clearwater150
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- 75
I missed two cows in Unit 23 during the Muzzleloader season. First one was 153 yards and the second 103 yards. Both elk were unaware that I was anywhere in the country. I had all the time in the world to get in position, set up my backpack for a great rest and wait for a perfect shot. I excused the first miss based on distance. After all, at 153 yds, 1/3 of the elk was covered up by the front sight. I had no answer for the second miss. Both times I shot the muzzy to very best of my ability but....I am old and I can no longer clearly see the front and back sights. The front bead is a big, fuzzy blob. The back V sight is a shadow. After the second miss, I went to a safe place and recreated the scene and shot three times. I shot a 2 1/2 foot group at about 130 yards. (My son (40) shot a six inch group. You don't think that was humbling? I taught him to shoot.) Well...we finally concluded that I was allowing the bead to "swim" around in the V of the back sight. In bright sunlight off the bench I shoot a 6 inch group with occasional 4 inch groups at 100 yds but, as my experience this year showed....ideal bench rest conditions are never the case in the field, especially chasing elk on the Salmon River Breaks in late November.
So...I wrote the ID F&G and asked "IS THERE ANY PROVISION IN IDAHO GAME AND FISH REGULATIONS THAT WOULD PERMIT THE USE OF A NON-MAGNIFYING SCOPE THAT WOULD COMPENSATE FOR US OLDER FELLOWS WHOSE VISION IS GIVING WAY TO OLD AGE OR DO WE JUST HAVE TO GIVE UP THE IRON SIGHTED MUZZLE LOADER?"
ID F&G answered: "Yes, there is a IDFG Commission rule that allows for a person to apply for a permit to us(e) a non-magnifying scope on your muzzle loader for use during a muzzle loader only big game season." You can read their entire answer by going to the IDFG web Home Page, click on "questions" under the "Stay connected banner, then scroll down through the "categories" and click on "Muzzleloader" (or go to the following) (https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/questions?keys=muzzleloader)
I post this for all the rest of you old guys like me whose eyesight is getting worse and worse. Cheers!
(P.S You don't know helplessness until you miss a shot what would have been a gimmee in your younger days!!!....unless that is seeing a wolf at 400 yds while holding a muzzy in your hand. We saw a lone wolf following a whitetail buck across the canyon....and felt pretty helpless about the situation!)
So...I wrote the ID F&G and asked "IS THERE ANY PROVISION IN IDAHO GAME AND FISH REGULATIONS THAT WOULD PERMIT THE USE OF A NON-MAGNIFYING SCOPE THAT WOULD COMPENSATE FOR US OLDER FELLOWS WHOSE VISION IS GIVING WAY TO OLD AGE OR DO WE JUST HAVE TO GIVE UP THE IRON SIGHTED MUZZLE LOADER?"
ID F&G answered: "Yes, there is a IDFG Commission rule that allows for a person to apply for a permit to us(e) a non-magnifying scope on your muzzle loader for use during a muzzle loader only big game season." You can read their entire answer by going to the IDFG web Home Page, click on "questions" under the "Stay connected banner, then scroll down through the "categories" and click on "Muzzleloader" (or go to the following) (https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/content/questions?keys=muzzleloader)
I post this for all the rest of you old guys like me whose eyesight is getting worse and worse. Cheers!
(P.S You don't know helplessness until you miss a shot what would have been a gimmee in your younger days!!!....unless that is seeing a wolf at 400 yds while holding a muzzy in your hand. We saw a lone wolf following a whitetail buck across the canyon....and felt pretty helpless about the situation!)