Bowhunters - not a big impact?

[golfer]

***I’ve never taken a shot at an animal at these distances nor ever would consider it.***

Here’s an example of modern compound technology going too far:

I haven’t shot my bow in a couple weeks. I pulled up to the range, stepped out of the truck cold, forgot to consider the maybe 6mph light breeze on my neck moving left to right, and this was my first shot of the day at 134 yards:
View attachment 341022

I then shot 2 arrows each at 90, 100, 110, and the one green arrow at 120, which I would consider a poor shot but within the “BOA”:

View attachment 341024

Adult onset hunters without much experience, people with poor ethics, people needing kill content for their egos/livelihood, etc. are having similar results at the range and carrying it over to the field on live targets with the multitude of other variables that accompany a living animal and hunting situation. I’d be all for regulating technology capabilities in all aspects of hunting, rifle and archery. We will eventually have to do so or face less opportunity to hunt.

Is your bottom pin 0.010?

 

[Ought Six]

Is your bottom pin 0.010?

.019, I plan to eventually swap it for a .010 but haven’t yet, but I get what you’re getting at

 

[golfer]

.019, I plan to eventually swap it for a .010 but haven’t yet, but I get what you’re getting at

Whatever aside, for as much as that pin covers at that distance that’s dam good shooting.

 

[Forkyfinder]

***I’ve never taken a shot at an animal at these distances nor ever would consider it.***

Here’s an example of modern compound technology going too far:

I haven’t shot my bow in a couple weeks. I pulled up to the range, stepped out of the truck cold, forgot to consider the maybe 6mph light breeze on my neck moving left to right, and this was my first shot of the day at 134 yards:
View attachment 341022

I then shot 2 arrows each at 90, 100, 110, and the one green arrow at 120, which I would consider a poor shot but within the “BOA”:

View attachment 341024

Adult onset hunters without much experience, people with poor ethics, people needing kill content for their egos/livelihood, etc. are having similar results at the range and carrying it over to the field on live targets with the multitude of other variables that accompany a living animal and hunting situation. I’d be all for regulating technology capabilities in all aspects of hunting, rifle and archery. We will eventually have to do so or face less opportunity to hunt.

Open sights for mule deer and elk in montana the last 2 weeks would be so cool

 

[TheTone]

***I’ve never taken a shot at an animal at these distances nor ever would consider it.***

Here’s an example of modern compound technology going too far:

I haven’t shot my bow in a couple weeks. I pulled up to the range, stepped out of the truck cold, forgot to consider the maybe 6mph light breeze on my neck moving left to right, and this was my first shot of the day at 134 yards:
View attachment 341022

I then shot 2 arrows each at 90, 100, 110, and the one green arrow at 120, which I would consider a poor shot but within the “BOA”:

View attachment 341024

Adult onset hunters without much experience, people with poor ethics, people needing kill content for their egos/livelihood, etc. are having similar results at the range and carrying it over to the field on live targets with the multitude of other variables that accompany a living animal and hunting situation. I’d be all for regulating technology capabilities in all aspects of hunting, rifle and archery. We will eventually have to do so or face less opportunity to hunt.

You should quit whatever you do for a living and go make money as a professional archer if you’re doing that completely cold and without practice for two weeks

 

[Ought Six]

You should quit whatever you do for a living and go make money as a professional archer if you’re doing that completely cold and without practice for two weeks

It’s nothing new, lots of guys on here are doing the same thing at the range with a dial sight, just like rifle guys picking up a new long range set-up rifle and shooting 800 yards. A long shot is the same as a short shot if your form and anchor are consistent. @The Hedgehog was doing it 20 years ago at 140 yards and is still doing it with broadheads at 100 yards today. I remember hearing about a guy killing a bull at 120 yards in the early 2000’s, as unethical as that is.

 

[Rie Bread]

Compound bows are cheating

 

[Archer86]

Compound bows are cheating

What do you consider modern day rifles and rangefinders then?

