Bowhunters vs. Gunhunters...who we really need to be against.

I've heard so much blow back-and-forth between the two sides it's almost getting to a ridiculous level, fortunately I haven't seen much of it here.

Now I'll preface this with the fact this may be a long read for some of us :D, but one I feel we all should read and rethink our feelings if we need to.

It isn't the weapon in the hunters hand, but in the mind we really need to be against!

With gun seasons in full swing almost everywhere, all bowhunters make a collective grown, the blame game is back on full fledge. "They'll sling lead everywhere till they drop a buck." "They'll shoot the first brown thing that moves and has any kind of headpiece." "It's no longer safe to enter the woods." Just a few of the things I've heard bow hunters say personally, and I'll admit in the past I was guilty of myself; more than likely will say it again too as I am man and make mistakes. The fact is though, those things aren't only happening during gun season, bow season has those occurances or situations as well....just not as many instances because not as many take to the woods.

We, and I use 'we' loosely, blame gun hunters for messed up herd ratios, unsafe woods, bad perceptions by the general public and for tainting the woods with their blue jeans and tobacco. So wait, just because they have guns in their hands these things happen? Come on my fellow brethen, realize that is not the case. I know countless bow hunters who have harvested bucks and been done with their hunting season....great herd management huh? I've also know many a bowhunter to shoot any size buck (disclaimer...this isn't to say only big bucks should be shot, I'm simply stating this one to fight the idea that gun hunters are the only ones who shoot anything...I say shoot what makes you happy). And just make things clear, not every gun toting hunter is un-educated, has a camo collection consisting of flannel and denim, and shoot every single thing that walks.

I understand though, many of us have only had bad experiences with gun hunters, however please hesitate to lump them all in the same boat. It's similar to the crossbow issues so many of us are dealing with. Some of us are 100% against them...however there are many cases where pulling a compound bow back is simply impossible and a crossbow allows hunters to do what they love throughout a longer time window; is that a bad thing? Is it such a bad thing that so many guys and gals take to the woods with guns each year? No it isn't. I mean they're adding to our brethren and sisthren(?) :D. Some are intimidated by the TIME it takes to get good with a bow, get a deer within range, and time spent in the stand. Doesn't make them any less of a hunter if they don't desire to put in all that time...and some do, but simply with a gun.

*WARNING: THE NEXT PART IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!

It is not gun hunters we need to be upset with and for lack of a better word "fight", it is the un-educated hunter or the moral/character-less hunter. That is the group it is okay to be against, not just gun hunters in general. I can't remember the exact number of us, but a poll revealed not to long ago that even on this board many of us will take to the woods this year (if we haven't already) with a firearm of somekind...does that make each of us one of the "crazies" "idiots" or "stupid" hunters some of us have coined gun hunters to be?

The fact is each hunter is at their own level, and have their own definition of a succussful hunt or harvest. We, and I mean every single hunter, cannot pass judgement or blame them for any wrong doing if what they've done is legal and made them happy. The only hunters we can tag with the "crazy hunter" or "parisitic hunter" stamp are the ones who go about things illegally or with total disregard for fellow hunters, agreements or the animal they're "hunting".

So the next time you start discussing the never ending debate of bow vs. gun, just remember not all the bad apples are found in the same basket...each bushel has some and we need to pick the bad ones OUT instead of throwing the whole bushel away.

K...done venting. Good luck all as you take to the woods.

 

I hunt bow and gun. Good Post.

 

Gun hunters are cheaters...all of them.

 

I figured you'd have something of the sort to say :D haha!

 

I just killed a mule deer this weekend at 722yds with my 338. One shot, right in the chest. Cheating? Maybe. Still fun.

I'm a hunter, and as such I take advantage of all the seasons I want to enjoy. I rifle hunt, and I bow hunt.

I'm with the OP... the uneducated idiot hunters are whom I despise. The guys that drag their dusty 270 or 30-06 out of the closet one day a year and spray lead all over, and call themselves hunters.

