Lone Elk
Active member
Great example for all of us to follow, if the need arises. I commend you on your decision and honesty.
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I will say I find it funny that there are people blasting a 14 year old girl for shooting the wrong critter and there hasn't been a single negative comment here for an adult that made a similar mistake. I keep waiting for schmalts to chime in and call you stupid....
That's a tough decision to make its good for people to hear stories like this. Wardens aren't the jerks that we as hunters sometimes make them out to be. I had a conversation with a warden a couple weeks ago that had a similar story with the same outcome.
I will say I find it funny that there are people blasting a 14 year old girl for shooting the wrong critter and there hasn't been a single negative comment here for an adult that made a similar mistake. I keep waiting for schmalts to chime in and call you stupid....
I also find it interesting. I think it is partly because the difference between a legal animal and the animal I shot did not involve a different species, and partly because I was the one who wrote this post, while the girl did not have the same luxury.
Also, I am sure some people do think I'm stupid for what happened. They might be right....who cares. If being stupid is a prerequisite for making a mistake...there are a lot of stupid people out there, and I'm certainly one.
I think part of the problem with society (yes, I realize the gross generalization) today is that we are taught to be intolerant of mistakes and that it's not ok to fail. I'm working toward having a different perspective on both subjects. This experience will linger in my mind for a long time and certainly be the cause of a few deep breaths the next time a bull walks into my scope....but I will not internalize the shame as part of my character. I have a deep suspicion that those who throw judgment from the peanut gallery will have a harder time with the shame when their turn comes.
TG- Being intolerant of mistakes is what makes people afraid to come forward with mistakes. When you make an honest mistake, there is no public humiliation needed. The guilt people bare when they make an honest mistake is usually enough. I understand the situation with the 14 year old girl is different in the fact she could not even correctly identify the animal she was after but I believe the situations are somewhat similar. Both parties shot an animal that wasn't legal to shoot and they both self reported. Both situations should be used as a learning experience instead of questioning someone's intelligence. I know grown men that have made worse decisions than that young woman did.
Agree with everything here 100%.