#1 if it were not for rifle hunting most species elk deer especially would over populate there region and starve out and die in winter. the average joe hunter is not as skilled a woodsman as the average bowhunter and getting within 30 yards to a broadside animal is out of the question. and as all hunters are responsible for taking care of our herds, rifles are a important part of the equasion
#2 here in north idaho the # of animal vehicle colisions each year is equall to the # of animals killed during a givin hunting season. if it were not for them cheating rifle hunters the # of people killed in these colisions would more then likely go up.
#3 the % of hunters in the US has steadily gone down since the late 1970s . thus i think anyway we can get the younger generation involved is a good way. if we cannot teach the youger generation our hunting ways the inner city populations will no doubt vote our hunting away from us by calling all hunting imoral and such.
#4 im just guessing on this one from personall experiance but the amount of time spent in the feild for a bowhunter is much greater then a rifle hunter. not all of us have unlimited time to bag our trophies. alot of people work long tedious hours, and may only be able to hunt 4 or 5 days a givin season. the rifle gives these people a chance

in conclusion i say rifle hunters are just that .....HUNTERS i think there is more then enough wild game to go around. if game became less prolificate and less likely of overpopulation then my views may be changed. this is also a northwestern view it may not be the same view taken by others in different areas of the country.