Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
04-22-2005, 07:59 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 358
Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
This a letter to the editor that appeared on Wed Apr. 20/05 apparently written by a so called hunter.
The Record (Newspaper)
160 King St. East
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4E5
It's time to put an end to bow-hunting
The Record (Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo)
Wed 20 Apr 2005
Page: A12
Section: OPINION
Byline: Bruce Thornton
Column: LETTER OF THE DAY
I have been following the bow-hunting debate with increasing interest over the past few weeks. I am a small c Conservative, right-wing gun owner and never considered myself an animal activist. I did a little research on bow hunting and it proved to be a real wake-up call.
It became apparent that it is a very inefficient way to hunt and has no upside or any place in modern society. I own bows but only use them for target practice with my grandson. Never would I or any hunter I know use a bow for hunting.
There are many irrelevant issues raised by pro-bow hunters (crop damage, vehicles hitting deer, need for culls, deer die and suffer in the wild anyway, bows have been used for thousands of years, it is a "real" sport, etc.), none of which address the real issue -- cruelty. If deer must be killed, then please do it humanely. I have seen pictures of deer walking around with arrows in them and have read many articles relating the suffering other animals go through when impaled with an arrow. It simply is not necessary.
I appreciate Larry Anstett bringing this disgusting and pointless cruelty to every caring person's attention and wish him success in banning bow hunting. Any less would be an affront to a society that prides itself on doing the right thing. I beg our elected officials to stand up and listen to the vast majority of citizens who find this "sport" repulsive.
We have moved on from so many things that were once considered acceptable but have been shown for what they are --anachronistic.
Please write or call your local legislator if you find, as I do, that it is past time to end this barbaric practice.
Bruce Thornton
New Hamburg
If you’re as upset as I was over an apparent fellow hunter literally stabbing us in the back you can send a letter to the Editor as I did; [email protected] gg
The Record (Newspaper)
160 King St. East
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4E5
It's time to put an end to bow-hunting
The Record (Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo)
Wed 20 Apr 2005
Page: A12
Section: OPINION
Byline: Bruce Thornton
Column: LETTER OF THE DAY
I have been following the bow-hunting debate with increasing interest over the past few weeks. I am a small c Conservative, right-wing gun owner and never considered myself an animal activist. I did a little research on bow hunting and it proved to be a real wake-up call.
It became apparent that it is a very inefficient way to hunt and has no upside or any place in modern society. I own bows but only use them for target practice with my grandson. Never would I or any hunter I know use a bow for hunting.
There are many irrelevant issues raised by pro-bow hunters (crop damage, vehicles hitting deer, need for culls, deer die and suffer in the wild anyway, bows have been used for thousands of years, it is a "real" sport, etc.), none of which address the real issue -- cruelty. If deer must be killed, then please do it humanely. I have seen pictures of deer walking around with arrows in them and have read many articles relating the suffering other animals go through when impaled with an arrow. It simply is not necessary.
I appreciate Larry Anstett bringing this disgusting and pointless cruelty to every caring person's attention and wish him success in banning bow hunting. Any less would be an affront to a society that prides itself on doing the right thing. I beg our elected officials to stand up and listen to the vast majority of citizens who find this "sport" repulsive.
We have moved on from so many things that were once considered acceptable but have been shown for what they are --anachronistic.
Please write or call your local legislator if you find, as I do, that it is past time to end this barbaric practice.
Bruce Thornton
New Hamburg
If you’re as upset as I was over an apparent fellow hunter literally stabbing us in the back you can send a letter to the Editor as I did; [email protected] gg
04-22-2005, 08:04 PM
#2
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 358
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
Here's the letter I sent to the editor gg.
The Record
160 King St. East
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4E5
The Editor
It will not surprise me if I don’t see my letter in print but I feel the need to express my informed opinion to you. As a hunter for over 50 years with knowledge of many aspects of hunting including bow hunting I have to wonder where it was that Mr. Thornton did his research. And I strongly suspect the basis for his research must have been the inaccurate rhetoric and propaganda being spewed by the animal rights and anti-hunting groups because it has no basis in fact. If Mr. Thornton really is a hunter he should know that it is always the criteria of a hunter to make a clear accurate shot to the vitals to ensure a humane quick kill regardless if using a rifle or bow. To say there are deer walking about the woods with arrows sticking out of them is ridiculous in the extreme. I also have to wonder if Mr. Thornton is possibly falsely portraying himself as a hunter to try and give credibility to his true anti-hunting agenda.
