Why do you bowhunt??
 

I am probably opening up a big can of worms again, BUT, i have read some posts and replys that have got me thinking (always a dangerous thing!!). Anyway, it seems that we have alot of people who, based on what their posts say, consider their hunting experience utterly ruined if something happens that might end their chance to kill that "buck of a lifetime". for example, the game warden asking them to get down to check their license or put on their orange, or the neighbor riding his horse too close to the stand, or somebodys dog coming thru and spooking deer. I will be the first to admit, i have had 2 of the 3 happen to me, along with some other things that would definitely lessen my chances of seeing deer, and yes, it pissed me off! BUT, the entire hunt wasnt ruined. Since when is hunting all about killing a trophy animal and nothing less will satisfy?? Maybe I am just a lousy hunter, but I enjoy being outdoors, watching other wildlife, the solitude, watching a good dog work birds, time with family and freinds who hunt, etc, etc. Sure, I get very excited and have more fun when I am lucky enough nail a nice buck or kill my limit on quail, but if that doesnt happen I still have a good time. I know, alot of people will accuse me of stirring the pot again - thats really not what I am trying to do, I just wondered if anyody else feels the way I do. im not trying to criticize anybodys opinion, just want to know how you guys feel about it. let me know, and everybody have a great Christmas!

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

;) All those good reasons you stated plus I have found it to be the ultimate challenge. Nothing can go wrong, everything must be just perfect if the hunt concludes with the taking of your prey. That is why folks get frustrated by intrusions etc.. It is only a natural reaction by those seeking perfection. I can hunt for days without seeing much but that challenge is always a blink away.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Because I only have access to public land and had a hole slob hunters shoot at me two seperate times because they thought I was a deer, thank god they were lousy shots! I personally find bowhunters pay a little more attention to detail and I don't know any compound hunters who snap shoot. Thats just me though.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

dogdr! I totally agree that just being in the wood's away from all the pressures of work and your daily routine's is enough .But I also love the challenge and having these critter's real close meat to take home or not that's just life .I had a day this season and should have taken a deer on 3 yes 3 different occasion's and I screwed up all 3 time's ,the good thing about this is that being successful or not that day was one of the very best day's I've ever had in the bush .With hunting there are no gaurantee's if your not there you'll not get those chance's and when you put in the time your chance will come ,whether you take that animal home or not that day will be very special in your memory's and story's that you pass on to your friend's and family. as I said before hunting not a gaurantee and that's why it 's called hunting .If you can't share your meat you can share experience .

nubo

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I agree dog.

Two thoughts:

One of my stands affords me a view of the hardwoods in at least 300 yards in most directions. Last three times out I've seen no deer. The view alone was worth the three hours a night in that tree. Solitude. God. Nature. The woods. Wow.

Whether it's a big buck or a doe, getting THAT close to a deer takes a lot of doing things right. When things do go right and you're right on top of them and they have no clue you are there, that's intense and very satisfying.

Yes, we hunt to kill deer. To get the "big one". But taking it all in sometimes is rather cool.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Some of my best hunts have resulted in me coming home with a great story and never getting to draw my bow.

Getting to your stand in the dark, when everyone else is sleeping, sitting quietly in the stand waiting for daylight and wondering just how big the deer under you is, watching the woods wake up as day breaks, observing God's creation undisturbed, seeing things that non-hunters never see--all of that is good to me. Seeing a huge racked buck working his way towards me will surely increase my pulse rate dramatically though.;)

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Number one reason is that I enjoy being in the outdoors. Number 2 is it is awesome getting that close to wildlife when they have no clue you are even there.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Because it is the polar opposite of work. I absolutely crave getting away for the weekend to bowhunt. I feel like I can bowhunt and be part of the woods. I didn't get that feeling when gun hunting. I guess that's why I have bowhunted the last few gunseasons. A successful bowhunt in my opinion is just seeing deer, no, make that seeing any wildlife besides squirrels or birds a great hunt.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

For me it used to be the challenge and just being in nature. But now its just me passing my knowledge and respect for the outdoors on to my son. Just bringing him and watching his excitement makes all the hard work, expensive equipment, and everyday frustrations seem worth it to see him enjoying life!!!!!

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Because it pisses my wife off.[8D]

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I bowhunt for one reason, it is the reason that everybody does......

............to KILL and EAT a deer. Simple as that. Everything else is just icing on the cake. Being out in nature, watching the sunrise over the hills, relaxing, ect... it is just all icing on the cake.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I guess I'm just the opposite of Buckmagnet. I don't HAVE to kill to make it worth all the money and time spent. The time spent in the serenity of nature is payment enough for the money and effort spent. The actual killing of a deer is the candle on the icing on the cake. In fact, over the years there have been hundreds of deer I didn't shoot simply to give me another reason to go to the woods another day. I've passed up hundreds of deer over the years, bucks included, with no regrets.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Thanks BGfisher. You put it into words better than I did. Sometimes I end up calling my hunting trips "hiking with weapons" but I enjoy them all the same.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Because I love it!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I hunt to see the sun rise. I hunt to experience the silence of the woods, and the sounds of the same. I hunt to challenge myself, nothing like a rocky mtn elk hunt, way ,WAY back into the wilderness. I hunt to fill tags too. I hunt for meat, some days I hunt for trophies. I hunt to relax, to get away, to get retuned to what I feel I'm suppose to be. I hunt to be with friends and family and sit by campfires.

