btpatriot02

I do not year round I'll put it away after hunting season than come april I'll be shooting it again then we shoot 3d's onthe weekends and I'll shoot a couple of hours a day during the week. And helping my kids shoot theirs too. Last year I started to start shooting at 60 yds. then I'll end up on the last few arrows at 20 yds. and that has hepled my confidence greatly and I can put them exactly where I want them to go. That's why I love the 3d's IMO it makes you better at judging yardage and increases your confidence in making those shots

(KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE)

121553

I'm sure it must be the moon. Bobby

ewolf

g

Arthur P

badshotbob, have you served a local club as an officer for 17 years? Have you kept track of club memberships and member demographics? Have you watched compound bows become increasingly efficient and easy to use while watching club memberships and member participation dwindle? Have you watched, at the same time, the growth in traditional archery and the core strength of your club switch from compound to traditional?

SOMETHING is going on. I don't think it's lack of time, because there are still 24 hours in every day. I know a lot of people that have way too many irons in the fire. Run themselves to death at work every day, then run themselves to death trying to keep up with all their hobbies. They don't like shooting their bows or they'd make it one of their main hobbies.

If they don't want archery as a prime hobby then they darn well need to quit bowhunting as well. That's just MY OPINION.

By the way... Elitism: 1) Practice of or belief in rule by an elite. 2) consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favored group.

I believe #1. If someone just thinks about bowhunting from one week before the season to the end of the season, as far as I'm concerned the bozo can keep his opinions to himself.

As for #2, I used to feel that bowhunters were a select, favored group because of the demands and challenges of hunting with a bow. Only the best hunters would take up the bow. I took pride in being a part of that brotherhood. Well, not any more. According to a scary number of folks on this thread, hunting with a bow is no harder than hunting with a rifle or handgun these days.

Modern bowhunting has absolutely no soul left to it. It's sterile, mechanical. Too much like work. Too little like fun.

Traditonal bowhunters aren't perfect, by a long shot (pun intended) but they're a darn sight closer to what bowhunting means to me.

badshotbob

Arthur - that's interesting about the club membership.

I'm glad I don't fall into this bozo class you have. I started this thread on 4/12. That is 3-1/2 months past the season end. Why did I start this? Because I was genuinely interested in how others view this - to give me another perspective and possibly encourage me to shoot more often.

I agree. That is part of my point. Bowhunters these days tend to worship the bow and not the hunt. As I said before, making the shot in essence is what bow hunting is all about, accept it's not. Bowhunting consists of many things - all of which are hard work and time consuming - these things lead up to making the shot. To harvest a deer with a bow, you have to do many things right. Then by taking a patterned buck, you must do many more things right, all year. That is in my blood. That is why I bow hunt. NOT to shoot the dang bow all year. Bowhunting is so much more than just shooting your bow. I've met many compound shooters that are constantly messing with their bows all year long chaning this or that, re-aligning this or that. That's fine. But it does not make them better someone that can shoot a bow well, not fool with it, then pick it up 4-5 months apart and shoot it just as well. Not to get this thread on compound vs. traditional, but yes Arthur, traditional shooting is as close to bowhunting as you can get. I love bowhunting, not compounds. I love my recurve, but am smart enough not to step into the woods with it knowing I can't shoot it well. So I take the deadly, sighted in, screaming fast, quiet, easy to shoot Hoyt. Kills em dead everytime.

stealthycat

rcd567 - The answer is personal choice.

To a crossbow shooter who rarly practices, archery season might be very challenging.
To a compound shooter who practices a few weeks before season, archery might be very challenging.
To a longbow/recurve shooter who practice 5 nights a week archery might be very challenging.

See the trend there ? The challenge is in the view of the individual, not neccessarily in the equipment used. Of course, we all know and agree rifle hunting is "easier" than shooting a deer with a self bow - but compare a novice hunter with a rifle and a grizzled old timer bowhunter with his self bow and they both have huge challenges ahead of them, don't they ?

rybohunter
Ouch man .... really ? I guess I was naive to think that bowhunter actually loved the sport of archery instead of using it to extend their seasons. [] This is where I actually DO draw the lines and say, you know, the advance of the compound bow has made it so easy for guys like you to infiltrate archery season that the modern compound has become a negative to archery and bowhunting.

Arthur P - He would pass the proficiency test because the modern compound bow is that easy to shoot. With the increase ease in shooting them, so too has archery lost what might be more important than anything else - the love for archery that bowhunters is suppose to have.

You can read it right here in this thread ... don't have time to shoot, better things to do, great shot anyway, why practice ? etc etc. Bowhunters and archers aren't suppose to struggle with the thoughts of praciting with their equipment, are they ?

