RE: 4 dead deer none recovered
Fellas,
We're all on the same team here. All I was trying to do was raise a little awareness to the fact that perhaps we might be thought of as group in a better light if we took a pro-active approach at helping instill knowledge and ethics into our inexperienced or up and coming bowhunters. I don't think anyone's watching but if they were, I don't think the way we jump down eachother's throats paints us in any positive light. I don't know any of you personally but I do know for sure that most of you are more of a hunter than my bil and some of my friends. One guy I know said he doesn't care and that he'll shoot deer in the head if he has to. I refuse to go to the woods with him. PERIOD. This is a big part of the reason why I'm here on this forum. There is nothing that I can learn from those physically around me except how many precioushours I can waste looking for gut-shot deer while I could otherwise be on stand. Conversely, there is much I have learned here through the collective wisdom.
I have 2 kids and a wife and my time out therein the woods is very limited. My equipment is as top notch as I think my top notch can be at this point. I practice with my Vectrix regularly to make sure my shooting ability isas honed as possible. My bil and the like bring out the bow they probably drop regularly on the weekends for what I call "deer shooting." Some of them are family and friends so I don't push my views too much if at all on them for sake of the relationship. The only reason I picked at my bil's Christian background is because he has on more than one occasion preached it but then turns around and carelesslylays God's creatures to waste. I was born and raised Christian so I know that one of the commandmentsis "thou shall not kill." And yes, I know the implied meaning is that of killing other human beings. Implied yet from that though,is thou shall not recklessly take away life even that of animal form. I'll leave it at that.
The main reason I started this whole (wasn't supposed to be a debate) was because I know of 9 unrecovered deer this year just between 3 bowhunters/deer shooters. One of those lost deer was mine that I described. (For the guy who came up with fancy biblical proverbs and said I was pointing fingers but later deleted his post... yes, I was pointing fingers but also equally at myself) Anyway, I hit my intended mark but later learned it was sooooo not supposed to be the mark for that particular shot scenario. After whoopin myself silly, Ibegan a quest for self-improvement. I studied many deer anatomy photos and imagined arrow paths for various shot scenarios. Since then, I've harvested a button buck and a 4 1/2 yr old 250lb 10 pointer with fairly speedy expirations. I am glad for whoopin myself silly over my one bad shot because 2 good shots followed as a result. This baby step in my maturation as a bowhunter(the way the definition should read) is what I wanted to contribute to those who have just taken up this love we all have.
As a token of my appreciation for the collective wisdom I've been graced with here on this forum, I will start a new thread where you can add your experience post by post. The focus of the thread will be "what to do before the shot." This will encompass everything that one can do to prepare him or herself for a safe, responsible, ethical, and successful hunt.
As a wise man once said, you're either part of the problem or you're part of the solution. The solution or goal here is instilling the right things into the new or inexperienced or even those humble enough to accept a refresher.