[Asajoe1]

First let me say I have hunted since 1964 and killed deer with a rifle, bow, handgun, and muzzleloader. I realize misses occur for various reasons. To every one of you who filled a tag or two I'll say congrats but why do you have to post that you missed 5 or 6 times before that or that many times and have never hit anything? I know the chances of an anti-hunter reading the posts are slim but it isn't what I would want them to be reading. If someone posted things like that in the rifle hunting or bowhunting forums people would jump all over them telling them to practice more or calling them slob hunters who have no business in the woods. Does anyone else see my point? I have never killed a really big buck but if I did I would want people to see it or if it was my 1st, etc. I wouldn't post I was out and missed a half dozen deer today but boy was it fun! Then another dozen respond, but wasn't it a blast, boy nothing beats the old smokepole. The archers get blamed for all the wounded deer people see in rifle season but who is out there after black powder to see or find the ones we wounded in the late season? All I am saying is that misses happen but I wouldn't want 20,000 people knowing about it and have someone hold it against us.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Same thought crossed my mind. I haven't missed a deer since I was 16. maybe I am too fussy over the shots I will take.

 

[mossie]

I know what you mean. I too have not missed in many years. I also hunt with a flinter much different than most would. I do not take ANY shot that is questionable or even quickly. It takes time and sometimes opportunities are passed on because of the extra care and time taken with the flinter; but I don't mind that at all.

 

[mossycamo]

i would rather have a clean miss than have a wounded deer and not find it. and for those that miss alot and post on here, well they are just making fun of themselfs, just part of the healing process......lol..... laughter! we all miss and we all express it differently.

 

[Bunky]

i would rather have a clean miss than have a wounded deer and not find it. and for those that miss alot and post on here, well they are just making fun of themselfs, just part of the healing process......lol..... laughter! we all miss and we all express it differently.

I would rather guys post the truth so that others will know that with weapons of time gone by, hunting isnt quite as easy as placing a scope on a deer an pulling the trigger. This year I admitted to missing --- My shots were deflected due to sapling that in the shadows simply could not be seen. My aim was true and dead on as I checked after each miss. Never have I nor any of the hunters who I personally know here, taken a shot out of their comfort zone. I can hit a 4 by 6 inch gong, at times, at 100 yards with open sites on Elisabeth. Never will I take a flintlock shot over 50 yards. That is my comfort zone for a clean kill. With my bow its under 40 yards at present. I could care less about the anti hunters and their agenda---We need to remember that if we want our guns and the right to hunt we number in the millions and better stay united. Its divided we will surely loose and fall.

Dont think that antis do not monitor HPA---they sure do and I got plenty of hate mail early on in my HPA days and had to change my ID due to the threats. Yes I still have these in written form due to the authorities reccomendations to do so. The owners here are well aware that this goes on but welcome to America. They will use 'annonomyous' account to email you if you post your email so as not to be traced. I dont think that this has gone on is many years but it did happen.

 

[mossycamo]

good post bunky. this was my first year to hunt with my flintlock. i can hit a paper plate at 50 yds. but my comfort zone for right now is 30 yds. just like my bow, i could shoot good at 30 to 40 yds, but i don't shoot at a deer unless it is 20 yds or closer. i like to get them in close and that is just my hunting tactic. with my rifle i am good at 100 yds. you have to know your abilities and the weapon you are using.

 

[Loggy]

No concern whatsoever!

Most of these posts about misses, hang fires, cuttin trees down, losing shirttails & whut have ya are just in good fun. Per reading content is totally obvious..

If someone reading cannot comprehend..they are in dire need of a Reading 101 Class or prerequisite to such an elementary reading/comprehension class. Be a pretty dead place here if only the self professsed Daniel Boone types(never miss guys

) were the only ones posting!! lol

 

[Jester]

I made a mistake early on in my HPA browsing days. It was debating an issue that I was a bit passionate about. I since have learned that tolerance of others views does much better for my blood pressure and my enjoyment of cruising this site.

That being said............I can see both sides of this issue from high atop my fence where I am currently enjoying myself with my blood pressure falling within the normal range.

BTW: That whole Amish post looks the same from here too!!

 

[Daubber]

I haven't gone back and re-read some of the "missing" posts, but my perception is that in every one of those I read, the poster made mention of a very thorough search for signs of a hit.

To me there is a big difference in having fun at your own expense by admitting you missed after ensuring the deer was not hit and if someone were saying "I took X number of shots at deer and they didn't just drop so I kept hunting". There is a lot less deer than air out there....missing is part of the game. Follow-up each shot very carefully.

Jester - good commnts on tolerance, how true!!

 

[CampHollow]

I don't think it's a big deal. People shouldn't necessarily imply that missing a shot is equivalent to being a poor hunter. Sure, there are a lot of unethical shots attempted, but to assume that every ethical shot is going to lead to a dead animal right on the spot is ridiculous! I wouldn't expect a hunter to make that assumption, and I really don't care if an anti-hunter does or not.

