I wasn't sure what to say to the guy. I decided just to keep my mouth shut. I told him how to paper tune a bow and left it at that. Let me take you back to Saturday night. I went to Gander Mountain to get some stuff. At the check out line; I met a guy buying a bow. He had a bow[fully dressed],arrows,and broadheads. He had no field tips. I'll say that again. HE HAD NO FIELD TIPS. I asked him"Is this your first bow?". He said"yes". "When do you plan on hunting?" I asked. He replied"tomorrow". I was dumbfounded. I didn't know where to go form there. I asked him if he had ever heard of paper tuning a bow. He ;of course, had not. I explained it to him. His buddy chimed in "I think I have somewhere we could shoot it a couple of times before we go out in the morning". I just looked at them with a blank expression. I left them while saying"Make sure you at least paper tune your bow. You don't want to wound any deer." I knew I could never make them understand the importance of practice or ethics. I would have just ended up being viewed as the jerk that thought he knew everything. What would you have said to thisguy?


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I would have done everything but flat-out yell at him.

I would of said nothing, let them learn. People like that don't care what you tell them, they usually think that you are the one that is wrong.

that's the way I felt, Wolf. I wanted to tear their heads off ,but I knew it wouldn't do any good.


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My buddy and I did that one time. We had all sorts of people shaking their head. Not one stood up to say... "You got to be F)(^*&^&amp( Kidding me". It was fun to bust some chops. LOL However, I think the sad thing here is these guys were serious. The bow will be on Ebay within the month. LOL The benefit of a good proshop like Len's. Either one of his customers or Len himself would give them a "You think you're going hunting WHEN"????

I would of acted professional and just explained to him how you can not just do something like this.
Then when he left he takes how he may nothing I can do about it. Unfortunatly the animal may be the main
victim here.

Nope Fraley, it won't be. He won't hit a thing.

[/align]I talked to the cashier after they left. He said it happens a lot this time of year. I thought"well then why didn't you say something to them?".

Thanks for posting this. It just baffles my mind how little some people think before doign something serious.

I find that when I have something I need to tell someone that I know they don't want to hear, it helps to go at it indirectly, by asking questions. It would have progressed something like this:

So, where ya hunting?

You got a tree stand or are ya hunting from the ground?

Ever shot from a tree stand?

Got a tree picked out?

Did you cut some shooting lanes from where you're going to hunt?

You know, one little branch or leaf or twig and your arrow can go haywire. Then, best case scenario isyou've either missed the deer and probably alerted him and his buddies that you're there and won't stand much of a chance in atht area again. Worst case scenario is you've wounded a deer. I'd hate to wound a deer. It's just such a waste...waste of the deer and hurtin' it for nothing.

Get him thinking about the consequences...Not saying you should've done this, but it's my approach (with 20/20 hindsight).

sad but true, that is why I feel it is good to have mandatory bowhunter education with>>>>>>yes with proficency testing like Alaska has.......that said it is only required in archery only hunts or areas. i wish that would change also. i also wish they still required testing with broadheads. of course i feel there should be required general hunter ed. and proficency test with rifles as well.