Rich Baker

Food for thought. "at some point technology becomes not an aid but a substitute for sportsmanship" - Aldo Leopold

Arthur P

Rich, it's all archery. Even the crossbow, in it's own unique way, is archery. Dean Torges refers to the differences as traditional archery vs mechanist archery. He's got a very good article which mirrors my thoughts pretty well. He explains his rationale quite well, really cutting to the meat of the issue.

http://www.bowyersedge.com/elements.html

aeroslinger

[quote]ORIGINAL: Rich Baker
In my opinion, thats one of the problems we have as bowhunters. People can shoot a compound for a few weeks and they can group decent and they think they are ready to go hunting. Thats why we have all these 'lost one, missed one' posts. Yes, you can group fair after a few weeks but most who shoot alot know that things change - your muscles, string, etc., the weather impacts arrow flight, etc., etc. They think they are great archers after a few weeks and they are not. Most people who shoot alot would tell you they learned so much more after they began shooting a lot on a regular basis than what they thought they knew when they were shooting good groups with minimal practice. You get to know your bow and your abilities so much better. Not to mention under hunting conditions at unsure distances. My opinion is a gun is no different. Lots of animals are lost not just to archers but gun hunters as well and for the same reason. They sight (they think) their rifles in just before season after not shooting them all year and think they are ready when in fact they are not. Yes, we have made weapons easier but they still take time to really learn. Its always been that man has tried to improve everything around him and will always be. Most will settle in with whatever degree of advancement/improvement they are happy with.

PatriotDually

Well in my state (Mississippi) there is no threat of bowhunters making deer extinct.For example they opened a new WMA last year for bow hunting only, they hoped to take 80-90 does. Only 14 were taken, ( I took 5 of those) it still comes down to scouting, practicing dilegently and doing your homework.To answer your question, "Should we just hand out max amount of tags and let you hunt them anyway you want?" No way, could you imagine if they let gun hunters go in this New WMA? Would have been a slaughter with all those open soy bean fields.Bow hunting you cant just sit out on those fields and shoot 300yrds, we still have to learn the deer and there travel habits, and try and set up on the right trail to the fields.This means being in the woods were at least in my state, its so thick your lucky to get a 20yrd shot. Take that same guy that doesnt do his homework and practice with his bow, give him a rifle, now he can sit on the edge of the field with a pair of jeans and flannel shirt and shoot anything that steps out in it. I have to totatlly disagree with you, its still bowhunting, least in my thick woods. Even if our new bows could shoot out to 70yrds , 90% of the pple cant shoot effective past 25yrds, and 99% of the people cant shoot effective past 35yrds, So i dont see the issue.

Rich Baker

[quote]ORIGINAL: aeroslinger

how times change I see it every year. This year I saw a guy who baught a brand new bow tec he had never shot the day before opening day, he had one pin on the bow and was hitting the bullseye every shot from 10 to 40 yards. it was kind of a eye opening experiance, Later in the year I saw his pic at Sportsmen wherehouse with a nice 6X6, Good for him I am glad he got one. But still it makes me wonder where this is going. granted There are exceptions to everything and most of us, do it the right way or what we feel is right. I wish you guys could see whats comming out soon, can you say 400fps Problem that is holding it back right now is arrow stablization but they will work the bugs out.

Antler Eater

For one thing there would be a major safety factor. It would only be a matter of timebefore people sneaking around in the woods in full camo would get plugged by an over anxious gun hunter.

Not all technology is bad. The compound bow is much easier to master than a recurve or a long bow there is no doubt about that. That factor aids in getting more people into the sport of archery and should help in the humane harvesting of game, though I realize that isn't always the case.

Technology will take care of itself. It goes hand in hand with the law of supply and demand. Whether one chooses to take advantage of it or not is another story. I don't believe technology will be the end of hunting. Money will play a much bigger role in my opinion. Hunting may always be around in one form or another but as it was in the "old country", you might have to be wealthy to legally participate.

mnhotbabe

I live in mn. we hardly have a downword spiral. In fact I have had on any given night 10 - 12 doe and maybe a buck once in a while. I like to watch hunting videos and like they say "Ya we may be set up to the hilt with fancy equiptment and clothing. Set up in prime hunting spots, but you still have to make the shot" I watched the video and an awsome hunter miss two monster bucks. As good as tech. is. I think it all rests on the hunter. If you have time and money you can be good. The hunters that pull their bows out and dont practice will not have good luck.. Archery is a hard sport that requires (at least for me) a close shot, and good hunting skills.In my hunting zone there are 15-22 deer per square mile.

Rich Baker

I couldn't agree more, Money is root of technology In a round about way. look at all the gadget. scent suits, deer lure, Buckview mirror [LMAO when I saw that]. IMO most of this junk is just to get your money. You don't get sponser's for your hunting shows onOLN or the Outdoor channel if you was your clothes in bakeing soda and use vinilla extract as a cover scent . And all the outfitters leaseing all the land up so they can charge Now get this 10,000 bucks for a 300" bull elk, yep thats the going rate out here. One of the propertys we hunt was leased this year By guess who. United states outfitters. thats right break out the check book boys.

Rich Baker

Maybe I am a little different, With my Mathews bow I drew on 7 animals at varying ranges 30 to 60 yards at steep up and down shots. When I look through the peep there is at least three pins on the kill zone, I touched it off and they were dead. one shot was a head on couger at 50 yards down hill. thats a 6" X 6" kill zone I drilled him. and it wasn't tuff SHould I have been able to make that shot with a bow???? I don't know I practice so much it wasn't a question of making it I new I could. Am I glad? Well hell yes, It was awsome . Don't get me wrong Im not saying I'll never use Hi tec gear, And Just because I am hunting with a recurve now In know way makes me holyier than thou. I just thought it would be fun to do . I enjoyed it greatly. But it makes you think when you hunt with the old after the new. JUST where is this crazy thing called archery going..??

HuntinGUS

Although I do not think we on the East coast are experiencing the magnitude of problems that you have out west, I have to agree with a lot of what your saying...however I thing $$$$$ will be the final nail in the cofffin.

I personally am still challenged with Bow hunting with a compound. I have always said that I hope to progress to a long bow or e-curve as I improve my skills....just has not happened yet.

Money IMOwill force a lot of folks out of the woods. Last year for the first time in my life, I had to fork out some cash to lease land....it's not cheap either.[:'(]

How many hunters can afford to hunt if this trend continues? If you quit hunting, your kids don't hunt................we are only one generation away if you ask me from seeing a drastic decline in those who take the field..........