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-   -   What do you think is more challenging? (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/whitetail-deer-hunting/233738-what-do-you-think-more-challenging.html)

Hunter Dan7 02-20-2008 06:54 PM

What do you think is more challenging?
 
No arguments, just a question. I think bow hunting cuz they have to be close and there is a lot more movement when drawing, and cuz they have time to duck the arrow at farther yardages.

Hornfan 02-20-2008 07:12 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Bow hunting - no question. But there are some places bow hunting just isn't practical.

nkyhunter 02-20-2008 07:30 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bow hunting w/out a doubt!

MOhunter46 02-20-2008 07:43 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bow

ksbuckhunter 02-20-2008 08:29 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bowhunting

RockinChair 02-20-2008 08:59 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Bowhunting- there are just so many levels you have to be successful on to harvest a deer.

zrexpilot 02-20-2008 09:15 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I bow hunt for fun, but when I get hungry I pull the rifle out.

recurver167 02-20-2008 09:20 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
No contest.

stretch56 02-21-2008 03:11 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I deer hunt with a muzzle loader but I think bow hunting would be more of a challenge.

kickin_buck 02-21-2008 06:33 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
So who is the one guy that voted for gun?

sjsfire 02-21-2008 07:37 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I hunt with either a shotgun or muzzleloader, never touched a bow. From what I've seen on TV and DVD's I say bowhunting is more of a challenge though.

buck-i 02-21-2008 08:16 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bow hunting but alot of my gun kills from the past were within 60 yrds. either way you got to be where the deer are.

jackmcmanus21 02-21-2008 08:46 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
i hardly ever use my bow.....but this is a no brainer!

125py 02-21-2008 09:17 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
once again.....is this a serious question?

cjwink 02-21-2008 10:03 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
No brainer.. Bow..

8pt~Bowhunter 02-21-2008 11:25 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Bow!

BigTiny 02-21-2008 02:37 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I voted for gun hunting. I was the second vote. After opening week of rifle season here, you will be very fortunate to see many more deer. Dog season makes it even harder. During bow season, I saw deer almost every day. Only one gave me a shot, but at least I felt like I was in the game. I only saw two more during regular rifle season, and after a week of dog season, they go almost completely nocturnal.

BigJ71 02-21-2008 04:08 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I didn't vote because there is no correct answer.

I posted these answersfor the same question presented on the bow hunting forum and they apply here as well.

Some folks need to stop and THINK before the type.


It all depends on the situation. You fail to mention some very important details that need to be discussed. How far is the rifle shot? How far is the bow shot? For example I much rather take, and consider a 20 yard bow shot WAY easier than a 350 yard rifle shot...hands down. A 40 yard bow shot vs a 40 yard rifle, I take the rifle any day.....you see what I mean? Are you talking about rifles only or any firearm? A 50 yard shot with a scoped rifle (or slug gun) is one thing, a 30 yard shot with an iron sighted revolver is quite another.

By just putting up a simple, vanilla flavored, run of the millquestion like you did, all you're going to do is incite an argument and continue to stoke the festering problem of elitism that's already running rampant in the bow hunting community.[:'(]

In different circumstances either can be way more difficult than the other.

[blockquote]quote:

ORIGINAL: ABarOfSoap

How can you even compare the 2, gun hunting is a million times more easy,(and i do both) you have asight on a gun( zooms in), you can be perfectly steady,you can shoot alot alot further with it, they cant jump the string, you can use the wrong pin with a bow, with a bow they can see you pull it back and get scared, you flinch slightly with a bow, you miss alot more than with a gun, if its to windy its hard to shot with a bow, You usally have to stand to shoot with a bow, the deer has to be alot closer so the deer can smell you.
Just to name a few.
[/blockquote]


ABarOfSoap,

If you really hunted with both, there is NO WAY you would have posted what you did. Just need to "tidy up" a few things here.

1st. If you "flinch slightly" with a rifle...say you move the muzzle 1/4 inch.....at 250-300yds (effective range) you've just successfully shot about FIVE FEET over the deer!. If you "flinch slightly" with a bow again 1/4 inch at say 25-30yds (effective range) you'd miss your mark by a few inches....you'd still hit the deer.

Why do you thinklong range rifle shooters try to control both their breathing AND heart rate? I'll tell ya, because even something as slight as the shooters HEARTBEAT can cause a complete miss at extended ranges.

