Well I am assuming that the snide remark by "alhshooter338" is towards me and the question that I asked, so I am going to go about this as politely as I can. First off, I only pitched the question out there to see what kind of responses I would get. I have NEVER shot an Elk before but I have hunted for them (unsuccessfully , on public land) and I have never shot any Deer in that manner with a firearm but I have taken two Deer with Archery equipment using that shot and both were DEVASTATING kills. The first Deer I took with a "Texas Heartshot" was a "Twang - FLOP" she didn't even kick the leaves, just dropped in her tracks and the second one was taken with a shot to the ham targeting the femoral artery and at the shot the blood was GUSHING like a high pressure hydraulic line! Needless to say that Deer expired pretty fast. But That was in my early compound days and after shooting a pile of deer it was just "shooting" to me so I made the switch to Traditional archery equipment (65lb recurve and two blade broadheads). Now I was "HUNTING". The game had changed drasticly because of the limited range and I still was killing Deer but it was harder. Enough
rambling,so let's get back to the situation at hand.
So I am assuming that you ONLY hunt in your state, if not that might qualify you as an "out of state yahoo" as well, right? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
As far as hunting and shooting go, at what range does "hunting" become "shooting"? When your 20 yards away from a Deer or Elk and they are clueless about your presence or you are 500 yards away are you not still in the hunting mode? And as far as the shot goes, the 20 yard shot , you will have to move when the animal can't see you bring the rifle into play and the conditions dont really impact the shot that much but the 500 yard shot is just opposite, you can fidget just about all you want but you had better be spot on with your rifle dope and your ability to read the conditions and THEN time your shot to what the animal is doing (like feeding then taking a step just as you might shoot?).
And as far as respect for the animals I hunt and or kill, I have the highest respect! I don't jump around like I have just won the Lottery like these TV hunters do, I actually fell remorse for taking the life but it is part of the cycle. I shot a deer with my bow and I lost it, trail ran out, never found the arrow (It did't punch a bottom hole in the chest) and I was just about sick enough to puke (that's when I switched to the Recurve).
I NEVER have taken a shot that I was not 100% sure of, PERIOD!
And I don't hunt Groundhogs anymore because I feel you should eat what you kill (do you eat what "YOU
" kill?).
You sound like you might have some "Green" in your blood, are you sure that you aint a Bunny Hugger trapped in a Hunter's body? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
So in closing, I would like to thank all of my neighbors here at LRH for their input, opinions and advice as it was well taken and like my Drill instructor said to USMC platoon 1013 "Private's, the only "DUMB" question is the one you "DON'T" ask (Although depending on the question, it might get you a "session" on the quarter deck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif)
And that's all I have to say about that!
