Originally Posted by
brucelanthier
IMO There is a difference between good/great bow shooters and good/great bow hunters.
Yes. most folks can pick up a compound bow and get good groups on a stationary target at 15-20 yards but, as you well know, there is a huge difference between knowing when and how to shoot at an inert bag at 15-20 yards and knowing when and how to shoot at a live animal at any yardage.
Great post. I'd like to add that I haven't yet encountered any "target" that makes my heart start beating so hard that I would swear the shooter next to me is going to hear it, makes me have to fight to control my breathing so I don't pass out or makes me struggle to keep my legs from shaking as I get ready to draw. It just reinforces the fact that shooting at a target and shooting at a deer are two totally different things.
In response to the original question, I don't think that you're wrong at all. Strangely enough I'm pretty much in the exact same situation. My brother-in-law from Arizona is on a construction job in the area and will be staying with us every weekend for about the next year. (Yippee.) He's a gun enthusiast and he's a great shot, but he's never hunted big game and he's never shot a bow. He wants to buy a bow and bowhunt with me. I would have no problem putting him on "a decent" stand once he's gotten some practice under his belt, but as to whether or not I put him on my best stands would depend on quite a few factors. For instance, he smokes. I don't want any smoking on my stands and I don't care how many deer other smokers have killed. Also, even if he is a good shot within a week or two, what kind of hunter will he be? Is he going to constantly fidget, move, stand up and stretch and get busted by everything that enters the area? I don't want someone that does that in my best spots - I've worked hard to find those spots and get set up. How will he perform under pressure? There are so many factors and in the end it would be totally up to me. There isn't really any "right" or "wrong". If he demonstrates what I consider to be good hunting practices then I'd have no problem putting him on my best spots, but not before that. Is that selfish? Maybe, but I won't have any trouble sleeping at night.