BobCo19-65

I wouldn't mind seeing this done either Arthur. I remember back in my bowhunters safety course we all had to shoot a bow. The target was 8' by 8' with a bulls eye in the middle. I believe the distance was about 15 yards. There were people who completely missed the target as well as hitting the ceiling and floor. These people however still were able to get their certificate. Now is there something wrong there - I sure think so.

badshotbob

Good points Stealthycat - maybe we are talking about or finding the line of hunter vs. archer? Never really thought of it that way too hard because I've always considered myself both. So can you be both, or one and not the other and still be an effective/ethical deer harvester? I got into bow hunting 24 years ago because I loved the bow. I didn't have the bug for hunting deer yet, but I really liked shooting the bow. I shot hundreds of arrows a day and got very proficient at the bow quickly. That has always stuck with me. 26 years later throw a little life on top of all that experience and what do you have? A guy that is passionate about hunting with bow hunting at the top of the list without too much time to shoot all year. So am I no longer an "archer", and just a hunter because I do not practice all year? Let me say that the desire is there, but the ability to shoot every day is not because of time and no place to shoot. I am going to join a hunt club this year that is 5 minutes from my house - they have indoor 35y range, outdoor to 60 yards, several 3-d courses, sporting clays, 200 yard rifle range, and a brand new pistol range 5 to 50 yards. Yes - it is an awesome place. Having access to this kind of facility would encourage me to shoot all my "toys" more often.

So again I ask, not shooting year round doesn't make me a true "archer" in your eyes, no? Does this make me less of a hunter in your eyes as well? Do I somehow not have the right to bowhunt because I'm not an archer? This is very interesting Stealth.

IL_BOW_MAN

Maybe atleast 3 shoots per summer maybe. Sorry guys, I love to shoot just as much as some the others, but I don't always have the time to go to shoots. I hit atleast 3 maybe more in the summers, but they are local. I don't always have the time to drive an hour, shoot for 2 and drive another hour back home.

And what exactly is a proficiency test going to prove? That I can shoot at a 3d target or the bullseye on a target. Wow, I can do that all day long. All that a profiecny test is going to do is say that somebody is capable of shooting a bow and hitting a target. And I don't have a doubt in my mind that every person responding to this thread will pass this test with flying colors. Like bob said earlier in response to my post, what about the twigs or the many numerous things that could happen in the moment of truth? There isn't a test in the world that would prove if one of us is ready to shoot at an animal.

If you shoot all year round and can hit thumbtacks all day long....good for you and I wish I had the time and resources to do this my self.

If you shoot just in the summer, good for you and I know you guys still like shooting your bow.

If you pull it out a week before season and make sure it is still in good shooting order, good for you.

My dad don't shoot very much at all and has been bow hunting for 20 some years. I would put his shooting abilities up against about anybody!! I could practice everyday for 3 months and then go to a 3d shoot with him and it will be a coin toss on who wins.

We all share a passion, the passion to bow hunt. We don't however share the passion of year round archery. Does that mean the guys that shoot all year are a better shot than anybody else.....NO. When affield, it is the hunter that will succeed. You can drive tacks all day long, but if you can't get set up in a good spot for a shot, it don't matter how much you practice....does it.

I am not even going to touch the ethics portion of these posts that are being posted.

But I do want to address this.

Now I know bab said that he prepares himself for the season, just as everybody else has. Just cuz it may only be once or twice compared to somebody else's 200 practice rounds don't mean he didn't prepare!!

CBM SC

Bob .......I don't know you ........haven't shot with you......can't make a judgement on how prepared you will be when a shot comes !

I can only go off of what I have seen with my friend's and it is disheartening sometimes........but what can you do ?

I practice all year and typically make good shots ! My friend's used to be glad to hit a paper plate at 20 yrds .......now , like ya'll say with bow advancements and accesories........and tips from guys like me ........they are shooting much better with less practice ! Can they hit a deer target in the vitals everytime @ 20......yes.......in perfect "backyard" conditions !!

The real difference lies in our kill records the last several years........they are wounding and making poor shots on a lot of animals ! There have been numerous liver hits , several gut shots, several shoulder hits, one lung , and one leg/brisket hit ........from the guys practicing right at season ! I guess what bothers me most........is where they used to miss.........now they hit (almost everytime.. but randomly) ! All of them are aiming for a double lung ........but a paunch hits/or shoulder hits keep happening to them anyway !

Maybe you and some others can do it Bob.......I really don't doubt it......but I don't think generally that bowhunters should practice so infrequently ! A profiecency test sounds good to me !!