is this really hunting?
 

i dont really consider this hunting. i have nothing against gun hunters, im a gun hunter. but comeon dont you think this is a little far out? just wonderin what you guys thought
http://huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2566999

RE: is this really hunting?
 

One of the guys in there said it best I think. Its long range shooting not hunting. Its not so much the 300 to 400 yarders. When he gets talking about 1000 yards, come on now!

RE: is this really hunting?
 

In my opinion, if I was hunting strictly for meat AND I had practiced those yardages AND hit my targets successfully, then yes, I would take the shot(s). To go out and do for any other reason....yeah keep it at the range.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Then why don't you post about it in the thread already started rather than start another one so the bow hunters can slam on him in another forum. If you have a problem let the guy know in his own thread.

Paul

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I don't see anything wrong with it. This guy probably gets just as much excitment at having the ability to shoot at those distances as we do shooting a deer at 20yds with a bow. so, why are we any better?

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Im calling B.S. !! on the 700-1000 yd shots. Unless he is a trained sniper/ special forces Delta, he ain't doing it!! My 2 cents, and why would you do it ??

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Why would you do it? Do you realize the skill you have to have to make those kinds of shots?

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I know RR and talk to him regularly. He takes his shooting iron seriously. People has to find thier own way, and he does. Some people love shooting a longbow, other like crossbow, some like pistols, he likes long range.

It takes incredible amount of practice to make 700 yard shot. I shoot long range regularly, actually used too, and 500 yard shots are very doable.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

i hunt in central wisconsin lots of farm land. just seeing a deer that far away is a miracle. actually getting a shot? forget it.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

It takes alot of discipline to be able to shoot and hit at long ranges.The shooter has to be very intimate with and knowledgeable of his firearm,ammo,wind,etc.It takes many hours of practice on the range and alot of hours on the reloading bench.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I gotta say if what you say is true I then tip my hat to you for hitting your paper plates at these yardages! Your challenging yourself in the shooting part of it, not the hunting part. You know dang well you can do it at 500 yards so you choose to challenge yourself more and get that 1000 yard kill.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

this is why i dont consider this hunting, its more like shooting. and there is a big difference in being able to shoot a deer at 60 yards with a bow, and shooting one at 1000 with a rifle. i respect how much work you do to do this, but i would keep it on the range. where do you hunt that you can walk up on a deer in october, theres no way i could do that anywhere

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I don't shoot long range anymore, but I have, and 700 yards is very doable. If a guy has the rig and the skill, there's nothing wrong with it. I also know it is harder than bowhunting.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

At what point does the hunter lose nearly allrespect for a living creature and the 'thrill' become more important than the ethics? At 1000 yards it has simply become a game, not a hunt imho.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

completely agreed

RE: is this really hunting?
 

All I can say is ethics are personall so let him be.He has the skill and is putting the time and effort into it.It is HIS choice.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

They are called "game" animals. Hunting is a game, a bloodsport. Nothing wrong with it. The beautiful part is, you get to set your own rules, and eat your opponent. Beats the hell outta golf. RidgeRunner is his own ethics committee.

Until you try to shoot tiny targets from great distances, you will never understand what a challenge it is to pull that off.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

What doesthis have to do with bowhunting?


BTW, hats off to ya RR. Nice looking rig and great shooting.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Hunting is more of a game than what you realize.Why do you think people spend countless hours scouting,setting up game cams,planting food plots,etc? Because they want to win the game.I also think it'd be more thrilling to down an animal at some of those ranges than shoot a buck you know will be stepping into that food plot at 4:23pm every afternoon.
If you're well-practiced at those ranges,there's absolutely nothing unethical about long range hunting

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Ethics is taking a shot that each individuall thanks he/she can make PERIOD.

It is unethical when you take a shot you do not think you can make but do it anyway but not my choice to make that decision for that person.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

100% agreed

RE: is this really hunting?
 

My thoughts on this subject are like this.

