ORIGINAL: stubblejumper
Atlasman-Your hunting experience is obviously very limited in nature.
Iowa, PA, and NY...........bow, muzzleloader, shotgun, rifle.........from the thickest crap to wide open farms. Next year hopefully a NM Elk tag.
Have you ever hunted the open prairies for deer?
I don't know if Iowa is considered a prairie......if not then no.
Try walking upwind of a big buck in mid season and see if he sticks around.
I wouldn't walk upwind of a big buck if I was hunting him
It's easy to theorize about things that you have not tried but reality is often very different indeed.
I have seen tons of deer at ranges of 300+ yards...........and I have seen tons of deer up close. The ones up close tend to spook a little easier. I have put my scope on numerous deer way across the farm field we hunt and just smile when I know I would have greased them with a 270.......then I put my gun down and hope they head my way
I would think that in your opinion, using a firearm would be shooting and not hunting.
It's MORE shooting then hunting........it's all hunting. Geesh guys don't get all defensive about being a hunter.......no one said you weren't.
Taking a deer with my shotgun is more shooting skill because my range is extended dramatically........this allows me more forgiveness in movements, scent, sound......all things I could NEVER get away with while hunting with my bow. Just like a rifle allows an even more forgiveness because of it's even greater range.........you don't have to worry about a deer seeing you blink or hearing your sfety click if it is 1,000 feet away.