Well that is the reason I bring it up. I KNOW a good percentage of bow hunters do hate gun hunters for the most part and see them as an annoyance rather than a deer hunter with a different weapon. Hell, sometimes I find myself thinking to myself while talking to someone..... "they only gun hunt; they must not be that good at hunting or don't care much about hunting". I'm dead wrong when I have thoughts like that and I'm the first to admit it. It is very likely that bow hunting would be in trouble in there was no gun hunting IMO. It keeps a lot of people interested and staying positive in the general sport of hunting and we need their interst and we need their votes. Now.... having said all that. I think the negative attributes do tend to be more prevalent in gun hunters typically. I believe this is primarily due to nature of the sport. The bow hunters are obviously looking for additional challenge and therefore are not lazy. People who want to hunt but want to do it the easiest way possible therefore only gun hunt or don't have enough time.
I can top the miss, Nov. 16 '07, Missed my first deer/buck ever at about 14 yds. Even sadder I had a scope. He stood there, turned his head to look back I pumped another shell in reset my crosshairs and got another shot. Luckily 2nd shot hit. He was a hard quarter away, and I was aiming for the hit not the exit, hit about 8 inches behind the shoulder, stopped at the hide in brisket. You can say I had just a little buck fever, but, that is what brought me into bow hunting, wouldn't change it for the world.
I do not gun hunt anymore, and haven't for years, but in no way do I look down upon gun hunters. My dad bowhunts and gunhunts on the same property that I hunt. He makes some great shots. I will just be honest, I love the waiting game as the deer gets to bow range, and I am a better shot at 40 yards with my bow than I am at 100 yards with a rifle! A lot guys around run dogs and take wild shots and running deer, which I am not a fan of, but they have every right to do it. Just seems like they start running them just as the rut is kicking off.
I go out with my Remington 870 express every Nov 15th. It sounds like fireworks going off right at sunrise!! Its tradition for me and I would never miss it. I don't look down on gun hunters at all, I am one. Yes, it is much easier to shoot a deer with a shotgun or rifle then it is to with a bow, but here in West Michigan I do not see squat during gun season. The pressure actually makes gun hunting very challenging in my neck of the woods. After a few days of gun hunting I always end up putting the gun away and pulling the bow back out. Who is ready for some blood trails in the snow?!
Look down at? No. Jokingly reference or poke fun at some of the typical behaviors observed during gun season? Absolutely! I dislike slob hunters. They exist in both bow and gun hunting. Seems to be a higher percentage in one over the other, but I do know some very serious and skilled gun hunters. They poke fun at bow season just as much, but its all good natured. I killed a deer with a gun once, and I might do it again someday. Especially, if it involves taking my kids hunting.
I love my two little gun hunters at home. I hunt with muzzleloader myself occasionally ,but i prefer to just hang out with my kids and let them rifle hunt. You cant beat the exitement of a young hunter when they connect with their rifles. They gotta start somewhere.
Amen to that. I have two myself, and will be taking my son out for opening day of rifle this Saturday. He loves it, and I get as much or more excited than he does when he gets a deer. Lots of great memories being made with the kids and rifles & m/l.
Nope. I bought a rifle, yesterday and ordered my scope, last night. Gonna hunt with my boy, this year with it. I may or may not shoot a deer with it. Time will tell. I guess I took the natural progression, huh? Compound - Recurve - ML/Rifle.....lol.
It depends on their attitude. I try not to but in all honesty I have to say that I do carry a prejudice against them as a group. It's not an elitist attitude, it's that they, as a group, have shown themselves to be lesser sportsman with more loose morals. I take each person as they come though and don't apply the "group" perception until they earn it. Some of my best friends and most respected hunters are strictly firearms hunters.
Jeff, Since you are now going the other direction perhaps the next step after gun is vehicle. Jinx.... :D
I am a rifle hunter. I used to give my buddy grief about shooting pencils at deer, sneaking around in the woods like some ninja trying to be quiet and stealthy. Then being lazy by sitting in a tree all day long, playing hand held games, waiting for a deer to walk by so he could fling an arrow at it. He died 3 yrs ago, so now I am trying out bow hunting. Bought my first bow a few weeks ago, and have been practicing with it. I can imagine how much grief I'd get if he knew I started bow hunting now.
I pretty much laid my gun down and exclusively hunted with a bow the year I took my biggest buck to date (with a rifle). He's pictured below. I don't have anything against gun hunters, I just wanted more of a challenge. With that being said, sometimes I wonder if I'm trying to prove something to someone going all bow. It sure gets frustrating seeing big bucks that are just out of bow range and not getting a shot off. Then I see the same person laying down a slammer year after year and think, that could be me. Having said all of that, I have decided to take the rifle out this Saturday for rifle opener. I haven't shot it at all this year and probably won't until the day before. All the deer I've ever shot with a gun were within bow range and I don't like long shots anyway. There's no excitement in it (to me) unless they are close enough to get my knees all shaky. Taking a rifle out this weekend will actually be a treat.
I don't look down on gun hunters at all, that's how I grew up hunting. I hunt almost exclusively with a bow now because that's how I prefer to hunt, it's the most exciting, fun and rewarding to me. That being said, I love to muzzleload, I like to do that atleast 4-5 times a year, usually during the late season. Back home, we have a couple nice "shooting stands" that are basically tree houses with a nice comfortable chair bolted on the floor. Every now and then I like to just grab my smoke pole head up into one of those and just enjoy a day in the woods. Rarely do I have the intent of shooting anything, in fact when I do gun hunt it's usually for a doe to help our managment goals. My standards increase dramatically when gun hunting, holding out for 4 year old bucks in the 130 range. I don't rifle hunt anymore though. It's just doesn't interest me right now.
Bow hunting is more a solo thing for me and Gun hunting is a great time with family and friends. We create some fantastic memories up at the cabin in Northern, Wi and its one of the few times we can all get together at the same time.
i used to, but then i heard a group of rifle/gun hunters talking bad about us arrow flingers and i realized its the same putting down the same. we're all hunters we need to stick together!
After reading Donnie's post it made me think a little, why do I really like to rifle hunt now and then? He said it would be a treat this saturday, and it clicked for me... a treat.. Maybe I like to gun hunt, because of all the work, prep, thought, "Blissfull Stress" that I put into Bowhunting, It's nice to just walk in and set down and "relax" a little. If that makes any sense what so ever?
I don't look down on gun hunters, although I really could care less for the stereo types & the slobs that are more visible during that season due to the sheer numbers of hunters involved. I am also not a fan of the chaos that is brought about due to those numbers and collective group mentality. I really think I would highly enjoy rifle hunting in huge big woods/mountains with few people where you were actually hunting deer on natural movements. Picking my way thru the woods still hunting, I think that would be awesome.
