2025 hunting opportunity scenarios

[Bluumoon]

Looking for ideas as I’m changing up a shooting course.

Let’s hear about some western game hunting scenarios from 2025. Successful and maybe more importantly unsuccessful ones.

Terrain, angle, distance, obstacles, available shooting positions, available time, distance.

 

[WoodlandCritter]

Killed my buck by following some does around a bit of gently sloping terrain. As I came around the "hill" I saw the does at ~70yards. I dropped down to a flat footed squat so they wouldn't see me. I shouldered my rifle and started to stand, about half way up (between a full squat and fully standing) I spotted the buck in among them and took the offhand shot. I figured if I had finished standing up I would have been made. From registering antler to pulling the trigger was probably less than 2 seconds.

 

[nphunter]

We’ve had a couple really close shots the last few years. My wife and boys have always used my heavy long 280AI which is a great rifle for range but too big for them to make a good quick shot off hand at 13lbs.

My wife shot a big mule deer at under 20 yards with a 5-15X scope resting the rifle on my shoulder, she shot it as it blew out of his bed and had to make a quick follow up. It worked out but it was a shit show to say the least.

We were setup in a steep broken canyon at 400 yards. The deer got up and went to water and disappeared, I crawled around looking and found that the group of 5 bucks came up and bedded like 50 yards away. We crawled into position but where they bedded in a deep draw the only place we could get a shoot as 20 yards. I had my wife rest the rifle on my shoulder and slowly crept closer until we were close enough she could see the buck in the scope. He was asleep point right at us and all she could see was his face because he was laying behind and under a big sage brush. I made some faint noises to get him to wake and move but ultimately ended up having to bleat at him, I didn’t realize that two of the other bucks were actually between us in the bottom of the cut. They all blew out and luckily she was able to get a shot off. She hit him back but was able to reload and get another shot into the vitals before they made it out of the draw, maybe 150 yards.

I’m currently building a small light .243 to start using after many close shoots over the last few years.

Setup waiting for a shot across the canyon before they moved in on us.

 

[nphunter]

Another couple tough situations were on antelope hunts. One my oldest and I crawled several hundred yards over several hours toward a bedded buck. Ended up dropping all of our gear and crawling the last little bit. There was just enough topography in the huge flat that all we could see was the goats horns. Similar to above I had to have him use my shoulder as a rest while I stood on my knees with him behind me. We sat there for over an hour, I had him hold until we couldn’t sit there any longer and then we would take a rest for a couple minutes and then setup again. Finally the doe he was with moved and I told my son as soon as the buck stands to shoot him. As soon as he hit his feet my kid shot and dropped him in his tracks.

The bipod wasn’t all enough and standing resting on my shoulder wasn’t steady enough for him to shoot. Same big rifle as above, should have probably learned our lessons then but we were planning an a long prone shot while hunting antelope.

I’d have never thought we would have had to craw to 100 yards in that huge flat to get a shot. The Prarie was 3 miles wide and it ended up being over a mile long stalk.

A tall tripod would have made this an easy shot but when the thought of packing one never crossed my mind on that hunt due to the flat terrain and short grass, I figured he would be shooting prone from the pack.

 

[Bluumoon]

Nice !
Funny enough, I have 2 stations that mimic these 2 scenarios pretty well.

One of them has a 15-20 ft “consequence” to occupy your mind while shooting at s steep angle.

 

[Bluumoon]

Another couple tough situations were on antelope hunts. One my oldest and I crawled several hundred yards over several hours toward a bedded buck. Ended up dropping all of our gear and crawling the last little bit. There was just enough topography in the huge flat that all we could see was the goats horns. Similar to above I had to have him use my shoulder as a rest while I stood on my knees with him behind me. We sat there for over an hour, I had him hold until we couldn’t sit there any longer and then we would take a rest for a couple minutes and then setup again. Finally the doe he was with moved and I told my son as soon as the buck stands to shoot him. As soon as he hit his feet my kid shot and dropped him in his tracks.

