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The Drive By Shooting

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The Drive By Shooting

Postby Swede » 12 14, 2019 •  [Post 1]

I have been a bow hunter for many years. I have never had an opportunity at an elk. Also it is awkward to get out and get your bow and go after a buck, so I have never had a real drive by shooting opportunity. I have seen several, but am either going somewhere like elk hunting, or returning to camp. I see local hunters riding in the back of their pickup in a lawn chair, hoping to get a shot at something. Sometimes hunters traveling in pairs have one gun or bow handy just in case. Sometimes parents take their kids out with them so they can experience a little bit of hunting and enjoy the outing. Who knows if they shoot a deer from the road or just get out and start a stalk after seeing the buck?
Where do you draw the line on what is ethical?
Personally, I like to see parents taking their family with them even if they are close to the foul line by driving around looking. I don't mind the person driving or riding back to camp or the like, and going after an animal they spot from the windshield, as long as they make some kind of a hunt out of it. I do not like the guys riding around in a pickup just pursuing game that way. I guess it is the intent that makes the difference to me. What are your thoughts?
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby saddlesore » 12 14, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Never saw much sense in it. I do on occasion get out and shoot a coyote if the chance arises.Typical pronghorn hunting is driving around in a big pasture until a herd is spotted and the figure out a way to get 300 yards or closer to them. Hard to walk a 50,000 acre pasture.This is more common in the late December doe hunts when they are herded up in 150 animals or so and it is a mostly a cull hunt to get them off the winter wheat pasture. I have done my share of crawling thru cactus on my hands or knees or stomach to kill a buck though.

I have to confess though, I have killed several elk and deer by stepping down from the saddle, pulling the rifle from the scabbard, and popping one.I figure I have worked hard enough for most of them I can take an easy one now and then. I guess that would be a ride by shooting
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby 7mmfan » 12 14, 2019 •  [Post 3]

I've only ever had one opportunity at a road buck. Driving around in Idaho I looked up on the hill above the gravel road we were on and saw a deer, not long enough to tell what it was though. Rather than getting out with my gun. I got out with my binos. I immediately realized I was looking at a nice buck, had to hustle back to my truck get the gun, dig put some ammo, etc. etx... and run back
Just as I got set up to shoot, he walked out of sight. This experience made me realize just how poor of a road hunter I am.
I hunt therefore I am. I fish therefore I lie.
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby wawhitey » 12 14, 2019 •  [Post 4]

Standard hunting practice for 90% of modern firearm hunters in the area i live :
Step 1: leave camp an hour after first light
Step 2: drive around drinking keystone light, eating junk food, throwing cans and trash out of the window. (If on locked gated roads, first find a way to drive around the gate while ignoring the "no unauthorized motorized vehicles" signs)
Step 3: pause to glass from truck occasionally. Only scan for 1 minute or less with quick sweeps of the binoculars. If a big mature buck or bull or bear is not easily visible standing broadside out in the open 100 yards from your truck mid day, move along, there are no animals there.
Step 4: return to camp at least 1 hour before dark, because youve hunted your ass off today and youre all out of beer in the truck.
Step 5: if youve failed to sling lead at a peckerhead from your truck, bitch and moan about how there are no deer or elk left due to wolves. Its not your fault you didnt see any animals, you hunted hard.
Real eyes realize real lies
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 12 14, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Keystone Light? That explains a lot :lol:
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby Tigger » 12 16, 2019 •  [Post 6]

I think you missed step 6: Complain about the Dept of Natural Resources that they screwed up the hunting. Might throw in something that you heard at the bar last week too as fact.
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby Lefty » 12 16, 2019 •  [Post 7]

I’ve never driven by big game
But a lot of small game would end in the crock pot I would only shoot for the evenings meal or the next day
Nearly all shot with a .22
Road ditches and telephone poles, when it became legal the little rat dog “Jessie “ rode my trapline with me
She was quite the squirrel dog, those big fox squirrels were 1/3 her size
She was incredible on birds but not a retriever :D :lol:
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby Swede » 12 16, 2019 •  [Post 8]

As I got to thinking back to when we had single cab pickups and we carried our bow on the seat or if we were riding as a passenger, I would occasionally see a deer or elk as we traveled along. Sometimes we would stop and see if we could get one, but it just never happened. I suppose that is why I stopped trying long ago.
One time I was riding along after a morning turkey hunt. My friend and I saw a couple of large tom turkeys at a sheep fence just off a county road. I thought for sure I could get one by just crossing the road and the ditch. My friend said it was illegal to shoot from anywhere within the road right-of-way, so I did not try. I checked the game regulations later, as I thought he was wrong. I still think he was, and I did not get a turkey. No drive by shooting for me.
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 12 18, 2019 •  [Post 9]

I've filled a couple doe tags at last light, driving the snowy logging road back to camp after a long day of hiking through the mountains after elk. pop the door quietly, get off the berm to be legal, and don't forget to jack a round back in the chamber. I don't call that hunting though. It's harvesting.

Now there was the one time I popped a wabbit that froze in the headlights with the .44... with my college girlfriend in the passenger seat. :mrgreen:
Her eyes, man... you had to be there. Hahaha, still chuckling about that one.
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Re: The Drive By Shooting

Postby Swede » 12 18, 2019 •  [Post 10]

I shot a chipmunk with a 357 Mag. from inside my pickup, while I was waiting in camp, with the window rolled down. My ears rang for quite a while. I don't know why I did not think of that before I fired.
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