{"id":14716,"date":"2017-12-31T16:22:48","date_gmt":"2017-12-31T16:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/?p=14716"},"modified":"2017-12-31T16:22:48","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T16:22:48","slug":"hunting-you-might-be-doing-it-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/hunting-you-might-be-doing-it-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"HUNTING – You might be doing it wrong!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hunting an animal is not just about finding it. It involves getting close enough your shot will be sure<\/strong><\/em>. Short of that, you’re just walking around shooting at<\/strong><\/em> stuff.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First, let me implicitly state that I don\u2019t care how you kill your meat. I don\u2019t care if you shoot it at 800 yards with a 6.5 Creedmoor and I don\u2019t care if you poke it in the ass with a spear. Hell, I don\u2019t care if you club it with a Louisville Slugger. If you kill it to eat it – or to feed another – and you kill it legally\u2026I don\u2019t care<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

Several prominent outdoor writers have attempted to address the ethics of long-range hunting. I’m not going to do that. Arguing the ethics of how a hunter legally kills is \u2013 at least to me \u2013 like arguing the ethics of how someone has sex. If it\u2019s legal, and if you\u2019re not the one on either end of the activity, it\u2019s really none of your business.<\/p>\n

What I want to offer is not a limit on how far you should shoot at an animal, but a pragmatic look at hunting as a sport and ultimately, enjoying the shot you may or may not take. We hunt for meat, for horns, and for hides, but mostly we hunt for fun<\/strong><\/em>, and to contribute to the conservation and management of wildlife. Some find fun in seeing how far away they can shoot at, hit, and kill, an animal. This could be because they want to show off, because they do not know how to get closer, or because they believe hunting is mostly about shooting.<\/p>\n

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With some pursuits, shots at distance are part of the hunt. What they should not be is the most<\/strong><\/em> important or only<\/strong><\/em> part of the hunt.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yes, hunting is ultimately\u00a0all about the shot<\/strong><\/em>, but it’s not about making the shot<\/em><\/strong> as much as it’s about getting the shot<\/em><\/strong>, ideally a shot that should be a sure thing.<\/p>\n

To keep things in perspective let\u2019s identify the real<\/em> challenge involved in long-range hunting. It\u2019s the hitting and killing of the animal. For most hunters, once the distance exceeds about 250 yards, the shot becomes difficult. The challenge therefore is making the shot and that\u2019s something that can be done much more practically, and with no chance of a bad outcome, on a shooting range. Yes, shooting at long-range takes skill and success at it can be satisfying, but it\u2019s skill that can be tested, and satisfaction that can be found, without blood loss or potentially bad outcomes.<\/p>\n

Should you enjoy the shot or the hunt?<\/p>\n

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A shot at distance – any distance no matter how great – cannot compare to an open country stalk to within 60 yards on an animal like this.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In November I was hunting free-range scimitar horned oryx in Texas. The country was so open the only place you could pee in private was on the other side of the truck. I figured my shot was going to be long. I\u2019d even practiced extensively out to 500 yards and was prepared and confident. On our last stalk we managed to work to within about 420 yards of a group of oryx. Thinking that was as good as we were going to do, I began to measure the wind and look for a place to shoot from. It was exciting but not heart pounding<\/em> exciting.<\/p>\n

My guide, Steve Jones of Backcountry Hunts<\/a>, suggested we try to work up a narrow draw and get ahead of them. I figured this fruitless; we would have to cover about 200 yards within their vision as we paralleled their path. We took off, ducking from bush to bush, hunkered down, and fast stepping.\u00a020 minutes later we set up where we thought the oryx would come to. We were in the open, exposed, with no cover. We waited, waited some more, and finally Steve spotted the long sweeping horns of the lead oryx. For the next 30 minutes those oryx moved around us, sometimes within 30 yards. The problem was not getting a shot, it was getting a shot at the only bull in a group of 15.<\/p>\n

