Is this really an admirable story? (long read)

globemaster3 · February 17, 2009, 05:50 PM

OK, folks, pull up a chair and let's chew the fat around the campfire for a bit.

I perused the Feb 6 2009 issue of Illinois Outdoor News and inside I saw the results of their "Dandy Deer Stories". I read the first-place winner, expecting some story of inspiration, but instead walked away shaking my head. I tried to find a copy of the story on their website to just link to, but its not there, only in the print I hold in my hand. So, allow me to paraphrase my way through this and I'll tell you what I think. Let me know if I am off by your standards.

Middle-aged man walks to his permanent blind which is facing the woods at 0600. The blind is located in the middle of a large field with thick grass and weeds 6' tall.

The landowner walks his dogs by the stand twice. Nothing going on. Hunter relaxes and then...

Notices the antlers of a nice buck in the grass.

As he shoulders his gun, the hunter's glasses catch the edge of his full face mask and skews them off. "I could not see!" he is quoted as saying. He struggles to get his glasses on straight, but to no avail. Then...

"I could barely make out the shape of the deer, and he looked like he was about to run. I knew I had to act quickly or my opportunity would be gone. I fired, the buck loped 20 yards and then stopped. I had missed!"

So, hunter again unsuccessfully tries to adjust his glasses with no luck. So, what does he do? "I fired again and the buck dropped!".

The hunter then waits until all is still, then walks over to the buck and cannot find any wounds. Then, the buck bolts to his feet and runs 20 feet, stops to look back, and the hunter "points his gun in his direction and fired, dropping him in his tracks!"

The second shot hit a tine and knocked the deer out momentarily.

OK, story aside, I am looking at this and saying to myself, what an idiot! He knew he couldn't see well enough to make a shot, let alone 2, and he still tried shooting at this buck. The last shot, "pointed the gun in his direction", just sickens me! OK, so he got a nice 9, er, uh, now 8 point buck (clipped the left G1), but to hail this as a story worthy of praise by granting it the first-place prize? Now, if this were a contest for the "story with the most bull", I could go there. But this was a serious contest! The second place story, which I skimmed, was a father-son successful hunt.

I think the hunter needs a swift kick in the nether-regions, needs to practice with all of his equipment to learn that some things just don't work well (his glasses and full face mask), and most importantly, refrain from taking shots like this again! Also, I think this reeks of poor journalism on the part of the publication to even put this in print and portrays hunters in a very negative, irresponsible light. Am I alone here?

Brian Pfleuger · February 17, 2009, 07:06 PM

Yep, that deserve an award alright. The Moron Award.

Unethical: We don't take shots at game we are not confident of making.

Unsafe: Not being able to see the animal or where the land owner and dogs, not to mention anyone else, may have been.

Stupid: because of the above.

That magazine should be ashamed to publish that story.

Shorthair · February 17, 2009, 07:23 PM

I agree. There is much to be sickened by in this story.

davlandrum · February 17, 2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Let me know if I am off by your standards.

Not by my standards. If it was written as a comedy piece, maybe (still questionable).

All it was lacking was a knocking over a beer in the process to make it great anti- fodder.

globemaster3 · February 17, 2009, 08:03 PM

I am glad to know I am not alone on this. I am working on an eloquent reply to the publishers to highlight their blundering on this. Since I am not a subscriber, it might fall on deaf ears. Other than that, I found a lot of the articles and ads useful.

HiBC · February 17, 2009, 08:51 PM

And every once in a while,someone does a less than brilliant job of packing a buck out.It can happen those antlers are on a packframe or packhorse.Yeah,I know,dumb.Tragedy often happens when dumb finds dumb.

bolt face · February 17, 2009, 08:54 PM

You would think the last thing he would want to do is let anyone know about such an incident.
When I shoot at something I know where the bullet is going within a couple of inches or I'm not taking the shot.

BLS700 · February 17, 2009, 09:03 PM

i agree with the anti-fodder comment. That type of irresponsibility is what puts responsible ethical hunters (and people with common sense i might add) at risk of having rights taken away. You may consider posting the exact issue and address so that others may follow your lead and write in.

globemaster3 · February 17, 2009, 10:53 PM

Their website is
http://www.iloutdoornews.com/

It was in the Feb 6, 2009 edition on page 21. The story was submitted by Keith Riffle of Hanover Park and displayed a picture of the guy with his deer minus the left G1.

I've searched all over the site and cannot find the story. On the main webapge, the issue I'm talking about is displayed on the right (2 separate pix of guys posing with bucks), but when you click on the image, it takes you to the subscription page. When I do a search on "Dandy Deer Stories", "Kieth Riffle", or do an article search for the 6 Feb date, it does not bring this one up.

If I can find a scanner and put it in, I'll try and post it here.

Kreyzhorse · February 18, 2009, 08:21 AM

He may have taken a little license with the story, but if he took two shots and and couldn't really see, I wouldn't want to hunt with him.

onthejon55 · February 18, 2009, 01:44 PM

Wow how pathetic. I hunt hard all season long and rarley get an oppertunity to shoot more than once and here this guy goes out and unloads until he eventually kills it.....sad

12GaugeShuggoth · February 18, 2009, 07:42 PM

Hunters like that are the ones I feel like punching when I see them in the sporting goods store or at the gas station. You can normally spot them real easy, just something about people that let's you know they ooze stupid all over the place.

And people wonder why we're looked at as gun happy rednecks out to kill anything that moves.