2nd. If it's windy it's also extremely difficult to shoot long ranges with a rifle, the bullet will drift obviously a lot further than you think (or even knew) it would.;)

3rd. You don't have to "usually stand" to shoot your bow, I've killed plenty of deer over the years sitting down.

This is what I'm talking about people...Blanket statements that folks just absorb like some kinda sponge only to spew it themselves for others to absorb at a later date,never taking the time to research whether or not it's even true. It's that, or some are so hell bent on pounding their chests and showing the world in some sort of elitist right of passage that bow hunting is the pinnacle of hunting and that all other forms pale and should just get down on bended knee and tip their hat to the all mighty bow hunter who saunters into the room, that they are willing to say anything true or not in order tofortify their position.

The question posted was "What do you think is more challenging" the operative word being THINK. So the next time someone asks a question like this please put SOME THOUGHT to it before typing.

It's threads like this that absolutely without a doubt show just how elitist bow hunters are. They are so blinded by their lust to show the world just how great of hunters they are and how hard their form of hunting is, that they don't realize they are only hurting hunting as a whole withtheir elitist propaganda.

I'm at a loss.....[:'(]

Look guys NOBODY is saying bow hunting is not challenging, it is. It has it's own set of challenges and hurdles that the hunter needs to jump in order to bag their quarry. But so does gun hunting. I'm a realist, I'm not jumping on any bandwagon here, not gun or bow.

The problem I think is when someone mentions "gun" hunting folks automatically assume it's a 50 yard broadside shot with a scoped firearm shooting off of a rest. In that scenario, yep that's about as easy a slam dunk shot as your going to find. I (nor anyone else) have never said anything to the contrary.

But those of you who seem to arbitrarily choosebow hunting as being more difficult without taking the time to realize that there are some forms of gun hunting thatare truly just as challenging if not more difficult. That's the reason why I asked the original poster what he meant when hesaid "Rifle". If you want to challenge yourself....truely challenge yourself , try picking up a muzzle loader....NO not the "in-line muzzle loading rifles" that are on the market today but a TRUE muzzle loader. One with a smooth bore, (no rifling to stabilize the projectile) and either a percussion cap or powder pan to ignite the gun powder inthe breach, yep that's the one I'm talking about, something that would have been in most peoples homes........in 1775!

With thisprimitive firearm you will need to make sure your quarry is within the same distance as a bow because the accuracy past 50 yards with a round ball smooth bore is laughable at best. Plus with a powder pan(flint lock)ignition system there is a slight delay from when the pan ignites to when the gun goes off. Not only do you need to hold steady as a billow of white smoke erupts in your face, the deeralso have that split second to react. Second/followup shots? they don't exist, this is a one chance deal.Good luck being able to see where you hit the deer too, you'd be lucky to even SEE what direction the deer ran by the time all the smoke clears........

Seems pretty difficult doesn't it? AndI haven't even started talking about the weather limitations to the weapon either...FORGET about hunting inany wind to speak of and certainly not the rain. You'd be lucky to get the thing to fire in high humidity much less a drizzle. Even on perfect days there are times when the thing just won't fire, perhaps the priming hole is clogged.

Now I want to make this VERY CLEAR....I don't hunt with that type of GUN.....but there are a few on this site that do, I don't.....it's too difficult.;)

Lets all be good stewards to this sport and not let our lust for recognition and elitism cloud our judgment and thus cast a disparaging shadow on the light this sport isseen in.


Am I getting through?




mikemac10 02-21-2008 07:06 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I think a deer has a better chance survivingif someone has a bow in their hand instead of a gun, if a deer is 200 yards away it wont get killed with a bow, but could be killed with a gun very easily. You hear people say quite often, if I hadmy gun that deer would have been dead, you never hear the opposite, if I hadmy bow....

Killer_Primate 02-21-2008 07:21 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

ORIGINAL: mikemac10

I think a deer has a better chance survivingif someone has a bow in their hand instead of a gun, if a deer is 200 yards away it wont get killed with a bow, but could be killed with a gun very easily. You hear people say quite often, if I hadmy gun that deer would have been dead, you never hear the opposite, if I hadmy bow....

You need to either read, or reread BigJ71’s post.

