Long Range Lead Slinging Story on Meateater Podcast

[TVW]

You lost me at "reasonable amount of time". I have waited a couple of hours after an archery shot before tracking.

Tons of dudes stick elk every year is that ethical?

Hunters never took long shots before RF, turrets, or bipods? I remember it a little differently, I guess.

We definitely need more laws, especially ones that are impossible to enforce.

If you can't find the location the animal was standing at when you shot you might need to work on your woodmanship. But the laughable part is I have been bowhunting with buddies that can't remember where the animal was or where they shot from... we need another law for this...

I hunt right up till I pull the trigger

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Bottom line is, if you are shooting so far that you can take practice shots without the animal ever knowing.....you ain't hunting no matter what you tell yourself to feel better about it.

 

[huntnful]

His dad should have held him back from shooting that shot for sure, but he may well have not known any better either. Just because we dance around on forums talking ethics all the time, and legit capabilities of weapons and interact with possibly more realistic hunters more often, doesn't mean everybody else does. Kids dad may have never watched a long range youtube video in his life. That could have been his normal practices since his dad taught him.

My dad shot a duplex reticle with a 300 win mag his whole life. Killed some animals at long range, 500ish yards supposedly, before rangefinders even came out. The whole "hold 54" over its back because thats what the box says" type of stuff. That was WAY BEFORE youtube had any influence on him, and most people back then. I bet if you ask 100 old time killers if they ever held 3' over an animal's back and took a shot, 99 of them did.

It's literally been happening since weapons were invented. Hold high and shoot. Some people have never grown from that. Despite everyone's personal ethical beliefs. Heard stories of legit archers from the past sending several arrows at 100+ yards, hoping for a hit. And same for rifleman at 500-1000 yards.

A 100 yard free hand rifle shot is less ethical that a 500 yards prone shot if you actually know how to shoot. Anyone taken a 100 yard freehand rifle shot, and kill something? I know I have, and I guarantee I have a higher probability of wounding something than 500 yards prone.

I don't think you should ever shoot beyond any yardages that you've practiced at. And you should practice a lot further than you intend to shoot. But the ethics has much more to do with shooting beyond your ability and practice, than it does the actual yardage you shot at. 30 yards with a bow is unethical if you only ever shot 10 yards. And 300 yards with a rifle is unethical if you only shot 100 yards.

 

[Drenalin]

At least the kid ranged that bull.

RIP, AVB.

 

[KurtR]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Bottom line is, if you are shooting so far that you can take practice shots without the animal ever knowing.....you ain't hunting no matter what you tell yourself to feel better about it.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

RIP, AVB.

Nah he’s still barely kicking. Just selling e-bikes for American Hunter mag, which is the gunwriter equivalent of living in a van by the river.

The meme almost writes itself.

 

[Drenalin]

 

[CorbLand]

At least the kid ranged that bull.

RIP, AVB.

Robby and Ryan when they see the potential for another AVB meme thread.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

Robby and Ryan when they see the potential for another AVB meme thread.

I hope it stays civil. The first mistake was letting the kid take that shot, the second was airing that story out on a popular podcast, the third would be a 16 year old kid as the subject of a long meme bashing thread.

 

[[insertspecies]Slayer]

the second was airing that story out on a popular podcast

It seems like Steve was trying to save face in a way but it was too late and he didn't know the story. They still should've called him out though, but I get why they didn't.

 

[Drenalin]

I hope it stays civil...the third would be a 16 year old kid as the subject of a long meme bashing thread.

You're probably right. His father, however...

 

[CorbLand]

I hope it stays civil. The first mistake was letting the kid take that shot, the second was airing that story out on a popular podcast, the third would be a 16 year old kid as the subject of a long meme bashing thread.

I don’t want a meme thread about the kid. I want an AVB reboot.

 

[wind gypsy]

A lot of hunters are sending a bullet or arrow if there is a chance it might kill the animal. That isn't a new thing. Until the last decade or so, there wasn't an unlimited count of people posting videos/pictures sharing that they killed such and such at 500 yards plus. IMO because of all this online coverage, people like this kid are taking 700 yard shots they have no clue about hit percentage on because they now know there is a chance about like 20 years ago someone would have taken a 300-400 yd shot with their duplex reticle and wagging a hold over because there was a chance.

