RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

I really don't think it is that issue that people take fault with..........it is the blatant "I know I should not have shot but did anyways........then I chased after him in 10 minutes even though he was gut shot........then I couldn't find him because I jumped him so I gave up and went back to shoot another one with my untuned 40lb 25 year old setup with 2 1/2" mechanicals that I haven't practiced with for more then a 1/2 hour..........NOW WHAT DO I DO?????"...........those are the things that bug people and rightfully so IMO. Absolute minimal effort and knowledge on the hunters part would avoid 80-90% of those nightmares. I don't think that is unreasonable to expect.


I often find it amusing how fast people here contradict themselves.......this is seen a lot in posts of this nature. How is blasting away at people for being on "high horses" any better then blasting someone for being careless in the woods?


I guess we just come from different backgrounds........I am OLD school when it comes to this stuff because that is the way I was raised. I didn't get to hunt until I PROVED I was ready, willing and ABLE to do the job. If I couldn't shoot...........I couldn't hunt.......it was that simple. I was taught what to do and when to do it and when I went into the woods I was prepared for the events to come. No one came down on a poor kid that got excited and was overcome by buck fever..........and no one would. People get excited and a heck of a lot of the time things don't go as planned..............that is totally different then being careless or showing a blatant disregard for the game you are hunting.

You are correct.........we are killing an animal..........I think that is the exact reason why you need to be as prepared as possible and treat it with the proper amount of respect. If you want to go have fun and goof around then go play a round of golf. When what you are doing is as serious as ending a life then it's hardly the place for carelessness IMO.

I really doubt it was anyone's intention to push away and discourage a young hunter............I just think it is unfortunate that anytime someone points out a mistake or careless act they get blasted as being on a "high horse"

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

How do you prove you are ready to make a kill shot under hunting circumstances? Being able to shoot and being able to kill game are two completely different things. Just ask Jesse and Ginger Moorehead. They are both world class archers that were recently on Realtree Roadtrips and both missed their whitetail. The fact is that there is no way to prove that you are ready until you are put in the situation on your own. Even seasoned hunters sometimes make mistakes and take shots they wish they could take back. It's all part of the learning process and the maturing process. Mistakes are a part of human nature in every aspect of life. There is no doubt that we should try everything within our power to limit the number of them that we make but there will inevitably be mistakes made by all of us at some time or another.

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

I read the thread and thought maybe you guys came down on him a little hard as well.As a amature hunter and first time bowhunter I really don't have no where to go toask questions,get opinions,or share my time in the woods but here.One thing that I feel that I learned from his thread is be careful what I ask on here.I'm willing to own up to my mistakes for sure and feel terrible about them enough.When someone gets on to you in front of the whole froum it kinda humiliates you and makes you hesitant about posting other things.I hope i'm not causing another argument,I just thought I would fill you guys in on how I as a newbie saw it.Don't hold it against me.
JE

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

You don't........there is only one way to know that and that is to do it.......however, if you can't even hit a target at a respectable range then you can bet that you aren't gonna be able to hit a deer unless you get lucky. Shooting should not be a variable........if you are sitting in the woods "hoping" that you will make a good shot when the time comes then you are not prepared to be there. If you are a good reliable accurate shot going into the woods.........that's all you can ask for........whether or not you can keep your cool when the time comes is something no one can help you with..........it is also something no one would ever get upset over if it was the reason behind a bad situation. People get excited........always have and always will.......you can't help that. What CAN be helped is people not being prepared to get the job done in the woods and/or not caring enough to do the right thing after the release is tripped.


I have not seen people get blasted here for something beyond their control or an honest mistake.

I hardy think that the threads most people get worked up over qualify as "mistakes"...........more like carelessness.

There is so much information available at people's fingertips these days that their is no way anyone should plead ignorance as a reason they screwed up. Reading the STICKY notes on this forum and an hour with the search engine is enough to give anyone a good foundation to work from.

To say "I didn't know" today is just BS............if you really "didn't know" then you should have........and going out in the woods with "I didn't know" as your guide is not a "mistake"..........misjudging yardage is a mistake, hitting a twig is a mistake, not bending at the waist is a mistake.

Shooting a deer and not even looking for it is not even close to the same thing.


I think everyone agrees on this..........it just seems that people differ in how to approach it. I personally would never tell someone "Oh well kid"........"It happens"........."Learn as you go"..........."That's hunting"..........."Get 'em next time" To me that just prolongs the poor actions that resulted in the bad situation by passing it off as "bad luck" or saying "it happens to everyone kid" BS..........get your head on straight and know what you are doing or stay home until you do.