February 17, 2009, 05:50 PM	#1
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	Is this really an admirable story? (long read) OK, folks, pull up a chair and let's chew the fat around the campfire for a bit. I perused the Feb 6 2009 issue of Illinois Outdoor News and inside I saw the results of their "Dandy Deer Stories". I read the first-place winner, expecting some story of inspiration, but instead walked away shaking my head. I tried to find a copy of the story on their website to just link to, but its not there, only in the print I hold in my hand. So, allow me to paraphrase my way through this and I'll tell you what I think. Let me know if I am off by your standards. Middle-aged man walks to his permanent blind which is facing the woods at 0600. The blind is located in the middle of a large field with thick grass and weeds 6' tall. The landowner walks his dogs by the stand twice. Nothing going on. Hunter relaxes and then... Notices the antlers of a nice buck in the grass. As he shoulders his gun, the hunter's glasses catch the edge of his full face mask and skews them off. "I could not see!" he is quoted as saying. He struggles to get his glasses on straight, but to no avail. Then... "I could barely make out the shape of the deer, and he looked like he was about to run. I knew I had to act quickly or my opportunity would be gone. I fired, the buck loped 20 yards and then stopped. I had missed!" So, hunter again unsuccessfully tries to adjust his glasses with no luck. So, what does he do? "I fired again and the buck dropped!". The hunter then waits until all is still, then walks over to the buck and cannot find any wounds. Then, the buck bolts to his feet and runs 20 feet, stops to look back, and the hunter "points his gun in his direction and fired, dropping him in his tracks!" The second shot hit a tine and knocked the deer out momentarily. OK, story aside, I am looking at this and saying to myself, what an idiot! He knew he couldn't see well enough to make a shot, let alone 2, and he still tried shooting at this buck. The last shot, "pointed the gun in his direction", just sickens me! OK, so he got a nice 9, er, uh, now 8 point buck (clipped the left G1), but to hail this as a story worthy of praise by granting it the first-place prize? Now, if this were a contest for the "story with the most bull", I could go there. But this was a serious contest! The second place story, which I skimmed, was a father-son successful hunt. I think the hunter needs a swift kick in the nether-regions, needs to practice with all of his equipment to learn that some things just don't work well (his glasses and full face mask), and most importantly, refrain from taking shots like this again! Also, I think this reeks of poor journalism on the part of the publication to even put this in print and portrays hunters in a very negative, irresponsible light. Am I alone here?

February 17, 2009, 07:06 PM	#2
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	Yep, that deserve an award alright. The Moron Award. Unethical: We don't take shots at game we are not confident of making. Unsafe: Not being able to see the animal or where the land owner and dogs, not to mention anyone else, may have been. Stupid: because of the above. That magazine should be ashamed to publish that story. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 17, 2009, 07:23 PM	#3
Shorthair Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 348	I agree. There is much to be sickened by in this story. __________________ Earth First! We can hunt the other planets later.

February 18, 2009, 08:21 AM	#10
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	He may have taken a little license with the story, but if he took two shots and and couldn't really see, I wouldn't want to hunt with him. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

February 18, 2009, 07:42 PM	#12
12GaugeShuggoth Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2008 Location: Virginia Posts: 534	Hunters like that are the ones I feel like punching when I see them in the sporting goods store or at the gas station. You can normally spot them real easy, just something about people that let's you know they ooze stupid all over the place. And people wonder why we're looked at as gun happy rednecks out to kill anything that moves. __________________ ---Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.--- ---Enlightenment is the ability to take infinite pains--- MOLON LABE

February 17, 2009, 08:03 PM	#5
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	I am glad to know I am not alone on this. I am working on an eloquent reply to the publishers to highlight their blundering on this. Since I am not a subscriber, it might fall on deaf ears. Other than that, I found a lot of the articles and ads useful.

February 17, 2009, 08:51 PM	#6
HiBC Senior Member Join Date: November 13, 2006 Posts: 8,283	And every once in a while,someone does a less than brilliant job of packing a buck out.It can happen those antlers are on a packframe or packhorse.Yeah,I know,dumb.Tragedy often happens when dumb finds dumb.

February 17, 2009, 08:54 PM	#7
bolt face Member Join Date: December 17, 2008 Posts: 18	You would think the last thing he would want to do is let anyone know about such an incident. When I shoot at something I know where the bullet is going within a couple of inches or I'm not taking the shot.

February 17, 2009, 09:03 PM	#8
BLS700 Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 229	i agree with the anti-fodder comment. That type of irresponsibility is what puts responsible ethical hunters (and people with common sense i might add) at risk of having rights taken away. You may consider posting the exact issue and address so that others may follow your lead and write in.

February 17, 2009, 10:53 PM	#9
globemaster3 Senior Member Join Date: January 28, 2006 Posts: 1,482	Their website is http://www.iloutdoornews.com/ It was in the Feb 6, 2009 edition on page 21. The story was submitted by Keith Riffle of Hanover Park and displayed a picture of the guy with his deer minus the left G1. I've searched all over the site and cannot find the story. On the main webapge, the issue I'm talking about is displayed on the right (2 separate pix of guys posing with bucks), but when you click on the image, it takes you to the subscription page. When I do a search on "Dandy Deer Stories", "Kieth Riffle", or do an article search for the 6 Feb date, it does not bring this one up. If I can find a scanner and put it in, I'll try and post it here.

February 18, 2009, 01:44 PM	#11
onthejon55 Junior member Join Date: October 23, 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 411	Wow how pathetic. I hunt hard all season long and rarley get an oppertunity to shoot more than once and here this guy goes out and unloads until he eventually kills it.....sad