Hunting with a spear....Thoughts?

[fwagner]

https://youtu.be/V460NAao7wA

Above is a link to a hunter killing a black bear with a spear, I've seen similar videos with guys hunting elk from tree stand with a spear as well. This hunter is taking some serious heat from the media for his method of take. What do you guys think? I have zero experience with a spear but it just doesn't seem like a ethical method of hunting, but I'm on the fence.....

 

[fwagner]

My argument against it would be this.....in most states the requirement to bow hunt has a objective measurement/requirement in terms of a minimum poundage of draw weight. With rifle you need to have a minimum caliber rifle, all to ensure a ethical kill. How do we know that a individual is capable of generating enough force with a spear?

 

[MThuntr]

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?270416-Cecil-the-lion-part-two

You're a few hours late to the conversation

 

[fwagner]

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?270416-Cecil-the-lion-part-two

You're a few hours late to the conversation

Nice!!! I didn't see that, good heads up.

 

[Southwind]

Not my cup of tea. If it were a matter of eating or not I sure would.

 

[Majja]

Survival YES, for sport no. Now it might be fun on lesser game such as bunny's where you can generate the force to make a clean ethical kill.

 

[James Riley]

Spears can easily generate enough force to make a clean kill. Especially thrusting spears. As to throwing spears, you are getting into the same physics argument that you can have between fast, flat shooting, lightweight arrows released from a non-forgiving compound bow, and heavy, rainbow trajectory, wide cutting edge, arrows released from a forgiving long bow.

I won't get into the ethics issue. It presumes too much about our species.

 

[jzeck2]

Personally I don't care to much how the person wants to hunt bears, even though this would not be my choice. I do think we need to remember what this is all about, conservation and food. I have never understood the reaction of yelling and screaming after taking the life of an animal. And I really hate the "its all about me" attitude that is sweeping our society. It seems to me the bear had something to do with it.

What I do care about is how posting such a graphic video for the whole world to see does us any favors. I have written on this forum on other occasions about the mentality of "you can't tell me what to do or post" which is true I can't. I do think we all need to take a very hard look though on what we post and who can see it, it very much hurts the cause to insight such a negative response.

Having grown up in the days of having to wait to get photo's developed and inviting people over to see my Super-8 videos I find myself thinking that may have been a better way to share my experience, i.e. with willing participants that understand or if not understand are at least face to face where i narrate the event, and they are not going to "share" it with everyone and their brothers.

Call me old fashion, or a kill joy, but if we don't straighten our acts up we may lose the thing we love so much.

 

[duckhunt]

I think accuracy would be the biggest issue.

 

[James Riley]

I think accuracy would be the biggest issue.

Definitely. Especially with a throwing spear. Unless something weird is going on, they are going to bugger as soon as you start the motion. If they can "jump" an arrow you can bet they can jump a thrown spear.

 

[fwagner]

Definitely. Especially with a throwing spear. Unless something weird is going on, they are going to bugger as soon as you start the motion. If they can "jump" an arrow you can bet they can jump a thrown spear.

Not only that but he attached a "go-pro" to the shaft of the spear. For what purpose!!! You can't tell me that he practiced with that camera on there and that the camera didn't negatively effect the accuracy. Having a camera mounted with, what im assuming is to have a close up the carnage from the impact, is beyond ridiculous in my opinion.

 

[James Riley]

Not only that but he attached a "go-pro" to the shaft of the spear. For what purpose!!! You can't tell me that he practiced with that camera on there and that the camera didn't negatively effect the accuracy. Having a camera mounted with, what im assuming is to have a close up the carnage from the impact, is beyond ridiculous in my opinion.

Yes, sir. I'm in the choir.

 

[sbhooper]

I saw the black bear kill with the spear on TV. I think Tim Wells was the one that did it and he is completely crazy. He has killed all kinds of stuff with a spear, including Australian water buffalo-which is no joke. There is no way that I could keep my composure and kill something with a spear, but he did and more power to him. After all, that is where it all started.

That big bear did not go far after having an axe thrown through him.

Nebraska just legalized spear hunting. It definitely will not affect the population much.

-

 

[O C Hunter]

Atlatls are legal for deer and small game in Missouri. They have lots of energy and killing ability. I question their accuracy in the hands of most people though. I would consider them more ethical for large game, as they can easily bring down a Mammoth, and large targets don't require as much accuracy. Very few people hunt with them, so I don't think it's a big issue.

 

[Rancho Loco]

I'd rather run my critters off a cliff before I spear them.

 

[Southern Elk]

I have enough trouble trying to shoot them with a bow.