Long Range Hunting - Real hunting ?????

[Duck-Slayer]

Yea this discussion has many alley's it can go down, most likely its going down the dark and nasty one.... keep it civil, post your opinions and nothing directed at anyone else, pretty simple, were all grown men and have our set way's and opinions, go back too bickering....
Matt

 

[Nameless Range]

I parrot this quote often, but then again I think it is the most true and important aspect of thought to consider when we as hunters are discussing ethical issues, acceptable thresholds, hunting styles, etc.

"We hunt at the pleasure of non-hunters" - Steven Rinella

Will non-hunters value the challenge - will they see respect - in what we are doing when we are poking ungulates at the heart with lead from half a mile?

I have my own prediction about that.

 

[LCH]

Having hunted almost exclusively with a slug gun up until the last 4-5 years, 300 yards is still a long shot for me. I practice at that range, but limit myself to 200 yards when hunting.

I am sure there are a lot of guys that can shoot more consistently at 500 than I can at 200, and I have no problem with that. It's the guys who wing one out there "to see if they can hit it" that I consider unethical.

 

[Lawnboy]

Sorry I even posted. You guys have a good conversation and keep it clean.

 

[JohnCushman]

Hey Bart...I'm a fan of head shots too, since I can't seem to shoot bucks the last couple of years. Don't be sorry

 

[BuzzH]

Lawnboy,

Don't sweat it, you didn't say anything wrong.

If some people shot their rifles as much as their mouths, they'd actually get somewhere and have a valid opinion.

 

[MtnWest]

I love to shoot distances of 1k-2k yards it is one of my hobbies. I like the challenge and precision involved in making first shot hits taking into account the atmospheric conditions, coriolis, eotvos and spin drift. It's me against me, not me against an animal.

Personally I have zero desire to shoot an animal when I do not have to worry about its senses. When you have to be quiet, stay downwind and move only at the right time that is how I define hunting. I know I can make long range shots, big whoop. What gets me jacked is seeing if I can get to full draw before the elk busts me, that I do not know. Many times the elk wins and I'm ok with that. A hunt shouldn't need to end with a dead critter to feel like you hunted.

Others can define it how they want. When they are alone with no one to slap them on the back and the internet post of their "trophy and skill" drops further down the list, I doubt they feel they did anything more than hit a target. At least I hope not.

 

[.280 Remington]

"I have a new custom rifle and so far my longest shot is 200 yds on a cow in the back of the head."

Right there is where I quit reading and where this thread should be locked! Wow, he has a custom rifle and head shoots at 200 yards and.....

You are strange.

 

[.280 Remington]

If some people shot their rifles as much as their mouths, they'd actually get somewhere and have a valid opinion.

Buzz, you are a poet!

 

[jeremys4]

Can you tell us how big your dog is?

Sure I have a gsp and lab Britney mix.

 

[Zach]

Chicks dig the long shot....

 

[jeremys4]

Ok honest question how many guys wear glasses that are against long range shots and how many guys wear glasses that are for long range shots.

 

[roadhunter]

Chicks dig the long shot....

That's what really matters. I hear it's a pickup line in Montana bars.

 

[mtmuley]

Must have worked on you. mtmuley

 

[MKotur325]

***Disclaimer*** The following post contains my opinions, and only my opinions. It is not meant to dictate your style of hunting and no personal attacks are meant, just to inform the OP of opinions as asked...

Let me start by saying, I really enjoy long range shooting at targets. I'm still pretty green when it comes to long range shooting, there is a significant learning curve. It helps me build confidence in my skills as a shooter, and helps build and test my data for the rifle. This is in no way, in my opinion, permission to take a shot just to see if I can make it at a game animal. I have yet to take a shot at a game animal beyond 500 yds. Would I ever consider taking a longer shot, Absolutely; if it's something that I'm confident in. Have I lost opportunities at game because I didn't take a long shot, Yup. Do I regret not shooting, sometimes.

Watching a long range hunting show and letting it dictate our thoughts on the state of the hunting industry is, in my mind, like watching a beer commercial and letting it dictate your taste in wine. Yeah, they are similar but not exactly relevant. Let us remember here that Most of the hunting shows currently produced are more about the kill and the trophy than the hunt or the experience. Many of us (Myself included) have no business shooting at game animals at or beyond 1000yds. Are there people who can? Certainly. Does that make it right? That is for each of us to decide individually based on our equipment, skills and the circumstances surrounding each shot. There are people in this world who dedicate themselves to shooting at some astonishing ranges. To some of them, they are probably as confident in taking a 1000yd shot as I am in shooting 300yds. Personally, I do not believe that it is right for me to berate them and say that their shots are not ethical because it doesn't fit within my ethical boundaries. Shooting distance to me is an individual ethical decision.

I also believe that within Fair Chase hunting that some risk of detection is needed. I also believe that to what extent is an individual ethical decision. We all have many tricks we use to minimize chance of detection. Everything from Cover Scents, Camo, Long range, general woods craft, terrain, scent eliminating clothing, decoys, calls, quality optics... The list goes on. We are ultimately hunting in the game's home. Their senses are better than ours, and I've seen situations where game has spotted me, or blown from some shocking distances. One place I hunted Antelope, you couldn't drive within 1000 yds of a group of antelope without them spooking. I had a group of Elk in another area that spooked from the sound of a diesel engine from close to a mile. I had a cow tag and had the elk at 350yds waiting for them to cross a fence when they spooked from the sound of an approaching truck. I had a Mule Deer buck spot me from his bed this year at about 900yds and he watched me stalk all the way to 400 to get a better look at him. I've had elk wind me from 600yds. There are times that I don't think we give animals enough credit for how good their senses are, and in my opinion it's not right to set a general rule in Fair Chase doctrine that shots beyond certain ranges eliminate all risk of detection.

This to me is the crux of the matter. I do not believe that it is ethical to shoot at any game animal, Bull, Cow, Buck, Doe... that is in a situation where you are not confident in a clean kill. I do not believe that it is ethical to shoot at game in situations where you are trying to see if you can make the shot, or at unproven distances. To me, this should be a corporate ethical standard we hold ourselves to as hunters. Know your equipment, your skills and your limitations. As long as a shot falls within those parameters, as far as I'm concerned, it is ethical. Again, This is my opinion. Hope this helps.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Why open this can of worms again?

 

[JohnCushman]

The OP has 34 posts in over 5 years on the site...he obviously hasn't kept up on all of the arguments and crap talk and slurs that this topic brings about when it gets brought up every couple of months.

 

[RobG]

Last year we were putting a stalk on a herd of late season cows when a hunter on a snowmobile drove up to about 600 yards and spooked them when he got off in plain sight. It is times like these that accuracy to 1000 yards would be nice because I would have liked to put a non-wounding shot into that snowmobile's engine.

 

[Cornell2012]

I'm keeping an eye on this thread. As Duck-Slayer already pointed out, keep it civil and avoid personal attacks and we can continue to have the conversation. For the most part you have all done a good job of this so far.

Carry on.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Really? No lost meat and dropped in her tracks. I knew I shouldn't have posted on this. Too many holier than thous on this thing. Would it of been better if I said I used my grandpas old 30-30 and and shot her in the back of the head at 30 yds? or is the problem with shot placement?

If you had to ask, it means you haven't got a clue and the only reason BuzzH made his comment was that it was me that made that post about head shooting! :hump: