Where do you draw the line on ethical shooting at animals?

[2ski]

Is the situation in the thread by @Mtnhunter1, what you are talking about?

https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/stolen-opportunities-a-very-sad-elk-tale-we-must-do-better.316516/

I think shooting at multiple animals/not checking for hits should be citation worthy (even if you think you missed).

I made a longer shot on a whitetail doe last year. I had a rangefinder and I was confident in my ability to make the shot. Since it was antlerless season, I also set up my spotting scope and made sure, at 40X, that it wasn’t a spike or other small rack buck. Much to my surprise, she didn’t drop in her tracks. Instead, she ran off at the shot and disappeared into the woods after about 25 yards. I am guessing there are people who would have not checked for evidence of a hit and just assumed that a 230 gr bullet from a 30 Nosler would have dropped her before she made the woods had it been a fatal shot. I am not one of them. Due to the topography, I had to pack up my gear, hike back to drive about two miles and then hike about two miles to get to where she had been. She was laying about 35 yards beyond where I had last seen her.

For those who assume they missed, but don’t check to confirm, the words of Ron White come to mind — “You can’t fix stupid.”

The thread he's talking about was a show your elk thread. It's a short synopsis and we don't have all the info. The guy just says he missed 9 shots at abull with a rifle he hadn't sighted in. That was a bit he left out.

I guess i have issue with this thread. I'm going to assume the guy knew he had 9nreal misses. And no game warden is going to site a guy for missing 9 times. That's just silly.

 

[3855WIN]

Friend took some customers to an Alabama lodge for a whitetail semi guided hunt. They dropped one customer off at a stand. About every fifteen minutes, they heard a shot in his direction. They went to get him and ask what he shot. He said that he had missed several deer. He was sure he missed because they didn’t fall over. They ended up with three different blood trails to track from that circus. I believe the hunter was inexperienced and had watched too many movies.

 

[3855WIN]

Years ago, I found us a DIY elk hunt on a New Mexico ranch. I told my buddy we needed a third hunter to buy up their landowner tags. He had just the guy, who I’d never met. We all load up to drive out together and I ask him what he’s shooting. “I shoot a .30-06, but my friend said that won’t do. Use my 300 WBY, but it’s not sighted in”. And he has no ammo for it. Lady Luck provided him with a box of ammo about the time we cross the NM state line from a small shop.
He runs out of adjustment and nearly, ammo when he was 6” low at 100 yards. He goes hunting, remembering that he needs to hold high. Of course, he killed a nice bull at 80 yards the second morning. And he remembered to hold high.

 

[Red-Team 98]

For Moose here my limit is 500 yards with 338 WM and 338 RUM if non magnums are used it will be shorter.
For Grizzly 200 yards or shorter regardless
Caribou most the time I take a 5.56 and keep my shots 100 yards or closer or 308 Win and extend it out too 300 yards.

 

[squirrel]

Got invaded by dwarves from Utah (of course) Named them Gimli, Thorin, and Thrain. Their rifles were a foot taller than they were. Them boys shot more shells /animal than I take to camp for a two week hunt. Watched Gimli shoot at a 170 buck I had located but decided against. he was probably shooting @ about 250 and finally knocked off a rear leg on his 3rd clip, second round. Couple more shots and it tipped over, probably tripped in a shell crater and broke its neck...

Some of those boys' volleys were in the mid to upper 20's. Lotsa hunters have zero business being out there, but their checks clear at the bank. Their rifles/scopes cost more than my entire camp.

Now charging armadillos have had me rattled a few times with my ruger mk-11 .22 so I guess it's all a matter of which ivory tower one occupies at any given moment.

 

[2rocky]

My first Mule deer I shot high over and over and over and ran my gun dry. Serious Buck Fever. Killed him going away with my Dad's rifle. My mind told me I had to aim high shooting downhill. I seriously know better.

I've also spine shocked a bull and had him get up after I've stood up from my rest. Then it is a mad frenzy trying to get another one in him before he reaches the trees. That sounded bad.

I've seen folks who are demonstrated good shots have one animal rattle them. It comes with the territory.

 

[Ought Six]

I once watched my brother miss a giant bull elk 5 times, that bull ran off, and another nice bull runs out below him and he missed that one 4 times… both bulls were out of what I would consider his effective range for sure. I was with him a couple days before the season and watched a 0.75” 3 shot group at 100 yards so I know it wasn’t the rifle… buck fever was thick that day. Kind of felt bad for him, but he should shoot his rifle way more in all honesty, he has always been a target panic guy. We’ve been hunting together since we were little kids and he’s taken some big critters throughout the years, so I can see how it could happen to someone with a lot less time behind a trigger. At the same time I don’t agree with his bad shooting either