Title: Tracking Wounded Game with Robby Denning

Show Notes:

In the last hunting season, I’ve wounded more animals than I ever have, and it’s causing me to really reflect on what I’m doing and if I need to change my technique. A lot of people want to blame the equipment when that happens, but I think it’s easy to blame something that you can “fix” without examining your headspace. Robby Denning and I talk about some of the emotions that an ethical hunter has to deal with when they injure an animal without killing them. 

Even with a “slam dunk” shot, things can still go wrong. In August, I had a 70 yard shot to a Coues buck, and even though my sweet spot is between 50 and 100 yards, it didn’t go anything like I planned. Luckily I had some video footage, so Robby was able to take a look and give me his opinion on my setup. 

If someone’s missed their shot a few times, when is it time to pull their hunting card? You hope that you have hunters out there who are practiced enough, and with a good set of ethics, but sometimes they still miss their shot or wound a lot of animals. Robby has a philosophical bent about the hardiness of wild animals, but we both feel that as hunters, we should be respectful of the animals that we hunt. 

Robby tries to make sure he’s done everything he can to recover that injured animal because he wants to honor his role out there in the field. No matter how hard you practice, sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Getting out of your head over those mistakes is going to take some reflection on your part. 

What’s Inside:

• Robby and I share strategies for hunting down wounded animals.

Mentioned in this Episode:

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Short Description:

It’s going to happen at some point; you’re going to take a shot and it’s not going to be a clean kill. Robby Denning and I are going to talk about what you need to do to make that right out there in the field, and the emotional toll that can have on you. 

Tags:

Hunting ethics, ethical hunting, hunting a wounded animal, clean kill, tracking a wounded animal, ethical hunting laws, archery hunting, Coues deer hunting