There are too many variables to attempt answering this question in its current form.


mikemac10 02-21-2008 08:18 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
I read it and understand it. Just think of it this way,if you were in a deer's position which weapon would you rather the hunter have, my choice would be a bow for several reasons, this is just a generalized statement, most variables set aside, just a hunter and a deer. ;)

Edcyclopedia 02-22-2008 11:08 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

ORIGINAL: stretch56

I deer hunt with a muzzle loader but I think bow hunting would be more of a challenge.
Heres even another question to poise...

Cap or flint lock?
In-line or traditional.

or
Compound or recurve


BigTiny 02-22-2008 06:48 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 


ORIGINAL: Killer_Primate


ORIGINAL: mikemac10

I think a deer has a better chance surviving if someone has a bow in their hand instead of a gun, if a deer is 200 yards away it wont get killed with a bow, but could be killed with a gun very easily. You hear people say quite often, if I had my gun that deer would have been dead, you never hear the opposite, if I had my bow....

You need to either read, or reread BigJ71’s post.

There are too many variables to attempt answering this question in its current form.

Exactly. A deer 200 yards away where I hunt may as well be in Canada. It depends a lot on the terrain.

ABarOfSoap 02-22-2008 07:07 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

ORIGINAL: kickin_buck

So who is the one guy that voted for gun?
He clearly hit the wrong button by accident ;)

SouthDakotaHunter 02-22-2008 08:56 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Bowhunting

MarquetteMagnum 02-23-2008 12:42 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

Edcyclopedia 02-23-2008 07:57 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
[quote]ORIGINAL: BigJ71

I didn't vote because there is no correct answer.

I posted these answersfor the same question presented on the bow hunting forum and they apply here as well.

Some folks need to stop and THINK before the type.

[quote]
If you don't like the post then don't read it, is my opion.
If everyone had your view point, then there would only be intelligent posts made by you.
Makes YOU THINK a little bit, doesn't it?
Back at ya


Rhody Hunter 02-23-2008 09:16 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bow hunting with out a doubt is more challenging

Phil from Maine 02-23-2008 07:30 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
When I hunt I hunt by stalking and it is without a doubt that stalking with a bow is the hardest and most rewarding hunt I ever hunted. Regardless of how most may look at it to me it is far harder up herestalking the northern deer. Lots of woods and coyotes and other predators make them very wise and one heck of a challenge..i wouldn't want to change it anyother way!!

huntnma 02-24-2008 07:34 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
all of my kills have been within 20 yds, cept for one turkey which was 31......bow or gun.....so that argument is basically invalid......IMHO
if folks would let them get closer while gun hunting, the pressure is just about the same....you get more knock down power from a gun, which is great, i can say i have never lost one from a gun, but i have a bow.....it's all hunting, no way is better than another, it's a personal choice...so hunt the way you want, with what you want......

Diesel77 02-24-2008 07:48 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Bowhunting is much more difficult for many reasons. I bet I could take out someone thats never hunted before to one of my properties, hand him a shotgun, BP or rifle and odds are they could take a deer fairly easily. The chances of me handing my bow to the same guy or girl andthem going out the first time ever, and killing a deer would drop drastically. Regardless of how good a shot you are with a bow or gun, having a weapon with a scope you can use against a rest, requiresless movement overall,requires less strength when its freezing out, has optics that enhance shooting at dusk where some bowhunting peeps reduce vision at dusk, that can get out anywhere from 100 yards with a shotgun, to several hundred yards with a rifle, and can fire multiple rounds in a second seems like a no brainer to me.

jrbsr 02-24-2008 03:07 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

ORIGINAL: Hunter Dan7

No arguments, just a question. I think bow hunting cuz they have to be close and there is a lot more movement when drawing, and cuz they have time to duck the arrow at farther yardages.
How about handgun hunting?

nick_bleuer76 02-25-2008 02:35 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Easy answer!

BigJ71 02-25-2008 04:26 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 


ORIGINAL: Edcyclopedia


ORIGINAL: BigJ71

I didn't vote because there is no correct answer.

I posted these answersfor the same question presented on the bow hunting forum and they apply here as well.

Some folks need to stop and THINK before the type.

If you don't like the post then don't read it, is my opion.
If everyone had your view point, then there would only be intelligent posts made by you.
Makes YOU THINK a little bit, doesn't it?
Back at ya


What the hell are you saying Ed???