The KILL is a very small part of hunting. Its the focal point - but still a small part if that makes any sense.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Dave H,
well put!! I think about that as well. In the dark everyone asleep. Seeing things non-hunters will never see. Sometimes I sit back and say "WOW".

I think when it comes down to it everyone here rants and whines about something at one time or another. Things that go wrong, things that piss them off, how they screwed up, etc............
When it comes down to it though, deep down inside we are all secretly loving it or we wouldn't be here. At the time when "unfortunate"things are happening throughout the season, it seems like the end of the world and you get all worked up about it. When you're sitting someplace in the middle of June thinking about the past season, you reflect on how awesome it reallly was.
My shining moment this year was that monster buck I spent 3 hours stalking only to blow it in the last 10 seconds about 25 yards away. I couldn't sleep for days. Sitting around with visions of his rack in my mind. Replaying it about 17 zillion times. Now over a month removed, it was an absolute awesome hunt and experience.
BOWHUNTING = THE ULTIMATE SPORT!!

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I started bowhunting to get a few extra weeks in the woods. It's become so much more then that it hard to put it into words.

It's such a rush being able to fet so close to deer with out them be aware of your presence.With the gun you drop them with out that up close and personal contact. I get more excited having a deer come through and not shooting it with a bow then I do on many succesful gun hunts.

It's a great thing to hand down to your kids. My son is still a season away from being able to hunt with the bow. He's knowledge of the woods is better then many 50 yr. olds I know. Can't wait for our first hunt together. He's been tagging along with me since he was in the 2nd grade. It's given us a bond that I hope will never be broken.

It's as much fun as you can have.........................with your clothes on.lol.

Nope. Could kill enough deer during gun season to fill my freezer no problem. Bow hunting isn't all about the kill for me.Honestly didn't care if I got a deer with the bow this year. My back went out in July and really didn't think I'd be hunting. All I wanted to be able to do was get out in the woods with my kid and see some deer up close. There were days when it was warm that anything but a wall hanger was going to walk on by. I would have had to find someone to drag it out for me and hang it etc. It was all about the experience this year. Didn't realize how much it meant to me until opening day came this year and I was physically unable to get into the woods.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Like others have said...I like to get up close and personal. When a deer is 10 feet away and has noidea he is about to become lunch. The meat tastes better when harvested before the gun hunters get there. Heck, I love bowhunting so much I even do it during general gun season.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Longer seasons, less hunters on the public land, and its FUN!!:D

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Now thats the truth and the dare. To try to to go head to head with a breed of animal that has more knowledge of its surroundings, the quietness of a shadow, and tenacity for life, that cannot be equalled. Thats why I visit with them every chance I get. Sometimes I even get closer than they would prefer.;)

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Why do I bowhunt????


2 reasons:

1) Sure ,I love all the memories made, and as someone said , it's all "icing on the cake" but to quote Gene Wensel : " You can't run your fingers over a memory"

and,

2) Have you ever had chicken-fried backstrap????????

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Mine is the unpopular reason..... I just love to hear "TWACK". All the other stuff is truly wonderful and I just love the woods and solitude... BUTTTTTT..... TWACK is where it's at.:D

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Nothing wrong with taht reason David. I love to hear that sound myself.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Thwack.......psssssssssss

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Thwack............pssssss......................... ......CRASH!!

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

Ok here is why I hunt:

Opening day and you've scouted around for 2 weeks and found the 'perfect' spot.
You hunt that perfect spot for 2 weeks and don't see a thing. But, you are too hard headed to give it up. Then 3 weeks into the season and you climb up in the stand watching the squirrels like you always do and BAM there it is. 20 yards away and broadsided. You know in 5 min. that deer will be gone and you have the decision to make, does it live or die? Now you can't believe it and your heart is pounding so hard you see stars. You can't even remember how to draw your bow back, but somehow you manage to do so. You aim and release. THWACK! The deer is gone! You shake so bad you almost fall out of the stand.
Now the instant replay goes off in your head and you can't remember a dang thing. You wonder if it's been long enough, and it doesn't really matter because if you don't get down, you will fall down.
So you climb down very easily resisting the urdge to just jump down.
You walk slowly to where the deer was at and can't find hair, blood, or your arrow. Now you question yourself and desperately try to recall what happend 3 minutes ago and CAN'T! Did I miss? I don't remember aiming!!!!!
You look around again to be sure you did miss and see your arrow stuck in the ground. You go grab it and it's covered in blood! Now you think you are having a heart attack! You hit it! But how good? Can't remember!
You search and search and find a drop of blood the size of a pin head. YES!!
5 foot away another! YES!!! Now you start tracking. You sweat very badly and you've only gone 10 feet. Every step makes your knees shake worse.

******INSERT NEXT EXPERIENCE HERE**********

THAT IS WHY I BOW HUNT.:D

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

exactly captain:

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I agree Dogdr,but I also feel that there are a lot of people that get more stressed out deer hunting because they can't get the perfect experience or shoot the biggest deer, than they ever do in everyday life.I think these type of people ruin there own experience by their high expectations.Granted, taking the biggest buck in the woods is a great goal,but the only direction from the top is down.Ron

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I see no way to improve on either one of these statements.

RE: Why do you bowhunt??
 

I'll admit it........I too am a "Twack" addict !!

Just throw in a bloody arrow and a heavy bloodtrail and I'm there !!

D@mn .....now I'm thinking about it ........and I have to wait until Friday !! [:@]:D;)