i've been in

the pursuit of hunting, target shooting and 'stump' shooting for a while using firearms, bows and arrows and pellets.

I've launched countless projectiles at live game and at various, sundry, targets. I've hit them, I've missed them...but overall, I'd say I've missed FAR MORE than I've hit.

many years ago, when it was still open to hunt on, my son and i went to Santa Cruz Island where there was (and probably still is) an over abundance of wild sheep and wild pigs. as many of you know from your history, the early Spanish explorers stocked the Channel Islands off the coast of California with goats, pigs and sheep in order to have a captive population of food animals. these animals have no natural predators to keep their populations under control...(well...there is a species of fox that live there but they're rare and protected by law and they're only the size of your average house cat...hardly a threat to a goat, sheep or pig.) hunting was permitted in order to keep them in check.

i took a compound bow and a recurve bow and we both took a generous supply of arrows. my son was shooting a compound bow.

we were to be there for two full days so time spent in pursuit was at a premium.

the time came where i finally had a nice ram within my bow range. i estimated him at near a full curl.

i was, at the time, hunting with my recurve bow, a 65# Bear, Kodiak Hunter and shooting Easton 2219 arrows tipped with deadly sharp, zwickey, black diamond, broadheads.

now, I'm not a great hunter, in fact, I'm probably below average in hunting skills, but i managed somehow, to close the gap on this fine ram to within 15 yards; i did everything right on this particular stalk, i suppose.

when "the moment of truth" came, i did not feel the strength of the draw of the 65# bow at all...i had so much adrenaline flowing i felt like i was going to break the bow.

when the bow settled on the spot where i felt it was right, i loosed the arrow only to see and hear it strike a huge oak tree limb that the ram was grazing under; it sounded almost like a rifle shot it was so loud. I'd shot over his back by a good three feet!

the startled animal jumped straight up in the air, came back down, looked around and resumed browsing after what seemed to be hours, but was in reality, seconds. i had remained motionless and had, somehow, been overlooked in his sweeping, self-preservation, looks around himself.

i put another arrow on the string making sure to muffle the sound of the nock snapping on to the string so as not to alert the wary animal while all the time making sure not to make any rapid, unnecessary, movement.

by then, i thought the adrenaline was going to blow out my eardrums...i was getting a second chance...highly unusual in this pursuit...one seldom gets two shots at the same game animal he just missed with the first shot.

this time the shot went high over his back, once again...the arrow clacked harmlessly into the thick undergrowth 10 to 15 yards beyond the unsuspecting animal.

i was really frustrated by then and didn't really know what to do.

i decided to try again and like a dummy, i stood up, partially exposing myself and started my draw. dumb move...the animal jerked his head around looking at me directly and took off like a shot...

what lesson(s) did i learn from that experience? well...for one thing...to "take my time and AIM the shot"...you can't hit ANYTHING if you don't aim at it. the finest equipment in the world will not help you if you don't use it CORRECTLY.

i was to repeat that very same experience more times down through the years.

once on a grazing deer, TWICE on javelina and once on a wild pig to recall a few times.

looking back at it, i am of the belief that it was not those animals day to die.

I've been taught, still believe, and have taught my sons, that if a shot does "Not feel right", DON"T take it; whether it's on the emotional or the physical level, it will usually not fare well if it's not "right".

another time that's still fresh in the memory was a time my son and i were hunting coyote in a remote canyon east of San Diego, in the high desert. i was using a .22 WMR and he was using a .22 long rifle.

he spotted what he believed to be a coyote through his scope but determined it was too far for the long rifle and told me to take the shot with the magnum round.

i focused the scope on the creature and settled the crosshairs on its chest, dead center (it was facing us directly head on) and noticed it was a fox...not a coyote. but certain species of fox are protected here in California...so...i just chuckled and watched it for a while through the scope.

my son asked why i didn't take the shot and i told him that it was a fox and i was not sure if it was a 'protected one' or not. (as i recall...and i could be wrong... there are three species in California...one which is protected, one is open year round and one you must get a tag for.)

my point here is that: we both made good, solid, CORRECT decisions. he was not certain of the capability of his rifle, i was not sure of my target. in all...a good day and an enriching experience.

all my sons are now grown men with families of their own. on more than one occasion, I've had them tell me: "It didn't feel right, Dad." i believe i did something right, would you agree?