Hunter Dan 7 asked a QUESTION as towhat was more challenging....I ANSWERED that question with my OPINION, that being, "there is no correct answer".

I went on to say that I posted something on another forum that also applied to this question (same question, different forum) so I cut and pasted it.....whats your problem with that? Never did I say everyone should have my view point. I simply felt a lot of folksjumped to conclusions withoutconsidering other aspects of hunting andjust asked that people THINK a little before posting.......something you OBVIOUSLY didn't do either.:eek:

If you don't like my posts then I suggest you ignore them or at the very least please have some sort of semi thought out retort, instead ofthe irrelevant to the subject at hand hogwash you posted.

WYObowfisher 02-25-2008 04:32 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Im pretty sureI can kill a deer with a rifle anywhereI could with a bow. I am also sure i could kill a deer with a rifle alot of places i couldnt with a bow.

johnst43 02-27-2008 06:43 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Not even a question!!!!!!!!!!

907Alaska 03-06-2008 11:55 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
Easy one here! Bow of course

CCPaHunter 03-07-2008 07:49 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
No contest. Bow

8mm 03-10-2008 09:50 AM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 
bow hunting

mnbirddog 03-10-2008 03:15 PM

RE: What do you think is more challenging?
 

ORIGINAL: BigJ71

I didn't vote because there is no correct answer.

I posted these answersfor the same question presented on the bow hunting forum and they apply here as well.

Some folks need to stop and THINK before the type.


It all depends on the situation. You fail to mention some very important details that need to be discussed. How far is the rifle shot? How far is the bow shot? For example I much rather take, and consider a 20 yard bow shot WAY easier than a 350 yard rifle shot...hands down. A 40 yard bow shot vs a 40 yard rifle, I take the rifle any day.....you see what I mean? Are you talking about rifles only or any firearm? A 50 yard shot with a scoped rifle (or slug gun) is one thing, a 30 yard shot with an iron sighted revolver is quite another.

By just putting up a simple, vanilla flavored, run of the millquestion like you did, all you're going to do is incite an argument and continue to stoke the festering problem of elitism that's already running rampant in the bow hunting community.[:'(]

In different circumstances either can be way more difficult than the other.

[blockquote]quote:

ORIGINAL: ABarOfSoap

How can you even compare the 2, gun hunting is a million times more easy,(and i do both) you have asight on a gun( zooms in), you can be perfectly steady,you can shoot alot alot further with it, they cant jump the string, you can use the wrong pin with a bow, with a bow they can see you pull it back and get scared, you flinch slightly with a bow, you miss alot more than with a gun, if its to windy its hard to shot with a bow, You usally have to stand to shoot with a bow, the deer has to be alot closer so the deer can smell you.
Just to name a few.
[/blockquote]


ABarOfSoap,

If you really hunted with both, there is NO WAY you would have posted what you did. Just need to "tidy up" a few things here.

1st. If you "flinch slightly" with a rifle...say you move the muzzle 1/4 inch.....at 250-300yds (effective range) you've just successfully shot about FIVE FEET over the deer!. If you "flinch slightly" with a bow again 1/4 inch at say 25-30yds (effective range) you'd miss your mark by a few inches....you'd still hit the deer.

Why do you thinklong range rifle shooters try to control both their breathing AND heart rate? I'll tell ya, because even something as slight as the shooters HEARTBEAT can cause a complete miss at extended ranges.

2nd. If it's windy it's also extremely difficult to shoot long ranges with a rifle, the bullet will drift obviously a lot further than you think (or even knew) it would.;)

3rd. You don't have to "usually stand" to shoot your bow, I've killed plenty of deer over the years sitting down.

This is what I'm talking about people...Blanket statements that folks just absorb like some kinda sponge only to spew it themselves for others to absorb at a later date,never taking the time to research whether or not it's even true. It's that, or some are so hell bent on pounding their chests and showing the world in some sort of elitist right of passage that bow hunting is the pinnacle of hunting and that all other forms pale and should just get down on bended knee and tip their hat to the all mighty bow hunter who saunters into the room, that they are willing to say anything true or not in order tofortify their position.

The question posted was "What do you think is more challenging" the operative word being THINK. So the next time someone asks a question like this please put SOME THOUGHT to it before typing.

