You know, some of here on this site have been shooting bow's for a very long time. I myself have been for close to 40 years. back then we didn't have the choices that today's bowhunters do. I personally have always chosen to shoot instinctively (but not always with traditional gear) up until the last couple of years, that's my choice but my best friend has been bowhunting as long as I have and he chose to move into sights,etc. as they evolved. Does this mean he is not as much a bowhunter as I am, of course not. He just chose the other way to shoot. He is still a bowhunter. Over the years I think I have seen just as many fanatics on both sides of the issue. Because someone decides to use a recurve or longbow and then go out and not hit the broadside of a barn with it doesn't mean he is a better bowhunter than someone with high tech equipment who only takes the gear out the week (or even day) before the season because he has it sighted in already. They both are not bowhunters! To me to be a bowhunter means that you owe it to yourself to become as good as you can with whatever equipment it is that you chose to use and then take that same determination into the woods. I've even heard the same type of argument from ground hunters who say hunting from a treestand is cheating. You older hunters should remember hearing that line a lot back when the Baker treestands came around. Yes, I agree with arthur P. when he criticizes the pro shop owners for trying to sell the most expensive gear, (all pro shop owners are not like this) but that's when the bowhunters should help out the newbies at the range and tell them other ways to set up the equipment or other ways to shoot a bow. Maybe I get serious about hearing discussions on this subject because I always seem to think that the anti hunting community loves it when there is desention. Here in NJ the hunters are the minority so I know what I'm talking about. What's the difference if the guy's (or gal's) stabilizer is longer than your bow? As long as they love the sport, put the time in and become prepared and are ethical I say everyone fitting this criteria are Bowhunters.

Bmott