Shooting while scouting

[littlebigtine]

Nothing quite like a state record cougar

 

[Steve300xcw]

I have zero experience shooting in the mountains. I'm halfway decent on the prairie. But I know that goes out the window when it comes to reading thermals and mountain wind.

With the elk tag I've got I'm trying to scout about every weekend I can. Which cuts into range time. I don't want to go drive to a different mountain range just to shoot. Especially with the price of gas.

Any issue with packing a rifle (obviously suppressed) and shooting while waiting for the elk to appear? Or midday when things are slow?

Only issue I can see is the unit gets a ton of recreational use. So I'd have to be damn sure I'm not going to accidentally ground check some world class cougar in yoga pants. But on the plus side the elk and deer are used to humans. Just wondering if firing off a bunch of rounds will kill my glassing session.

I'll be buying a tikka 223 in a couple of weeks. But I've also got other rifles to train with until then. Maybe even just taking the 22 trainer and work on different positions with sub sonics?
I did take the 22 a few weeks ago. Some hikers came in from behind me and they were a little freaked out I was shooting. They asked what I was shooting at. Ha just rocks

I have had to stop shooting and wait for animals to pass by. They couldnt have cared less. I'll have screw off days where I'm glassing, then shooting. But if I was serious about the scouting I would just go do that. Take a few days to get learned up on the gun, but otherwise just go scout.

While a nature scene filled with yoga pants is never a bad thing. I'd find somewhere else to hunt. To hell with being around that many people.

I know I need to break the habit of always defaulting to a tripod. And I know I need to work on freehand shooting.

good for you