RE: Bowhunting dangerous game!
I guided in Alaska for a number of years in the 80's -90', and had a number of clients take bear,moose,caribou with a bow. At first I was VERY skeptical(even though I was a bowhunter), but witnessed many clean/quick kills with the bow. Our outfit did it right though. As a client, you had to prove your skill by shooting at the lodge before being allowed to "hunt" with a bow. If you didn't pass the test at the lodge, then you had to use a gun, no exceptions. A number of clients were pissed at this, but in reality it is for the safety of the hunter/guide/packer and the animal. I will say that I always carried a short barrell 12 guage for backup. Nothing throws as much lead as a 12 gauge, and you may be the best archer in the world, but you'd be surprised at how many folks "freeze" up when the crucial moment arrives and make a bad shot. Once you've had to go into an alder thicket after a wounded bear, you'll ALWAYS carry a backup. Taz