my friend an I have a running debate and I'd like more opinions.
I know that we all strive for a good clean kill in hunting. But the question is: which is typically more "humane" for deer hunting, a bow or a gun? In other words, which causes less suffering to the animal?

sounds like a fishing anti looking for a hunter fight to me. Sorry dude I think hunting in general whether it be with a bow, gun, spear, knife, or bare hands is the most humane and ethical way to harvest an animal that we love and respect.

Both are very ethical and humane in harvesting an animal. You need to practice with both to ensure a vital shot. A bow does just as much damage as a gun if placed in the right spot.

Well, I'll admit the debate rose out of an uneducated but highly opinionated non-hunter's rudeness.
But one side is that the bow requires you to be closer to the animal, which may improve accuracy, and it slices the target, allowing better penetration and blood loss. The other side is that the gun's projectile has much more speed (and therefore energy) and does more damage, increasing blood loss. This is assuming proper shot placement in either case.

the ethics part of hunting doesnt fall on which is more ethical the bow or gun but rather the person behind either weapon,

dr, I am going to call it a tie.

Are you serious? There is no comparison with proper shot placement. Any gun from .243 to shotgun slug blows an arrow out of the water. I hope this isn't bowhunting purists not willing to give a gun any good points. As far as hunters go, bowhunters are usually more serious than someone that only gun hunts, so they may take higher percentage shots and be able to hit them better.

Both create equal havoc in my opinion. The firearm doing it's damage from energy and the expanding lead while the arrow does it from the surgical cutting of tissue and vessels from the rotating broadhead.

skin your comment is contridicting itself. You say with proper shot placement a gun will blow an arrow out of the water...than finish off by saying bowhunters may take higher % shots and be better at excuting! I have to tell you that I just sat here scratching my head...then went HUH!

Proper shot placement, higher % shots to excute them with in your own ability are keys regardless if you have a slug, arrow or bullet! This is what is called ethics and failure to keep within your abilities can cause some suffering...that would be referred to as unethical.

Yes your dead right they are worlds apart in how they kill an animal but neither ones is more humane if you produce a clean harvest! A poor shot can happen with either, just because a gun may do more damage and have the ability to pump a second shot into the wounded animal does not make it more humane or effecient!

BTW, many guys who don't bow hunt are just as serious about hunting as those who bowhunt or do many types of hunting.

I agree with BC it's a tie!

I am a bowhunter, but if I had to take a shot to the chest from a gun or a bow, I'll take the gun.

I do think that the sound of a gun scares the deer more than the string of a bow. Most of the time, I don't think they really know they are hit until they are almost dead.