I took up archery to get in the woods more and be able to hunt more. What I found was I needed to practice alot to be realy good. A 20 yard shot is more like a 100 or more shot with a shotgun or rifle. Its not real difficult once you've practiced but it is when you first start. So now your good at 20 try 30 or 40 or 50. I can shoot in practice those distances with my bow and I like to. Am I proficiant (Sp?) not to my liking. So I limit myself in a hunting situation. I enjoy shooting my bow like shooting a rifle at long range. It take practice and doing everything right every time. Plus I don't have the place for long range shooting.

As for it being hunting...If he had posted that he had taken an elk or moose at that distance everyone would be saying congrats. He has the skills and the place and seems to take it seriously so whats the deal. Sure not everyone can or should do it but I still consider it hunting. Like I said if he were out west people wouldn't question him much.

Heck I'd just like to be able to shoot that distance on a target.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

As long as a person can consistently hit and kill a deer at long ranges without wounding/not recovering a deer, I don't have a problem with it. I hunt with bow and rifle (didn't pull a trigger this year, but got three with a bow), and I would have more problem with a bow hunter who wounded/didn't recover a deer.That person is a slob hunter...the long range hunter isn't.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

It wouldn't be anything I would be interested in doing but then there are a few things such as baiting, shooting deer while drive hunting, sitting in a shooting shackthat doesn't really interest me either. I choose how I like to hunt... other's choose how they like to hunt. I respect his choice, a baiters or drive hunter and someday may try them if I haven't already.

Ive been on lots of drives mainly just as a walker to help outbut have shot a few deer.

I've sat over a bait pile twice. One years ago thatI put there just to see what it was like. And this year when I hiked a long ways into a spot only to find someone baited it. Too late to go to another spot so I just sat and watched. Got to admit a lot of myths were busted. In two sits had over a dozen bucks come into those two bait piles. Wasn't too surprised to see two that would make P&Y and two that would have been close. Neverbothered to evenpick up the bow. Have a friend who is a big baiterand has shot two 140s and a 160 class buck in the lastthree years. He enjoys it. Good for him !!

I am just glad I have the choice of many methods for hunting to figure out which interest me the most. Sounds Like Ridge Runner has tried a lot too in deciding his. Someone doesn't like how I hunt... tough !! I hunt for me. It should be no different for someone else.

Well maybe not able bodiedroadhunters?? I am not perfect !![:o] [:'(]

Tim

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Wow, can you tell the seasons are comeing to an end? Going over toanother forum, finding a thread to debate and bring that thread here. PeeeeUuuuuu. Get a life, go out and shed hunt or something. It's legal to shoot at those ranges so let it be. RR seems to have it all together and for him to have to defend himself repeatly is childish. It works for him.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I would love to be able to shoot moa groups at 100 yards never mind 500!!

Most guys claim to be good shots but when you go to the range they are a rare breed and IF I could kill a deer cleanly @ 1000 yards I might even give it a try just for the yuk yuk..

It could never replace watching a deer at 20 yards sticking his tounge up his nose but so what.

Ethics and morality within the confines of the law are for each of us to decide for ourselves.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Ridge Runner, theelitist attitudes many of these guys haveabout gun hunters got me inspired to get back into muzzleloading. Just to piss 'em off. [8D]

I'm in the process of building a Kentucky rifle kit at the moment... I'll be bluing the barrel and setting the stock retainer pins today. You keep on punching their tickets way out there, bud. I'm out to pick up your chump change with patched round ballsat 100 yards and under. ;)

RE: is this really hunting?
 

To each, their own.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I don't even know why this is an issue here.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I don't agree with it. Shots at that range can wound deer and you would never even know it. 2 misses out of 6 says it all. Not much hunting skill involved.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

To each his own I say, as long as it's legal and you're enjoying yourself. I personally "bowhunt" for the up close, intimate aspect of this sport. I learn much about my quarry from these close encounters. You get to studytheir habits, body language andnoises they make. This can't be done at hundreds of yards away, in my opinion.
I never the less, respect RR's shooting skills. We need to stop beating up on others who don't hunt the way we do.[:@]That's why we live in America, freedom of choice. Again, as long as it's legal, hunt the wayYOU choose.;)

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I respect someone that can successfully take shots at long ranges, but I absolutely do not consider it "hunting".

