ORIGINAL: Arthur P
I'm glad some are seeing what I was trying to say... believe me I love the bowhunting community and alot are very good people and hunters, it just turns my guts when I read posts about how gun hunters don't have a clue and bowhunting this and bowhunting that...bla..bla..bla
Your right TJF, it does not do us any favors and I might add, shines a bad light on hunting in general.
One thing you guys are missing is the relative YOUTHFULLNESS on this forum. Go look at that poll that ran a week or so back on the age breakdown of the forum's membership. A huge number of these guys are teenagers, probably a lot more of them than there are of us in the over-fifty crowd.
It's great that there are so many young people in bowhunting, and I love it. On the other hand, many of them haven't developed a few things yet. Experience, certainly. An inoffensive way of expressing a conflicting opinion, most definitely. Maturity too, maybe?
Then there are those who recently discovered bowhunting and, for them, nothing else is worth doing. You know how annoying someone who just quit smoking can be? It can be the same for a former gun hunter who has completely fallen in love with bowhunting.
To tell the truth, I think anyone who comes on these forums, takes what is said too seriously, and tries to use it to paint a picture of ALL bowhunters in general, isn't being too darn bright. What kind of view you develop about bowhunting from a forum is very much dependent on the demographics of that particular forum.
Authur
I took an interest in the age poll. While I agree with you... I frequent other hunting sites where the age for most are 40 or better. Just as much bickering if not more over who's way is the best. Maturity can still be questionedwith the older generation too.
I think a lot boils down to flustration. The rifle bashing generally is worst once rifle season starts. Most know once the shells start flying bowhunting will become more difficult. Most know what was a good area to bowhunt before rifle season probably won't be after rifle season. You can see the flustration in their posts. What starts out as flustrationventing post generally turn into bashing.
You will see more slob hunters during rifle season just on account of the large number of people hunting.It is much more visibledue togroup hunting and different methods of hunting verses bowhunting. Bowhunting is a solo and aquiet endeavor. There are still someslobs out there though you. Some fail to realize this though and paint all rifle hunters the same. Sadly it is far from the truth.
Very good post by the way. Us older guys can learn a few things from you.
Tim