talked into 50 yards max, and he is considering a peep-sight or a low power scope if he wants to stretch out. Then he pulls out his 270 and blasts a 3 inch group at 100. Really? Still shaking my head.

Another gentleman had a new Savage package rifle, still wearing its stickers. Noticed he was struggling at 100. He was adjusting the ring screws trying to get on paper. I took him to the 25 yard lane and taught him how to bore sight a rifle and introduced him to turrets. He was mighty embarrassed. The range officer sat with him and helped him learn how to shoot. There is hope with this first timer!

 

[tim629]

Ksubuck:

thanks for helping those that were willing to be helped.
-some you can't help
- number 2 I can commiserate with: I had my bil build my 338-06 w/ open sights and it certainly does change your distance perspective, I'm comfortable with a rest at 100 yards but much happier at 50 as the open sights just leave too much variance at least for me, I know the rifle is more accurate but without the scope i'm just not getting the same precise sight picture
-number 3, glad you and the range officer were willing to help him, I think this is one of the very few sites a guy like that could come ask questions and get good answers and it probably wouldn't be a sight a new shooter would find right off the bat most of the more "popular" sites the guy would probably get called a fool and he would continue to struggle

so thanks again for helping others

 

[killdeernow]

Cost? Did anyone mention cost?

I have six centerfires: 223, 223 WSSM, 264 Win Mag, 30-06, 300 SAUM, 338 Win Mag.

Now, which two do you think get the most practice time? Anyone who said 223 first followed by the 30-06 are winners. MidwayUSA has the ol' $ per round on their website. For three of the calibers above, one shot equals one gallon of gas (roughly)...

Some of these boys have been probably using some old tattered green box of ammo for 20 years. They probably treat it like gold. Can't eat paper...

 

[longrangehunter]

Wow, This is why I learned to shoot well! By that I mean as a kid, I could shoot your eye out! To this day I'll never settle for slackers, myself included! And by that I mean in the field, in the kitchen, or on the job!

I'll even bet I can clean the Refrigerator better than the Maytag man! That may sound arrogant, but this subject is why I say that! And what Bleach is good for, and a bit of elbow pressure and a keen eye..... it's all how you "See it".

 

[cloverleaf]

Hmmm........ Interesting thought. So I am guilty too..... in addition to being just plain painful, my primary hunting weapon (12ga.) spends money to the tune of three dollars a shot. And here's all the better I could do this year for "practice"



$9.00 in a four inch "pattern" at 100 yards. Guess I better not point any fingers huh?!?!?! :grin: CL

 

[Muldoon]

That is fantastic, good for you. Nothing is more important than family and I am glad your able to attend so many ball games and watch your grandchildren play. Does any of them hunt with you or shoot with you ?

So many members here hunt and shoot with their children and grandchildren, good for them, good for their children and grand children and good for the sport.

At this stage in my life my "children" are my dogs and my husband.

Anna Caroline with turkey from Kansas; Connor and I in back.

Anna Caroline's Tom by Sharps Man, on Flickr


Connor with a Kansas bowkill.

Conmanbuck by Sharps Man, on Flickr

Me and Britton/Connor

2014gob by Sharps Man, on Flickr

My daughter Shellie with nice buck from near home.

Shellie8pt by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[DrMike]

Excellent! Great photos of success for your grandchildren and your daughter. Love the idea of hunting in KS. There sure were no deer or turkeys when I grew up there. It is delightful to see pictures of my natal state and the successful hunts taking place there. Congratulations to your family.

 

[Muldoon]

Thanks DrMike

My son and the two boys left this AM and they're at Medicine Lodge now! Got a little rain there and temps are dropping so the boys should have a few good days to bowhunt!

I won't leave until latter part of the month. Rifle season opens 30 November! :grin:

 

[DrMike]

We'll be pulling for them to enjoy great success.

 

[sask boy]

I spend quite abit of time at the range from August to the end of September :wink: but from then until Christmas I spend most of my time in the field hunting.
I have been blessed with 2 Sons that love the outdoors and a nephew who is like a Son, that also spends the hunting seasons with this old man :mrgreen:.
I believe that being a adequate shot mean shooting enough to have confidence in yourself to make the shot.
My time in the field is really going to depend on my Sons and my nephews as it is getting tougher and tougher to get around. I do okay until we get the game on the ground than it becomes real work as my hunting partner of 40 years is physically disabled and even though I spend a lot of time in the gym I am not as strong as I once was :shock:!
I do like the 2 weeks before hunting season as the week end warriors leave a lot of -06 & 270 brass at the range and I have no problem emptying the garbage cans for it :mrgreen:.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Thankful Otter]

muldoon, that is fantastic. You are a blessed man.

Dan, I hope you will enjoy many more years in the field with your sons and nephews,

 

[SJB358]

Great pics Muldoon.

Looks like they are getting plenty of practice time.

 

[Muldoon]

Great pics Muldoon.

Looks like they are getting plenty of practice time.

They've all had the benefit of an old USAAMU shooter as an instructor!

Connor/Britton left and right with their buddy Kyle in middle shooting 1000 yards on my range. They've picked my brain for five years now so as to not leave much up there! All excellent shooters and learning how to read mirage real well! They don't get 'torqued' to badly when sister Anna Caroline beats them! :grin:

Connor, Kyle, Britton shooting 1000 yards! by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[Muldoon]

We'll be pulling for them to enjoy great success.

Grandson Britton got this buck early this AM. Connor hasn't gotten a shot just yet...but he won't give up!

Untitled by Sharps Man, on Flickr

 

[DrMike]

That is a dandy buck, for sure. But... but... but, where is the white stuff? You can't hunt deer without snow! Congratulations to Britton.

 

[Muldoon]

Weather has been odd....which is an understatement!!

 

[SJB358]

Beautiful buck!! Congrats to the hunter.