Having a 1 1/2 hr commute one way i have lots of time to think, and after hearing some of the so called ,hunting exploits of last weekend, from co- workers, i thought id pose this question.
A love for the simple "stick & string"... A fondness for plaid... and wool... Good Luck charms... a cherished hat.....
A true Bowhunter is someone who not only accepts the added challenge of closing the distance to his quarry, passing up less than perfect shot angles or obstructions, making mistakes (often daily in the pursuit of his quarry) and often ends seasons with unfilled tags, but does it willingly with a smile. :bigsmyl:
A person's behavior tells the story. Sounds like you heard some stuff that didn't sit well with you.
Bill, you aint kidding, I was told of 90 yrd poke and hope shots, just the opposite of a deer drive, but in fact a deer chase! trying to shoot while running!, these guys told of things that any self respecting Bowhunter would be ashamed of!
Needless to say, that i pissed a few people off today, holding my tongue is a virtue i never received.
Sorry guys, I like the literal definition...A bowhunter is one who hunts with a bow (both traditional and compound).
The rest of the stuff defines a hunter's ethics and could be characteristic any sort of hunter.
I like Bill's and wetfeathers definition as thats how I feel
I'd say you need a shorter commute :) Thinkin' too hard hurts my head. Maybe a new CD or somethin' would help.
John, i wish it was shorter, but you gotta go to where the money is.
Ive been lucky, being in the construction industry for 26 yrs, ive got to sleep in my own bed every night, and not in a motel on the road. Even with the long commute, i feel pretty Blessed.
"Holding your tongue" is too common these days...I personally consider choosing necessary words wisely more of a virtue than not speaking what needs saying.
USUALLY, I favor of LESS regulation in most things, BUT...I am thinking that mandatory BOWHUNTER education is a concept who`s time has come.
I`ll second jsweka.
I'll take an hour and half drive any day instead of my 20 hour drive to my hunting grounds! This year I'm cheating and taking the plane. Hats off to you mole man for calling those guys out, that I'd really a shame that they "hunt" like that. I wouldn't want to be in the same vicinity as them in the woods.
jsweka, posted very well, good ethics are not just limited to bowhunting, but to all the hunting sports.
QuoteOriginally posted by moleman:
Bill, you aint kidding, I was told of 90 yrd poke and hope shots, just the opposite of a deer drive, but in fact a deer chase! trying to shoot while running!, these guys told of things that any self respecting Bowhunter would be ashamed of!
Needless to say, that i pissed a few people off today, holding my tongue is a virtue i never received.
those dont sound like the actions of any true bowhunter to me
sounds like a batch of slobs for sure!
I guess one of the overwhelming things that prompted me to start this post was my Dad.
Being raised in a hunting family, and knowing that my ole man would have wore out a pair of boots kicking my butt all over the woods for actions like that, makes their lack of ethics hard to believe.
Though hes been gone for many yrs. the lessons and ethics that he taught will be with me forever.
Thanks Pop.
I agree with what was said earlier a bow hunter as defind would be one who hunts with a bow and arrow. But 90 yard shots and the such sounds to me to be the action of immature, disrespecful people who give the rest of us a bad name. If spoke well on the behalf of the rest of us then good for you. Speaking up isn't a bad thing. If you don't stand up for yourself and what you believe then who will. Hopefully something you said will change some of there behavior.
The use of archery equipment to hunt and harvest wild game and fish.
Maybe the question is "what defines a bowhunter with good judgement, integrity, and ethics?" Cheers Moleman!
Not answering your question directly....but as I was getting ready for Idaho, a guy asked me what distance I was practicing at. I told him that I wasn't doing anything different....from very close out to maybe 30 yards. He said something like "Ohhhh no....you have to be shooting at least 50 yards out there".
"Huh" I said...
If you hunt with a bow, modern or traditional, you are a bowhunter.
To me, ethics and the total enjoyment of the experiance. so, far this year I have stalked several deer and one turkey and got busted right before the shot, those are right up there to some of the game i harvested.
A Love of Archery, the Love of the Hunt not just the "KILL". The Love of the Outdoor Wonders We seem to see and be aware of more than other Hunters, and not throw a Hissy Fit if we come home empty handed. The "Promise and The Truth of Ethical Shots" as well as tracking the Animal until it is Found should we get a Bad Shot. No Excuses!
