close

Failure can be a great teacher for hunters

4 min read

Another deer season has come and gone, with the exception of using the bow or a flintlock. There are those deer hunters who are content in what they accomplished during the course of the past month.

The venison is packed in the freezer and the cape and rack are at the taxidermist. Downing a big buck is like rooting for a successful Steelers team at the Super Bowl. Days seem a bit balmy and night sleeps are peaceful.

We have succeeded but little is learned when success comes so easily. Success brings with it an air of arrogance. We have succeeded while the others have failed, and with that comes very little searching for just why success came our way.

Did we really outsmart the buck hanging on the meat pole, or did we come upon the big boy by pure accident? Were we being opportunistic when shooting? A deer taken by pure accident, regardless of size, has less value than one with smaller headgear but well earned.

I have shot deer that were standing looking at me as I parked the truck. These deer pale in comparison, regardless of point count or tine length.

On the other hand, it is when failure comes along as a companion that we spend the winter nights thinking of what we did wrong. Therefore, it is failure that brings with it the most lessons. A safety fumbled around with when the buck showed up for only an instant points to a lack of familiarity with a rifle.

The hunter would have been prudent to have shot the deer rifle more often but you become familiar with a rifle not only by shooting but by simply handling it. If you have to look at the firearm before aiming and shooting, again you haven’t handled it enough.

Finding game in a scope can be a lesson in frustration, but again this is because the person hasn’t practiced with one.

It’s easy to get accustomed to using the scope sight on moving game. Just remove the bolt or on other actions be sure the firearm is empty and try snapping the gun up and picking up an object in the scope. Placing the crosshairs on flying birds is good practice.

Carrying a rifle with the scope turned up to its highest power is another common cause of failures. Earlier, the hunter had turned the power ring on his variable up to top magnification checking a distant stump they thought might be a deer.

Then they went back to walking, forgetting to turn the power back down. Now a buck is jumped and the hunter can’t find the deer in the narrow field of view.

When walking, and for that matter, most other times, keep the variable power scope at its lowest setting.

Then there are those who can’t sit still. They fidget from one side of the tree to the other forgetting they look like the great pumpkin while the deer is camouflaged. Every 30 seconds he moves to another tree or takes a drag on a lit cigarette.

Does he think deer can’t see? His attention span is about 14 seconds and the deer will avoid him easily.

Speaking of causes for an empty meat pole, let’s not forget one of which I am guilty. I have preached to beginners about this but it’s a case of do as I say not as I do. Keep shooting! As long as that deer moves, give it another shot.

Nothing wastes meat like seeing that wounded deer go over the hill. It also is the humane thing to do.

If the season was a disappointment, don’t waste the time spent afield. Instead learn from it.

You missed an easy shot? Don’t fret over that miss. Everyone who shoots often misses now and then. If you’ve never missed, you haven’t shot at many.

The many days spent hunting are great teachers. Look at those days when success was fleeting as one period of time to learn.

George H. Block writes a Sunday Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.

CUSTOMER LOGIN

If you have an account and are registered for online access, sign in with your email address and password below.

NEW CUSTOMERS/UNREGISTERED ACCOUNTS

Never been a subscriber and want to subscribe, click the Subscribe button below.

Starting at $3.75/week.

Subscribe Today