Wannabes' Rant

[Wannabe1]

While out hunting today, I came across two young wheeliebow hunters. In passing I asked them how they were doing, how's the hunting, have they seen anything, etc. etc. In response one of them tells me they've seen about thirteen deer. (Questionable since it was pretty warm and I hadn't seen anything but, not impossible.) He then proceeded to tell me how he got a shot off on a little spike and when he went to retrieve his arrow, found a little blood and a tuft of hair on the broadhead but no blood trail. I commented on how it sounded like he might have just nicked the little buck and probably didn't hurt it much.

I then asked him how far the shot was and he stated it was around 70 or so yards. I realize compounds are pretty fancy with all their gadgets and all but, why would anyone attempt a 70 yard shot on a little spike buck? It would seem to me that the risk of such a long shot and the probability of wounding an animal would make a person think twice before attempting it. I have yet to take my first deer or anything with my bow but, I would never attempt something that far no matter how bad I wanted to connect! I just shook my head and bid them farewell and continued on my way. Since the conversation, it has nagged at me all day!

I believe I will just stick with my traditional gear and my 25yd comfort zone, thank you very much! Stay safe and straight shooting my friends.

[Hot Hap]

I think your ninth word says it all. Young. Hap

[Widowbender]

Idiots are pretty evenly dispersed throughout the world...sounds like you found a couple today.

David

[Taiga Recurve]

I see idiots, they are every where.

No matter compound, stick shooter, or rifle it is a shame we have people like that in the field. Thank you to all that have brought up a youngen to respect the wild game, the laws and ethics that go along with hunting.

[wihill]

Just enable the "youth" filter in your brain -

Deer = grey squirrels
Got a shot off = his buddy bet him he couldn't hit it
Tuft of hair with no bloodtrail = His buddy was right
70yd shot = 25 in the brush.

Stories are always better when they're padded for excitement.

[JStark]

I'm going to have to buck the trend a bit, as I've met my share of older yayhoos, too.

That said, wihill makes a good point - he probably eyeballed that 70 yd. shot, put his 70 yd pin ('cause he's probably got pins for every 10 yards), and launched a pencil-thin carbon rod with a 100 grain broadhead right across its back.

[redant 60/65]

No No The to young guy's are just caught up in the compound world. There missing all the real hunting, they will give it up or stick with it and learn about hunting. I've seen it alot in the last 25 years of hunting.Do your on thing and don't worry about it.  

[pdk25]

Like alot of people that have shot a compound bow, I used to practice at that range and was fairly deadly in a practice setting.  Using a rangefinder, like many compound users do, would allow fairly accurate range estimation.  I would never, however, attempt a shot at nearly that distance when hunting.  Too many variables.  Crosswinds, deer moving, etc.

[GrnMtnTradNut]

When I shot my compound with all the gadgets I could hold sub 5" groups at 100 yds. all day long and would shoot 3" dots at 60 and cover them with 8 arrows, but I would never shoot at a deer at 70 yds even though I knew I could double lung one every time, there are to many factors going into play.Lots of idiots out there they will find you and make them selves look even more idiotic.

[MI_Bowhunter]

I'm with GrnMtnTradNut on this one.    I shot a wheel bow for many years at very long distences.  BUT, no matter how proficient I was, I would never attempt to take game at that distance.  There are just too many other factors at work which are amplified over that distance. Come hunting season I would set one pin for 25 years and that was my max range.

Even now with my trad gear, I know I can hit targets  at a much longer distance then I would actually shoot at game.

[SouthMDShooter]

what does young have to do with it?! Im 19 years old, i killed my first deer at 9 witha rifle then killed my first bow deer at 13 then my first with a recurve at 14. I have now killed about 20 deer with a recurve and have NEVER wounded or lost one. I think it is stupid to blame the poor shoot on the guy being young, he took the shot because hes ignorant not young.

[Winterhawk1960]

Ignorance...can be fixed.

Stupidity.....however is forever.

Winterhawk1960

[James Wrenn]

Most people that start out hunting,more so when they are doing it on the own make mistakes and that is how they learn.My guess is if the kid was carrying a stickbow he might have tried the shot.After a few like that he will learn to either shoot better or get closer.:)It is just part of the whole process.jmo

[Biggie Hoffman]

I dunno. With the crap on TV every week, the lead by exammple guys are winning this battle.
On Hank Parkers 3D, his son shoots a deer with his compound device. They never said how far it was but it was a full 3 seconds before the arrow got there. This is what people see and they think it's ok.

I agree with Southmd shooter though, young doesn't have much to do with it.

[redant 60/65]

SouthMDShooter, Sorry if I offended your youth, what I was saying is that they are young in experience.  :cool:

[George D. Stout]

To expand on what SouthMDShooter said, I think today's youth has a better grasp of what is right, moreso than most thirty year olds.   It is more a matter of mindset than age and always has been.

The "outdoor shows" are of no help to anyone that I can think of and most will probably self-destruct over time.

[Wannabe1]

I just want to clarify that I had no problem with the age of these to hunters or the fact that they were using compounds. I just found it amazing that they would take a shot at an animal at that distance with all the variables to consider. I know some of you used to be compound shooters and got very proficient at that range but, as stated in some of the posts, too many factors could come into play and a person could end up with a wounded animal running on the loose.

I used the word young when refering to these hunters as they were quite a bit younger than me. Didn't neccesarrily mean young in mind set. I'm sorry for opening a can of worms and hope that I offended no one. Just wanted to say what was on my mind.

[Stone Knife]

Better they are out there hunting then doing drugs, no matter what their using or saying.

[Lone archer]

If I'm not mistaken that's why the wound ratio is so high with compound hunters. I was in a camp last year with 20 hunters 4 wounded deer.

[Arrow Slinga]

A guy I work with son, went to SD on a pronghorn hunt and he was told to practice to 80 yards.
His son shot one at 85 yds. He said on the video the arrow looked like it fell from the sky! Then he proceeds to tell me that one guy missed like 7 times, can't imagine that! LOL
I was invited to go next year but I just had to pass.