I seriously question how many deer are wounded and lost by shooters taking such long shots, and I am confident the shooters will say none. I will never believe it either. There is too much margin for error for something not to go wrong at least sometime.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

I would bet that RR has more knowledge and skill in his respective interest than most of the guys bashing him here have in theirs. I know I'm one of them and thats what bothers me, not the fact that he's good at what he does. And I would be willing to lay money that the amount of deer wounded or lost in LD hunting is probably close if not the same as bowhunting. Think about it.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

A agree with this, and the difference is I could easily hit a deer at 60 yards with a bow if I knew the range, I wouldn't even need a 60 yard pin. And this is because I have practiced it and know I can make that kind of shot if I really wanted to. There is no way in heck I could hit a deer at 1000 yards with a rifle. I'm just not that good and don't know my rifle that well. I think all these people that think 500 yard and out shots are easy should try it sometime. Most of the people I meet can't shoot that well at 100 yards off from a bench with a gun vice.

Why is it ok to shoot a varmint at 3 or 4 hundred yards but not a deer? Hunting is what you make it there are no set standards, as long you are within your states hunting regs. Nothing says you have to get as close as you can to your quarry to kill it. I mean some hunters use dogs to tree or corner the animal to kill it. Others use dogs to flush or point at the animal to kill. We sit in stands and wait to ambush the deer. None of these are what most would consider true hunting, or at least not what you are referring to. Like I have always said before, those that like to bag on other hunters for not doing it the same way as they do can always be criticized themselves. You want to impress me, run one down on foot and kill it with a rock or stab it to death with a knife.

Believe me if the Indians or settlers had the equipment to do what we can do they would be doing it. And don't think for minute they didn't "cheat". They did what they could in order to eat. Even if that meant running animals off from a cliff. And it was actually quite common for people to take long shots on game a hundred years ago, with a lot less effective equipment than we have. And also if you go back 50 or 60 years and take a look at how people hunted acceptable ethics were MUCH lower and people didn't criticize other as much. Everybody likes to put Fred Bear up on a pedestal, but he is one of the most unethical hunters I have seen, at least by todays standards.

I will comment on how I actually feel about this practice in the original thread in the deer hunting forum, rather than one started simply to flame someone in the bowhunting section.

Paul

RE: is this really hunting?
 

It appears xXxrory7xXxgot his big spoon out and most are going for it.

Ethical ? What's his kill percentage?

What's worse a guy that can make the shot at 700 yds or a bow hunter tha say's "it was the only shot I had" or " my max range is 30 but he was a brute so I took the shot at 35 yards" or some of the other stuff we here on the page?

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Same thing with a home made long bow and arrows right?

I seriously question the number of deer wounded by guys shooting long ranges with a bow look at all of the things that could go wrong, I guess no one should shoot over 30 yards with a bow or maybe it should be 20 yards.



Something tells me that Ridge Runner has been completely dedicated to his type of hunting longer then the origianal poster has been walking the earth.

Let's look at the simalarities.
[ol][*]Wind, you better know how to shoot with both to make this happen.[*]Aniamal moving, I wonder how much longer the time of impact is on a bullet and arrow at 60 and 1000 yards.[*]Paractice both require alot of practice and there are people like yourself that will tell you to keep the 60 yards shot on the range with a bow becasue too much can go wrong.[*]Hunters abilty.[/ol]

RE: is this really hunting?
 

That is my point. Deer are being wounded and lost, but we will only hear about the ones that are found.

As I said before, I respect someone that can make shots at long ranges (I absolutely do not have that ability), but I will never consider it "hunting".

RE: is this really hunting?
 

One could then say that taking a shot at something thats so close(15yds or less) isn't hunting either since its so close, the deer dont have a chance. Not arguing with you just putting it out there. And again I only bowhunt, never even hunted deer with a gun.

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Ok how many threads have we read about bow hunters wounding 2 out of six on here and people say stuff like" keep your head up it happens" or "don't let these guys bother you that are telling you to get to the range." etc

as far a s the wounding deer and not knowing it are you implying that RR wouldn't follw up on every shot?

RE: is this really hunting?
 

Is it really hunting?

I could list a whole bunch of things and just about everyone could find something on there to say no too.

What the saying about removing the staff from your own eye first?