 

[Asajoe1]

Good responses from both points of view. I'll admit to having arrows deflected by unseen greenbriars and witnessed my Dad kill a sapling one time when I was too young to hunt myself, it happens. It seems to happen to some on a regular basis. I was talking to a friend at work who is a good hunter with rifle, bow, and flinter about a few of these posts and ask what his brother would say if it were him doing the posting and his reply was that he would say, " If your not a better shot than that you have no business being in the woods with that weapon". A flash in the pan is one thing but continued misses are another.

 

[great white hunter]

They are just what they posted they are MISSES!Not hitting a deer and wounding it!Like said above it's all in fun because misses happen!

 

[Bunky]

I feel I am an ethical hunter and do my absolute best to follow up---maybe a little more so than some ---possible less than others. Two years ago I lost an 8 point buck in the thickets....It took me over 2 weeks to locate him...locate him I did and still turned in the Buck Tag for the deer. How many others would you have done the same???

 

[steelhead125]

I dont think there is anything wrong about making a joke out of a clean miss. A wounded deer is a whole different matter and nothing to laugh at. Misses, bad hits, good hits, lost animals are all a part of hunting and it happens to almost all of us at one point or another. I would be more concerned if there comes a point in time that we are too ofraid to talk about it. I dont want to ever have to hide from any of the anti's.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

When i WAS sixteen, I aimed at a very nice buck that I had been scouting for months, and didn't even notice the stout branch that was to suffer the wrath of that 8mm bullet. I had a hard lessen on scope parallax trajectory, line of sight, etc.

Maybe that is why, I hunt my own property. I have narrow shooting lanes cut across the ravine, with marks for range along each lane. I don't need a rangefinder. The only variable I don't have alot of control over is the wind. If it is still, I would take a long shot, if windy, only close shots. But without the prep work, knowing the bullet drop and range, and judging the wind speed and direction, I would limit my shots to 50 yds, maybe less.

 

[Varmintmist]

The treekiller pics are funny, along with the requests for recipies for locust tar tar.

Just saying "I missed 4 times today" seems a bit odd to me.

 

[passnthru]

Everyone should tell of their exact experience....its weak that some are so afraid of what an anti hunter may read....its our hobby, sport, passtime, culture, history, duty or whatever you want to call it. We shouldnt hide the realities of what we do.....I missed twice this year and isnt typical of me, but do I really care within reason what an anti hunter reads...NOPE,not at all. You are insecure with the realities of many typical hunting experiences. If you dont miss great for you, most of us have or will, and I love to hear about it! It humbles us and gives us something to laugh and whine about.

 

[passnthru]

To ease some minds we will only post things that are anti-hunter friendly....lol Like when we dont miss...because anti hunters love when we kill things on the first shot....see what im saying, they will not be happy no matter what so WHO CARES...Asajoe's post was the worst kind for an anti hunter to find!

 

[Orvis]

Chances are most of the hunters here on the muzzleloader forum have been hunting deer with muzzleloaders or other weapons for years. But you still have to factor in the possibility of a few brand new hunters.

About 7 years ago the first time I shot at a deer I had a FIVE YARD shot. I was so excited it tried shooting it with the safety of my 30-30 still on. Then after it ran and stopped 20 yards away I got the safety off then fired completely missing the thing. If I had been presented with the same shot this last rifle season would I have forgotten my safety and would I have missed the shot? Probably not. Hunting at least for me took a bit to get used to. I missed a lot of good shots when I was a young hunter. Others might be able to pick up a gun and instantly be a great hunter, but it might take some a while longer. I'm still becoming a better hunter--I don't miss quite as much as I used to, but I still do. Like when last October muzzleloader season when I miss calculated the distance and tried to long of a shot. Next time I'll be more careful about distances when hunting with a muzzleloader, so I learned from that and became a better hunter. And like a few of you have said I check carefully for a blood trail its just the responsible thing to do.

On the hand I had a great grandfather who years ago shot a buck from the same tree with his 30-40 craig ten years in a row with only one shot a deer. Everyone one is different and we hunt in different places and terrain.

 

[Buck Rub]

Speaking as one who missed 5 times in one day and was not afraid to post the facts of my hunt I feel obligated to respond to this thread. There was a time in my late 20's to early 40's that I had great no miss streak with the flinter and my confidence was very high. Well things change and if you have all hunted with a flinter as long as I have (30 years) a miss or two can shake your confidence and turns in to me getting the case of the flinches which I was able to work through by the end of the season. So if you take a shot and do an exensive follow up to guarantee it was a miss should you leave the woods for the day? If we have to monitor what we write here because we are worried how the Anti's would feel well I am sorry it defeats the reason I come to this site on a daily basis.