{"id":239,"date":"2017-05-30T04:39:17","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T04:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tma65.com\/blog\/?p=239"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:37:54","slug":"how-to-deal-with-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Deal With Missing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/#How_to_Deal_With_Missing\" >How to Deal With Missing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/#Missing_is_Inevitable\" >Missing is Inevitable<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/#Check_and_Recheck\" >Check and Recheck<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/#Be_An_Example\" >Be An Example<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/how-to-deal-with-missing\/#Have_a_Short_Memory\" >Have a Short Memory<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Deal_With_Missing\"><\/span>How to Deal With Missing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/videosview\/illuminated-reticle-battery-installation-2\/\" title=\"Illuminated Reticle battery installation on your TRACT TORIC 34MM 4-25X50\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"501\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How to<\/a> Deal With Missing. I used to hunt with a guy named Michael. We were in college together back when <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"hunting\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"288\">hunting<\/a> shows were starting to become a popular endeavor for anyone with a camera and a place to hunt. Since I owned the camera, Michael was the hunter.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">It was peak rut where on a gray afternoon that dragged the temperature down with every passing hour. My lock-on stand was about ten feet above Michael\u2019s on a pair of white oaks growing out of the same stump. Our distance was perfect for me to capture him and the field in front of us in the frame. What good fortune.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">About a half hour before dark, when I was thinking about the truck\u2019s heater and a cup of coffee, heavy bodies moving through the woods to our left brought us both to attention. First, a doe emerged into the food plot. Not 20 feet behind her was a very nice buck. The footage, I knew, would be perfect.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Michael allowed me time to film the buck dog the doe before I gave him the greenlight to shoot. He flipped off the safety of his <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/why-every-shooter-needs-a-spotter-a-marksmans-best-ally\/\">rifle<\/a>, exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger. The boom! vibrated up through my body as I tried to keep the buck in frame. In fact, I didn\u2019t have any trouble keeping him dead center because he continued to stand in the same spot. Michael racked the bolt and took aim again. Boom! This time the doe took off back toward the woods and the buck followed. Michael worked the bolt once again and let off a final effort \u00a0just as the pair went out of sight.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cI don\u2019t know what happened,\u201d he stammered, the anger apparent in his voice.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">\u201cLet\u2019s look at the tape before we decide anything,\u201d I offered.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Sure enough, running back through the three shots, the miss was quite apparent. Just when I thought Michael had settled down and regained his composure, I heard a crashing below. Surely more deer weren\u2019t returning to the field was my initial thought before realizing what was actually happening. Michael had just thrown his rifle from the tree stand. A very nice wood-grained <a title=\"Why the 2.5-15x Rifle Scope is Ideal for Hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-the-2-5-15x-rifle-scope-is-ideal-for-hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle and a top-quality scope<\/a> lay broken 30 feet below us. I didn\u2019t know whether to cry or kick him in the face. Why would someone do such a thing?<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">The damage to the <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"scope\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"177\">scope<\/a> was irreparable. His <a title=\"30mm vs 1 Inch Rifle Scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/30mm-vs-1-inch-rifle-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle<\/a> was broken in two at the stock. I\u2019ll never know if he got it fixed because that was the last time I hunted with Michael. His true colors showed that cold afternoon, telling me that he wasn\u2019t someone I wanted to share my hunting memories with.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Missing_is_Inevitable\"><\/span>Missing is Inevitable<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">Throughout the years I\u2019ve <a title=\"5 Reasons Why You Missed the Shot\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/5-reasons-why-you-missed-the-shot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">missed some \u201csure things,\u201d shots<\/a> at big game animals so close I could already see the shoulder mount on my wall. By human nature, the first thing I wanted to do was blame the <a title=\"adjusting a rifle scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/tag\/adjusting-a-rifle-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle and scope<\/a>, which turned out to be a false claim nearly every time. One of many factors leading to human error undoubtedly occurred &#8211; rushing the shot, jerking the trigger, holding my breath, misjudging the distance&#8230; the list is long.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" class=\"wp-image-240\" src=\"https:\/\/tma65.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/inner44-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-960x640.jpg 960w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-450x300.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/inner44-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><em>When it&#8217;s your turn to miss, grit your teeth and\u00a0move on with the hunt.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Check_and_Recheck\"><\/span>Check and Recheck<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">A lot of us travel by <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/thinking-about-air-rifle-hunting\/\" title=\"Air Rifle Hunting Thinking About it\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1807\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">air for big game hunts<\/a>. If you\u2019ve ever sat in a window seat watching luggage being loaded onto the plane, then you know there\u2019s nothing gentle about the process. In fact, it\u2019s almost if those guys are testing the durability of each piece the way they lift it unnecessarily high and drop it onto the conveyor belt. When you get to camp shoot your <a title=\"Hunting Rifle Scope\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/category\/hunting-rifle-scope\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle several times to recheck your zero before you begin hunting<\/a>.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Be_An_Example\"><\/span>Be An Example<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">As we get older, start families and introduce our young ones to <a title=\"hunting\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/category\/hunting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a>, it\u2019s important to remember that the best way to lead is by example. So much of what I learned in the early days of my <a title=\"JL\u2019s Deer Hunting Gear\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/jls-deer-hunting-gear\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deer hunting<\/a> career was by simply watching my father. Those lessons have even carried over into the way I conduct myself in day-to-day situations.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"text-align: justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Have_a_Short_Memory\"><\/span>Have a Short Memory<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify\"><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align: justify\">As a high school athlete, my coaches always preached these four words: have a short memory. Dwelling on the past can have dire consequences on the future. If you\u2019re still thinking about the miss when the next opportunity arrives, you\u2019re already at a disadvantage. When you miss, eject the spent shell and move on with the hunt.<\/p><p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to Deal With Missing | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12248,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2257,2258,2259],"tags":[2688],"class_list":["post-239","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-how-to-fix-adjust","category-hunting","category-hunting-rifle-scope","tag-how-to"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11533,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239\/revisions\/11533"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}