The Joy Of Missing
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Can't see the 'ShareThis' icon? Reload your page view by pressing Shift and clicking Refresh at the same time.Family lore has it that my grandfather only ever took two bullets with him when he went deer hunting. And he almost always brought one bullet back.
Well, I have a rifle that came from my grandfather, but I’m sorry to say that it didn’t come with his legendary shooting ability. Opening day of white-tail season saw me forget the clip for the rifle. So, it was now effectively a single shot. I could only put in one shell at a time. This would have been fine for Grandpa; not so much for me.
First thing in the morning, I was presented with a fairly easy shot at a nice buck. I rushed it, didn’t compensate for distance and wound up sailing the bullet high. Later in the day, a couple of shots again that should have taken an animal, again unsuccessful.
I’m not an amazing shot, but I’m usually not that bad. It was one of those days. But here’s the thing…I don’t really mind. I love being out on the prairie this time of year. The air is crisp but not bitterly cold. As I walk through coulee bottoms and poplar bluffs, I don’t really care if I push out a deer. At one point, I heard a noise. A great horned owl lifted off, but set back down again, unconcerned. I stopped to watch. It stared back at me, then grew disinterested and swivelled its head nearly 360 degrees in search of something more intriguing.
Following game trails through the bush and tall grass, seeing where deer have bedded, flushing partridge and grouse, watching a coyote lope across the prairie, or a buck in the rut, nose to the ground, oblivious to almost everything but that overpowering scent. These are as much the rewards of a day in the field as bagging an animal.
Sometimes one comes home empty handed. That’s why they call it hunting. But it’s never a wasted day. My grandfather would have told you that.
Comments
I totally agree. All to
I totally agree. All to often hunters are concerned about the size of the antlers, horns, or the colour of the fur. Well you can't eat any of that.
Enjoy the day, enjoy the friends you make along the way, and come home safe.
Hopefully you can get out another day this fall. Seasons not done yet.
PS. Its a magazine, not a clip.
My hunting buddies and I
My hunting buddies and I have a saying about days like that, "Why ruin a great day hunting by shooting something". LOL
Good luck in the rest of the season
If you asked anyone I've
If you asked anyone I've ever hunted with for a magazine, they'd ask you why you want to read at that point.
P.S. Oxford Canadian Dictionary: clip : n&v 3. a set of attached cartridges for a firearm.
magazine
magazine /ˌmægəˈzin, ˈmægəˌzin/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mag-uh-zeen, mag-uh-zeen]
a metal receptacle for a number of cartridges, inserted into certain types of weapons and when empty removed and replaced by a full receptacle in order to continue firing.
In our firearms course a clip was always refered to during the handgun section. Magazine for rifles.
Either or... you had a great trip.
Murray, what was going on
Murray, what was going on opening day? Your experience almost mirrors mine exactly! I too am not a sharp-shooter by any means, but after five shots I usually have filled my tag(s), but not the case yesterday. Nonetheless, like you, I fully enjoyed my day and my chance to be outdoors and observing nature. Good luck the rest of the season!
It's all about your perspective
Thanks for a great article Murray. The first day of hunting season was simular for me but do I have some great stories to tell. Every year hunting is about the adventure not the size or gender of the kill. The anticipation of "what's going to happen today" is enough to spur me on to go next year even after 30 years of hunting white tail in Sask.. This year a buck lay in the grass behind my truck while I took a 15 min nap in the drivers seat, played a few CD's and then relieved myself outside the truck. It was not until I got back in the truck closed the drivers door that I looked in the side mirror to see him standing behind the truck within 6 feet of where I had watered the grass. Needless to say by the time I got out, loaded the gun and took aim he was darting through the bush. Oh well... all tolled I saw eight nice sized bucks but all were crafty enough to be safe from my sights. Sask is still the best place to hunt.. I love it!
Murray, I rarely agree with
Murray,
I rarely agree with you, but this blog was very touching.
I will agree with you that
I will agree with you that no day as described is a wasted day, with the exception of the missed shots. I was taught to shoot and hunt by my uncle, who was quite similar to your grandfather in his economy of ammunition. He was quite strict with the rules of the hunt, rule #3 being if you aren't certain to drop the animal in one shot don't shoot. (#1 is you don't chamber a round until you have a respectable shot, #2 is if that gun is loaded, you'd better not be)
I can't claim to be a sniper yet, but I've never needed more than one round to do the job. Even though that means I've passed on probably 10 shots, ranging from questionable to likely, for every shot taken. As often as not that patience will allow you get into better position for the sure shot.
PS. Uncle Herb's one event requiring a full clip was a 900 lb grizzly that didn't understand at first that 4 shots through the heart and a fifth through the lung from a .303 Brit is lethal for anything less that a T-Rex.
one shot
What's wrong with a single shot? I can send 'em out there almost as fast as a bolter. the trick is to not rush the first shot.
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