What with all the turmoil 2020 has offered up, beginning with the virus, serious threats to 2nd Amendment, Storms, etc., hows about a little levity?
Question: How do you handle it when your hunting partner muffs a shot? Now, I'm not talking about a newbie, but how do you treat an old, experienced friend in that situation.
I'll start with one that brings a smile to my face every time I think of it.
I have hunted, fished and shot HP rifle competition with this old friend since we were in high school. That was over 65 years ago. Lord have mercy on the poor soul who blows a shot.....either of us!
A few years ago, we started the morning at a favorite spot in the SE corner of an 11,000 acre ranch. The large corner posts are overgrown with brush, making a perfect backdrop for a hide. There is a 45* intersecting sendero that terminates at that corner, offering three long shooting lanes to be shared by the two of us with visibility of 1 to 2 miles on each, at least.
I Usually cover the east fence, he covers the intersecting sendero and glances down the south fence from time to time (jeep is parked near the corner in brush off S. fence).
This particular morning, a coyote shows up close to a mile out on the angle sendero. He was curious, but in no rush, meandered towards us, sniffing and markin' his route. He didn't stand still very long, and around 500 yards, my partner begins to get anxious, asking for a mark (range, which the observer always provides when hunting close together). I told him to hold off, he's still coming...several times, up to 300, when my partner decided to take the shot anyway, and missed.
Guess I was feeling cheritable that morning, as I cut him some slack, as we hadn't been out in a while. We moved on to another favorite spot near the NE corner.
This set up offers several parallel 25 yard wide senderos, each separated by a 25 yard strip of heavy brush. We set up against a treeline across a clearing at the end of these senderos so that we each cover a sendero, but can see 20-30 yards down the adjacent sendero. The call is placed about 30 yards down one sendero.
A coyote blew out of the brush, heading for the call in my partner's sendero. He got across my sendero, and into the brush strip before I could get off a shot, so I alerted my partner, who was awaiting the incoming coyote. The coyote ran out into his sendero, stopped, looking at the decoy and.....my partner missed....a 50 yard shot!
Now, he just doesn't miss a gimme like that, so I asked him if he wanted to check his rifle. He declined. We broke it down, and on the way to the next stand, I suggested that I had a coffee can in the back of the jeep we could set up and check his zero, to which he said, "No, I don't want to put a hole in your coffee can."
Now, I just couldn't resist that one and replied, "Not much chance of that!" There was a cool silence for the remainder of the ride to the next stand.
I don't recall how he got back at me, but I'm sure he did. That's half the fun of hunting with friends.
Tell us your favorite stories about a missed shot.
Regards,
hm
Question: How do you handle it when your hunting partner muffs a shot? Now, I'm not talking about a newbie, but how do you treat an old, experienced friend in that situation.
I'll start with one that brings a smile to my face every time I think of it.
I have hunted, fished and shot HP rifle competition with this old friend since we were in high school. That was over 65 years ago. Lord have mercy on the poor soul who blows a shot.....either of us!
A few years ago, we started the morning at a favorite spot in the SE corner of an 11,000 acre ranch. The large corner posts are overgrown with brush, making a perfect backdrop for a hide. There is a 45* intersecting sendero that terminates at that corner, offering three long shooting lanes to be shared by the two of us with visibility of 1 to 2 miles on each, at least.
I Usually cover the east fence, he covers the intersecting sendero and glances down the south fence from time to time (jeep is parked near the corner in brush off S. fence).
This particular morning, a coyote shows up close to a mile out on the angle sendero. He was curious, but in no rush, meandered towards us, sniffing and markin' his route. He didn't stand still very long, and around 500 yards, my partner begins to get anxious, asking for a mark (range, which the observer always provides when hunting close together). I told him to hold off, he's still coming...several times, up to 300, when my partner decided to take the shot anyway, and missed.
Guess I was feeling cheritable that morning, as I cut him some slack, as we hadn't been out in a while. We moved on to another favorite spot near the NE corner.
This set up offers several parallel 25 yard wide senderos, each separated by a 25 yard strip of heavy brush. We set up against a treeline across a clearing at the end of these senderos so that we each cover a sendero, but can see 20-30 yards down the adjacent sendero. The call is placed about 30 yards down one sendero.
A coyote blew out of the brush, heading for the call in my partner's sendero. He got across my sendero, and into the brush strip before I could get off a shot, so I alerted my partner, who was awaiting the incoming coyote. The coyote ran out into his sendero, stopped, looking at the decoy and.....my partner missed....a 50 yard shot!
Now, he just doesn't miss a gimme like that, so I asked him if he wanted to check his rifle. He declined. We broke it down, and on the way to the next stand, I suggested that I had a coffee can in the back of the jeep we could set up and check his zero, to which he said, "No, I don't want to put a hole in your coffee can."
Now, I just couldn't resist that one and replied, "Not much chance of that!" There was a cool silence for the remainder of the ride to the next stand.
I don't recall how he got back at me, but I'm sure he did. That's half the fun of hunting with friends.
Tell us your favorite stories about a missed shot.
Regards,
hm
