This is my 36th year as a big game outfitter in Wyoming. I guided before that. I've also guided a few other states. I could tell you stories that would make your hair stand on end. Most people can't shoot. Plain and simple, they can't shoot. Add that to the fact that most can't walk and couple it with the fact they can't see well and it creates a real problem. But everybody wants a 180 mule deer, a 350 bull elk, etc.
I have an 800+ yard range at home. I also build rifles and I shoot quite a bit. Not as much as LanceT but a lot. I bet most hunters don't shoot 20 rounds per year before they arrive here. We make everyone shoot. I have had MANY people that don't even know how to load or unload their rifle. I've seen some drop the hinged floorplate and try to load their rifle from the bottom, then mash the floorplate against the ammo. But others don't even know about the hinged floorplate, so they unload their magazine by running all the ammo in the magazine through the chamber by opening and closing the bolt 3-4 times. Many have "practice ammo" and "hunt ammo" different bullets and weights. We had one guy walk in the house and unload "John Wayne style" by working his bolt. Oops, had his finger on the trigger and shot through 2 walls and the shower before it buried itself in the exterior wall. This after passing signs that say "ABSOLUTELY NO LOADED FIREARMS IN THE HOUSE." Needless to say, that did not sell well with me.
Most are real happy if they can shoot a 2-3" group at 100 yards off of a bench with sandbags. I even have people that refuse to adjust their scope "because it was on at home." What the heck???? Then they really start to show their skill (or lack of skill) when we ask them to shoot plates at even 300-400 yards. Most say they have never shot that far before. The ones that have shot distance almost always miss at 3-400. Then they say "I was on in Alabama or California." And this is off sandbags and a solid bench under a protected shed. After hiking all day, dashing to the top of a ridge, huffing and puffing, they will miss.
We do all this because we need to know their limits. A few can really hunt/shoot. The vast majority have to get close and have lots of time. They talk about their abilities, but it is often not backed by what we see at the range. In fact, most of the guys who show up with a turreted rifle don't even know that the turrets on the rifle can be adjusted. They have someone else sight in the rifle and just leave it. When I pull out my big box of tools to adjust their turrets, they are really confused.
I would say only 10% of our hunters are real hunters. They either can't walk or can't shoot, and certainly can't shoot quickly. I'll close by saying if I had a quarter for every time I have heard the phrase "I can't find him in my scope" I could retire immediately with a million quarters in my pocket. The truly amazing thing is that people spend all the time and money for a western hunt and are so very unprepared. Simply amazing.
In summary, it is true most people can't shoot and most people are physically unfit. We meet some very nice people but most are not well qualified for western big game hunting.
I believe you are exactly correct with respect to the average hunters ability, lack of practice under field conditions and being out if shape. I have to totally agree on acting fast to shoot quickly off hand. It totally irritates me that guys need a minute or two to get an animal in the crosshairs.
I practiced running, leaping, standing shots on jackrabbit with a rifle and I could get twice as many as dad with a 12 gauge shotgun. I'd kill up to 80 jackrabbit in a single afternoon outing, some in mid air jump...then come back the next day and kill coyotes feeding on rabbits. I would shoot rabbit and squirrel with my elk rifle a 7mm or 338 Win mag, and practice on moving targets...take turns shooting empty rolling oil cans rolling down hill off hand. Plus long-range varmint shooting past 1000 yds and 17,000 rds of match ammo at 1000 to 1400yds, and several barrels later changed calibers and got bored with LR shooting I accomplished everything I set out to do, including eggs at 1000 and pop can at 1400 yds. No benches all prone, sitting, or offhand shooting.
For game I used 2-7x scope or 3- 9x scope and even a 1-4 x scope to kill every big game animal set on the lowest power. At least a full third on a full run, cause two jumps the elk or deer is out of sight.You can smell a musky bull elk, you tracked him all morning, and the cows are bed down infront of him, you know he's a bull by the urine pattern in the snow, you have his track, your bull is at the end. He's now bedded down 15 yards away but you can not see him, but you can smell him. A squirrel give you away, the bull jumps antlers thrown back in one leap he disappeared, crashing through the pole thicket like a freight train. A little to slow on my reaction, but I dog him through the pole thicket like a hungry wolf, the third time he tries that his one jump ain't good enough, I thread the bullet through the pole thicket into his chest in one second at 35 yds.firing as soon as the rifle hits the shoulder. Farthest one 100 yds full broadside run, he was terrified when the cow sent out an alarm. I put 3 175 gr noslers from 7 mag in his chest in a pattern the size of less than a softball on a full run. He was dead but wouldn't go down, ran down the hill put another round in the rifle, he's standing there bleeding from both nostrils, saw me and took off running, put another round in his chest...he died out of sight on the other side of the hill. I was 4 canyons deep in the wilderness, and afraid he was going to make it to the bottom of this one. Packing out is a bitch...went to the 338 win mag, and 2-7x set on 2 X heavy duplex to kill every big game animal after that. Even a 600 yd deer the only one over 100 yds, I used the 7X. I lived in cabin in the mountains in a gold mining camp in 1972 as a security guard. Was high-school athlete 2nd fastest in the state and HS football hall of fame. I could jog and run the mountains all day. Ever look back over your shoulder and see the mountain top you came over the side of at dawn, in the distance 8 maybe 10 miles away, your alone, this is a wilderness area, no one knows where you are. You hunt light and fast or exceeding slow, when your close. Total 16 rds of mag ammo in gun & different pockets, dressed in full camo, and a pack and a large 6" Buck knife. You will always kill the elk in 2 days or less, don't look for a trophy but nice 5 and 6 points will be good, you take what nature give you. Hunting was fun, if you're in very good shape, and can run for miles, in mountainous terrain, no one would hunt this way with me, and I didn't know anyone who could keep up. The packing was marathon torturous grueling process. So one day I quit. Being old now I can still shoot pretty fair ...but can never hunt this way again. Total self reliance and awareness, everything and every decision is important to your survival, no phones, no one will come for you, no one knows you exist out here. Like stepping on the moon. Called hunting in simplest form and studying & enjoying nature. I would have enjoyed it more if after killing the bull I could just wind him up and let him run again, see ya next year, kind of thing. Catch & release...so ya don't pack it out and ya don't have to eat it.
…..is temperature related thermals. In the mountains, generally……as the day warms, the thermals rise, bringing your scent uphill. As the evening comes on….the reverse is true!
