My Evolution As a Hunter

By Jamie Dailey

Growing up, the thought of sitting in the woods for countless hours and freezing my butt off just waiting for something to walk by while having to sit still and be quiet was not my idea of fun. So, I was happy when my brothers and dad would go hunting and actually leave me behind. All that changed for me one weekend when I accompanied my husband and dad to our hunting camp in south Georgia. I went, not even caring if I sat in the stand to be honest, but I did anyway. I shot my first buck that morning and since then hunting has been a major part of my life. I started out not knowing anything about it or even what it was to be an ethical hunter, but after years of hunting I have found that I have grown and evolved in many ways. 

There is more to it

I admit in the beginning filling a tag was what it was all about. I was young and a woman in a male dominated hobby. I wanted to prove myself to everyone and show them I could get the job done. So yeah, I pounded my chest a few times and gloated about the animals I took. But after a while I began to understand that killing an animal was just one part of the whole big picture. I started allowing more deer to cross without so much as lifting my rifle. I got more satisfaction by watching them just go about their everyday lives without them knowing I was there to share that brief moment.

I remember one morning I was sitting in my stand and a doe appeared to my right. I watched her come within fifty yards of me and she stopped and stood there. It would have been the perfect shot if I had chosen to take it. While she was standing there, she kept looking back over her shoulder, which usually means that there is something else coming. I start hearing a rustling and twigs breaking from the area she was looking at. After a few moments, these twins pop out. It was early in the season so they still had a few spots on them. They were obviously feeling good that morning because they were running and jumping around having a great time. For about ten minutes I sat there and watched them never moving, never raising my gun, just enjoying that moment. I can’t remember a time I dreaded getting up and heading into the woods for this very reason. I know now there is so much enjoyment to be had from just observing what goes on around you.

 Value          

Giving thanks and value to the animal is just one part of becoming an ethical hunter. When I first started, you couldn't catch me with my hands in an animal's gut if my life depended on it. I would gag, whine, or just throw the knife down and say “It ain't happening.” But now I have come to realize it's my responsibility to that animal to finish what I started. It lived its life free, no suffering occurred, and it didn’t die in vain, and now it's on me to make sure that it is used in an ethical manner. Even though I took that animal’s life I still value it. Some people will ask, “How can you do that when you chose to kill it?” It’s not a simple thing to understand, and unless you have done it, it’s something that you will never get. Millions of people can go to the grocery store and purchase a pack of meat, go home and throw it on the stove or grill and never give a second thought of what exactly they are eating and how it got there. It’s a disconnect that modern day living has given us. Back in the day if you wanted to eat, you killed, cleaned, quartered, and cooked it. Sadly, in today's world people are happy to have the convenience of someone else to do the killing for them.

Strength

One of the greatest hurdles any woman will face in her life is that people doubting her abilities in doing things. Starting out, I was reluctant to help with things like hanging stands, dragging an animal, or anything that required physical labor really. The reason being, I didn’t want to struggle with the task and it confirm to people that I couldn’t do it because of my gender. I would offer to help, of course, and when they said no I would sit back and let the men take over. After a while I started getting more involved in the physical part of hunting. When someone would say they were going to hang a stand or they needed help dragging something out I would jump at the opportunity to help.  Nowadays I try to do as much as I can on my own. Don’t get me wrong, I still need help in certain parts, but I have become comfortable in knowing what my capabilities are and where my limits lie.

These are just a few of the ways in which I have grown and evolved as a hunter. Every hunter will go through their own evolution in time. It doesn’t matter if you are new to hunting or a seasoned professional, you will never have the same thing happen more than once when in the field. Sometimes you will have to think on your feet. Other times you will have to use a strategy you have heard before to get it done.

Ready. Aim. Fire. Tips for Getting the Right Shot.

By Sarah Honadel


I recently saw a post on a Kentucky deer hunting Facebook page, where someone asked the following: 
 

“Thoughts to ponder…quick humane kills, or shoot and hope it’s wounded enough to find later?”

As I read this, I didn’t know what to think. Every shot I take, I hope for a quick, humane kill. I want the animal to drop in its tracks and die quickly so there is no suffering. I responded with the following: 

“I think (well, hope) that every hunter aims for a quick, humane kill. But unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. And it’s not always the hunter’s fault or bad judgment. In the fraction of a second between the arrow leaving the rest or the bullet leaving the barrel, the animal can turn, step, jump, etc. An unnoticeable twig or blade of grass can deflect an arrow or bullet, causing a bad shot. It happens. Even the most experienced hunters don’t always make the perfect shot. But when a shot goes wrong, it’s important to learn from the mistake and be conscious of that for the next hunt. Every trip to the field or woods can be a learning experience.”

This question and my response got me thinking about the perfect shot and all of the things that can go wrong. Is there really such a thing as the “perfect shot,” and does it depend on the weapon, angle, animal, time of day, weather, and, of course, the hunter? To me, the perfect shot is double-lung pass through, the deer drops in its tracks and dies within seconds of the impact. This is immediate, and the least amount of suffering. But it doesn’t always happen that way.

There are so many factors that hunters should account for when getting ready to take their shot, and ways that we can prepare before we ever step foot into the field.

Below are tips on how to prepare before the hunt and what to look out for while in the field.

Before the hunt

·         Practice, practice, practice! Probably the most important tip of all. When you practice at different distances, angles, positions, wearing different clothes, and in different weather and lighting conditions, you improve your chances of making a good shot when in the field.

