I wussed out
 

Was in the local Dick's last night picking up a softcase for my shotgun when I heard a customer asking one of the salesmen questions about a bow. It was obvious this customer had little archery experience. The salesman was explaining how to use a release, what a peep sight is, etc. The salesman was trying to get a feel of what the customer was looking for and asked if he planned on hunting with the bow. The customer replied "Yeah, I'm gonna hunt this weekend!" Well my jaw just about hit the floor!

I was ticked that this guy thinks he can just drop a few hundred dollars and then bowhunt without putting in the practice he needs to become proficient. (I can just see the deer walking around with an arrow stuck in its @ss right now.) I should have called the guy out and told him he owed it to everyone, including himself and the game he hunts, to practice and learn his equipment, but I just sighed and walked away. Now I'm real angry at myself for wussing out.[:@]

Just wanted to vent. On the bright side, I've got a nice scrape line to hunt this weekend.

RE: I wussed out
 

That's a hell of a first post...;) First off, welcome to the boards. You sound like our type of bowhunter even if ya wussed out. Probably better off anyway, you would have only insulted the guy and it would of ticked ya off more and probably ruined your whole night. Even tho I probably would have called the guy out, hopefully the salesman made a statement...whose to say but your right in the fact it's pathetic and probably saying something wouldn't have done any good....

Good luck on that scrape line...

RE: I wussed out
 

I wuss out all the time when I hear such things in local stores. [&:] I just never want to start a confrontation. Now if the conversation were directed my way I'd have to add my 2 cents. ;)

RE: I wussed out
 

welcome, and it happens every year, some folks just don't get it...

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome to the board!! I would like to think the salesman would have sead something when the guy told him he was going to try to hunt this weeked? O-Well i guess he was more interested in selling that bow instead[&:]

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome aboard. I can definately tell by your first post you'll fit right in here.

In all reality what can you do? You can't make the slob see through ethical eyes. More then likely your words would fall on def ears. I hope this guy dosn't hurt himself or IMO worse, wound a deer becasue of complete lack of respect for wildlife. Should this JA get a non lethal hit on a deer it may change his feeling to the whole situation or it may not. I know I carry the one deer I wounded and didn't recover with me every time I enter the woods. I think it has a lot to do with why I'm the hunter and person I am today.

We can't control other but we can lead by example. You may not have spoken up but I have a good feeling that you're a leader. :)

RE: I wussed out
 

I see it every year 99% of these types usually walk into the woods, never scouting, or doing any of the preparation work that we all do. His odds of even seeing a deer yet alone shooting at one are hopefully slim. Depending on Pro shop , hopefully the bow won't even be tuned and his broadheads will fly 50' to the left and high. Usually once they see how much work it takes they quit or end up setting up on the apple tree in their back yard.

BTW- Welcome to the Boards

RE: I wussed out
 

You should have smacked him upside the head!:D:D:D

No really, you sound like a good ethical hunter and I commend you for that. Make sure you post some more on the forums. I appreciate you opinion.

RE: I wussed out
 

when my dad hears that,he always points out that the person should start practiceing b4 they actully hunt,my dad bought he's bow 2 years ago and had practiced ever sat and sun since he got the bow, he is going on he's first bow hunt on firday(ny opening day) i am gonna go for the turkeys while he's waiting on the deer,btw this well be my first hunt ever

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome to the board.I hope that guy isnt hunting anywhere around my place.

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome to the board - even though it looks like you've been hanging around since June or so.

I would have probably done the same - but remember - just because he is going out hunting doesn't mean he is going to stick a deer. Most people I know bowhunt for a year or more before they can get close enough. If he did get close enough, I doubt he'd have the skills to hit the animal without the practice. I think the more dangerous people are the ones who think they know what they are doing, can hit a target during practice, but don't practice enough. These people can get close enough to deer to do damage. I see one or two of these guys every time I hunt public land.

Maybe the best advise to give a newbie like you ran in to at Dicks is the address to this website :D

RE: I wussed out
 

WElcome, and where was this guy from or you from? You should have asked him where he was hunting so you know to avoid the area!:D

RE: I wussed out
 

Glad I don't know you!

Welcome to the board.

RE: I wussed out
 

Don't worry about it. $20 says you can buy that bow on ebay in a few months.:D

RE: I wussed out
 

Eddy!

There's not much you can say r do to change people's minds ,but maybe once he get's it home and start's shooting it he'll realize that there's alot more to shooting than just buying it and going hunting .Welcome to the board ,this is a great place to hang out and we have a variety of ethical hunter's here .When a hunter like the one you were just speaking of comes to this sight they don't last long because we have no problem telling them off about thier choice's .We're a good bunch of guy's and gal's here and the reason we stick around is to learn as much as we can about this sport we all love spo much and there's not one person here who doesn't think ethically and show's respect for our harvest's .

nubo

RE: I wussed out
 

I can only hope the salesman said something, but I know it's not likely. My father-in-law owns an archery shop and I know from witnessing that he won't hesitate to tell someone they are an ass for thinking they can just go out and hunt, even if it means losing a sale.

RE: I wussed out
 

Ha...I saw a VERY similar situation last week when I was in the local proshop waiting for the guy to finish with his current customer so I could buy my second tag. It was a guy in his 40's wearing a Titleist hat that pulled up in a new 5 series bimmer w/ NJ plates on it. He apparently had stopped in and bought a new AR34 and all the accessories for it, and when I was in there the guy that works at the shop was setting it up for the guy. When the guy said to max the 70lb limbs out, I watched him try to draw this thing....lol...he tried to pull it strait back and couldn't so had to point it up in the sky and come down to get it back. The bow tech asked if he was going to hunt with this bow and if so, they should reduce the weight so he didn't have to do that when he was hunting. The guy said the same thing..."I'm going hunting with it this weekend"...it was Thursday evening. :eek: I told him that he better be able to at least hit a paper plate every time with that thing at whatever distance he planned on shooting at a deer and got a look from both the buyer and the tech that could have killed an elephant. Hopefully the guy didn't see anything and if he did, hopefully he either missed it or killed it. [&:]

RE: I wussed out
 

eddy, I always say that if your words for the person wouldn't have done any good than save your breath. Chances are they wouldn't have so you couldn't have done anything anyway................ welcome to the board.

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome to the board. I agree with the others, this is one fine place to be. I see people all the time thinking they can just buy a bow and go out and kill a nice buck the coming weekend. Not much we can do but try to give them advice and hope they take it. I tend to just shake my head and walk away, but there is occassions where I've had to give my .02 cents.

RE: I wussed out
 

Hopefully he misses cleanly, instead of wounding the deer. Then he'll learn the hard way.

RE: I wussed out
 

Welcome to the board. There is always a chance the person is honestly just uninformed. But I always open my mouth and start off assuming the guy needs help.If he turns out to be a jerk I just shake my antler necklace at him and leave .

RE: I wussed out
 

You did the right thing. I guess you coulda walked right up to him and told him how dumb he was to think he could just walk out with new equipment and kill a deer but he probably woulda looked at ya and said "HUH." Good luck on yer hunting this year and show us some pics.

RE: I wussed out
 

Thanks guys, you all made me feel welcome. I know the guy I mentioned probably isn't gonna see a thing when he just walks into the woods this weekend, let alone get a shot.

Good luck to everyone here this season!