Hits & Misses...

Labs

Labs

Well-known member
Pheasant hunting is full of inexplicable hits & misses...

So I'm out with the Wrecking Crew last Sunday. They are putting up steady but not spectacular numbers of birds, unlike Saturday which was unforgettable for the sheer number of birds flushed. They flush a rooster about 10 yards in front and to my left crossing right, an easy shot. I swing through, touch off the top barrel (modified choke) at about 25 yards and am literally surprised when it doesn't drop. In the moment it takes me to process this, that rooster has lit the afterburners and my second shot at about 40 yards, still a very doable shot, is another miss. I said a bad word and Harley gave me the stink eye...

About 20 minutes later we get into them working a drainage ditch, the crew is putting up single hens one after the other. Harley flushes a rooster on the other side which was already 40 yards out and headed away to the north when it gave me enough blue sky to shoot. I miss both barrels clean, break the Citori, and as the empties ping over my shoulder Harley flushes another rooster which rather than flying away to the north, crosses the ditch in front of me headed south and he's moving.

Being left handed I habitually carry two shells between the fingers of my right hand for a quick reload. I dunk one into the lower barrel (full choke), close the breech, and flip the selector to the lower barrel as I mount the Browning. That bird is all of 60 yards out & climbing now as in pure desperation I swing waaay out in front and touch off a load of Prairie Storm 4's.

I couldn't believe it when the rooster practically blew up in flames! It seemed to take forever for him to hit the ground, probably 3 or 4 seconds, so dead it bounced waist high when it. When Harley delivered him to hand, he said "nice shot" (with his eyes). Boogie and Jetta were bouncing around like it was the coolest thing ever, but it could have just been because they are labs & the excitement of the multiple flushes they just did.

I like it when I can redeem myself in the Crew's eyes...
 
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I hear you. Sometimes you can't remember your last miss (I have a short memory) and then the next outting you might need 10 shells to get your limit. It seems like once I think "this is easy" or "I am really getting good at this", you get into a funk. Adding a few of those tough shots always puts more spring in your step....even better to have a buddy along to witness those!
 
remy3424 said:
It seems like once I think "this is easy" or "I am really getting good at this", you get into a funk.
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This.

It applies to a lot of things I do. I think it's the old "pride goeth before a fall". Whenever I think I am just the red hot Superwhatever.....I soon embarrass myself doing that thing.
 
The only "look" more humbling than the one my wife gives me when I don't pick up my shit in the house is the "stink eye" Ellie gives me when I whiff. I had a similar experience the day after Thanksgiving. After several outings where I could not miss, we went out Friday. My nephew and father-in-law were both commenting on my off day. Even my hits resulted in cripples that hit the ground running. I then took my daughter Saturday and the first rooster exploded right in front of me as Ellie held point. I whiffed on this chip shot again. I more miss a little while later I begin wondering if I was shooting blank loads. The next two flushes on this day were covey's of partridge. I shot once on each covey, carefully picking out a target and dropped a partridge with my shot. This was done in 20+mph winds and those babies were zinging. It left me shaking my head how I could miss several roosters over two days and fold these partridge with ease. Sunday was a different story and I went three for three with difficulty level at an above average difficulty.
 
I believe the more time you have to think about a shot the more you miss, ie pointed or close range shots. The ones that you just snap snd shoot more successful......thsts my story and im sticking to it.....🙂
 
Benelli has a solution for the "both barrels empty" problem........;):)
The same solution also covers up for the first couple of misses on a close bird......
 
I couldn't find any lead, so there is that. I dont like cheap steel in 35 mph.wind, so there's that. My dog was so pissed at me for that coulee miss.Damm!
 
I'm starting to notice I miss more when hunting in groups, I don't think it's nerves of being around others, I think I am just a little more laxed and think, "If I miss, somebody else will back me up." A few weeks ago in SD, between some hunts by myself or when the dog and I kind of broke away from the group, I think I was something like 9/10. When in the group setting I think I was something like 2/15. Some easy easy misses....
 
jackrabbit said:
I'm starting to notice I miss more when hunting in groups, I don't think it's nerves of being around others, I think I am just a little more laxed and think, "If I miss, somebody else will back me up." A few weeks ago in SD, between some hunts by myself or when the dog and I kind of broke away from the group, I think I was something like 9/10. When in the group setting I think I was something like 2/15. Some easy easy misses....
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I would support your "group" theory 100%.
 
jackrabbit said:
I'm starting to notice I miss more when hunting in groups, I don't think it's nerves of being around others, I think I am just a little more laxed and think, "If I miss, somebody else will back me up." A few weeks ago in SD, between some hunts by myself or when the dog and I kind of broke away from the group, I think I was something like 9/10. When in the group setting I think I was something like 2/15. Some easy easy misses....
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For me, when I’m hunting in a group, I tend to miss more because I have to be more aware of my surroundings and safety for others.
 
Chessie 67 said:
For me, when I’m hunting in a group, I tend to miss more because I have to be more aware of my surroundings and safety for others.
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Good point. There's way more on your mind when hunting in a group. Almost impossible to give all your attention to the dog &/or a flushed bird. And I think, whether we realize it or not, that we tend to hurry our shots in a group.
 
"And I think, whether we realize it or not, that we tend to hurry our shots in a group."(y)
 
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