My knees were screaming and my heart was pounding. I figured the oryx could hear both. All that noise was probably why they were looking at us, confused, like a wino when he has a full bottle in each hand. Finally, Steve identified the bull, and between racing heartbeats and clumps of greasewood; I shot him at 54 steps.\u00a0The shot was easy, getting it wasn\u2019t. And that’s where I think too many hunters are doing it wrong.<\/p>\n

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This free range South Africa kudu was spotted from more than a mile away. The stalk, with Geoffrey Wayland of Fort Richmond Safaris<\/a>, took more than two hours and resulted in a shot at the extreme<\/em> distance of about 97 yards. It was difficult, memorable, and damned satisfying.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I believe hunters would have more fun working for the sure shot and not the difficult one. A sure shot means there\u2019s less chance the animal will run, suffer, or be lost.\u00a0A sure shot means you have not just found, but hunted the animal. Hunters should brag about the surety of the shot they manage to get, shooters brag about the difficulty of the shot they took. If you’re a hunter and<\/strong><\/em> a shooter you can brag about not buggering the sure shot<\/strong><\/em> you took.<\/p>\n

I’ve made some astoundingly long shots on animals, but the deed was one of marksmanship. Striving to be a good marksman is a worthy goal, striving to be a good hunter is just as worthy, if not more. Finding a practical and realistic balance between the two is noble. Professional hunters, like Steve Jones of\u00a0Backcountry Hunts<\/a> and Geoffrey Wayland of Fort Richmond Safaris<\/a>, strive to get their hunters close. Some would argue it increases the chance for success, but I submit it mostly increases the value of the hunt\/experience. Sometimes the closer you get the harder your nerves are to control, and feeling<\/strong><\/em> those nerves is a wonderful thing, a thing that is near impossible to experience from a quarter-mile away. This is why outfitters sell hunts as opposed to shots<\/strong><\/em> or animals<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Can you make this shot? If not, don’t pull the trigger. Hunting is not about seeing what shot you can make, its about working to get a shot that is sure.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately too many modern hunters are trained by television as opposed to a professional, a father, or grandpa. And sadly, real<\/em> hunting doesn\u2019t make good television. This is partly because its damn near impossible to film. Why? It\u2019s difficult to get a hunter close to an animal, and damned difficult when a guy with a camera is tagging along. It\u2019s also partly because it\u2019s hard to relay the difficulty of the challenge to the viewer. When you\u2019re shooting at an elk at 700 yards, the challenge is clear and easily defined. When you have to use stealth and predator skills to cover 700 yards, it takes a choreographed production, lots of hard work, and good music<\/em> to convey the challenge, excitement, and adrenalin<\/strong><\/em> the hunter is struggling to control.<\/p>\n

I frequently say, \u201cit\u2019s all about the shot.\u201d Part of that \u2013 actually the largest part of that \u2013 is about getting the shot<\/em>. Making the shot should be easy and it should be sure. Anything less than that and you\u2019re essentially depriving yourself of the fulfillment of the reward your genetic wiring has programmed you to seek.<\/p>\n

Long range hunting basically boils down to \u2013 let\u2019s see if I can make that shot. Hunting, real hunting, boils down to \u2013 let\u2019s see if I can hunt that animal and secure a sure shot. Those are dynamically different things. Shooting animals at distance is sometimes part of the hunt. It should not be the only part – or goal<\/strong> – of the hunt<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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It is indeed all about the shot. It’s about anticipating it, planning it, getting it, and making it. Not a guess shot, but a sure shot. After all, the object of shooting is hitting, and the object of hunting is killing. True hunters work to maximize the possibility of both.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here are three simple rules I\u2019d suggest you follow to help make the most of your hunting experience.\u00a0If you can get closer, get closer<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0If you can get steadier, get steadier<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0If you’re not sure of the shot, don\u2019t take it<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0If you cannot abide by these rules you might want to do your hunting on a shooting range. Steel targets are easy to sneak up on. They won\u2019t run off if you miss, and they’ll not suffer needlessly from bad hits.<\/p>\n

Like I said, hunt any legal<\/strong><\/em> way you like; I really and truly<\/em> don\u2019t care how you do it. The point I\u2019m trying to make is that maybe you<\/em><\/strong> should be the one who cares. We hunt largely for fun but to also satisfy our genetic makeup. I\u2019m just telling you how you can find more fun and satisfaction, and become a real hunter and not just a shooter.<\/p>\n