Yours truly
The Record
160 King St. East
Kitchener, Ontario
N2G 4E5
The Editor
It will not surprise me if I don’t see my letter in print but I feel the need to express my informed opinion to you. As a hunter for over 50 years with knowledge of many aspects of hunting including bow hunting I have to wonder where it was that Mr. Thornton did his research. And I strongly suspect the basis for his research must have been the inaccurate rhetoric and propaganda being spewed by the animal rights and anti-hunting groups because it has no basis in fact. If Mr. Thornton really is a hunter he should know that it is always the criteria of a hunter to make a clear accurate shot to the vitals to ensure a humane quick kill regardless if using a rifle or bow. To say there are deer walking about the woods with arrows sticking out of them is ridiculous in the extreme. I also have to wonder if Mr. Thornton is possibly falsely portraying himself as a hunter to try and give credibility to his true anti-hunting agenda.
Yours truly
04-22-2005, 08:27 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Montgomery IL USA
Posts: 1,231
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
"I am a small c Conservative, right-wing gun owner and never considered myself an animal activist. "
My BS flag went up on that one. This wouldn't be the first time some tree-hugger posed as a "sportsmen", nor would it be the last.
My BS flag went up on that one. This wouldn't be the first time some tree-hugger posed as a "sportsmen", nor would it be the last.
04-22-2005, 10:32 PM
#6
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 13
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
Yea it could be a anti or it could be a rifle hunter as stated. I archery hunted for years and always got crap from my brother who is a retired State Conservation Warden who does not like bow hunters and really has gotten mad when he would shoot a buck and find a large infected area with a broadhead stuck in it. This has happened to him and his son several times. So hey guys it happens. I hate to say it but it sucks to see that doesn't it. Yet us crossbow users see that attitude with bow hunters all the time. I agree that hunters should stick together but it seems like every one gets so they want only their little piece of the pie.
04-22-2005, 11:11 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Mississippi USA
Posts: 15,296
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
Here is the letter I sent.
First off I will say I am in the US, and was alerted to this article by a fellow bowhunter in Canada. However, I have good friends in Canada and my business is supplied by a Canadian manufactuer, so I have some close ties to your country.
Did anyone do any research on Mr. Bruce Thornton before printing his article? He is no hunter, and I strongly doubt his honesty and motives. He also has very pititul research skills. I would like to know how many pictures he has seen of "deer walking around with arrows in them", and if he verified even one of the so-called articles "relating the suffering other animals go through when impaled with an arrow". If all the "hunters" he knows would never use a bow to take game, then he obviously doesn't know many hunters.
I am 36 years old, and I live in the South where hunting is a strong tradition, and deer are the primary game animal--one of only two big game animals we have, with feral hogs being the other. Of my 36 years, I have spent near 30 in the woods during hunting season. I have seen numerous kills, I have helped butcher countless deer. I have NEVER seen even one deer running around with an arrow sticking out of it. I have never even seen an old arrow wound from a deer taken--and my guess is I've seen hundreds of dead deer. Would you say the people in your area are that inept? I don't think so.
As for suffering, I would ask Mr. Bruce Thornton if he's ever been cut with a very sharp object, such as a razor blade. On the miniscule chance that he hasn't, I would tell him one thing--there is practically no pain involved. I haven't done any official research, but being a bowhunter myself I have talked to hundreds of other bowhunters and have heard countless stories of deer that have been shot with broadheads. Many times the deer look around, go back to feeding, then fall asleep and die. Yes, they actually do fall asleep--broadheads kill by hemmorage (versus shock, which is how firearms kill). The animals pass out within minutes, sometimes seconds, due to oxygen depravation. Is passing out painful? Considering the fact that deer struggle daily for survival, and if they are lucky enough to evade preditors that will literally start feeding on them while they are still alive, they also have to struggle against disease, starvation, and especially in your part of the world some very harsh winters. Passing out from blood loss is probably the most peaceful, humane, least painful, and least violent way a deer will ever die.
Modern archery equipment, even "traditional" archery equipment, is very, very effective, very non-invasive, and very low-impact on nature. I won't say there aren't incompetent hunters, because that would be a lie. There are incompetent people in every aspect of life--but that is just part of life. A decent hunter with any morals or ethics about them will take the time required to become proficient with their chosen weapon, and have the discipline to wait for the right moment for the shot--or not shoot at all.
On occasion a bad shot is made--it could be due to poor judgement or bad luck--I will admit that it happens. Should bowhunting be banned due to this?
First I would suggest finding out how many deer are killed (violently and painfully), and how many are wounded every year, by automobiles. Automobiles don't only wound and kill deer, but practically every animal on God's green earth that ever nears a road or highway has lost some of it's number due to these motorized killing machines. They should be banned. Not only are numerous animals senselessly murdered, but usually the meat and pelts are just left to spoil. Of course the meat and pelt is often too mutilated to be used by humans, but often they are just left to rot even when they aren't torn to shreds.
My above statement seems pretty stupid doesn't it? Not nearly as stupid as Mr. Bruce Thornton's "research". Halloween is still several months away Mr. Bruce Thornton--take off your hunter costume and reveal yourself for what you really are.