Sure, there are people taking 600 yard shots that have better odds than midwest whitetail hunters taking 60 yard shots at moving deer. That doesn't make any of it ethical. We've got the means to make killing with a firearm basically drama free but hunters of all walks are still going to sling lead.

To me the LR hunting personalities get scrutiny just like the Midwest guys shooting running deer get scrutiny.

There is something more off-putting about the thought of animals now within line of sight of a hunter inside 1000 yards always being at risk of getting lead slung at them. Personally i'd be on board with a Max range limitation of 500 yards way before making it harder to hit a target via equipment limitations. This story is a good example of hunters not needing certain equipment to take ill advised long shots.

 

[Shō[t]gun]

I don’t want a meme thread about the kid. I want an AVB reboot.

Ah, I mistook your statement then. Yes, flame away!

 

[3forks]

The Meateater crew or any other podcast host should have constructively pointed out to the guest/kid why shooting that animal at that distance could be seen as unethical.

I understand the kid is 16, but if his dad didn’t have the brains to educate the kid on why him shooting that far with no practice shooting that distance is unethical; who else is going to do it?

Little by little, we’ve seen how hunting is changing based on what hunters prioritize, and based on who they are influenced by (social media).

If the Meateater guys or any other podcaster/social media influencers want to be seen as respected for their knowledge; they shouldn’t be concerned about upsetting some guest who is doing something incorrectly. At the minimum, an opportunity for the same discussion that is occurring between posters in this thread right now regarding archery and center fire distances, accuracy, and wounding animals, could have occurred on the podcast. Instead, we get the Meateater guys not even offering a differing viewpoint for the kid or listeners to consider because they don’t want to offend him.

 

[WCB]

I think some people are uncomfortable discussing the fact that archery has some of the same ethical challenges that long range shooting does. Archery is certainly more fair-chase oriented but the actual shots themselves have a lot of challenges in common with LR.

There is a difference imo on a bad shot (that happens with any weapon at any distance) vs shooting out side your skill set never doing it before. So I would have the same issues with 30yd elk guy lobbing an arrow at 80 because he thinks the bottom of his sight housing would be a good aiming point while never shooting an arrow at 80.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

It seems like Steve was trying to save face in a way but it was too late and he didn't know the story. They still should've called him out though, but I get why they didn't.

The Meateater crew or any other podcast host should have constructively pointed out to the guest/kid why shooting that animal at that distance could be seen as unethical.

Agreed. If they were going to broadcast this story on the podcast, they should've offered some constructive criticism. As is, Steve et al come across as blithely encouraging, or at least accepting as normal, this example of poor judgment and (IMO) unethical hunting practices. The best choice probably would've been to just cut that segment out entirely and deep-six it after they heard the details of the story.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Kid is the child of his co worker so probably not going to question his shooting ethics nationally, no doubt a monster bull, but man when I heard him talk about how he borrowed his dad’s gun and he had never shot that far before… definitely not a good look, that is more luck than anything else. I mean good for the kid to get lucky like that, but the adult there should have said, “ let’s see if we can get closer, or let’s turn him up tomorrow. Yes I know these shanagins happen all the time, I’ve witnessed them several times, it’s stupid. But so is never practicing with your bow and flinging arrows 70 yards at elk in Sept…

 

[Hnthrdr]

Nah he’s still barely kicking. Just selling e-bikes for American Hunter mag, which is the gunwriter equivalent of living in a van by the river.

The meme almost writes itself.
View attachment 693372

Hopefully those yotes were leg shot

 

[Shō[t]gun]

Hopefully those yotes were leg shot

Yep, and chasing with a e-bike kept em bleeding, and the first shooter couldn’t even keep up. He’s learning from his mistakes lol

 

[RMM]

You don't practice at 20 yards then just assume your 60 yard pin is on. You actually have to shoot to see if your pin is on, to a point.

Go to any archery shop the day before archery season and you may think differently. I can't tell you how many bows I've set up for guys who then say "So this thing is sighted in already right? I can go hunting tomorrow with it right?" Or these new Ravin and Tenpoint crossbows with the reticles from 20-100 yards. Guys think they just have to dial the scope to whatever speed the crossbow is supposed to be shooting and then they're dialed from 20-100.