Shooters that do not hunt?

[khmplus]

Shooting without hunting is sure a lot better than casting without fishing! It's like playing darts, shooting pool.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I, too, know a lot of guys that shoot religiously but do not hunt.

 

[myshootinstinks]

I mentioned in the original post that I'm not the diehard I used to be. A lot of that is age but some of it just laziness. Walking 6-8 miles a day in steep terrain, downing an elk then cutting him up to get the meat home. In my 20s-30s it was an adventure. Now it's a lot of hard work and sore muscles.

 

[milo-2]

I've asked myself many times why I am a member here. I quit big game hunting in 1996, and bird hunting in 2000 after my lab could no longer hunt. No interest to re-engage. Yet I will accompany kids who want to hunt, and basically sponsor 2 brothers.
I shoot a lot though.

 

[xsn10s]

I made a family commitment ten years ago which made hunting big game very difficult to do. I love it, but no big game hunting in a decade for me. And a poor shot on a chuck two years ago took much of the wind out of those sails for me. I still practice when I can because I enjoy shooting. Now coyotes are becoming a dangerous nuisance in my area so I'll focus on that. Nothing wrong with those that don't hunt, or do other activities anymore. We get to choose what is best for us physically, mentally and spiritually.

 

[Mark37082]

To me hunting and shooting are separate activities that I love to do. Granted shooting practice should be necessary if you are going to hunt. I agree that hunting requires much more planning and effort than decades ago. I have really never been a hunter that focused only on bringing meat home. I just love getting out in fields/woods and testing myself while enjoying the natural world. I have found that simply having a deer in my cross hairs is satisfying enough these days. Most of the time I let them walk. Varmints and coyotes are a different story. Pile them up for the buzzards.

 

[BrentM]

I'm surprised at the number of shooters I encounter that do not go hunting. They've either given it up for various reasons or never hunted to begin with, they enjoy shooting by its own merit.
I'll admit I'm not the diehard I used to be, age takes it's toll on the body. I still enjoy getting outdoors and Fall is my favorite time of year.

Not all the surprising to me. I've shot many different disciplines and it's common to see folks who shoot 3 gun, pistol, or ar style comps do not hunt. Same with trap and skeet. Long range shooting comps are a mix bag too like prs. It's literally just a game with a weapon and people love guns generally. Hunting is another skill set and time consuming to be any good and often people step back from it. I appreciate the fact shooters don't always hunt. I don't hunt big game with a rifle generally myself. I bow hunt. I do hunt predators with a rifle, I like the challenge of long range shooting, therefore, I shoot quite a bit.

 

[Reelamin]

No question there are more shooters than hunters and I'm happy with it. The more in the sport the more excise tax goes into the shooting sports. I just finished up a Hunters Ed class and 6 students including one adult said they dont hunt and probably wont hunt. The school requires them to take the course before they can shoot on the trap team. I agree the majority are planning to hunt and it has never been all of the students. I have been asked more in the last two years to teach people how to shoot handguns/rifles more than my entire life combined. None of them are going to be hunters or go hunting.

 

[Greyfox]

i have friends that shoot, and have never hunted, nor do they have the desire to hunt. Not all, but many were either Military, or took up shooting in their later years…Most of my hard-core hunting buddies, like myself, were permanently captivated by hunting from an early age…. Whether rifle/bow target shooting, shotgun/clay, or handgun sports, my sole purpose of any of these activities has always been to improve my skills with the intention of improving my hunting success. I doubt that I will shoot much when I can no longer hunt. It's "In the Blood"…

 

[Hugnot]

^^
"And a poor shot on a chuck two years ago" - I remember shooting a chuck years ago - I shot this poor creature & blew the front of its snout off, it was later seen wobbling about, just as I was leaving. I finished it off but never forgot it.

 

[K.E.C. Darkside]

All great experiences with the above comment. Work starts after the animal is down. Where I live I see animals everyday, all day long. I find myself pulling my rifle on them and squeezing the trigger, but the safety is still on, or unloaded gun. Good practice.

 

[xsn10s]

^^
"And a poor shot on a chuck two years ago" - I remember shooting a chuck years ago - I shot this poor creature & blew the front of its snout off, it was later seen wobbling about, just as I was leaving. I finished it off but never forgot it.

Mine wasn't that bad of a shot. Chest at 480 yards with a very explosive bullet. But the chuck was still alive when I walked up to it. I'm still not sure if it was the bullet or my shooting but it took another in the chest and then one in the head to finally finish it off. It still bothers me to this day. Hunting has always been a visceral, primal instinct for me. I can still "feel" myself go into that "mode". But a bad shot really bothers me. I want a clean kill or I don't want to do it.

 

[gohring3006]

Being that I spent my entire life in the woods, when I was younger all I did was hunt, then becoming a timber cutter I spent my entire adult life in the woods too.
I've seen some amazing stuff out there. One of my fondest memories, I was about to cut a huge soft maple. Well, this hen turkey came up to me not scared at all. She was clucking and purring, trying to push me out the hill where the tree was going to fall, she finally ran out ahead of me and wouldn't leave the area, so I went over to chase her out of the path of the tree, and then I seen her clutch of eggs. It was clear her intentions. So I backed out if the area, and left her there with her eggs.
Two weeks later, I was sharpening my saw on my tail gate, and here she come right out into the field, and trailing behind her was several little bitty turkeys. I swear I think she was showing me her babies and thanking me in a way. I'll never forget that feeling inside me, I was done hunting after that. That's not all the stuff I've seen, lots of memories with wildlife. But that one was the enlightenment that I needed.

 

[Muddyboots]

I like to think I have "transformed" into a "Shunter", primarily from joining LRH. I always liked going to range but not in the same manner now. Rebarreled my first rifle Sav 110C .270Win, showed me I still can walk and chew gum. Built a 300WSM and then .270WIN. Have 06 in wings. Upgraded reloading equip including a 120xi and received a Long Shot 300 for Christmas so really looking forward to load development now at 300 yds.

I have made some nice WT kills in last 10 years that prob not taken shots in past but now feel confident.

I appreciate how much info I have gleaned from LRH that I would have never realized for shooting. As result, I enjoy shooting now more than ever. Plus if Lake Michigan is roaring, head to range!

If there ever was a true statement on shooting and reloading, cry once when you buy components. Turning over standard reloading components from years ago to achieve better performance seems to be bigger ouch when you are retired.