NZ HUNTER MAGAZINE How To
But the shot missed, the animal has gone, and you're left thinking, what if. Did you forget to sight your rifle in? Get the range wrong? Was the scope level? Did the excitement of the situation get the better of you?
You might not even get to the shooting part of the hunt. Did you spook the animal? Get the wind wrong? Forget the bolt??
On some trips you might not even get the chance at a stalk. Did you hunt the right area? Research the access? Were you fit enough to reach the hunting country?
Even if you do make enough of the right decisions to shoot an animal, there's still room for things to go wrong after the fact. You might not correctly look after the meat in the field, and let the flies get to it, or leave it too long and risk bone taint. There are numerous factors to hinder your success during a hunting trip, including issues that may arise before, during, and after the hunt. Everyone's prone to making mistakes - hell, I've made every one of the mistakes that I just listed. I wish I hadn't, but those mistakes have taught me lessons and helped me become a more successful hunter.
Through eight years of public land backpack hunting, I've got a lot wrong and a few things right. Some mistakes we make time and time again, while others have such an effect on us, we wouldn't dare repeat them. Often our mistakes have minor repercussions, but some mistakes can put the safety of you and your mates in serious jeopardy. In this two-part series, I'm going to share a few of the learnings I've had from situations I hope to avoid in the future. Hopefully, you can have a laugh at my expense,