 

Good Post!!

 

My issues arnt with gun hunters.

Its with the uneducated.

Sometimes rednecks really get under my skin too, but thats a different topic

 

I am a bow only hunter. This being said, I do not look down on anyone so to speak that hunts with a firearm. I personally agree with what you said for the most part and believe most everyone on here does. It's the irresposible hunters period. It just seams there are more who hunt with guns because in their ignorance they think it is easy and what is the easiest thing to hunt with? A rifle.

I feel there are many out there with the same mind sets as these guys that use bows as well. That being said its the guy who never practices throughout the year and never sights in his rifle that I have a problem with. You know the guy that shoots at 12 every year and is lucky to hit one. The one that after you get to talking to him while trying to track his blood trail that doesn't exist that he couldn't tell if it was a buck or doe through the rifle scope at 15yd.What about the guy who picked up his bow the day before opener, had the pin set dead on the vitals and hit the shoulder blade because he didn't even shoot at a hay bail or a box full of old clothes in the back yard. Thats what I have a problem with. Not a gun hunter.

IMO the reason why many people look at a gun hunter this way is because there are so many people out there that hunt with a gun versus bows. I have had my share of these guys that use bows as well. Most of which are really rifle hunters that buy a bow just to be able to get that extra 2 months in every year. Most of them don't kill anything with a bow but, always seem to miss a few every year. Any way it goes, there always has been and always will be a level of this no matter how much we hate it. All we can do is try to have a possitive impact on any hunter we come accross like this. Us telling them what we think is only going to make them not like us even more and have even less respect for us and ignore anything we try to tell them.

 

alot of you up north have more issues with rifle hunters due to your limited hunting seasons....down here where i hunt in texas most of the time our shots are not within bow range atleast in all of my past experiences for the most part all of our shots are typically 100-150yards some are further but i prefer a good clean shot clear of obstructions so i can make a good clean kill

as far as i'm concerned if its legal and the hunters are not breaking the law i dont have a gripe but when they take risky shots and are using unethical tactics and illegal methods is when i have a problem

 

Territory does have a lot to do with it, but idiot hunters (illegal and character-less) are everywhere. Agree with everything you said whole heartidly!

 

722yds....geesh, you phone ahead to see if you'd hit it? :D Congrats and I agree completely with you as well!

 

I look bad in blaze orange

 

This is a good post and great subject. I myself am strictly a gun hunter, I come to this site because I think this is a great site for hunting in general. I enjoy the sport of hunting. Our camp may not take only trophies but we are respectful to other hunters around us. I am lucky to be able to hunt on 120 acres of private land every year. We take care of the land, hone our shooting skills a few times a year so that we can take accurate and ethical shots when it comes time. We know the range of our guns and are always aware of what lies beyond the target. As gun hunters we take full advantage of a limited 10 day season (Wisconsin), so it may seem gun hunters have the "if it's brown it's down" attitude, and I do know some people like that, but I also know bow hunters that practice that same philosophy. It's not the method of hunting, it is the hunter. Bowhunter or gun hunter, we all need to practice our sport, be ethical and most important be safe (for ourselves and other around us).

 

Me too man, I'd rather stick to the shadow of camo

 

I routinely practice out to 1500yds, so it was a relatively short shot considering. 285gr Hornady BTHP Match really performed excellent on flesh. I was greatly impressed.

 

Glad to see you chimed in on this one man. If you were so much as looking at this forum you are different than the other guys. NOW GO GET YOU A BOW AND FIND OUT WHAT THE FUN IS ALL ABOUT. Really though man, it is a ton of fun and from what I have been told a bunch, bow hunting will polish your skills as a hunter.

 

I do too but guess what, In NC and i am sure there are many other states that do also, you have to wear it after muzzle loader season starts. Even on private property. Sundays are the only day on private land and thats archery only anyways.

 

Hey not all rednecks are bad....I have been called one a few times....

 

ME Too! and there is a difference between Rednecks and plain ol White trash.