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A hunt is never over until you are well out of the hunting area and in your vehicle.This is a lesson i learned the hard way last weekend on an ibex hunt in the mountains of the Kirthar Range.A friend and i were sitting on the mountain top about a couple of thousand yards apart waiting for the ibex to be driven down towards us by the local guides.After a wait of 2 hrs.i heard three shots from the direction of my friend and assumed that he had got one.Fully alert with cartridge in chamber,safety off,i tried anxiously to sight the animals and after 20 mins.did not sight any again assumed that the hunt was over as after hearing the shots the animals disperse and it is almost impossible to round them up and drive them again.I gave it another 5 mins.and then unloaded the rifle,placed it down and lay back to relax and wait for my friend who i could see coming down the mountain alongwith the guides.A min.later as i lifted my head to light a cigarette i saw 7 ibex about 60 yds.away walking slowily.I then made the biggest blunder of my life,one an experienced hunter like myself who has been on numerous hunts and shot many animals should not have made.Instead of slowly picking up my rifle and silently chambering the bullet i grabbed the weapon and and bolted a round with a loud click thus alerting the animals which immediately took off at high speed.Although i let off 2 rounds at the running animals i missed one and injured the second which inspite of a prolonged search could not be retrieved.
The incident just goes to show that no matter how experienced a hunter you are the adrelin still pumps hard when you sight you prey and a small element of buck fever does creep in(it did in my case atleast)and secondly while hunting one should always expect the unexpected.