if a hunter says...

D

deermaster

New member
very politely, "i dont shoot an animal past X distance, because i prefer to hunt, not shoot", and he leaves it at that, dosnt try to press his ideas on you, and is a good hunter and a good shot under his self imposed range, what is the first thing you think? he cant shoot? hes trying to hide his lack of marksmen skills by appearing ethical? you dont care, and enjoy hunting with him because hes a good hunter and is good to be around? what do you think?
 
He would have my respect. There are certainly areas of the world with wide open spaces where long-range shots are the most effective way to get meat, but I have more respect for hunters who chose to stalk within a close range and take their animal. Bow hunters and pistol hunters are better "hunters" in my opinion than the guys that use the latest whiz-bang .30 cal magnum cartridge to kill a stationary deer with a broadside shot at 500 yards.
 
That he's an experienced and ethical hunter, that knows the difference in his and his weapons capabilities on the range vs in a hunting situation; he's obviously practiced with them and is proficient with them. Otherwise, he wouldn't have established a maximum range that he feels is within his effective limits.

Oh, and I'd be honored to hunt with him.
 
I appreciate that he's even given it a thought and made a choice for himself. I wouldn't surmise that he doesn't have the ability to shoot longer ranges, anymore than I would suppose a bowhunter uses a bow because he couldn't shoot a firearm.

At the same time, I respect the longer range shooter who has committed to develop the proficiency required to ethically take game at extended distances. This is a substantial skill in itself, and doesn't mean this hunter couldn't stalk game.

The question could easily be reversed: What would you think of a hunter who imposes a minimum range of 500 yards on himself? He hasn't said that he thinks stalking is easy, but personally derives the satisfaction achieved from mastering the long shot, something he's worked on week after week, over a period of years.

As a practical matter, the vast majority of us should avoid taking shots beyond our level of competence, whatever that range is. And if someone wants to impose personal limits on themselves to improve the challenge or as a matter of ethics, more power to them. That is admirable.

You didn't say if this guy brought enough chips and sodas for both of us. I can be bought. :rolleyes:
 
As Clint Eastwood put it in the movie, Jossie Wells, "A man must know his limitations."

Sounds like your partner either knows his limitations or has an idea of where he feels comfortable with his skills. Since he doesn't impose his constraints on you, enjoy the hunting experience. You may actually learn something from him.

I had an old boy I hunted with when I was young. He never could understand why I had a full clip. He said, with his old bolt action 308 Savage, "I can't get more than one round off. So why carry more?" I thought it was because he was slow and old.

Wrong, he only needed one shot. I learned from him to choose my shots wisely. And make them count. Today, I still carry a full clip, but I only use one round.:rolleyes:
 
At the same time, I respect the longer range shooter who has committed to develop the proficiency required to ethically take game at extended distances. This is a substantial skill in itself, and doesn't mean this hunter couldn't stalk game.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. While it doesn't change my position, I certainly can't argue with you when you frame it in those words.
 
Sounds like he's out to do the job at hand. Without just wounding an animal.

I would not want him hunting me.
 
Why should I be concerned or offended by it? It's his (or her) self imposed limitation, for whatever his reasons are. It doesn't mean he's any better of a hunter, or that he's a poor shot, either. It's his own self imposed limitation, and he's welcome to it.

Personally, I won't make such a statement. How far I'll shoot will depend a lot on the circumstances of the shot. If I'm hunting in poor light, such as under a canopy of trees or in brushy areas, and can't see as well as I could out in the open, then I won't shoot as far. If I'm hunting with a bow or handgun, or even an open sighted rifle, I won't shoot as far as I would with a scope sighted rifle. OTOH, in open country where the light is good, and with a decent rest and an accurate rifle, I'll shoot a whole lot farther, and do it successfully, too.

How each of us hunts is our own business, and we do it for our own reasons. It's all good.

Daryl
 
I think you have stated it very well Daryl. Could not add anything to that from my perspective view.
Ken
 
Sounds like an ethical hunter to me.

Even worse case, lets say the guy is a terrible shot, it sounds like he knows the distance he's accurate to and won't go beyond that. That again is an ethical hunter.

I'd rather hunt with an ethical hunter than a slob any day.
 
very politely, "i dont shoot an animal past X distance, because i prefer to hunt, not shoot",
Click to expand...

Without the interpretation of what the statement might mean as posted in the OP, the statement seems rather nonsensical without the hunter who makes the statement actually defining the meanings of hunting and shooting.

Personally, I have never heard hunting defined by the distance of the shot.

Where I come from, you have hunting, finding, and shooting. Hunting is the activity of attempting to find game. Finding is just that, when you spot your game - at which time you may opt to shoot or not. Then you have shooting when you attempt to dispatch the game you have found and decided to shoot.
 
I understand the "hunting vs shooting" comment. After 30 odd years of deerhunting, and 20 some deer kills, I've had to admit to myself and others that I've been a better deer shooter than deer hunter.

I have usually killed small bucks, often at far ranges, and often on the run. I've never lost one to my knowledge, but have had to look hard for a few.

I have taken up bowhunting for deer and elk in the last few years, and have had to re-evaluate my hunting skills and improve my technique; simple as that.

Hunting and shooting can be two very different things. I have friends who I can shoot circles around, yet their record proves them to be a much better hunter than me. jd
 
Compare that guy with the one who says things like:

"My 7mm magnum shoots so much farther and hits so much harder than your .308, why don't you get a real gun?"

"Why did you shoot such a small deer?"

and my favorite, that someone actually said to me:

"Why did you sight your rifle in so it hits an inch an a half above the point of aim? Why didn't you sight it in so it hits where you are aiming?"

My first thought is that the guy you mention is NOT a jerk and is NOT completely ignorant.
 
Odds are it's a self-challenge, seems to me. My father and my uncle both had the attitude that a man should be able to judge distance, wind and trajectory so that anything inside of 500 yards belonged to them. My father was a pretty good stalker, though, having killed German sentries by hand after sneaking up on them.

I like sneaky-snaking; I've tossed a rock onto a deer's butt from five or so yards, and my last mule deer was neck-shot at maybe thirty yards at most. But I've shot a couple out at 350 and 450 yards, pretty much taking those shots for granted at the time.

I guess that as long as folks don't try to impose their notions on how I hunt, I'm happy with how they hunt...

Art
 
I am with Art... Don't criticize me and my hunting and I won't nit pick yours...
I am a fairly close in shooter preferring the deer stumble to within 70 yards. I may be able to seal the deal beyond 150 but I am after a sure thing so I prefer to remove most of the variables with reduced distance. Also unless the deer is 'tween me and my truck, it is just that much further to drag out.
Brent
 
Sounds like a guy that could hang out in my camp anytime!

A couple of things that struck me as good:

he leaves it at that, dosnt try to press his ideas on you
Click to expand...

Quite a concept

good hunter and a good shot under his self imposed range
Click to expand...

++++

enjoy hunting with him because hes a good hunter and is good to be around
Click to expand...

Pretty much the definition of who I want around camp.

No one else can define your abilities for you. Way nicer to have someone who is conservative in thier opinion of thier abilities than to have to do a track job on something hit poorly because the shooter thought they were a better shot than they are.
 
Personally I wouldn't mind hunting with that individual a bit. The people I do mind are the ones who take shots that they KNOW are beyond their limit and often the effective range of their gun. Only three things come from that scenario: 1. They miss (best option) 2. They are so off that they hit a person (worst scenario) 3. They get lucky and wound the animal (unethical and wasteful). Personally I fall in with what Daryl said. I evaluate the situation and how far I KNOW I'm good for in that particular situation.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top