I often wonder what is going through some people's minds (or not) during rifle season. It's one of the main reasons I limit my hunting during Michigan's 2 week orange army invasion. I did travel Sunday to where I camped this year during bow season for an all day rifle. Here's a few examples from a single day's observations:
First example: I was set up in a spot where I was within sight of a dead end two track and I watched the same truck drive in and out no less than 4 times during my morning 4.5 hour sit and 3 times during my 3 hour afternoon sit. I can only suspect that he/they were road hunting hoping to catch a deer in plain sight that they could shoot from the vehicle.
Second example: During the afternoon hunt at around 5:00 (closing time 5:45) someone decided it would be a good time to engage in some high speed target practice with their handgun on state land. Approximately 100 rounds later, fired 12 rounds at time almost as fast as the trigger could be pulled, they finally ran out of ammo. Maybe one too many adult beverages combined with the boredom of a late season hunt?
Third example: At 5:35 there were two quick rifle shots that came from the direction of a stand I know of in the middle of a pretty fresh clearcut. About 2 minutes after the shots a doe and two yearlings ran towards me and stopped about 30 yds away. They were obviously all unwounded. I'm personally not taking does with a firearm but don't have an issue if someone else decides too. That's not where my issue lies. It had been snowing steadily all day and my drive out (roughly 25 minutes later) took me down a two track that bordered the clearcut where the shots came from. I could plainly see the tracks in the snow where the deer crossed the two track from teh clearcut. However there was no boot prints to be seen until I got to where the shooter's truck had been parked. He walked out on the same path he walked in on. Given the layout of the land I can't imagine how he would have not followed the tracks to the road for the easy walk out if he had checked for blood rather than back track through the brush to his stand and his path out. My guess, the deer kept running so he simply assumed he missed.
I know I've made some assumptions here but I don't think they're completely off given the circumstances of each. Keep in mind this is one day, late in a gun season in a relatively small area. Makes me wonder how much of this stuff goes on and how more people aren't injured/killed than actually are.
