What do you think of this guy?

[onehorse]

A couple of weeks ago, I had a conversation with a guy at the shooting range. Never met him before. Early in the talk, he says he never had to shoot anything over 100 yards away. So, I think, "Hey, this guy must be a pretty decent hunter if he always gets that close before shooting. Then we get to talking about eating game, and I mention that it's important to kill things quickly and that I like putting game on ice ASAP. So he responds by saying that it took an antelope that he shot last year two hours to die, because he gut shot it and ran out of bullets. At which point, I just walk away shaking my head. I mean I'm not sure I could have continued without letting out some "steam". What would you have done?

[stonecold79]

yahh that ticks me off to when people shoot animals in ways so that they can track it. I think what you did walking away like that was the right thing to do.

I'd have said good to see you at the range practicing. then walked away. unless he was really BIG or mean looking. kidding. that deal sounds wrong on so many levels that it almost hurts.

[BruceBruce1959]

Onehorse you sure have a lot more fuse than I have, I'd like to think I could have walked away like you did but knowing me I KNOW my mouth wouldn't have been able to resist making some well deserved comment just to let him know just what kind of jerk he really is...

OR,,, I probably would have told him of the story about the guy that did the EXACT same thing he did but never hunted again because he came to realize how stupid what he did was...LOL

But I would rather be able to just turn and walk away shaking my head like you did.

[critter gitter]

I don't know what I would have done and hope I never do.

[Hunting Man]

onehorse, you did well. Each of us probably have had at least one bad memory that we lock away and try not to dwell on. We do remember what went wrong and do our best to correct it. Discussing a bad situation as it if were normal hunting raises the blood pressure as it did to you. Always best to walk away, never does a good thing come with loaded firearms and heated tempers. That guy is not a hunter and never would be welcome around my camp fire.

[Buckshot]

I would have been more upset if he said he was taking long shots when he gut shot the animal. At least he was at the range trying to improve his shooting.

[flexj]

gee whiz...you guys all perfect shots or what?? It seems wrong to be raking this guy over the coals without his beeing here to defend the situation. I think that many hunters have experienced a bad shot or two, but that doesn't mean they are trying to be cruel. I know that I have had a couple shots that didn't bring down the animal quickly, but it certainly was not intentional. I bet that this shot wasn't either...give the guy a break. Even a well placed bow shot does not immediately kill a deer, and I have had to track some a good distance. I just don't understand how you can judge this guy based on this story.

of course things go awry, but who runs out of ammo? if i can't hit what I'm shooting at in just a couple shots I'm going to stop shooting and figure out whats going wrong. Not to mention its was under a hundred yards. I carry a minimum of 5 rounds with me but don't ever think I'll be shooting all 5. I won't take 4 or 5 hale Mary shots at a running animal. Anyway I really can't think of a scenario that would put a hunter in that situation. Thats why I said it seemed wrong on more than one level. But you are right about not being able to defend himself.

[Hunting Man]

If the conversation started that he was there because of the related experience then I give him credit. If however, he thinks that the described experience is a normal event then I stand by my remarks and others. I think onehorse's take on the situation was correct otherwise he wouldn't have raised the incounter for the rest of us to discuss.