Is it just a tool?
Wisconsin
So for the crossbow guys is the crossbow just a tool to kill a deer? A lot of bowhunters like myself love archery and most everything about it. Hell going out in the yard and shooting my bow almost every evening calms my nerves after a tough day as good as sipping good bourbon. But I have a feeling that the crossbow guys could care less about the journey and just want the destination. I can understand that, but it does sadden me a bit.
A stick bow, a recurve, a compound, and even a crossbow can become just a tool that is a means to an end if one allows such. It all depends on the hunter.
I have always considered bowhunting to be something special, an effort far beyond the simple exercise of a kill. There is so much more to it than that.
My opinion...
Bowhunting brings a magic to, oftentimes, otherwise plain days. It can offer a peace of mind and solitude found in few other endeavours. At the same time, it can present almost unlimited challenge with excitement. Who has not witnessed a glorious sunrise on a frosty morning, and watched the woods wake up to a new day? And who has not felt their pulse quicken while watching a buck approach and wonder, "will the shot happen?" Is that not magic?
Bowhunting is a reason to be in the woods, to surround yourself with mother nature and take whatever she offers. It is a reason to venture out, alone for hours, and experience the same chills and thrills our forefathers did. That's usually best in autumn, when I come alive. I gain a new perspective on yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I see the days blend into years and realize they coalesce into a journey that has become a bowhunting life.
I am proud to know people who bowhunt who I call friends, some on this forum. We enjoy our time afield and try to outwit our quarry. Sometimes we do, most often we do not. Bowhunting too gives me exercise, fresh air, and a challenge. I try to always follow the tenants of Fair Chase, and think mostly I do. I have killed deer with a stick bow, a recurve bow, and a compound bow,...never hunted with a crossbow but I think I could kill a deer with one,...I know how to do it,...but I hope that even now at age 73 I will never be old enough to do that.
No matter what weapon you use, any type of bow or even a firearm, it is a tool if it is just a means to an end, a way to kill a deer. It becomes something more than a tool if the journey and expeience of the hunt is valued higher than the possible result of a life taken.
I have bowhunted for 30 years. I have hunted with longbow, compound and crossbow. Only bow I haven't killed with is the longbow. I have killed more deer with the compound than the crossbow. When I kill a deer with the crossbow, I feel no different than when I did with the compound. I still scout, play the wind, practice, set stands, pick my shots, follow up my shots. I have missed deer with the crossbow and unfortunately flesh wounded a few as well. Nothing has changed for me other than I do not practice as much as when I mostly hunted with the compound and I have been honest and upfront that the crossbow does have the advantage and not as much practice is required. To me, I feel like I am very much archery hunting as I always have. My success is much more tied to my time in the stand, preparation, and woodsmanship than my choice of bow.
Four years ago, I took two weeks off to archery hunt and spent over 120 hours in the stand before tagging my buck. It always was and still is the journey.
I feel much different when I gun hunt. The exception being when I kill a deer with the flintlock rifle. That is a pretty rewarding experience as well.
Just what's needed, another crossbow thread.....
We had a discussion about this on another forum. I think the title was "what is more important the bowhunter or the bow". It all boiled down to being the hunter is far more important. As with Dpms I have gone through all the bows and the planning and preparation are far more important than what your carrying. By the way I have missed with all three types stick, compound and crossbow. I took the most with compound.
My recurve & longbow are, of course, tools when used to kill a deer.
But, shooting a deer is a miniscule use of them. I love archery...period. It's fun. It's challenging. It's a physical workout. It comes with a brotherhood and camaraderie. Trad shoots are a mini rendezvous...a chance to renew old, distant friendships...as are compound shoots.
I like to tinker...to try different arrow - broadhead - fletching combinations. Tuning arrows to bows or vice versa.
Also, I love to watch arrows fly...and hit what I intended.
I use that tool, and the accessories necessary, in many ways.
Of course you know the answer, the bow season was never meant to be used as a management tool. It was meant to be a challenge, not easy to kill maximum deer. I will admit I think the advancement of the compound has maybe opened the door for this a little, but "for me" there is still enough of similarities to a bow I can live with it.
The crossgun is a completely different animal, all the crossgunners know it, they dont care about the romance of bowhunting, or the history of the long seasons and bowhunting. They just want what they want. And they got it.
I believe you are only as good as you make yourself, regardless of your tool of choice. Some tools are very easy to use and harvest an animal if you limit yourself to your own proficiency of that particular tool. For instance, I feel very comfortable shooting at a deer with my compound out to 35-40 yards. 15 yards max with my recurve. 400+ yards with my rifle and 100 yards with my muzzle loader. Why? Because I practice year round with these tools at these ranges. Of course I have to practice more with my bows than my firearms in order to be good at those distances.
I also get a totally different feeling when a deer comes into range with a bow, even if I choose not to shoot at it. A feeling of accomplishing the task I have set out to accomplish. Getting inside the deer's "safe zone". I feel pretty good about knowing that I could have taken the shot if I wanted to and when I do take that shot with a bow and harvest an animal there are no words that explain what I feel. I get the same feeling when I take a new hunter out and they harvest an animal.
When I harvest an animal with a firearm I don't get the same feeling. Even when I harvest an animal at a long distance. It is more of a harvest than a hunt to me.
I have also spent some time shooting a crossbow. I find that it is too easy to become proficient at greater distances than with my bows. I don't feel that I will ever be able to feel the same satisfaction that I get when hunting with a bow, therefore I won't use one.
"I believe you are only as good as you make yourself, regardless of your tool of choice." I would agree. Unfortunately, the crossbow is allowing those who never made anything of themselves, into the archery season.
Great read MikeF. You have found the essence of hunting. By the way I find no meaning in shooting an animal with a gun either. That is me, I am sure others do.
Case... once again you nailed it. When I read your post, it was exacly what my hunts mean to me. Frost on the ground, the woods coming alive around you, the thrill of, will he get close enough for a shot, if he does will he bust me drawing, so many things that make it great Hell I am blessed when momma are her young cruise by. I am happy to watch a grouse ponder around my stand. There are times I watch the squirrels for hours and find myself laughing out load like someone is with me. (not the best tactics), To me that is why I hunt. I would rather see my son or grandkids be successful than me. I am at the point in my life where the 'KILL" really doesn't matter anymore, the quest is so much more enjoyable. If I can pass that down and someone ends up with that passion,than as a "HUNTER" i did my job.
Depending on the equipment you use, you can put as much challenge in the hunt as you want. Tons of technology available to make it easier. Your choice if you use it. What I find comical is how many chest pounders there are who use all the high tech gear, and are self proclaimed the "real deal". Funny stuff.....:>)
Dont know why a link popped up.
Is a shotgun just a tool to kill a turkey? I know there are tried and true bow hunters like myself who use a shotgun to kill birds. Is this any different?
My bow is not just a tool for me. It's a memory maker/keeper. When I look at my bow I think about all the cool animals it killed before I owned it. All the misses it had while it's second owner had it. All the excitement it's provided me since I've owned it. My bow is old and doesn't have an easy draw cycle or much letoff. Every time I hold for a while it brings me back to my first ever bowhunt when I was on the ground, full draw, face to face at 8 yds with a doe. I held as long as I could waiting for her to turn but all she did was stomp and snort. Eventually I had to let down and she ran away. When I'm shooting in my backyard I'm thinking of all the close calls I've had with my bow. I know I'm sentimental but my bow is not a tool, it's a link to a photo album and the pics are in my head. Handling my bow brings all those photos back to me.
