A favorite sports coach of mine says "You learn more from a loss than you do a win". In this case, you have learned much. That you are bothered by it speaks well of you.

If ya ain't missed or made a bad shot, ya ain't shot or hunted enough.

Of course we all hate it, but that's life.

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Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Matt Norman actually said it very well. What you are experiencing is normal. It will happen to everyone in time. One strives to do better, but no one will ever be perfect.

You have to put this in some kind of reasonable perspective. Death is a normal part of nature. The animal is going to die, someday. If you want to watch suffering, you need to observe how many animals die of "winter kill", which in most cases is various forms of starvation. Even a botched shot requiring a followup is better than death by starvation. Also, even the most efficient predators seldom if ever make quick, clean kills. Cougars kill by strangulation and wolf kills can be very gruesome and take more than a few minutes. The wolf killed animal sometimes dies from blood loss while it is being eaten. Your followup shot situation was not worse than that.

Lastly, when hunting, you are a predator. Try to think like one. The game you are pursuing is "meat". Try not to approach the task with the mental frame of mind of a suburban ninnie who might think the game needs emotional counseling to prepare it mentally for the time it could get shot. This is not meant as an insult but advice on how to prepare yourself for the task.

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Warren Jensen

Warren@lostriverballistic.com
lostriverballistic.com

[This message has been edited by Warren Jensen (edited 11-21-2001).]

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When in doubt, do a nuclear strike.

As far as I am concerned I like to hunt them down yes. But I admit that I like the killing and shooting even better. But I try to make it quick. I take pride in that. But a bad shot can occur.

I don't wait for anything. I keep shooting as long as I can see them and then I go after them.

P Dog said it all, if your animal isn't dead - shoot the damn thing again. DO NOT wait for it to die!!! This can and does lead to a lost animal!!

Steve H

ps
I have made plenty of bad shots and errors in judgement while hunting.

One theory in big bear hunting IS to wound first. Break a hip or shoulder joint to forestall an attack. I don't believe it, becuase I've seen a small black bear take about 8-10 30-06 rounds and keep running with a totally shredded front elbow. (I was a watcher that day). But some guys swear by it, and maybe on a big bear it works. I just always forget the fancy stuff when push comes to shove on a bear.

Its good that you've got a heart. People who hunt without one end up being the butchers.

[This message has been edited by BBBruce (edited 11-22-2001).]

quote:

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Originally posted by BBBruce:

Its good that you've got a heart. People who hunt without one end up being the butchers.

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I think Bruce has put it properly with the words above. It�s part of a hunter�s honour to care about the game and to prevent suffering.

But this said, I think most hunters have experienced situations, where they deeply regret a shot. I have had mine, and you yours. If not, I think you haven�t hunted much yet.

Here in Sweden we have a hunter�s proverb: "You should never regret the shot that you did never shot". It�s true, but reality is something else. Every shot is risky, and you never know anything before you�re home again.

It�s also another matter of fact. It�s said by military doctors and veterinarians that a shot doesn�t hurt the first hour. You can thus have a good conscience as you killed the doe after 8 minutes. It didn�t suffer. You fulfilled the first duty of a good hunter: to prevent the suffering of the game.

Best regards,

Fritz

I have hunted for 50 years plus and a lot more than most. I respect the animals and sometimes have a fleeting moment for a charging Buffalo or Lion, but thats about it. I don't particularlly enjoy cull hunting plains game anymore and I don't subcribe to wholesale slaughter, as sporting, but necessary in Africa... It bothers me little to kill, gut,skin, and butcher an animal. It does bother me to pack one out on my back

If you have hunted much then you have wounded an animal or two, thats the downside of hunting, and its a bad feeling indeed, but you will get over it, if not then you need help..Preditors of all species wound. Man has the best killing track record of all.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

I made the shot, he did a 180 and started to run, I levered another 308win in and went for a neck shot, once then twice. At this point he stopped behind a big alder clump, I could see his outline, so I did what I should have at first, a double lung shot and down he went. I immediatly went over and put one in his brain, as he was still alive and completely missing his lower jaw.

I aint proud of the way it happened and learned alot very fast. 18yrs later I finally took one behind the ear in the spine this year at 50', I felt alot better about it this time and was confident with the shot placement and my ability, it was in the back of my mind the whole time and remembering the first ones suffering made me feel like it was life or death or something.

He was dead before he hit the ground with the 416wby 400gn XLC. I was so concerned I turned my scope up to 10 power first.

When I was a youngster, I watched a moose in my binos as an older man that took me along hunting downed him at several hundred yards. The moose was right back up and off in the timber. He lost sight of him because of the 300wins recoil, but insisted he missed the animal that I watched hit the ground. He simply did not want to go accross the swamp and hunt for him.

There are two different breeds of men hunting.

Later
Brent

A responsible stalker does all that (s)he can to minimise suffering. Practice, experience, not taking risky shot or trying fancy shooting help minimise this but nothing can prevent the shot where the animal moves in between the brain saying shoot and the bullet travelling downrange or similar such things.

You felt bad - remember the feeling and use it to prevent any avoidable woundings but remember as long as you stalk you run the risk of wounding, that's why the Europeans who are able to shoot more use dogs.

Allthough it's good practice to wait for the deer to die if it has run out of view, if it is still in view, you cannot see the strike and or it is suffering a follow up shot should be given quickly. It is a fine balance that comes with experience and to counter all those that insist on a snap follow up shot immediately if the deer is still on it's feet and moving I would counter that you run the risk of a wounding shot on a previously unwounded and clean missed beast.

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Frank

In that vein, I also do something which few others seem to be doing: I wear my electronic ear-protectors, the volume turned all the way up. Besides keeping ears warm, this gives me the chance to hear the sounds of the woods much perhaps as many of the animals hear them. What a delight! No, it affords little or no advantage in detecting deer, because they are so practiced in placing their steps quietly, but to hear what they hear helps to explain what they may be thinking of doing.

It's all very interpretive, of course, but as subjective as the outdoors experience is, it's a wonderful addition to a special time.

P.S. I smoked a Deer roast for Thankgiving its was Great and I was thankful for my family and the Deer, and I have lived and learned.

Good Hunting Brian.