Poll: Is this a Hit or a Miss?

[Flyjunky]

This is what goHUNT has to say on their youtube page.

"Hey John. We understand where you're coming from, but that was 100% a complete miss. On the footage of this shot you can clearly see the bullet hitting right in front of the bull, zoomed in, and in slow motion in the field reviewing it, it was easy to see it was a clean miss. Also, that bull when Chris missed, had moved one ridge over and for the next hour they watched him rutting cows and they were able to watch him from all angles, otherwise yes, they would have dove off into the timber and searched for a day if it had been hit. We are not hiding anything here one bit. Watch the footage and you will see the miss."

The fact that they watched the bull act normal for an hour is an acceptable verification that no significant wound was inflicted to me. They should have included something about that in the video though, smart people manage perception when intentionally advertising their actions to others.

Very well said! This whole debate could have been resolved by showing that bull on video on the other hillside. It really makes me wonder why they didn't include footage because they had to know those of us in YouTube land were going to comment. Also, if that was the case why didn't they go over closer to that ridge and try for him again?

 

[bsnedeker]

Very well said! This whole debate could have been resolved by showing that bull on video on the other hillside. It really makes me wonder why they didn't include footage because they had to know those of us in YouTube land were going to comment. Also, if that was the case why didn't they go over closer to that ridge and try for him again?

It's interesting. Literally EVERY hunting video I've ever seen that shows a miss that is visible on camera takes the time to insert the footage, slow it down to frame-by-frame, point out the dirt popping up (or the arrow missing if archery) to demonstrate to the audience that it was a miss.

They didn't do that. They didn't talk about any of this in the video. They are only giving this response after they are getting questioned on it.

Is this response the truth? Could be. Either way, not a good look in my opinion.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Having zero clue where the bullet went, bull’s reaction could be startled by sound of impact, stung by dirt/rock spalling or bullet splash frags.

[Edit: Reading the moralizing posts is painful.]

 

[CAElkhunter]

by the way what would you expect the TV show to say? "Our hunter took an unethical shot, wounded a bull we never found"...that makes for good TV.

The made for TV, canned TV hunts are so hokey anyway. I love the site of them getting out of the side by side.
Glassing for Elk and then talking at the dinner table about what a tough day it was not finding "their bull" yet.

 

[MTSasquatch]

The only thing I could tell from the video was it contained two rookie hunters shooting at distances far beyond their skill sets. They would be better served trading in those fancy rifles for their grandfather’s wooden 30-06 and instead becoming better woodsman and actual hunters. Just my two cents, since you asked.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Looks like a puff of dirt just left of the left rear knee. Miss with splatter of rock/dirt?

 

[TheCougar]

Very well said! This whole debate could have been resolved by showing that bull on video on the other hillside. It really makes me wonder why they didn't include footage because they had to know those of us in YouTube land were going to comment. Also, if that was the case why didn't they go over closer to that ridge and try for him again?

That is a good response. I wish they had shown that in the original video. I noticed the distinct absence of searching for blood, tracking, or attempt to recover a potentially wounded animal.

 

[3pointer]

Bad timing on his shot , newer hunter maybe got the feve , it happens , lesson learned, we’ve all screwed up sometime or another, bull walked off looking pretty healthy , I really think it was a hit tho , maybe grazed low in the front of the ham

 

[roosiebull]

I don't know if it's a hit or not a hit, but I will tell you that them declaring it a miss from their vantage point and not spending the rest of the day and the next day looking for that bull and a blood trail is absolutely inexcusable. I expect MUCH better from the GoHunt crew.

i agree, with the available clues, it looked enough like a hit it seems like some serious effort should be put forth.

if the bull was hit, and hit way forward, then i assume the bull was fine, especially if no blood was found.... if the bull was hit back, it is very possible it didn't bleed a drop that could be found, and the bull definitely wouldn't be ok. hopefully they were right and it was a miss.

regardless, that video reminded me of the video of Bomar shooting at a bull 90yds away while walking and shooting behind said bull, then talking about how much he practices and how confident he is in his shooting..... people buy into their own BS, then film it, then get butt hurt when criticized.... no sympathy, hope the bull is alive an well, he was an impressive bull.

 

[Str8shooter]

Wanted to be 200 yds closer, hard and slightly vertical quartering away, moving elk at least 500yds, not re ranging, no follow up shots, not going over to look for blood...the errors really stacked up there. New hunters would do well to learn from this.

