In Wisconsin when the Native Americans used bows & arrows to assist in food gathering it was survivalist in nature, they needed it to help insure their future. In the 21st. century when we bowhunt it is recreational in nature. The motivation for bowhunting in Wisconsin has evolved over time, as has the practice itself.
I do not believe there is any single definition to bowhunting, it means something slightly, or for that matter greatly, different to each of us. For the newcomer to the sport it is one thing but for the veteran it is entirely something else. The rewards derived by each vary also. And all of this is multiplied by the many different facets of bowhunting,...the different types of tackle, the different types of game sought, the challenges of competitive shooting, the reward of making your own tackle and learning how to do it, and the satisfaction of learning about and studying the history of our great sport.
Is bowhunting defined by the type of tackle you shoot? Stick bow? Recurve? Compound? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Again, it varies with the individual, where we are in the sport and what each of us is seeking.
I am not sure I know the full answer to this question, and I do not know that anyone does. I don't think we can define bowhunting for the next guy, we can only define it for ourselves. Maybe it's sort of like someone trying to define or describe the difference between art and pornography, it is difficult to nail down with a concise statement, but you know it when you see it.
And most of us do know true bowhunting when we see it!
I am now 68, tomorrow, and have been very blessed. I killed and ate 5 bears before I ever killed a whitetail deer. I have hunted elk and western bears,, and mule deer and sheep, in the days I could really get at it. With the equipment I had, I scored some and lost some, but it was well worth the journey.
Today bowhunting is a hot cup of tea, on my lunch fire, in the western UP. I love to fondle my long bow, and admire its beauty, and drink in the colors and smells of the fall. It is such a special time, it is hard to explain.................
I can not hunt out of condos, or really for that matter commercial blinds. I need to be in a blind I built of natural material, and if I need some warmth, I have a small fire. If it spooks a deer, so be it. I love the woods, I want to be a part of it, no matter how short of a time, I have to spend with it.
Nothing wrong with the latest clothing, but I favor, wool radar caps, and plaid shirts and wool pants. I do not wear or care about the latest camo, and my hunting shirt is brown and white plaid. I believe that movement is the issue, not the camo pattern I wear.
I hate scoring of deer. I think it is demeaning, and did not last long in the scoring group, but they are a great bunch of people. I look at a deer, as a challenge, and a 7 point western UP deer, may mean more, than my larger deer, from other areas, because I know how hard it was to take that buck..... All bucks should be respected, and I could not kill a deer, that I truly did not want.
I love to bow hunt... bowhunters are roamers, at least they should be. I like to think, that most bowhunters are a cut above. I am always willing to help out the next guy, to help him track, or drag, or whatever is needed, if that hunter asks.
I love to bowhunt, and respect the other hunters spot, public land or not, always give another hunter, who was ahead of you, a wide berth......
Bowhunting to me is simplicity, and I love solitude. I like to share camps, but I want to hunt, on my own, it is that personal to me.........
I hope to bowhunt, till I drop and God willing, it will be in the fall, in the woods, where I am always at peace
God Bless
They "magic hour" of dwindling daylight and stillness of dying winds puts one on edge with the sense of, "any time, now".
The long prep times of marksmanship practice, tuning arrows, and honing broadheads.
The opportunity to hunt with my now grown son, as my dad did with me.
Maybe I'll put some venison in the freezer...then again, maybe not. While that is the end goal, it's no longer my primary concern.
Of course things can ramp up and escalate quickly when a target animal comes into view. It’s that charge we all strive for.
Although I love the solitary aspect of bowhunting. I am more excited about getting my 16 year old daughter in the woods than anything. My son gun hunts but didn't like bowhunting. My daughter wants the challenge, and this is the first year she can draw our self imposed limit of 40lbs.