What's yer total?

I've got excel sheets documenting every shot that I've fired at a big game animal or turkey since 2012. Hits, misses, wounded, killed, # of shots fired, weapon, caliber, etc.
 
I do have a spread sheet that tallies kills, locations, who I was with, number of shots, distance, shooting position, etc. The numbers help you sort through the BS over time. I wish I had details of every animal I shot AT, not just the ones killed. That's where the real lessons are. My mentor Gary Sloan was an elk-in-the-freezer-every-year old timer. He kept details on every elk kill he was even in on. It added up to more than 100; about half of them he pulled the trigger. That journal was a wealth of hard earned wisdom.
 
Only have a ballpark number on how may Whitetail deer I've killed. Guessing about 90 since I started in 1975. Missed a few years for one reason or another and in the early years I only had one tag. Things picked up when I started with archery. My best year was 5. Most years now I take 2. Other than that it's pretty easy. 1 color-phase black bear, 1 Roe buck, 1 bearded hen turkey, 1 alligator, 3 coyotes. No clue on ducks and geese.
 
I do have a spread sheet that tallies kills, locations, who I was with, number of shots, distance, shooting position, etc. The numbers help you sort through the BS over time. I wish I had details of every animal I shot AT, not just the ones killed. That's where the real lessons are. My mentor Gary Sloan was an elk-in-the-freezer-every-year old timer. He kept details on every elk kill he was even in on. It added up to more than 100; about half of them he pulled the trigger. That journal was a wealth of hard earned wisdom.

that's why i have a column for "killed?" with a selection of "yes" or "no"

if i shot at an animal that was never recovered or didn't die and i didn't catch up to it and kill it, it has to go on the log and affect the bullet ratio. honest to god it hasn't happened yet, but it will, i'm sure.

i like to argue that if hunters had to walk around with their bullet ratio painted on their forehead we'd all end being more ethical hunters.
 
Don't know but I do keep all of my unfilled tags. Maybe they'll be the wallpaper on a future office/man cave :ROFLMAO:
 
I got a buck every year from when I started at 14 until I got married at 24 then had a 4 year drought, and have only filled 4 WA buck tags since. They all used to be very vivid memories, but as those started to wain I started to write them down, then I got busy with life and didn't keep up. No way I can remember all 10 pre-marriage bucks.
I've also killed 3 lope (1 buck), 6 elk (three bulls), 3 turkey, 2 bears (both boars).

I still remember distinctly the first chukar I killed over a point, it was my 9th year bird hunting with my shorthair and her first point in the same county I was hunting. It was foggy and I'd lost her only to stumble upon her frozen like a rock. I was so shocked I didn't realize it was a point for several moments as I called her name. Then up came the bird, and I swung and sandbagged the SOB, though its momentum carried it in the fog. I put my hands in the air and yelled, and I mean YELLED, "F&*( Yeah!" then walked over and realized I'd dropped it off a cliff that I could not see the bottom of. We did not find that bird.
 
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i like to argue that if hunters had to walk around with their bullet ratio painted on their forehead we'd all end being more ethical hunters.
Or guys would abandon the "keep shooting til they stop moving" mantra.

Arrow ratio would be humbling..
 
I kept track of miles per sheep, but also wrote a lot of stories, many posted here. Really should go back and write it down, and fill in the gaps. I wish I had a list or stories from my dad and grampa's of their expeditions and hunts.

The only stories I have written were the ones I posted here. It's interesting to go back just 15 years and read details I had long forgotten.
 
I don’t keep a journal but whenever I catch or kill anything meaningful to me I take a pic and have it printed and put in a photo album and write a few details on the back of photos for whoever inherits this album when I’m gone.
 
If i had to do over again i wish i would of kept a journal or some sort of log. I started a few years ago typically writing something on back of euro plaques about when/where and who with just so i dont forget. I know my annual best totals by memory on most species but my whitetails totals would be ridicous most of those would be archery or muzzy kills.i do keep a list of premium tags i draw but thats easy because its so very few if any every year.
 
Years ago i spent a few hours trying to tally up the numbers of certain things I've bagged in my life - taking that to the grave. But 25 nice bull elk so far, a MT MSG - no shame there.
Why would there be shame in any game animal legally harvested? I know guys with harvest counts that are ridiculous. All legally taken mostly to feed their large extended families. You can really stack up the critters when you go after and fill every legal tag
 

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