It's threads like this that absolutely without a doubt show just how elitist bow hunters are. They are so blinded by their lust to show the world just how great of hunters they are and how hard their form of hunting is, that they don't realize they are only hurting hunting as a whole withtheir elitist propaganda.

I'm at a loss.....[:'(]

Look guys NOBODY is saying bow hunting is not challenging, it is. It has it's own set of challenges and hurdles that the hunter needs to jump in order to bag their quarry. But so does gun hunting. I'm a realist, I'm not jumping on any bandwagon here, not gun or bow.

The problem I think is when someone mentions "gun" hunting folks automatically assume it's a 50 yard broadside shot with a scoped firearm shooting off of a rest. In that scenario, yep that's about as easy a slam dunk shot as your going to find. I (nor anyone else) have never said anything to the contrary.

But those of you who seem to arbitrarily choosebow hunting as being more difficult without taking the time to realize that there are some forms of gun hunting thatare truly just as challenging if not more difficult. That's the reason why I asked the original poster what he meant when hesaid "Rifle". If you want to challenge yourself....truely challenge yourself , try picking up a muzzle loader....NO not the "in-line muzzle loading rifles" that are on the market today but a TRUE muzzle loader. One with a smooth bore, (no rifling to stabilize the projectile) and either a percussion cap or powder pan to ignite the gun powder inthe breach, yep that's the one I'm talking about, something that would have been in most peoples homes........in 1775!

With thisprimitive firearm you will need to make sure your quarry is within the same distance as a bow because the accuracy past 50 yards with a round ball smooth bore is laughable at best. Plus with a powder pan(flint lock)ignition system there is a slight delay from when the pan ignites to when the gun goes off. Not only do you need to hold steady as a billow of white smoke erupts in your face, the deeralso have that split second to react. Second/followup shots? they don't exist, this is a one chance deal.Good luck being able to see where you hit the deer too, you'd be lucky to even SEE what direction the deer ran by the time all the smoke clears........

Seems pretty difficult doesn't it? AndI haven't even started talking about the weather limitations to the weapon either...FORGET about hunting inany wind to speak of and certainly not the rain. You'd be lucky to get the thing to fire in high humidity much less a drizzle. Even on perfect days there are times when the thing just won't fire, perhaps the priming hole is clogged.

Now I want to make this VERY CLEAR....I don't hunt with that type of GUN.....but there are a few on this site that do, I don't.....it's too difficult.;)

Lets all be good stewards to this sport and not let our lust for recognition and elitism cloud our judgment and thus cast a disparaging shadow on the light this sport isseen in.


Am I getting through?



I disagree.

Leaving the question open as to what gun sort of tells me you can use any type of legal gun. Rifle, shotgun, pistol, ML... And again its a general statement, not specific incidents. I do agree that for me a 20 yd bow shot would probably be easier than a 350 yd gun shot, but the question wasn't which of these two scenarios are harder. It was what weapon is more difficult to take game with -each individual respondant would presumably apply the question to where they hunt, and how they hunt. If they are setting up for 350 yd shots, they would presumably be capable of taking them. I would assert that for the vast majority of hunters, it would be easier to sneak within gun (remember the question doesnt specify type) range than bow range. For some, due to where they hunt or how they hunt, neither would be easy or even possible (like me). The point remains, though, that more people are likely to be able to take deer farther out with a rifle than with a bow. That point alone makes it more difficult for some people to bow hunt.

For me, we have a long bow season. Sept 15th ish to Jan 1. Gives me lots of time to stick something. That being said, I don't have the kind of time to hunt that I wish I did. So for me, taking a doe would probably be easire to count on with the bow. I can get several dozen sits in, and usually can connect sometime. Bucks, who knows... Time on stand compared to deer taken, gun is MUCH lower than bow. Thats why I say gun hunting is easier. I, as I'm sure so have many others, have seen many many deer while sitting with the bow that I could have shot easily with a gun but couldn't get with the bow. Yes, even what you call a "real" ml or a pistol -in some cases at least.

So basically, I think that everyone can come to a conclusion about what kind of hunting is more difficult. Doesnt make anybody wrong that disagrees, though -its all opinion. When we read the replies, or view the poll results, we all know that it is individual opinoins being shared. And the concensus seems to be that bow hunting is more difficult to an overwhelming number of people.



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