unethical shots

[SteveB]

am in total agreement with AUTUMNARCHER,The angles and the distance they have set up at these 3d shoots just gives false positives. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I HEARD THIS! IF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A REAL DEER I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM FOR SURE!  

Usually when I hear this on a 3D range. it was not a "called" shot. Instead the shooter missed the 10 and justifies a bad shot with "would a killed a real deer". Not saying everyone, but if you are shooting for the "kill" instead of the 10, call it Especially on the dinasaur.  :D  

Steve

[Autumnarcher]

I  think we all have had times on a 3D course where we question either the distance, the angle or the amount of stuff blocking the shot. It drives me nuts that some who set targets think they have to put a ton of branches blocking a shorter shot from the Trad stake. That somehow, because we take shorter shots on a whole, that we like to have to shoot through bushes all day. That somehow we don't mind losing a quiver full of arrows on deflections and broken shafts.

Being that the majority of shoots are not money shoots, the most you get for a top score is bragging rights or a ribbon, there is no need to have to spend the day taking shots like that. If I do not like the stake placement, I move a little to make the shot realistic.

What we do when I take to family to a shoot is focus on fun, not scores. I think we can take some tough shots, and learn why or why not we would take that in the woods. The challenge helps develop focus on psicking a spot.

We look at a well placed quartering shot, and though it may only be a 5 , we look at the arrow angle to deecide if is was indeed a good hunting shot.

I guess it depends on your motivation for shooting 3D shoots. I shoot them for two reasons, FUN, and hunting practice. Of course others revel in the scorecard competitioin, and there is nothing wrong with that.

where things get sticky is when the long shot attitude finds its way into the hunting woods, and as this thread is focused- videos.

I like to practice shooting distances longer than I would ever take in the woods. It makes you prefect form and technique which will benefit your shooting at all distances. I shoot at all kinds of body positions too.

But when it comes to shooting at live game, the issue becomes whether I can make a high percentage shot with maximum confidence that it will result in as quick and humane death as possible for that animal. Long distance shots significantly increase the odds that the animal will not be in the same position when the arrow arrives as it was when it left the bow.

These producers of videos have really missed the opportunity to reinforce shot selection to the masses, for the most part due to pressure from sponsors to show a kill at all costs.

[WIND WALKER]

Thanks for cleaning that up a little for me Steve. Thats where I was going with that statement.

[Steve H.]

There's some really poor judgement on shot selection with some of "our" trad heros on film too.  Anyone who would take a quartering to shot on a mtn goat of all animals, whether they get them or not, is not using good judgemnet.

[PAPA BEAR]

go to darwinmcduck on youtube click on the hog hunting...I WARN YOU THIS IS DISGUSTING...this is what we have to stop

[PAPA BEAR]

the local 3d shoot in the area here is in my opinion absolutely ridiculas.the traditional archer has to shoot from the same stakes as the compound shooter.there are shots out to 100 yds and everywhere in between.in my opinion this only promotes bad shots which then promotes bad ethics.  

[SteveB]

And forks make Rosie O fat.  :D  

Steve

[ozy clint]

yep checked out the you tube thing. sadly the anti's think we're all like that. maybe we should give the guns to the pigs.  

[PAPA BEAR]

yes they do percieve us to be all blood thirsty gun totin murderers that shoot everything that moves. the you tube segmant is very bad for all hunters images.

[PAPA BEAR]

you'll never guess where i found the link to that.

[fireball31]

the local 3d shoot in the area here is in my opinion absolutely ridiculas.the traditional archer has to shoot from the same stakes as the compound shooter.there are shots out to 100 yds and everywhere in between.in my opinion this only promotes bad shots which then promotes bad ethics.

I think we are underestimating the intelligence of the average bowhunter.  I know of only a couple people that I've run accross that are stupid enough to take bad shots regularly.  Personally I like it when the 3d course gives me wierd or hard shots.  I'm picking a spot and trying to hit it.  It is an inanimate object and I think most people can distinguish the difference between shots that can be taken at a 3d target vs a real animal.

[PAPA BEAR]

lets say a guy shoots a 60yd shot at a 3d target and like the good old blind squirrel gets a nut and scores a kill on it.....same shooter goes elk hunting and sees a bull at 60yds or so...he has a false confidence in his mind that he can still make the shot...he shoots...one problem,sound travels at what speed compared to the arrow? elk jumps forward and stops the arrow with his gut or hindquarter.end result lost elk more than likely will die from infection.this is where ethics have to be used and not just pride and greed to kill something...i would trade the 13 bulls i have taken with archery equipment to save just one from a bad hit.m2c

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Back before 3D's were all the rage, we used to shoot NFAA animal rounds, which were smaller targets at longer distances than the trad stakes people shoot from these days. Heck, the old NFAA Hunter rounds were shot out to 70 yards, and somehow we were smart enough to figure out the difference between a target and an actual animal.

[PAPA BEAR]

yes i agree but the difference between you and todays average hunter is ethics.it seems that younger hunters today are more concerned about how big and how it scores.i quizzed my fiances 13 year old son after he completed hunters safety and he said there was virtually no coverage of ethical hunting.granted some areas of the safety part is the same as ethics but it boils down to parenting the young hunters and providing them with the seeds to have the ethics planted in them so they can grow.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

elkherder,

I suppose I’m not that pessimistic about today’s hunters. I go to a lot of 3D shoots and other events and talk to probably hundreds of people every year. Honestly, I don’t see any more folks doing stupid stuff now than they did back then. As a matter of fact, the overwhelming majority of people I meet every year just love to hunt and want to make sure they have a safe, fun time and kill their game quickly and humanely. You’re always going to have certain vocal minorities, but we can’t let the few skew our perceptions of the many.

[Dartwick]

Im no fan of 60 yards shots in competition - I have no use for that range and I dont practice it.

BUT the position that it should not be part of competitions because it might encourage a bad shot in the field is a weak and tired argument.

We cant live our lives fearful that neutral and casual actions on our part might encourage dummys to act dumb.
Now if you were talking about a shoot just for kids you might or might not have a point, but not with respect a normal shoot.

[Arwin]

Originally posted by elkherder:
go to darwinmcduck on youtube click on the hog hunting...I WARN YOU THIS IS DISGUSTING...this is what we have to stop

That was disturbing!!!!! It's people like that giving hunting a bad name.  

[PAPA BEAR]

i'm not going to tell you where i found that video i'd probably get sued or something.but yes it is very disturbing.thank you dartwick good point.

[MI_Bowhunter]

Originally posted by elkherder:
go to darwinmcduck on youtube click on the hog hunting...I WARN YOU THIS IS DISGUSTING...this is what we have to stop

It's people and video's like this that make the battle to maintain hunting rights/privileges so difficult.  The damage done to the image of hunting by that one video in the hands of antis is massive.

And it boggles my mind how people can do/post stuff like this and then wonder why people want to ban hunting, guns, etc.

[TradBowyer]

back when I played basketball in high school, we would throw up some 1/2 court even 3/4 court shots before practice just cause they were fun to do...however, we never shot them in a game situation cause we happened to make one or two in practice. I thought archery was suppossed to be fun...If I followed some of the responses I"ve read on this thread, I wouldn't go to another 3D shoot in my life, some of you need to stop worrying about other people and jsut enjoy shooting..put the fun back into it or hang it up..MORE STANDING BEAR 40 YRD SHOTS!!!!! (running back to my cave)