What Exactly IS Bowhunting??

[Gary Logsdon]

I realize this is preaching to the choir here guys, but thought I'd let you know what I just posted over on the Bowsite and the ***********.  It may get interesting . . . here's what I wrote:

"Archery is seeing how far you can get away from a target and still hit the bullseye; BOWHUNTING, is seeing how close you can get to an animal and not miss!"  

IMHO, bowhunting should be a contest between the hunter and the animal he pursues, not a contest between the animal and the hunter's equipment. I guess that's why I frown upon 90% of the hyped up "Hunting" shows being broadcast and favor the few that make the animal and location the real stars rather than the featured hunter or their equipment. Food for thought.

[mike g]

I like your thinking Gary....
The other nite at the Archery shop there was some program on and the guy was useing a rifle and he shot at a bedded Javie, way out there and missed and then he started shootin at them while they were on the Run....
    Sometimes I wonder why they show stuff like that....

[bohuntr]

I'm with you Gary although I know from experience that many others do not feel the same way. I understand that certain folks can regularly make bow shots at 40+ yds but I am not one of them. I am usually pretty deadly from 30yds in but what I really like is when I can shoot them at under 15yds. Last year I killed several deer under 15yds including one I shot at 3yds after a 2 hour stalk. That is what it is all about to me. I'm not saying everyone needs to feel the same way but I guarante once you are able to get that close and close the deal you will want to try to do it more and more often.

[Gary Logsdon]

Yep, I like to see their eyelashes and be so close that I think they can hear my heart beating.  My comments are really about the mental approach of bowhunting versus shooting at paper or even 3D targets.  I've been in camp with too many guys over the years (that shot a variety of equipment)who thought they were superior bowhunters because of their shooting "skills".  They rarely backed it up in the field, in fact I had hunters with more conservative shooting mindsets consistedly out doing them on game animals.  How do I know?  Where are my stats"?  I guided bear hunters for 14 years and had to evaluate each shot made and then decide how to track their animals . . . I have EXPERIENCE crawling through the tangles and muck folowing their bloodtrails.

By the way, I'm already getting trashed over on the ***********. HA!

[mcgroundstalker]

Gary, you are right on target! For me it's getting real close. That is most of the fun anyway. I've been stalking and still hunting deer for eight years with my tradbow and haven't put one down yet. My buddies kid me about not keeping score at 3D. I can't cause I'll never shoot from the stake. Gotta be in the brush or twisted around in a deadfall, whatever. Had plenty of "almosts" that keep me at it. Gotta Love This Stuff.

Sounds to me you darn know what you are talking about! That's respected in my book.

... mike ...

[Molson]

Well...  According to my wife, bowhunting is one of only two things I ever think about.  :rolleyes:

[gregg dudley]

You like icecream too, Molson?

[recurvericky]

Molson
My wife and two daughters think the same thing about me. At my older daughters soccer practice the other day, my younger daughter and myself walked by a tower used by the high school football coaches to get a better view of his players, as we walked by I said, "That would make a great deer stand", my daughter said, "Ugh, that is all you ever think about". I laughed really hard.

[Richie Nell]

Gary..I depends on what the meaning of IS is.

[Richie Nell]

It

[Jerry Jeffer]

Gary, I like that thought process. Never thought about it much, just accepted that was what it is for me.  The TV shows want you to get all caught up in the gear etc. because they are really infomercials, not hunting shows. I can't even think about shooting as far as some of those people do.

[pine nut]

Me TOO!  Well said Bro.

[HATCHCHASER]

You got my vote!  I relate it to fly fishing.  There may be an easier way but what is that worth.  We have come to make things harder trying to make them easier.  Ever been in a store when the computer broke down?  Ever went to Auto Zone and the part number didn't come up in the computer?  Life would be better if we left it simpler.  I'll do it the "hard way" which I feel is the easy way.

[frank the hunter]

I agree with you guys, that is why i got into Trad archery.have a great day.

[JStark]

It's nice to get to blow off some steam over this sometimes.

The other day at an archery shop I saw a book titled, "Tuning Your Bowhunting Shooting System".

Me?  I prefer bowhunting with a bow.

[Widowbender]

Gary...You pretty much summed up my feelings about bowhunting. I was reading a magazine the other day and the author relating a story of how one of the outdoor tv show gurus had added 20 yards to his effective range by shaving over 100 grains off his arrow weight. He said "I never used to shoot beyond 40 yards. Now I'm comfortable out to 60." I can't figure out where these fools come from. I mean, if that's as close as you can get, use a gun!! That's what brought me back to traditional bowhunting...it sharpens your skills and instincts...I don't feel handicapped with a recurve or longbow in my hand...I just know I will have to use my ability to be able to get close.

David

[Molson]

Why yes Gregg I do!  I always get the Banana Split with whipped cream and.......  :D  

Ok... Back on topic.  I believe Uncle Gene and Uncle Barry have a great discussion on this very subject in their excellent video, "Spirit of the Bow".  Any of you who haven't seen this masterpiece or those who feel there's not much good coming from hunting videos should check it out.

[recurvericky]

I just made a long bow for a friend of mine. When he asked me to make the bow, he said he would only shoot it to just mess around and use his compound to hunt with. Well guess what, we went out shooting hay bales in his uncles field the other day and he fell head over hills in love with tradtional archery. I bet by the end of deer season he will be hunting with his long bow. I have taken many, many deer with gun, but never had the satisfaction and pure joy that I did when I missed my first deer with tradition tackle, yes I did say miss. The buck was a very large 10 pointer that I had seen the day before. The first arrow hit a limb and the buck took 3 steps backward and the next arrow hit a limb. I never remember feeling that excited while deer hunting.

[JEFF B]

i walked into one of the archery shops over here its about 20 miles from my place. any way i walk in the door and on the shelf is a book and it reads how to tune your compound. so i say to the shop owner do ya have any books on trad gear. and he said what the hell is that!!! i said you dont know what a longbow is ? he said aint those the funny things with a single string and a bent bit of wood? i quickly said those are real bows not things ya need to take atool box with ya to tune it every time ya miss the target. man ya should have seen his face it was somthing like this.   with that i said thanks very much for the entertaiment and walk out. bowhunting is not having to carry a tool box in to the woods.  

[Gary Logsdon]

Man, it's a lot friendlier over here than on the Bowsite and ***********.  Ha, I posted the same topic over there I'm beginning to get trashed . . .