missed opportunity elk hunting today

[206dawgfan]

Sounds like a bad shot. Sounds like this situation is one that may cause someone to not take running shots. Might not be worth the what if.


"Honey; Hunting is free meat". She'll never know the truth.

[D-Rock425]

Where does one practice a running shot?

[D-Rock425]

                                          

[muleyslayer]

Ive never practiced the running shot but I know I once read an article of a guy you still hunted mule deer in timber and he was very successful. He practiced running shots off-hand at tractor tires with targets in the center of them.

[cbond3318]

Where does one practice a running shot?

Same place you practice still shots, except I like to have at least 30 to 50 yds of free space to get up to a decent jogging pace which will be more representative of actual conditions.

[Bob33]

I just hope I missed I would hate to wound something and not find it.

I just hope you learned that taking low percentage shots is not a good idea.

Sorry to hear you didn't get it.

[vandeman17]

Only running shot I have ever taken was on a whitetail. It was a follow up shot after my first shot which I was confident in being a good hit but tried to anchor him before he got in the thick stuff. Pretty sure I missed by a few feet but the first shot was true and he only went in a few yards and piled up.

Personally, I will never take a moving shot at an animal unless it is close and the movement is walking or a slow trot. Best part is I am mainly an archery hunter now so that takes moving shots completely out of the equation for me.

[gee_unit360]

I have a hard time believing any of the people who say a running shot is bad have not ever took one... just saying...

[cbond3318]

I have taken a few when I was younger, never hit anything so I decided the were not feasible, not out of ethics but of low 0% hit ratio . If I had had success, it may be in my bag of tricks.......

[pianoman9701]

Where does one practice a running shot?

Iraq, Afghanistan?

[jrebel]

Taking a shot at a moving animal is a personal decision one should make based on experience and the circumstance at hand.  For me an animal running at full speed is a safe animal as I will not attempt the shot.  I also have a hard time believing that people taking these shots have a true understanding of their backstop.  They are concentrating on the animal and calculations of where they need to aim.  They are not looking / thinking beyond that.  It is a scenario that happens fast and can lead to bad decisions.....wounded animals, shooting toward other hunters, ricochet, etc. etc. etc.
 

[vandeman17]

Darn good point Jreb. Maybe you are following that deer or elk so intently you don't notice that he has just skylined himself and then you end up lobbing a shot into who knows where. I have followed moving animals in my scope and had them run in front or behind other animals. If I would have shot, who knows if my timing might have lead me to kill or injury a different animal.

[Bob33]

Anyone who has hunted long enough has missed a shot, is extremely lucky, or a liar.

That said, you should have enough respect for an animal that every shot is taken only when you are extremely confident of the first shot hitting vitals and resulting in a quick, humane kill.

When you miss, you should be absolutely stunned.

I’m a hunter and kill animals, but I also recognize that animals feel pain and don’t wish to see any unduly suffer because of my carelessness or poor judgment.

[bowhunterwa87]

That sucks. Hopefully you get another opportunity.

[270Shooter]

I had a similar thing happen to me a few years ago. Shot at a spike running. Didn't hit it but I realized how tough it would be to put a good hit on him. Yes you can caught up in the excitement of seeing a legal animal and want to shoot right away but you must learn to have the restraint to hold off. It's not worth the guilt of possibly hitting and losing one. I will only take a shot at a running animal if I have already hit it now.