CLOUD 9, MN

I'll try to keep it short. All these posts about tracking, shot distance, practice, number of pins, and on and on.Think about this:

I was drawn for a special hunt in MN this year.40 huunters (out of550 entrants) weredrawn and I was lucky enough to be drawn.If you were drawn a permit you also had to pass shooting test. To pass the shooting test, the archer had to shoot 6 arrowsfrom 20 yards. 5 of these 6 arrow had to make it into a 9" circle.

To make it short......of the 40 drawn, roughly half(20) failed! Half were not able to put 5 of 6 arrows inside a 9" circle. Meaning 2 arrows missed the 9" circle.

Needless to say there were alot of people happy on the alternate list, but it was really disappionting to me as an archer. It was also very dissappionting to the local proshops (who I must say are very good shops).

To new bowhunters and veterans alike.....practice is extremely important, bowhunters need to have pateince(for good shots) Each needs to know their limits and have self control to follow the limit. (some of these guys can bowhunt but should probably have a 15 yard limit)

By the way......the guy in front of me failed......with a crossbow!


Have a great season!

Washington Hunter

Wow, that is scary.

I won't head into the field with my bow if my arrows aren't practically toughing one another at 40 yards, let alone 20.

A 9" circle!? Geeez. [&:]

MOTOWNHONKEY

That is sad. If you shoot nine arrows at 20 yards there ought to be some busted nocks laying on the ground. I have to hand it to who evers idea that was. Sounds like it saved alot of wounded game.

mobow

Well, I can see how pressure MIGHT affect a feller, but that's just........assanine(sp?) !!!! Good grief, at 20 yards, I GUARANTEE I could put100 out of100 in a 9" circle.....that's just pathetic.

springgobbler

Sad, in respect that a few "bowhunters" failed.

Success in that someone made the rule...I drew a special tag here in WV a few years back to hunt Blennerhassett Island, hadn't been hunted in YEARS! It was a two week hunt, I drew the second week. On my way in, I saw arrows stuck in trees...

After I had taken my doe (didn't get lucky enough to draw a buck tag) and taken it to check in, I talked with some of the DNR officers. They weren't too happy with some that had drawn tags....arrows in trees with wal-mart tags on them etc. etc.....

A "test "in this situation would have been perfect. Anyone that is an experienced bowhunter, having hunted numerous seasons, has made a bad shot....however, there should be some culpability, IMO. I would be happy to take a 20 shot "test". If you can't withstand the pressure of a bowhunting test, how can you possibly withstand the pressure of a shot on live game? I'm in favor!

Bowhunting...I love it!

Bowfever

Man, that is very scary. I never would have imagined that many would fail a shooting test as simple as that. It just doesn't make any sense.

Kybuckhunter

All I can say is WOW

mauser06

thats utterly amazing...i aint happy with some 35yd shots because they arent all in a 1 inch bullseye! im comfortable with a 35yd shot on a deer...IF the deer is calm...clear shot FOR SURE..no invisible limbs..and the weather is DRY and calm winds. but dang...20yds...9 inch circle?? i would passed my FIRST DAY ever shooting a bow! glad they thinned out the bad apples though. i really wish states made it mandatory for a bowhunter ed class AND shooting test. i know some do.....hope PA jumps on the wagon....that would be a GOOD move IMO.

i knowa guy that closed his land to bowhunting. the reason you ask?? he spotted FOUR diffrent 4pt to a side or BIGGER all with arrows sticking out of them!! all eventually died as far as we know..never seen them in rifle season or any other time...probably infection set in...

ARKANSAS

By the way......the guy in front of me failed......with a crossbow!

That is horrible!

I wish there were qualifications for regualr season hunting.You owe it to the game you hunt to be efficient with yourequipment, but sadly a lot of peoplethink if you can hit the target anywhere, you are good to go. We killed two deer on our land last year that were victim to these people. These deer weren't deer that we wanted to harvest but due to theirwounds we felt obligated. SORRY, just got carried away!

Pro-Line

That is sad...

I bought a new bow recently. First one since '89, and I've hunted about 30-40 days/year every year since then...minus the year my son was born.

I cannot get my new bow tuned to my standards...so I'm taking my nearly 20yr old Pro Line bow hunting again this season.

I can touch 3 arrows at 30yds with it...

The number of folks just NOW setting up their bows is amazing.