Respectfully from the US,
Chad
Did anyone do any research on Mr. Bruce Thornton before printing his article? He is no hunter, and I strongly doubt his honesty and motives. He also has very pititul research skills. I would like to know how many pictures he has seen of "deer walking around with arrows in them", and if he verified even one of the so-called articles "relating the suffering other animals go through when impaled with an arrow". If all the "hunters" he knows would never use a bow to take game, then he obviously doesn't know many hunters.
I am 36 years old, and I live in the South where hunting is a strong tradition, and deer are the primary game animal--one of only two big game animals we have, with feral hogs being the other. Of my 36 years, I have spent near 30 in the woods during hunting season. I have seen numerous kills, I have helped butcher countless deer. I have NEVER seen even one deer running around with an arrow sticking out of it. I have never even seen an old arrow wound from a deer taken--and my guess is I've seen hundreds of dead deer. Would you say the people in your area are that inept? I don't think so.
As for suffering, I would ask Mr. Bruce Thornton if he's ever been cut with a very sharp object, such as a razor blade. On the miniscule chance that he hasn't, I would tell him one thing--there is practically no pain involved. I haven't done any official research, but being a bowhunter myself I have talked to hundreds of other bowhunters and have heard countless stories of deer that have been shot with broadheads. Many times the deer look around, go back to feeding, then fall asleep and die. Yes, they actually do fall asleep--broadheads kill by hemmorage (versus shock, which is how firearms kill). The animals pass out within minutes, sometimes seconds, due to oxygen depravation. Is passing out painful? Considering the fact that deer struggle daily for survival, and if they are lucky enough to evade preditors that will literally start feeding on them while they are still alive, they also have to struggle against disease, starvation, and especially in your part of the world some very harsh winters. Passing out from blood loss is probably the most peaceful, humane, least painful, and least violent way a deer will ever die.
Modern archery equipment, even "traditional" archery equipment, is very, very effective, very non-invasive, and very low-impact on nature. I won't say there aren't incompetent hunters, because that would be a lie. There are incompetent people in every aspect of life--but that is just part of life. A decent hunter with any morals or ethics about them will take the time required to become proficient with their chosen weapon, and have the discipline to wait for the right moment for the shot--or not shoot at all.
On occasion a bad shot is made--it could be due to poor judgement or bad luck--I will admit that it happens. Should bowhunting be banned due to this?
First I would suggest finding out how many deer are killed (violently and painfully), and how many are wounded every year, by automobiles. Automobiles don't only wound and kill deer, but practically every animal on God's green earth that ever nears a road or highway has lost some of it's number due to these motorized killing machines. They should be banned. Not only are numerous animals senselessly murdered, but usually the meat and pelts are just left to spoil. Of course the meat and pelt is often too mutilated to be used by humans, but often they are just left to rot even when they aren't torn to shreds.
My above statement seems pretty stupid doesn't it? Not nearly as stupid as Mr. Bruce Thornton's "research". Halloween is still several months away Mr. Bruce Thornton--take off your hunter costume and reveal yourself for what you really are.
Respectfully from the US,
Chad
04-23-2005, 06:42 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location:
Posts: 413
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
Excellent letters guys!!! I have butchered many deer with my friend and have found more with bruises and bloodshot areas from car accidents. This guy definately doesn't know his research and is barking up the wrong tree!!!
Chris
Chris
04-23-2005, 09:00 AM
#10
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 881
RE: Fellow Hunter Stabs Us In The Back
I know many hunters that feel this way. I don't find it that unusual. To be totally honest, they are right. Percentage wise, I think they are right. More deer are wounded with archery equipment. I don't think it is the equipment, its this I don't have to practice attitude that goes around. I can pick up my gun without shooting it for 3 years, and kill a deer at 200 yards (everytime). I know many archers that say this, and IMO they are dead wrong. You dump these people off the stats, and we are even if not better stats than gun hunters.
I will say this too... I would venture to guess that 80+% of wounded archery animals, come from 20% of archery hunters. I know of 3 guys that have wounded at least 1 deer every year for 20. Last year they wounded 7 deer between the 3 of them. All the other hunters I know on a good basis (Talk to often), I remember out of the 20 or so of them 2 wounded deer. I think the problem is in a small percentage of bow hunters.
Just the way I see it.
I will say this too... I would venture to guess that 80+% of wounded archery animals, come from 20% of archery hunters. I know of 3 guys that have wounded at least 1 deer every year for 20. Last year they wounded 7 deer between the 3 of them. All the other hunters I know on a good basis (Talk to often), I remember out of the 20 or so of them 2 wounded deer. I think the problem is in a small percentage of bow hunters.
Just the way I see it.