True Story from a Neighborhood Compound Hunter that made a 60 Yard shot at a Decent Buck, Hitting it in the Front Shoulder. "We followed the Good Blood Trail for about 3 Hours, Jumped the Wounded animal that took off toward the thicker woods, I said "P_ss on it!! Let it die!" And he and his Buds chaulked it off and Came Home! .. BRAGGING about the Awsome Shot he made. Makes Me SICK!! Title of Tale should be, "How Not to be a BowHunter, and Stay Home and Play Computer Games." Ugh.... :mad:
This is the Type of "Hunter" that will ruin Our Sport for ALL of Us. :(
I think a true bowhunter is someone who can sit back let deer walk when the opportunity isn't right But can connect when it is right. They are someone who accepts anybody wether they use the wheels or just a simple stick and string. Someone wo is willing to teach another bowhunter what they know not only how but why they do the stuff they do. Most importantly I think it is someone who is dedicated to the sport for the fun of being out in the wildernes to experience the things you don't see in every day life.
JMHO
What makes a "True" bow-hunter?? Respect.
Respect for the game. Respect for the property and the owners. Respect for themselves to know the rules and abide by them.
Someone that Loves doing what they do and it happens to be with a bow.RC
Wetfeathers and Bill Carlsen pretty much summed it up for me. But would like to add I know alot of bow hunters who respect the outdoors from picking up someone else's trash they left behind to stopping their vehicle to move a turtle out of the road. Don
The bowhunter seeks to test "himself" against his quarry.
MBS
I met a compound bowhunter last week. He was hunting on Posted land so I waited for him to come out. The land was not posted well and he was unaware. He turned out to be a really nice guy....family man with 3 teenagers that he spends time with when they have things they need him for. We spent an hour or more in the dark talking and sharing stories. I also suggested areas to hunt he might like to look in to. My big mistake was not getting contact info...he's the kind of guy I could hunt with. His weapon of choice was of no concern to me but he was intensely curious about my trad bow and success with it as well as Laura's. The weapon does not tell you about a person's character or ethics. You need to get to know and observe.
I think it's knowing and fully understanding the limitations of your bow, one's own abilities and staying within those bounds, regardless of the outcome.
Those guys you work with need to take up putt-putt golf. Sounds more their speed...
JL
Sadly, common sense isn't as common as it once was.
Unfortunately, except in our minds, there is no definition, and what is in our minds is pretty time dependant.
The word "Hunter" doesn't always bring up the best of personages, historically, and bowhunters had their day. A bunch of us take it seriously but equally as many just see it as a thing to do. A cool thing, for some.
At one tme, long shots , shots at running game, and inadequate equipment was almost the norm, not
the exception. I hope those days have gone by.
We have gotten better, we have developed a sort of code amongst a large group of the more hardcore bowhunters, and I dare say the Trad group leads in this respect. We try really hard to be both a killer of game and an ethical human being.
Right now, being a bowhunter is a lot of things, some of which, I hope I fit into.
ChuckC
While intentionally avoiding any arguments over what is bowhunting "sins". A real bowhunter is the person that thinks bow and arrow when anything hunting is involved. Right now we are being plagued by two 'bowhunters' with inline muzzle loaders. when they bow hunt they stay in one of their numerous tree stands. They want everyone to treat them like they are neon no trespassing signs. Now that the early season muzzle loader season is on, they are running around like crazy men thinking that they can out run deer. A real bowhunter would never disrespect the game or the fellow bowhunters the way they do when they are running around with their guns.
" The weapon does not tell you about a person's character or ethics. You need to get to know and observe."
Well said.
missing defines a bowhunter.... =) at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Bill and wetfeathers defenition .
Anytime I start drawing lines and excluding folks, I assume I'm the one in the wrong.
Bad behavior is bad behavior and has nothing to do with what group you do or don't belong to. Folks who can't conduct themselves properly should be reminded that their actions aren't appropriate and have an impact on others.
A bowhunter is someone that hunts with a bow. I am a bowhunter...
I don't want to cause a stir, but it has been mentioned over and over about unfilled tags meaning that your a "true" sportsman or bowhunter. I don't buy that nonsense at all.
I don't take crap shots.
I don't take long shots.
I don't take shots at bad angles.
I am a bowhunter that DOES take time to do the necessary work to set up a perfect situation. I hardly ever end season with unfilled tags. 4 deer and 2 turkeys are not at all out of the question.
Don't hint that just because a man fills his tags he is doing something wrong or that just because a man has leftover tags that he is doing something right.
God Bless,
Nathan
QuoteOriginally posted by jsweka:
Sorry guys, I like the literal definition...A bowhunter is one who hunts with a bow (both traditional and compound).
The rest of the stuff defines a hunter's ethics and could be characteristic any sort of hunter.