 

[wind gypsy]

I think if we're being honest a lot of us have taken shots we wish we wouldn't have or made decisions in the heat of the moment that we regret. It's that regret that makes us think twice in the heat of the moment in the future. This dude is on video for others to see so he'll probably learn from it even more.

 

[cnelk]

I watched the video. Undetermined.

But I do know that there are a helluva lot of elk that are lost even after the shooter KNOWS they hit them

 

[sndmn11]

100% here.

I swear when I watch it the bull acts as though he is smacked in the ass and tucks in a bit. I keep thinking he is hit on the right ham.

I was pretty convinced there was an entrance hole at the point of his right hind quarter, but then realized that spot was there before the shot. I still thing he has a slight gimp gait on that back right leg.

 

[Vandy321]

This is what goHUNT has to say on their youtube page.

"Hey John. We understand where you're coming from, but that was 100% a complete miss. On the footage of this shot you can clearly see the bullet hitting right in front of the bull, zoomed in, and in slow motion in the field reviewing it, it was easy to see it was a clean miss. Also, that bull when Chris missed, had moved one ridge over and for the next hour they watched him rutting cows and they were able to watch him from all angles, otherwise yes, they would have dove off into the timber and searched for a day if it had been hit. We are not hiding anything here one bit. Watch the footage and you will see the miss."

The fact that they watched the bull act normal for an hour is an acceptable verification that no significant wound was inflicted to me. They should have included something about that in the video though, smart people manage perception when intentionally advertising their actions to others.

They watched it for an hour, but didn't hike over and launch another 143gr Hail Mary at it?

Something doesn't add up.

 

[ODB]

I was pretty convinced there was an entrance hole at the point of his right hind quarter, but then realized that spot was there before the shot. I still thing he has a slight gimp gait on that back right leg.

- this video is becoming the Zapruder or Patterson film of hunting...

Watch it on .25x speed...when you hear the shot go off, watch the elk's LEFT rear leg... I swear it juts forward (which is opposite of what I thought before)... dunno

but now I see a poof of dirt near his head...


back and to the left...back and to the left...

 

[sndmn11]

- this video is becoming the Zapruder or Patterson film of hunting...

Watch it on .25x speed...when you hear the shot go off, watch the elk's LEFT rear leg... I swear it juts forward (which is opposite of what I thought before)... dunno

but now I see a poof of dirt near his head...


back and to the left...back and to the left...

Oh man, I didn't know there was a speed setting on youtube!

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

The thing that stands out to me is this is far below goHunts normal quality. Does anybody with a couple llamas get a goHunt special now? Is that how this works?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Still Hunter]

Poor choice to even take a shot like that, extremely unethical, totally irresponsible. just my opinion of course... I am not trying to make a living with hunting videos though...

 

[JakeSCH]

I think if we're being honest a lot of us have taken shots we wish we wouldn't have or made decisions in the heat of the moment that we regret. It's that regret that makes us think twice in the heat of the moment in the future. This dude is on video for others to see so he'll probably learn from it even more.

Agreed. I've made bad ones and have been with others who made terrible ones. It happens, it's no fun, but the key is to learn and pass that knowledge.

 

[mproberts]

I can't tell from the video. But, they both said "hit" then changed to "clean miss" after the bull walked. Poor form to not at least haul your ass over there and take a look for evidence of a hit.

I wouldn't really fault them for calling a hit in the heat of the moment, more than half the people on this thread still think it was a hit with the benefit of a slow motion zoomed in replay. I would give them the benefit of the doubt and believe them when they say clean miss, especially if they watched it for the next hour go about business as usual. Wish they would have put some of that footage in if they had it, but my suspicion is that the footage was low quality (based on distance and daylight) and they watched it because it was too late in the day and too far away to make a stalk on him.

The whole thing was a bit rushed, if the camera was having trouble focusing on the shot I'm sure the spotter was as well.... not to mention likely the shooter. It looked to me like the bull was still walking, but even if he paused for a second to give the shooter a shot.. it's not the sort of pause I would have been comfortable with at that distance on an animal that big. I had a similar situation play out this year on a big mule deer for the unit I was hunting at a distance just over 600 yards. The buck was working his way towards a desert wash where I would have lost him for the day. I had multiple opportunities to rush a shot on him when he would briefly stop walking, but I'm really glad I waited until he stopped to feed. At that distance I don't feel like you can rush a shot, there are just way too many variables that people don't think about because they've been ringing steel all year long in controlled conditions. Sadly most guys don't realize that until a situation like this happens to them.