No sensible person would have taken that shot. You can't clearly see the target. You've got an obstructed view so you can't see what may be near the target (in effect-- what you will hit if you miss the target). Rule 1 in hunting safety: Be Sure Of Your Target And Beyond.

A solid choice indeed - making the decision to go home empty-handed instead of taking a potentially dangerous shot is the mark of a true woodsman.

Dave - when you and your K&B friends hunt public land, let us all know where you're going so we know that there's some folks in the deerwoods who doesn't follw basic firearms rules.

Jon Story should be quite proud of himself. ---no maiming risk to the animal or fellow hunters. Perhaps the gods of the woods will offer him a spectacular opportunity on his next outing.

It certainly is nice to have hunting companions that know that the shot isn't the only important part of the hunt. There are a few who can go hunting and come home empty handed and still say they had a good hunt. thanks for the story.

I wish there were more hunters in the woods like Jon Story. He sure beats the hell out of the poachers, trespassers and slob hunters who cut the back legs off a deer and dump the rest of it by the road for the highway department to clean up. Sorry, just needed to vent...Congrats Jon, may the deer gods shine on you next time (and may the poachers, trespassers and slob hunters rot in deer hell).
jim

Hunting is a discipline of honor, and Mr. Story showed plenty. There are things more important than killing a deer.

Gene Hill, bless his heart, wrote an article many years ago about how hunting is one of the few sports where the hunter is his own referee. I believe the title went something like, "When No-one Else is Looking," or some such.

We are privileged to be a part of that, and while slobs do mess things up, we have the ability to make ourselves shining examples by practicing the highest ethics as hunters and as human beings.

A wise man once said, "I you lack the qualities of a good man, fake it. After a while nobody will know the difference."

i had this same thing happen to me this season. i saw a mass of horns as i looked out the end of a point. i experienced those same conditions that your friend described, however, i was very aware of what was beyond my target. i took the shot, wounding the magnificent beast. as i marveled at size of the animal on the ground before me, it got up and ran down the hill. i was very fortunate to have my younger sister (she's 16, and yes, she takes hunting very seriously) slow the deer down for me by taking several, well placed shots. we were able to harvest the animal in a humane, respectful manner. (by the way, i hunt buffalo county wi, and the deer are just as plentiful and big as anywhere else in the u.s., so don't go thinking that it's some kind of deer hunting mecca.)

I agree w/Jon(blogger)most of us probably would have taken the shot.Even if we don't wish to admit it here in writing, but I do give Jon(the hunter) credit for not taking the shot.

Okay - along the lines of true sportsmen - this may be just a bit off topic, but I've always wondered what everyone had against iron sights. Now, I've never hunted, but I compete in NRA Silhoutte with Servcice grade (i.e. old military rifles) using iron sights and have been known to participate in the occasional across-the-course competition as well. I figure that if I can hit a pig size target at 300 meters and put 20 rapid fire shots all in the black at 200 yards, I shouldn't have any problem with making a killing shot at less than 100 yards over iron sights. Why the big deal about scopes then?

-Rich

Mike im not sure but its mandatory here in mich. to wear the colour orange . and if you dont and you get caught theirs a healthy fine!! ive had deer 15 feet from me and never gave me a second glance until they caught a wiff of the man smell !!!

"If a guy shoots another because he wasn't wearing blaze orange, odds are that he would just have a more defined target with the orange."

I'm not buying that rationalization. If a guy has criminal intent he'll see you, whether you are wearing camo or not, the instant that you move.

In Maine, accidental shootings declined when blaze became mandatory.

If a guy comes to BC wearing Blaze and it marks him as "not from around here" it just proves that his presence in BC has temporarily increased the local IQ.