Agreed :thumbsup:
QuoteOriginally posted by Bill Carlsen:
I met a compound bowhunter last week. He was hunting on Posted land so I waited for him to come out. The land was not posted well and he was unaware. He turned out to be a really nice guy....family man with 3 teenagers that he spends time with when they have things they need him for. We spent an hour or more in the dark talking and sharing stories. I also suggested areas to hunt he might like to look in to. My big mistake was not getting contact info...he's the kind of guy I could hunt with. His weapon of choice was of no concern to me but he was intensely curious about my trad bow and success with it as well as Laura's. The weapon does not tell you about a person's character or ethics. You need to get to know and observe.
Worth repeating. :)
I know plenty of folks who hunt with a bow that aren't bowhunters. They hunt with a bow just so they can get the couple of extra weeks to hunt in the early season.They put the bow down as soon as the season is over and pick up the guns. They don't pick up the bow again words to it until a week before the season. I don't believe these guys are bowhunters though they hunt with a bow.
Good stuff! The real issue you had to deal with was ethics. Bow hunting was just a happen stance. They had bad ethics bow or gun hunting.
I had given up deer hunting and hunting in general for almost 20yrs! I had quit hunting because I lost my desire to hunt game with a firearm, I pretty much got a deer every year with a gun, Nov 15th would come, I go to my spot & usually got my deer within the first week, season over! I started shooting Trad bow with my son LimbLover, I was instantly hooked on the Trad bow but I really didn't plan on hunting with one! However my kid and I started stumping & chasing squirrels and such and my passion to hunt deer again was re-ignited, so far I have not killed one deer but I have had many great learning expierances since my Trad journey started in my early 50s! Now when I go into the field w my longbow I just enjoy what nature has to offer everytime I go in the woods! Sure I will be elated when I make my first Trad deer harvest w my longbow but I am never disapointed when I do not! I have seen my share of deer and have taken a few shots all clean misses, hit some branches, past up on many others and have been busted more times than not especially from those big ole smart does, but each time I gain more knowledge! Who knows maybe this will be my year looking good so far! But how can you argue with this scene, amazing! (http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae270/ripforce_photo/IMG_0930.jpg)
when your skills and ethics are your core, not your equipment and desire
For sure one who hunts with a bow is a bow hunter. However, I'm older school than that. Hunting with a bow and being a bowhunter are two different things to me.
Neither do I believe all the important attributes of a bowhunter are limited to those who hunt with bows.
How I hunt is far more important to me than filling a tag. In fact, that was true of me when I started at age 16 (big game) and now at 58.
The bowhunters I like to hang with are:
1. Proficient with their equipment.
2. Have solid woodsmanship skills.
3. Respect and research their quarry.
4. Respect other hunters and the ethical choices of same
5. Understand their role in conservation.
6. Pause long enough to pass bowhunting on.
QuoteOriginally posted by wetfeathers:
A true Bowhunter is someone who not only accepts the added challenge of closing the distance to his quarry, passing up less than perfect shot angles or obstructions, making mistakes (often daily in the pursuit of his quarry) and often ends seasons with unfilled tags, but does it willingly with a smile. :bigsmyl:
To me this about sums it up.
I think the majority of bowhunters are ethical in spirt. I think the real reason they make poor shots is that they aren't honest with themselves with their capabilities. We just have to find a way not to delude ourselves about making shots in the woods we know we can't during practice.
I like what Bowwild say in bullet #4. I love Maurice and Will Thomson, Pope, Young, Pearson, Bear....but many today would not welome their type of ethics as far as shot taking. At least Maurice and Will they considered it unethical to not give an animal a sporting chance not to limit shot choices. Not tying to stir the pot times have change and image is huge "I guess" but many today spout off about others ethics and without realizinng it are throwing our heros under the bus! Bowhunters like the extra challenge and gun blasts make my head hurt!
Lots of older hunters back in the day shot long shots but ethics were differentbthen
With more and more people going to crossbows there will be more run-n-gun 80 yard shots. I always liked the "What is a bowhunter" poem in Fred Bears Restless Spirit DVD. It pretty much sums it up.
To me, a true bowhunter hunts only with a bow. Some guys in this town I live in call themselves bowhunters. But when gun season starts and their tags are not filled, they will go out and blow something away with a gun.
I call myself a true bowhunter, I will hunt until the end with my bow only. I have eaten quite a few tags over the years though. :D Even a Bighorn sheep tag. I will probably never draw one again the rest of my life. :readit:
I have nothing against the "two" season hunters, just not for me.
(I kill coyotes with a gun for a living, and find shooting stuff a long ways out get's pretty boring after a while) Waaaaay too easy with a gun.
You're the guy I thought of when I read the title of this thread, Tracy.
You don't wear camo (although, you blend in very well) AND you mentioned before it's the bow or no.
Eating tags isn't so bad when a fella will stick to his principles. You inspire me.