 

[Gr8bawana]

Compound bows are cheating

This is the only acceptable way to hunt, right?

 

[Elktrack]

This is the only acceptable way to hunt, right?

View attachment 341352

Get real man!
No one is gonna hunt with a loincloth.
Haha

 

[DFS]

I love to bowhunt. But I am convinced some people shouldn’t do it. This is a very fair thread especially from some of the story’s I’ve heard the last couple weeks.

 

[Nick87]

I love to bowhunt. But I am convinced some people shouldn’t do it

Couldn't agree more.

 

[ismith]

I love to bowhunt. But I am convinced some people shouldn’t do it. This is a very fair thread especially from some of the story’s I’ve heard the last couple weeks.

Ever hear that? It's a bunch of BS.

Check out this sentence in an FWP report I'm reading regarding an antelope unit.

During most years since 2011, the 900-20 license resulted in 30-50% of total harvest across Hunting District XXX. In 2023, it made up 49% of all harvests and 75% of buck harvests.

The 900 permit .. beautiful?

Yeah, I think we need to make some changes……..

 

[Hem]

I'm getting tired of hearing " I shot a bull, but lost him"

 

[Forkyfinder]

I'm getting tired of hearing " I shot a bull, but lost him"

Interesting - i saw a decent little whitetail scampering across the country side in a bma- with a shot off ass. 3/4 mile down the road a young lady with her boyfriend are walking towards a truck. I stop to tell them where i saw it and her boyfriend explains that she had a 243 but he wanted her to use 7mm mag - you know to "knock him down". Shes shook - i imagine both from wounding and absorbing recoil/blast past her comfort zone. "She"ll be ready to shoot him again with it when we find him." Theres no way that WT makes it a few days but ill bet those folks never found him.

I saw some pretty wild things happen on isolated land public off the highway in a place i dont wish to name for fear of encouraging more of the same. Blasts into groups. Multiple hunters.
Certainly wounded elk were running off.

Maybe ive done enough bow/rifle hunting to see plenty of ugly happen with both. Hard time saying whats "worse" to me.

 

[Ought Six]

There are plenty of stories from both sides of the aisle for sure. Definitely seems like the rifle ones don’t get talked about as much or with as much scrutiny.

I know a guy who moved here from out east and a year or 2 ago, wounded 2 different mule deer bucks, one most certainly a fatal shot, and the other he shot 8 times at, before finally shooting and recovering a third. He said he didn't want the $600 or whatever it was he spent on the NR tag to go to waste. He is a resident now and most certainly hasn’t been working on his rifle shooting, which is scary.

An old boss of mine loved to tell rifle hunting stories, however all of his ‘best’ stories were about missing game or wounding and not recovering game. Some of those misses he admitted he didn’t follow up on to check for blood.

I think some people just aren’t meant for shooting weapons under pressure no matter how much they practice. There’s some guys out there that something inherently bad happens every time they pull the trigger or release an arrow.

Archery guys are definitely worse about airing their dirty laundry on the internet. Maybe it’s because it’s more a part of the process to shoot an animal and have to go look for it even after a really good shot. Either way there is some attention seeking “look at me I shot an elk…. But didn’t find it” hunters validation they are looking for too.

Not saying the archery guys don’t wound more though, but hard to say how many more.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Not saying the archery guys don’t wound more though, but hard to say how many more.

This might be true - but at least they have a chance to make it on non organ damage shots.

Ive seen people be way too casual about wounding stuff. Some people use rifles. Some use bows. Some use both.

 

[rjthehunter]

I'd rather miss than have a questionable hit on something.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Does everybody that cripples/maims/gut shoots an elk go to social media and hunting forums to start a topic? This one’s my favorite of the day..

 

[ismith]

Does everybody that cripples/maims/gut shoots an elk go to social media and hunting forums to start a topic? This one’s my favorite of the day..
View attachment 342625

Same arrow? This his "big bull".