BigJ71

So......you're still a "hunter" to me.

Jeff, some labels are good but some aren't so good and all they tend to do is cause a divide. It's that whole "bow hunter" mentality that irks me.... You see it everywhere, stickers on the back window of pickups that say "bow hunter" along with a little picture of a dude at full draw......When's the last time you saw a window sticker that read "gun hunter" with a guy standing there aiming a rifle??

Why do you think that is??? It's because bow hunters want the world to know they bow hunt...and why do they want the world to know it?? Because they feel it will somehow elevate themselves above the fray of "normal" hunters into an elite group of hunter.

Now I know there are exceptions and not everyone thinks that way, but you can take it to the bank that many,feel that because they bow hunt, they deserve recognition or want to be looked uponas an elite hunter.It's why they point out the differences between gun and bow hunting by only citing the obvious advantages the gun has over the bow, it's to give the appearance of this vast step up in skill that is needed to hunt with a bow. Thissame "tug of war" happens between the trad shooters and the compound shooters albeit at a lesser extent than bow/gunbut make no mistake about it.....it's there.

As long as we continue to label ourselves and show the stars on our bellies, this will never end.........

GMMAT

I don't see this being any different than me having a Boston Red Sox sticker on my Yukon. I'm still a baseball fan, yeah.....but I've narrowed that down a little (or a lot).

And No....Gun hunters don't = Yankee fans. Orioles, ......maybe.

So you multiple weapons guys wanna beAmerican League fans.

Cool.

Schultzy

John I think your accusation's are getting way blown out of proportion. I hear this same thing from you all the time and never have I got that Impression from the bow hunters that I've been around. I've been around a ton of them to! I'm a bow hunter and I'm damn proud of It! Sue me for not gun hunting.

This word "Elitism" gets used way to much IMO!! Actually I've seen It used more on here the last year then I've ever seen It used anywhere else my whole life.

BigJ71

Schultzy,

Don't get me wrong, I'm around a lot of hunters who hunt with bows too and none of them are elitist, I suppose it's the company we keep eh?? No reason not to be proud of bow hunting, I'm proud of it too! If everyone had your outlookbud we wouldn't have any problems but alas not everyone has their head screwed on straight like you do and if you allow yourself to look beyond your circle of friends you will surely see what I'm talking about......I see it almost every time I go to my local pro shops and hunting is brought up. Am I blowing it out of proportion?? perhaps a little (to make my point) but elitism in the bow hunting ranks is alive and well.......alive and well.

BigJ71

There's a big difference between showing anyone who will look what team you're a fan of and showing anyone who will look what weapon you choose to hunt with. By using your reasoning folks should simply put "Deer Hunter" on their trucks, yeah, they're still hunters....but they've narrowed it down a little.

When I played in the NFL I never introduced or labeled myself as a "pro football player" rather I was simply a "football player". I guess I just look at things different than most...doesn't make it wrong or right I suppose, just different. It's all good though, I'm just conversing and sharing thoughts with my cyber friends.....and trying to get some work done in the process.

cjohnson664

why is it when someone kills a 75/105 inch buck with a bow you always here "its not the biggest in the woods"
Then you hear "any buck with a bow is a trophy"?

GMMAT

Nothing wrong with that, either. Isn't that what we're doing when we put a white outline of a deer or a deer with a rack on our vehicles (professing our love of deer hunting)? As long as one hunter isn't prejudicial towards another.....I see no issue with it. I'm betting you BobCo, Schultzy, et. al. have NO problems referring to themselves as traditional bowhunters. My bet is they're proud of the monniker.....because it defines their approach to hunting.

NY/Al

The blood on my tailgate proves that im a hunter, thats all they need to know...

BobCo19-65

My normal stands are not higher then 15 feet platform height. We bought a few 15ft ladders (to the seat) this year that are pretty much a perfect height. I also use heavy cover, you really can't see more then about 30 yards out inmost of the stands. None ofmy stands are really in any type of open hardwoods. We also use natural ground blinds (again in heavy cover).There is something special shooting a deer at ground level from a natural blind.

125py

I think its about the hunt and animal more than the weapon. I would rather kill a big buck with my bow, but if he comes by me during muzzleloader season I am shooting him and going to be happy about it also.