Has anybody else had a dry spell?

[YoungHuntr]

I am 16 and no one in my home is a big hunter. I still became enamored with the sport and took it upon myself to pass hunters safety and get hunting, organizing what tags we put in for etc.... I shoot on a regular basis and have never taken a shot past 250 yards. I consider myself a decent shot and know my rifle. I practice a lot on my shooting and I am consistently 1 MOA. I know how important it is to take your time and be calm.

 

 

Last year I went on an OTC elk hunt and shot at two elk. One was close and acted hit, but hours of searching and no blood trail lead us to believe it may have been a miss. I was shooting 165 grain SSTs which since then I place little trust in. I shot at another elk two days later that dissapeared into the brush. No blood trail. Had switched to 180 grain core lokts. Next day it was discovered, meat spoiled. It had fallen at most 50 yards from where it had been shot, double lung, clean kill. It had fallen in reeds literally 9 feet tall. Impossible to see from two feet away.

 

Weeks ago on an elk hunt I took a VERY steady shot at a cow on top of a watering hole berm. She fell. tried to get up twice but rolled down further. Two elk I did not know were there got up and were joined by a third elk after a minute. I had a slim shot window but could not be certain it was the elk I had shot before. Turns out it was. A good blood trail petered out 50 yards away. Never found. I had spent two minutes setting up for that shot, getting prone on my bipod, getting steady. I was ready. And yet I believe she moved at the shot. I could not have shot at her again because I was not certain that she was the same elk (when the two others came out of the hole and were joined by another). I was shooting 165 Grain trophy bonded tips.

 

 

Anyways, has anybody else had such a run of misfortune? I do not wish anything like this to happen to others, but it would certainly help knowing that I am not the only one plagued by such mishaps that seem to be out of my control. I sight in my rifle before every hunt with the load I use and practice often out to 300 yards. I can't help but think its out of my control.

 

So, iy may seem silly, but gearing that someone else has had similar experiences would certainly help. I haven't recovered a big game animal in my 5 years of hunting, but what bothers me is those animals that should have been recovered. One time happens. Twice is unfortunate. Loosing three animals really bothers me. But I will keep trying.

 

YounHuntr, there is alot more to hunting than knowing your weapon and how good you shoot it. Tracking skills are a very important part of becoming a good hunter and you will learn in time. Hunting with experience hunters who know how to track can be a big plus in your learning of recovering down game.

 

I'm glad you shared your stories with us because not to many would have been so honest. I hope you continue to learn and hopefully some of our knowledge will help you along. We all started somewhere. Good luck on your next hunt and I look forward to reading your first success story.

 

TJ

 

I know tracking is a big part. On each elk hunt and after each shot I had others with me, in each case friends of the family, who had hunted elk or deer for many years come back and help me track it. Each time the conditions stunk for tracking. Hard soil, little blood, etc.......

 

I know what you mean about the art of tracking. There is so much to learn, Just the color of a twig, the snapped end, a discolored or our of place leaf can tell you so much.

 

There are many aspects to this sport, I could probably spend a lifetime learning how to glass and find coues.

[10Turkeys]

I remember once sitting around banging my gums with a bunch of other shooters when of them said that one of the other shooters had just got back from Africa and had shot a Cape Buffalo in the chest with a .416 Rem Mag and it got away. One of the guys that was an old salt said that if you have never lost an animal then you haven't been hunting long enough. My turn was about three years after that. It turns your stomach thinking about it, but if you did all you could do to recover the animal, what else can you do? Any advise that I could give is to get your rifle sighted

in off the bench and from then to your hunt just shoot in hunting positions with a good solid rest (back pack, tree, rock or whatever you can find) and then use Nosler Partition bullet (never had anything argue with a Partition!).

[YoungHuntr]

I remember once sitting around banging my gums with a bunch of other shooters when of them said that one of the other shooters had just got back from Africa and had shot a Cape Buffalo in the chest with a .416 Rem Mag and it got away. One of the guys that was an old salt said that if you have never lost an animal then you haven't been hunting long enough. My turn was about three years after that. It turns your stomach thinking about it, but if you did all you could do to recover the animal, what else can you do? Any advise that I could give is to get your rifle sighted

in off the bench and from then to your hunt just shoot in hunting positions with a good solid rest (back pack, tree, rock or whatever you can find) and then use Nosler Partition bullet (never had anything argue with a Partition!).

 

Good advice, I've practiced real life sitting, kneeling, and resting off of bipod prone out to 300 yards and off hand consistently at 100 yards. Did all that was possible to recover the animals. Maybe my share of unrecovered or lost animals was just dealt to me early on and for all I know I'll never loose another.

[tjhunt2]

I remember once sitting around banging my gums with a bunch of other shooters when of them said that one of the other shooters had just got back from Africa and had shot a Cape Buffalo in the chest with a .416 Rem Mag and it got away. One of the guys that was an old salt said that if you have never lost an animal then you haven't been hunting long enough. My turn was about three years after that. It turns your stomach thinking about it, but if you did all you could do to recover the animal, what else can you do? Any advise that I could give is to get your rifle sighted

in off the bench and from then to your hunt just shoot in hunting positions with a good solid rest (back pack, tree, rock or whatever you can find) and then use Nosler Partition bullet (never had anything argue with a Partition!).

 

Good advice, I've practiced real life sitting, kneeling, and resting off of bipod prone out to 300 yards and off hand consistently at 100 yards. Did all that was possible to recover the animals. Maybe my share of unrecovered or lost animals was just dealt to me early on and for all I know I'll never loose another.

 

Good thinking!

 

Is that the San Juan in your avatar? Nice fish you're holding by the way.

[YoungHuntr]

I remember once sitting around banging my gums with a bunch of other shooters when of them said that one of the other shooters had just got back from Africa and had shot a Cape Buffalo in the chest with a .416 Rem Mag and it got away. One of the guys that was an old salt said that if you have never lost an animal then you haven't been hunting long enough. My turn was about three years after that. It turns your stomach thinking about it, but if you did all you could do to recover the animal, what else can you do? Any advise that I could give is to get your rifle sighted

in off the bench and from then to your hunt just shoot in hunting positions with a good solid rest (back pack, tree, rock or whatever you can find) and then use Nosler Partition bullet (never had anything argue with a Partition!).

 

Good advice, I've practiced real life sitting, kneeling, and resting off of bipod prone out to 300 yards and off hand consistently at 100 yards. Did all that was possible to recover the animals. Maybe my share of unrecovered or lost animals was just dealt to me early on and for all I know I'll never loose another.

 

Good thinking!

 

Is that the San Juan in your avatar? Nice fish you're holding by the way.

 

Why yes is just so happens to be the Juan. Upper flats actually. 19" Rainbow caught sight fishing big ants. Fly fishing is my other passion

[elkhunter]

Try shooting 400 and 500 yards, you will get better at 300 yards!

[YoungHuntr]

Try shooting 400 and 500 yards, you will get better at 300 yards!

 

I do actually shoot at 4 and 500 but not as often as at 300. At 300 I am grouping 3 consistently in a 4.0" group, so darn close to MOA.