1.0Orvis Newshttps://news.orvis.comPhil Monahanhttps://news.orvis.com/author/monahanprich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="WDp36Qcj2u"><a href="https://news.orvis.com/hunting/Repost-How-Sandanona-Saved-Me">How Sandanona Saved Me, Or Why Shooting Lessons Are a Great Idea</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://news.orvis.com/hunting/Repost-How-Sandanona-Saved-Me/embed#?secret=WDp36Qcj2u" width="600" height="338" title="“How Sandanona Saved Me, Or Why Shooting Lessons Are a Great Idea” — Orvis News" data-secret="WDp36Qcj2u" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> Shooting instructor James Ross sights down the barrel with me to diagnose any problems with gun mount, follow-through, or anything else that may cause me to miss the clay target.. photo by Sandy Hays The final straw was my last shot of the 2010 Vermont grouse season. I've never been a good (or even mediocre) shot, but for the first time since I had moved back to the Northeast almost a decade earlier, I had gone the whole season without downing a single bird. I was determined to rectify the situation on that cold day before New Year's Eve. But after an hour of fruitless hunting, I was ready to give up and started walking back toward the car along a logging road. I remained alert, but hope was certainly waning as the last gate came into view. Suddenly, the whirring of wings bursting into flight sounded from a pine tree to my left, . . .https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5133/5451236151_6c4eda9a6c.jpg