We were duck hunting on my favorite reservoir and as usual the birds stopped flying after the first two hours. Three white fronts had landed on the opposite shore, we watched them and talked about them for about an hour. I decided that since normally whenever we shoot the birds on the water or shore fly and frequently fly over us. So, I will fire a shot and hope the geese fly this way. Fired a shot and nothing. So, I decided to pepper them with pellets. I saw the pellets fall in the water well short and well to the right because of the wind. So, I shot again with a higher arc and well to the left. Nothing. “OK I’m going to drop a rifled slug right in front of them and splatter them with mud.” Bad Idea. BOOM… It worked. Two of them flew. The third stayed put flopping around like a chicken with it’s head cut off. “Yah, that’s the one I was aiming for.”
Deer hunting with a friend but I don’t have a deer tag. So I’m packing a shotgun for grouse. I do have a bear tag so I have the first shot birdshot backed up by a rifled slug. That way if I get a quick shot on a bear I can just eject the first shell and shoot. Bad Idea. A big blue grouse flushes, I shoot and hit low. My bird hunting instinct kicks in and I fire another. I noticed the gun kicked a little hard and the bird seemed to blow up but it took a moment to realize what I had done. But hey, it worked, I got what was left of the grouse.
My first elk. Late season cow only bow hunt. We jumped a big herd and I watched them go down into a clearcut hell hole. But then they relaxed and started slowly angling back up. I knew there was a logging road on the ridge. So I took off running and got there just as the herd hit the top. Unfortunately, they saw me at the same time. They took off and I ran with them. Suddenly I saw two cows standing in an opening in the brush. They were line up one directly beyond the other 30 yards away. They were ready to bolt so I thought the first one will run as soon as I draw but the second can’t see me because the first ones head is blocking her view. So if the first stays I get her, if she bolts I get the second. Perfect plan or maybe a Bad Idea. I draw and the first one bolts. I shoot instinctive so there is no time spent aiming, just draw and release. The arrow flies at the exact time I see that the second cow is not broadside but rather facing away. Just a big peachy ass. My heart sunk until I walked up and saw the best blood trail I had ever seen. I got the femoral artery. Shear luck but it worked, I got my first elk.
Deer hunting with a friend but I don’t have a deer tag. So I’m packing a shotgun for grouse. I do have a bear tag so I have the first shot birdshot backed up by a rifled slug. That way if I get a quick shot on a bear I can just eject the first shell and shoot. Bad Idea. A big blue grouse flushes, I shoot and hit low. My bird hunting instinct kicks in and I fire another. I noticed the gun kicked a little hard and the bird seemed to blow up but it took a moment to realize what I had done. But hey, it worked, I got what was left of the grouse.
My first elk. Late season cow only bow hunt. We jumped a big herd and I watched them go down into a clearcut hell hole. But then they relaxed and started slowly angling back up. I knew there was a logging road on the ridge. So I took off running and got there just as the herd hit the top. Unfortunately, they saw me at the same time. They took off and I ran with them. Suddenly I saw two cows standing in an opening in the brush. They were line up one directly beyond the other 30 yards away. They were ready to bolt so I thought the first one will run as soon as I draw but the second can’t see me because the first ones head is blocking her view. So if the first stays I get her, if she bolts I get the second. Perfect plan or maybe a Bad Idea. I draw and the first one bolts. I shoot instinctive so there is no time spent aiming, just draw and release. The arrow flies at the exact time I see that the second cow is not broadside but rather facing away. Just a big peachy ass. My heart sunk until I walked up and saw the best blood trail I had ever seen. I got the femoral artery. Shear luck but it worked, I got my first elk.