It’s a new year. Might I suggest you resolve to become a better shooter and hunter, and then learn to mesh the two disciplines in a way they compliment each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

First, let me implicitly state that I don\u2019t care how you kill your meat. I don\u2019t care if you shoot it at 800 yards with a 6.5 Creedmoor and I don\u2019t care if you poke it in the ass with a spear. Hell, I don\u2019t care if you club it with a Louisville Slugger. If you kill it to eat it – …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2579,2522,2500],"tags":[395,2397,99,2730,2774],"class_list":["post-14716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial","category-hunt","category-shooting","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-ethics","tag-long-range-hunting","tag-shooting","tag-stalking"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hujZ-3Pm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":11335,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/the-truth-about-long-range-hunting\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":0},"title":"The Truth About Long Range Hunting","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"There is a long standing correlation between hunters and snipers. There is also a divide among hunters when it comes to the distance that regulates an ethical shot. Ethics are always complicated and shooting has, is and always will be a skill based endeavor. Hunting, regardless of how you go\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"LRH EC-9","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/LRH-EC-9.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15604,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/how-to-hunt\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":1},"title":"How to Hunt","author":"gunwriter","date":"July 16, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Remember back in high school when you had a crush on that girl? It was easy to look and lust from across the room, but when she got close, things got real\u2013intense. Your mouth got dry, your knees got weak, and those words you\u2019d been planning to whisper gently simply\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Empty Cases Exclusive"","block_context":{"text":"Empty Cases Exclusive","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/empty-cases-exclusive\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/How-To-Hunt-5.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/How-To-Hunt-5.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/How-To-Hunt-5.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/How-To-Hunt-5.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15431,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/finding-your-range\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":2},"title":"Long Range Hunting","author":"gunwriter","date":"January 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I often say, it\u2019s all about the shot. That does not mean the shot has to be long, difficult, or even brag worthy. What it means is that the shot must be good. As a hunter it\u2019s your job, to find your\u00a0range, and work yourself into a situation, where you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "EDITORIAL"","block_context":{"text":"EDITORIAL","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/editorial\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Range-10.jpg?fit=1000%2C461&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Range-10.jpg?fit=1000%2C461&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Range-10.jpg?fit=1000%2C461&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Range-10.jpg?fit=1000%2C461&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7109,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/maximum-practical-range\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":3},"title":"Maximum Practical Range","author":"gunwriter","date":"June 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"We here a lot of talk about maximum effective range but how effective are most shooters at the distant ranges where a rifle is capable of being effective? I've connected with very small targets at ranges beyond 1000 yards. I've also missed deer - given a shot I thought was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/LW-1024x479.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/LW-1024x479.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/LW-1024x479.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/LW-1024x479.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8423,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/long-range-hunting\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":4},"title":"Long Range Hunting","author":"gunwriter","date":"February 26, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"On his, The Gun Nut blog, my elder and esteemed colleague David Petzal, has presented an essay on long range shooting, specifically as it relates to hunting. It is an interesting and thought provoking read; Dave theorizes about the current trend and fascination with shooting animals at long range. Though\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "HUNTING"","block_context":{"text":"HUNTING","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/category\/hunt\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Its harder to get close to a trophy than it is to shoot it from a long ways off.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/whitetail-300x256.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12148,"url":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/fair-chase\/","url_meta":{"origin":14716,"position":5},"title":"Fair Chase","author":"gunwriter","date":"September 22, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Hunting was never intended to be fair. It occurred naturally as a means for early man to stay alive and make poop. Domestication of the human species has turned hunting into sport and with that came the notion it must be fair \u2013 fair chase. What is fair chase? It\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"fair chase hunting\"","block_context":{"text":"fair chase hunting","link":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/tag\/fair-chase-hunting\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Moz-1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Moz-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Moz-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Moz-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Moz-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14716"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14730,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14716\/revisions\/14730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/empty-cases.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}