The bipod wasn’t all enough and standing resting on my shoulder wasn’t steady enough for him to shoot. Same big rifle as above, should have probably learned our lessons then but we were planning an a long prone shot while hunting antelope.

I’d have never thought we would have had to craw to 100 yards in that huge flat to get a shot. The Prarie was 3 miles wide and it ended up being over a mile long stalk.

A tall tripod would have made this an easy shot but when the thought of packing one never crossed my mind on that hunt due to the flat terrain and short grass, I figured he would be shooting prone from the pack.

View attachment 1023727

This is one I hadn’t thought of and will def use. Must drop pack (my primary shooting aid) and advance to flat position, we’ll see who wants to crawl

 

[nphunter]

Nice !
Funny enough, I have 2 stations that mimic these 2 scenarios pretty well.

One of them has a 15-20 ft “consequence” to occupy your mind while shooting at s steep angle.

I can’t tell you how many times we have been unprepared for shots. Most of the time close up stuff, the biggest issue has been taking the wrong gun planning for a long shot. Having another person to use as a rest works well but is probably frowned upon by many. I’ve probably been used as a rest for a half dozen shots.

I think I’ve really done my kids a disservice by not having them shoot offhand more. They probably haven’t missed too many opportunities but having them confident off hand and proper rifles to shoot offhand would have made life easier. I’ve killed a lot of elk offhand in my life.

We had to make a follow up shot on a buck my youngest shot in the lower front leg a few years back. My kid was probably 100lbs and the buck bedded in some deep rocks and brush. It took some sneaking to find him but the shot ended up being under 10 feet with a 5x scope. I set up a tripod and had him find the bucks antler tips in the scope and told him as soon as he sees fur when it stands to shoot. I could tell by the way the bucks head was moving he was nervous and a minute or two later he stood and boom, my kid shot him in the neck and he dropped right back out of site.

It was defiantly nerve racking being so close and having to take such a close shot at an animal.

 

[Bluumoon]

I can’t tell you how many times we have been unprepared for shots. Most of the time close up stuff, the biggest issue has been taking the wrong gun planning for a long shot. Having another person to use as a rest works well but is probably frowned upon by many. I’ve probably been used as a rest for a half dozen shots.

I think I’ve really done my kids a disservice by not having them shoot offhand more. They probably haven’t missed too many opportunities but having them confident off hand and proper rifles to shoot offhand would have made life easier. I’ve killed a lot of elk offhand in my life.

We had to make a follow up shot on a buck my youngest shot in the lower front leg a few years back. My kid was probably 100lbs and the buck bedded in some deep rocks and brush. It took some sneaking to find him but the shot ended up being under 10 feet with a 5x scope. I set up a tripod and had him find the bucks antler tips in the scope and told him as soon as he sees fur when it stands to shoot. I could tell by the way the bucks head was moving he was nervous and a minute or two later he stood and boom, my kid shot him in the neck and he dropped right back out of site.

It was defiantly nerve racking being so close and having to take such a close shot at an animal.
View attachment 1023745

Using what you have is what gets it done. I distinctly remember using my grandfathers shoulder as a rest while hunting groundhogs as a kid.

 

[Will_m]

Drink 8 beers, drive really fast down a rutted up road, jump out and shoot the deer within the 5 second period your dumbass buddy gets the light on it and run out and drag it back to the truck before green jeans shows up.

Also the shot has to be square in the brain pan.

 

[madtinker]

Had a monster muley running straight at me at 30 yards. Then he turned broadside and then headed straight away. I shot standing and wish I had taken the time to kneel. I missed clean twice.

I was slow to shoot because I wasn’t sure where my two buddies were and the deer started out between us. Then he was farther away, changing directions and bouncing up and down. Spent two days trying to find him and never did. Still kicking myself.