What would you say to someone who states they would never support a ban on bowhunting but they could however see PA going to Traditional/Crossbow only for bow season.......the whole compound arrow slinging seasons they've seen is the cause.
You said it.........don't blame me. "I could easily see myself on the wrong side of the fence when it comes to rifles and whitetails" There's only 2 sides to that fence......hunters are on one side and we all know who is on the "wrong side". From what I was told your statement at HNI was more direct and included the term ANTI. Kinda hard to draw more then one meaning from that statement...........it's very clear and to the point.
Told? Oh okay badger. And I must have read that wrong, okay you never called me an Anti. Damn, I better check those 11 tags I have and make sure they aren't for hugs alone. LMAO. Carry on. Greg, I know how you feel.
Again........show me where I called you an ANTI. Your statement says you could easily see yourself siding with the ANTI's if it weren't for your love of bowhunting. It's one thing to say you don't care for gun hunting and choose not to do it.........it's another to say you could see yourself on the "wrong side of the fence" Took a look over at HNI and found your more directly worded quote.
Uuummm, in red there aman. Nothing antihunting there. And until bowhunting is banned your safe, if that were to happen I'll be sure to find your woods for my picketing. How ridiculous can you get? Never mind, I already know. Hey guys, stop the presses. Good thing ole Rob can let the air out of some this year. NY might be in trouble if ole Rob couldn't bowhunt.
So you could "Easily be an ANTI.......and Certainly ANTI rifle hunting"..........but nothing anti hunting there?? NEWSFLASH........Rifle hunting is hunting Exactly.
Greg, it's like driving a windy road, so many twists and turns. Justin, where's the "yawn" smilie? Wait, I have a better one. The sky is falling, the sky is falling.
Greg, I became the newest member of an east Tx hunt club this weekend. A couple of the guys wanted to help me pick a spot for a boxblind. I explained to them I wouldn't be using a box blind. I just needed a few spots to hang treestands or a good couple of trees for a climber. They asked, " Are you only going to hunt archery season?" I explained that I would bowhunt through general season and then bowhunt hogs year round after that and that I would also be bowhunting turkeys on the land. They looked at me as if I had 2 heads or something. They just don't get it.
So, who's in the lead? "Arguing over the internet is like running the Special Olympics, even if you win, you're still retarded."
I think I understand what Rob is trying to say, but its coming out a little wrong. I grew up deer hunting in WI. The first two years it was only during gun season. When I was 14 I decided I wanted to start bow hunting. It was awesome, I had the woods to myself.....until gun season rolled around and the "orange army" hit the woods and started to mess up my hunting. Once that happened, bow hunting became all but impossible. As the years went by, I began to grow to dislike the WI gun season and its mentality. But, its necessary. When one is a serious bowhunter in a state that has a crazy deer season, one begins to form a chip on their shoulder to the gun hunters......in general. I no longer rilfe hunt in WI, I don't like it. Once ML season opens, I'll be back out there, but only because there are so few people doing it. Now, up here in Ontario, we don't have the same crazy gun season like there is back home. I truly enjoy going out and just hunting, regardless of what weapon is in my hands. IF I still only hunted WI, I would probably feel the same way about gun hunting.....but I don't, so the perception is totally different.
I've been bowhunting almost exclusively for the past 8 years. I admit that I love using the bow more than anything. But at the same time, I have no regrets taking up the smokepole or rifle and hunting. I have plenty of fun regardless of the weapon. In my circumstance getting a buck with a rifle, is not nessessarily easier than getting one with the bow. A lot of the time, it's harder because of the seasons and hunting pressure.
I enjoy bowhunting the most, period. Yet with my two sons coming of age and my wife really getting into hunting, gun hunting is now much more appealing to me for the simple fact that I get to spend more quality time with them in the mountains. I feel like my wife and sons joy of just hunting; rekindle rifle hunting in my life the past few years. We as a family will hunt all seasons no matter the weapon these days. I will still tote my bow through rifle seasons as I always have for whitetails but I have no problem in seeing my wife and kids used the rifle and myself as well in certain situations.
Troy I still love sitting out there with my daughter also, usally during Thanksgiving day it has been becoming a date with how busy both our lifes have become with me a Deputy and her a probation Officer we don't get alot of time togather. Guns are not bad just not for me!! Walt
Preference is a bow but there is something about breaking out the muzzleloader or the flintlock or even the pistol and / or the rifle. I enjoy all facets. I must not be able to forget the strong heritage of the rifle season here in PA. I wish I had the fortitude of all of those who use a bow and bow only. I just enjoy the entire array of shooting and shooting sports to much to eliminate even thought I love competative 3D etc. I guess I am not "hard core":d
I don't even have an intelligent reply for that. Rob you left me speechless. If all bowhunters felt that way about guns..and all gun hunters felt that way about bows. We wouldn't have to worry about hunting Period! Just as a point, do you realize that a lot of gun hunters don't like bowhunters? Go into a hardcore gun hunting site and see where they blame "us" for all the needless suffering and crippling of thousands of deer. Wait a month when all the "I hit one" threads pop up..they see those too! I describe myself as a bowhunter,thats my true passion. The gun expirience is something like Fraley and a few others have mentioned. A time honored tradition of family and friends in the PA hardwoods. The hunting is fun but somehow ranks a distant second to the commaraderie (sp) of the whole Deer Camp setting! Those who have never expirienced this type of setting are the ones who I truly feel sorry for, it's a kinship, a brotherhood, an indescribe-able bond that perhaps starts at Camp and weaves it's way into your everyday life. Those special people who, you have shared deer camp with, are more than friends. When I was young Dad, Uncles, Grandpa brought me into thier world. The PA gun season. Many of those who taught me have passed on, and they are honored every year at Camp. The walls are a tribute to the men, the deer and the memories. Those who still hunt today, I'll take credit for giving them some payback for the lessons they taught me. When I became afflicted with the bow bug, I spread the word and the excitement and they are now "bowhunters" too. We will gather at camp in bow season and the traditions only grow..but make no mistake these traditions began with gun in hand!
Bob, that's fantastic that you had that and still treasure it. I've never had that, my PA rifle seasons have been nothing but one big disappointment after another and everything that could bewrong with people and I've seen come alive during the orange clad season, I've seen it all. I've dove into ditches when bullets whizzed by and more than I want to describe. You may have experienced the best of PA rifle seasons, I've experienced the worst. I have no fond memories and have learned to cringe every year when it rolls around. And I assume you realize, that second line in the quote is not mine. And don't read into to as much as aman did, I loath anti hunters, I will always fight for the rights of hunters regardless of how I feel personally about it. It's not about me. I choose to NOT DO alot of things that hunters can do but I will always be on the right side of it as it impacts me greatly as a bowhunter. And don't think I don't know there are rifle hunters who would be the first in line to ban bowhunting, they are the ones we need to worry about as I will always defend the rights of rifle hunters regardless of how I feel about it, like I said, it impacts me as a bowhunter.
Rob, in Honesty when I posted that reply I only had read as far as the line I quoted. I didn't even see that page 2 fiasco until my response went up. We all share a passion, those who select to talk about deer and deerhunting in March, for hours to many folks they've never met, are a different kind of hunter. Sometimes we think because we surround ourselve with each other on these boards that everyone is like us, in our values, knowledge and beliefs. I spent some 18+ hours this weekend doing a show for UC, talking to so many hunters, it really brought it home that we in the online communities are a slightly different breed than the "masses".
