Wyobohunter
WKR
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2021
- Messages
- 1,583
I’ll preface with this. I wouldn’t presume what range or shooting scenario is appropriate for another hunter. I just know bad shooting when I see (or hear) it.
It’d be interesting to hear your take on a couple of things I witnessed last year.
1- I spotted a small group of elk just after first light and ranged them at around 600 yds. That’s too far for me, especially with the rifle I was carrying. It’s also a little beyond what I’ll try with any rifle I own. I made a quick plan and started a stalk when a rifle fired. The elk reacted and started to run. The rifle fired again, then a 3rd time. They were firing at the back end of the elk as they fled in a relatively tight group. The elk ran uphill into the trees and I didn’t see one go down. I located two hunters and estimated that they were probably even farther away than I was but from a different angle. I sat down and watched through my binocular as the two hiked up and kicked around the area where the elk were for about 15 minutes. Apparently they didn’t find blood as they turned and headed back, in the opposite direction of where the elk ran. I went up and also found no blood. I can only speculate on what happened and have my own theory.
2- I was at my truck getting some food to head back out for a few days when a UTV went flying by and up a rough 4x4 road that ends at a closed gate near a meadow. There were 3-4 hunters in the UTV. My memory of the exact details on timing and number of shots is imperfect. I believe it was 15-20 minutes later the shots started ringing. I bet they shot at least a dozen times. Another 15-20 minutes later the same group came back down and passed my truck. One of them looked over at me and sort of shrugged in the “what are ya gonna do” fashion. I ended up staying in the truck that night. They never went back up. again, I have a theory.
What do you think (given what I said) happened in both instances?
I think some people get so excited about filling a tag, and loath the idea of going home empty handed so much, that the importance of making high confidence shots can be forgotten.
It’d be interesting to hear your take on a couple of things I witnessed last year.
1- I spotted a small group of elk just after first light and ranged them at around 600 yds. That’s too far for me, especially with the rifle I was carrying. It’s also a little beyond what I’ll try with any rifle I own. I made a quick plan and started a stalk when a rifle fired. The elk reacted and started to run. The rifle fired again, then a 3rd time. They were firing at the back end of the elk as they fled in a relatively tight group. The elk ran uphill into the trees and I didn’t see one go down. I located two hunters and estimated that they were probably even farther away than I was but from a different angle. I sat down and watched through my binocular as the two hiked up and kicked around the area where the elk were for about 15 minutes. Apparently they didn’t find blood as they turned and headed back, in the opposite direction of where the elk ran. I went up and also found no blood. I can only speculate on what happened and have my own theory.
2- I was at my truck getting some food to head back out for a few days when a UTV went flying by and up a rough 4x4 road that ends at a closed gate near a meadow. There were 3-4 hunters in the UTV. My memory of the exact details on timing and number of shots is imperfect. I believe it was 15-20 minutes later the shots started ringing. I bet they shot at least a dozen times. Another 15-20 minutes later the same group came back down and passed my truck. One of them looked over at me and sort of shrugged in the “what are ya gonna do” fashion. I ended up staying in the truck that night. They never went back up. again, I have a theory.
What do you think (given what I said) happened in both instances?
I think some people get so excited about filling a tag, and loath the idea of going home empty handed so much, that the importance of making high confidence shots can be forgotten.
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