JMO

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

How did you think people should have reacted to a guy saying he stuck a deer and didn't even look for it..........and would have let it lay there and rot if his friend would not have found it.........he wasted all the meat as it was.

Should he have been congratulated for his fine effort and great harvest?


I think you are getting the wrong idea..........this forum LOVES young guys and eager hunters wanting to learn........that's what it is here for. You don't have to be afraid to ask anything. No one expects you to be Fred Bear in a week........there is a basic core of knowledge that you should have before setting out to your stand though.........and trust me when I say that you will be MUCH happier that you do know what to do when you are faced with a decision in the woods.

You should be capable with your bow and know your effective range......you don't have to be stacking arrows out to 60 yards to hunt but there is a yardage somewhere that you must draw the line and say you won't shoot unless they are inside that range.........for some that is 40 yards and for some it is 20......be honest with yourself and stick to it in the woods........if you can't hit a target at 30 yards don't try to hit a deer either.

You should know what is a good shot to take and what isn't........wait for the deer to present one and if he doesn't that is life.

You should know what to do when you shoot........watch, listen, learn. Where was he hit, what did he do, where did he go, did the arrow go though him or stay in him, mark the spot where you saw him last in your mind and sit down and WAIT. Go over what happened and make your decision on what to do next based on everything you saw and whatever evidence you find on the ground and your arrow.........after you WAIT. Know the times you should wait depending on the hit.

Know how to track and what to do and what not to do.


There is a lot that goes into shooting a deer with a bow........sometimes they fall within sight and that is great.......piece of cake.......climb down, go get him and have a ball with your buddies. It's when things don't go that smooth that you have to sit down and say "Now what?".........if you don't know the answer to "Now what?" you are in trouble.

All this info can be attained in a short reading session of this forum. Take notes if you have to and stick them in your truck or gear bag.


It just jacks people's blood pressure up when all this info exists and we still see stuff like "I shot at him and I don't know what happened next and I went right after him and I can't find him"

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

Well put atlas.There was a reason this kid got hammered.He shot the deer and didnt even go look for it.He couldnt find his arrow and figured he missed and hit a tree and it deflected.He didnt even look for a blood trail whats so ever.He didnt even come back the next morning to look for anything.This is the reason the young man got ridiculed by most of us who posted on that thread.I would of expected the same thing if it was me who had done this.His friend called him the next day to tell him he found his buck for him.
Now what would you of said if you knew this?I dont think you would of been happy with it.Yes a mistake was made by a young hunter new to the sport.But as it may seem we were hard on him but for a reason.I know if this was me who did it my father wouldnt of let me back in the woods.A lesson needed to be taught here.Sometimes it takes a stern word to get it to sink in.But from this thread I do believe this young man will know where we are coming from and get the hint.I for one will help anyone who wants the help and asks for it.I think that we need more people interested in our sport.but they need to be taught ethics which ever way it comes from.

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

atlas and Illinois Bowhuntin pretty much sum it up. Everybody's going to make some mistakes and I think most understand that. In this instance, a long distance, shaky shot in dark resulted in the guy not even looking for the deer which he said was found right where he last saw him. There is so much info on this sight that anybody who just took up hunting could have known not to do most of the things that were done. Right at the top there is a thread discussing what to do after the shot. He didn't even acknowledge he was sorry or that any of it was a mistake. The thread was deleted before most even saw it and then he posted a pic which most were congratulating him on a job well done when they did not know the story. Sorry guys, but thats just not right. He heard enough bashing but he also should not get praise for what he did. The lessons that tend to stick with us are usually the ones that have a price. My hope for him is to learn from his mistakes and learn the things he needs to and enjoy responsible hunting for the rest of his life.

RE: Can/would the responsable party step up to the plate
 

Nicely said Aeroslinger.I will not post anymore on this sunject it is dead.The truth of the matter is he made a mistake and I am sure he has learned from it.We can be bunch of nice guys and we can be a tough crowd.When praise is deserved we give it.When a scolding and lesson learned needs to be given we give it.As for the guy who said that we probably cant count on both hands the deer we shot well I cant count on both hands the deer I have taken in tha last 2 years.I have some very nice mounts on my walls as well.If I do not have any room to talk then I wont.I have made my fair share of mistakes and have learned a lot of lessons.if I didnt get the criticizm I got from my peers then I would still be making some of the same mistakes.We live and we learn.we need to addapt to a ever changing world as well as ever changing hunting conditions and senarios.We all must over scome abstacles to be the best hunter that we can be in order to succeed.I wish this young man all the luck in the world and hope he has learned a valuable lesson to carry with him the next time he heads out into the field as well as life.never leave anything half done.Always finish what you started................I am no pro but if asked I will give what limitted advice I can from what Ihave learned over the years.