I was at Gander Mountain last weekend buying my last few gear pieces(mainly scents) and I strolled back into the archery department. I was amazed at how many people were looking at and even purchasing bows. Our season starts this Saturday, and peope were buying bows and other important gear items. These are the people that give our sport a bad namefor wounding deer. It makes me sick and I would love to tell these people of....but I kept my cool and kept my mouth shut. I probably should have said something. What would you guys have done?

i know a guy who has been waiting for his crossbow for almost 3 months..back order...he' s got everything he needs but that , lol....poor guy..all these last minute orders really is bumming him out...

I was watching football Sunday afternoon and I heard the familiar THUMP!! of an arrow hiiting a target!?
I look outside and I see my neighbor across the street with an old Hoyt-ish mid 1980' s looking bow, solid steel stabilizer, and a 1 pin brass pin sight and 8 Old aluminum arrows.

He' s shooting at one of those cheapy big foam Wally World targets about 3' X3' .

He has the target against his wooden deck, with his poodle running around in front of him and his WIFE has her head out the door to the deck watching.

(The next 6 arrows went something like this ,No lie)
Right of the target into the deck
LEFT of the target into the deck
Hit target upper right corner
Left of target UNDER deck
Left of Target under deck.

Remember this is 20 yards........a 3' X3' target!!
(To his credit the first 2 arrows were in the target but near the edges. )
So out of the first 8 arrows I saw 5 of them missed the target COMPLETELY.

How does a bowhunter of 19 years and a 3D tournament archer approach a neighbor with the intention of giving some tips, help, or whatever without sounding like a " Know-it-All" ? If ever I saw someone who needs help........Oh baby this is it.

After he dug his 2 arrows out of the deck he finally moved his target , and it didn' t get any better. He actually skipped one into his next-door-neighbor' s kid' s sandbox![]No kids in it thank god.

No, I don' t think you should have said anything. If it was for something else, maybe, but not that. You don' t know the circumstances. Maybe they aren' t going to go hunting for a month or even longer, maybe they just want to buy the bow while it' s on sale and don' t even want to hunt this year. All that telling them off is going to do is make you look like an idiot if you don' t know what you are talking about.

I know I would feel like a real SOB.

COOL DOWN!!!

CJW is right!

The ones you approach are the ones you see at the range who show up a week before season opener , sling a few arrows , groups the size of a truck tire , and say they cant wait to hit the woods[:@]

Like CJW said you didn' t know their circumstance.............I wouldn' t have said anything.

About your neighbor, invite him over to shoot with you. You don' t have to come off as a know it all. Just say, Hey I seen you shooting the other day and wondered if you' d like to shoot with me one evening. After you both get to shooting, I' m sure he' ll ask for your advise............then help the guy out....

Matt, hope you and your neighbor dont hunt the same woods, if so watch out!!!!

I agree with ARM...... a polite invite to shoot will surely get him interested.... Then you can be of help in a completely non threatening manner...... I am sure after you drill a few arrows at 30 yards in a 3" ring he will start asking plenty of questions - you can then easily look at his set up, watch him shoot and figure out just how the heck he can miss a 3 foot target at 20 yards !!

GOOD LUCK !!!

Lucky OlMossyHorns didn' t see me at the hunting and fishing shop last Sunday....I was picking up my new bow.

Don' t worry, I' ve been flinging arrows for eight years...could get 2 out of 3 arrows into a cigarette package at 50 meters.

How many states have a bowhunter education requirement?

In Alaska to hunt in bow season we have to have what amounts to an all day class. 2/3' s of it is classroom time covering ethics, shot placement, etc. You must then pass a written test, which in reality no one fails. The second 1/3 is a four target proficiency course at 3D targets in real life situations..one of which is a steep down hill or treestand type shot. You are allowed two shots at each target. You must kill each target at least once and you must kill at least one target twice. You must also shoot one arrow standing, and one kneeling. Some really nice people in my class failed the shooting part, but I was glad to see it happen. I' ve been shooting for a long time, so I aced the tests.

If more states had requirements like this, and bowhunters supported them, I could see nothing but positive results come of it.