TO SHOOT OR NOT TO SHOOT
I was watching Jerry Martin on TV the other day. He`s one of the regular hunters on the Bass Pro Shop hunting TV show. He said he doesn`t take a shot unless he`s "90%" certain he can make the shot. Now, I have a problem with that statement. That means there`s a 10% probability that Jerry will miss, which might involve wounding the animal because of a poor shot and losing it. I don`t shoot unless I`m absolutely 100% certain I can make the shot.
Now that`s just me. This is my personal standard for the determination whether to shoot. I can`t imagine telling Johan Calitz, "Well Bwana, I`m gonna take a shot at that gold medal lion there. I wanna let you know though that there`s a 10% chance I`m gonna miss it." Love ya Jerry, you`ve done a lot for our hunting industry. But you know what? That doesn`t cut it for me.
The 503-yard shot I made on a zebra in 2004 was executed with 100% certainty. I even told my PH, Peter Chipman, where the bullet would strike. The animal died within thirty-five yards of where he was shot, quicker and closer than many rifle shots made from less than one hundred yards, and certainly more efficiently than many bow kills made at 25 yards.
That isn`t meant to be a slap on bow hunters. I totally get bow hunting and have even dabbled from time to time. But the hair bristles on my neck when I receive emails from people telling me, "It`s cruel and risky" for me to shoot from long distances. Perhaps for them it is, especially if you`re inclined to maim, wound and eventually lose the animal. But I`ve proved over and over again, on video, I can shoot with 100% certainty at animals, from distances up to 500 yards.
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