·         Look at hunting magazines or game-camera pictures and practice pointing out the best shot placement on the pictures of animals. There are usually pictures at many different angles and you can judge where the bullet or arrow will hit.

·         Prep your hunting area by clearing shooting lanes, removing tall grass and low-hanging branches, and any other brush that could get in the way of a bullet or arrow.

·         Range find landmarks, such as trees, around your tree stand or blind prior to the season and mark them with paint or ribbons. In the event you don’t have a range finder with you during the hunt, or don’t have time to use it, you have a starting point for determining your distance.

·         Familiarize yourself with the animal’s anatomy so you can visualize where the vital organs are in relation to shoulder blades, ribs and non-vital organs.

Bow hunting tips

·         If possible, go to a 3-D archery range that has different animal targets to practice shooting. This provides a more realistic scenario since many times they are set up in the woods, allowing you to judge distances and shoot at different angles.

Practice at 3-D archery ranges for a more realistic shooting scenario.

·         Account for any arch when you shoot your arrows. When looking from your tree stand or blind, you must be aware of not only what’s in your shooting lane when looking through the sights, but also what’s above your line of sight.

I learned this the hard way! I shoot a Mission Craze bow at 55 lbs., and at 40 and 50 yards, the arrow has a pretty high arch. During my first Idaho elk hunt, a cow elk stepped out perfectly broadside at 50 yards. I got ready, aimed and fired. Then watched my arrow hit a branch and fly left. Then watched the elk run off. Lesson learned.

·         If shooting from a ground blind, make sure your arrow clears the opening in the window so the arrow doesn’t hit once it’s released. Remember, your sight pins are higher than the arrow. Just because it looks clear, doesn’t mean it actually is.

·         Avoid pulling back too early to prevent muscle fatigue if the deer doesn’t step into range or a clear spot fast enough.

·         Make sure your broadheads are razor sharp. Dull broadheads will push or pass by blood vessels instead of severing them, likely resulting in little or no blood trail. Sharp broadheads will result in better pass through and bleeding, resulting in a quicker kill and better blood trail.   

Razor-sharp broadheads ensure a complete pass through and good blood trail.

·         Be conscious of the wind. Wind can have a major effect on where your arrow lands. If you’re hunting on a windy day, try to wait for a break in the wind before shooting.

·         Invest in your own bow. If you’re going to bow hunt, you should have your own bow. Every archer shoots differently and if you’re using someone else’s bow that was set up for them and their shooting style, you’re likely to shoot inconsistently and you’ll have a higher chance of bad shot placement.

Gun hunting tips

·         If you’ve traveled with your gun prior to a hunt, make a practice shot to ensure the scope hasn’t been bumped in transit. A small bump can have a huge impact in a good shot to the lungs or a bad shot to the guts, or a total miss.

·         Make sure you have a steady rest. Whether you use a tree, shooting sticks or sit in a position to use your own body, you should be able to hold the gun steady with very little movement in any direction.

Use shooting sticks for a steady rest, but be sure to practice with them prior to your hunt.

·         Wait for the right shot. Just because you’re using a gun, doesn’t mean you can take any shot. Straight-on shots are difficult because the target area is very small. It’s best to wait for the deer to turn to get an angled or broadside shot.

·         Shoot at a distance you feel comfortable with. If you’ve never shot 200 yards, are you willing to risk shooting a deer when it steps out at 200 yards? If you do, make sure you have a solid rest and a reasonable amount of time to get set up and aim properly.

·         Don’t rush your shot. Rushed shots often times end in bad placement. Steady yourself and your gun, look through the scope and confirm there is nothing that could deflect the bullet, such as twigs, fence wire or tall grass. Once you’re ready, squeeze the trigger slowly and don’t jerk the gun. 

·         Make sure your gun barrel clears your rest or blind. Remember that your scope is higher than your barrel, and just because you have a clear visual through the scope, doesn’t mean your barrel is clear.

Regardless of the weapon of choice, another huge factor in making a good shot is getting your nerves under control when it’s time to focus. I admit that when I see a deer from my stand, I feel a rush of adrenaline take over. I take a deep breath and tell myself to calm down. Huntress View team member Jenny Burden knows well what effect nerves can have on shooting. In regards to a recent deer hunt, she said, “I was so nervous that I focused through my non-dominant eye and missed way wide.” It happens to the best of us!

And remember, some things can’t be avoided no matter how much you practice and how diligent you are about making the perfect shot. Unfortunately, that comes along with hunting. It’s the harsh reality hunters face, and one that isn’t usually shown on hunting shows on TV. Animals move when you don’t expect it, they duck arrows and bullets, and turn at just the right (or wrong!) moment. Huntress View founder Andrea Haas had a deer duck her arrow, which resulted in a shot to the spine and required a follow-up, close-range shot. Team member Emily Worthy Edwards wasn’t as lucky to get a follow-up shot when her target buck ducked and turned, resulting in a gut shot. She followed the blood trail until it ended, and continued to search for three days, unable to recover the deer.

All wasn’t lost for Emily. Weeks after her shot, while walking her hunting property, she found the deer carcass and was at least able to recover the antlers.

Ultimately, a lethal shot should be the goal of all hunters. It’s important to work hard to achieve that “perfect shot” with every arrow or bullet that you release, but it’s also important to understand that not everything is within your control.

Happy hunting, and good luck!