A Spectacular Miss
WE’VE ALL HEARD of someone making a spectacular shot—that one-in-a-million attempt that somehow finds its way into the vitals despite an almost impossible level of difficulty. Maybe it’s a swing-through that dumps a running coyote at some unheard-of range. Or it’s a needle-threading shot through heavy brush at a tiny opening exposing the heart of a spiral-horned kudu bull. And the difficulty of the shot always increases in the telling and the retelling around the campfire. For every spectacular shot we make, we likely owe the hunting gods at least one miss that’s equally as amazing. Ever steady the crosshairs on an animal, take a settling breath, and then slowly squeeze the trigger until the firing pin falls, only to have the buck, bull, or bruin run off unharmed? To me,…
