Damn, I swore I wasn't going to come to work and do this today.
We are all hunters. We all love different things about our weapons, our technology, our experiences, and our sport. I think every post here says they would support everyone else if push came to shove. So that should be and always be the bottom line.
These threads do make you think though! So, if that was the intent, nice job!
That said...I went to the archives and here you go...
This post-
I will be perfectly honest that when I am talking to someone about someone killing a big deer and they tell me they shot it with a gun. In my own mind I am thinking well that doesn't even count or that's no accomplishment. That's just how I feel about. I don't care if a guy has five 190 class bucks on the wall, if he didn't kill them with a bow, then I don't admire, respect, or look up to his accomplishment. I do occaisionally gun hunt and it goes the same for me when I kill one with a gun. I don't feel like I did anything and like adams mentioned I literally feel "dirty" about it.
Is in direct contrast to this post-
However, I get personal satisfaction from knowing that I am setup with the equipment that I am most proficient with and that gives me the best chance of cleanly harvesting any animal that I choose to take. We're all different. If everyone took satisfaction from the same things not only would this world be a boring place but we wouldn't be able to hunt without a person in every other tree, because all 280 million Americans would all be bowhunting etc. I personally don't care what anybody hunts with (including a crossbow) and I have trouble understanding how others feel like they have the right to judge another individuals actions so long as they are legal and ethical.
This post-
Well that's absolutely part of it. I spend 99% of my time hunting with a bow because I think gun hunting is too easy and doesn't deserve the respect that bowhunting does so naturally when I kill one with a gun I feel like I shouldn't have done it that way and that I was cheating.
Contadicts this one-
It seems like that I have said that about 18 times but it certainly didn't hurt to say it again A little understanding goes a long way. People just don't realize what a negative impact they have on their own message when they try to force feed it down peoples throats on every other thread. I don't open the kind of threads that I think will turn into the "well you should really be doing it my way" threads much any more.
and it contradicts this one-
I just don't see why it makes you any difference if someone kills one at 6 or 60 so long as it doesn't affect you. I don't understand why someone would want to impose their standards on another or pass judgement on them.
and this one-
Crossbow hunters don't want to see an elitist attitude from compound hunters anymore than compound hunters want to see an elitist attitude from trads.
And gun hunters don't want to see an elitist attitude from bowhunters.
Again I say, we hang together or we will hang individually.
Greg
PS - I'm going to hide now!