Contributors to this thread:
Does anyone hunt with a bow anymore?
Simple question, what makes a person post a rifle kill on a bow based forum? Participation trophy?
Because Pat the founder has allowed it to happen over the years, so now it is a ( somewhat of a norm) to post rifle kills on a bow based forum. I disagree but the choice is to still participate or not to participate on the site or do not read those posts. I chose to participate (since 1997) and still try to view Bowsite as a bow based forum of which 99% of the time it is. I would expect the theory behind allowing to show gun kills is that Bow Hunters also use rifles. DA :) my best, Paul
I’d rather see the rifle kills than the x-bow kills posted as archery kills.
I thought CBA could moderate the Colorado forum?
They get pulled on LW.
I have absolutely no issue with folks here posting a rifle kill if it belongs to a kid, is a unique or exceptional animal, or has a great story to go with it...
Bowsite/Riflesite.com ??????????????????????????????????
I saw some bow kills during rifle season on the 2018 harvest thread, but no rifle kills....
Personally, I don't care to read or respond the the muzzleloader/rifle kills because I don't muzzleloader/rifle hunt.
I bet most of you have nightmares when rifle season is in session
I prefer bow hunting stories also but the entire hunting community needs to stick together. Sometimes we can share hunting info with one another and learn new things to help have better hunting experiences.
I don't mind looking, I think some of the guns used are interesting. Participation trophy's are excellent when it comes to getting outdoors.
Well said P&Y! I'm just here because I find the holier than thou attitude of some bowhunters amusing.
I see how you could get that vibe Dirk. Sorry for that and happy hunting!
I posted mine in the semi live thread that I have going because it's hard to tell the full story of a season without it. Every hunt has its own individual appeal and I feel like i would be remiss if I left it out of the story. Sure, the thread is about my bowhunt for a giant mule deer, but that doesn't define my season. My season has been defined by the hunts that I shared with amazing people. Mornings spent glassing. Hours on the road. Sharing meals with friends at small dinners across the state. Yeah they were rifle hunts, but it becomes a season. If I put my hands on that big buck it will be because I did it with my bow for sure, but he'll end up as icing on the cake to an already amazing season. In my minds eye I wouldn't be able to tell you about him without telling you about them.
Doesn't bother me but I also don't want Bowsite to become Huntingsite. I like it because its focused on bowhunting. I've added to threads about guns and rifle hunts occasionally but would be fine if that wasn't allowed. As long as its a few threads here and there its no big deal to me. Rifle hunting is like fishing, trucks, cabins, and other interests that bowhunters have that get posted about that are off topic..
Ahh P&Y, I'm smart enough to know it's a minority. Theres plenty of good info to be gleaned as well. Someday when I'm tired of the rat race that is rifle hunting I'll pick my mathews back up, but for now I'll pull another elk steak from the freezer for supper! Happy hunting to you!
I'm an avid bowhunter, ml hunter and occasional rifle hunter and like to see the various sites devoted to each stay focused on the relevant hunting method. I'm certainly not a purist of any kind and I don't have any problem finding sites that are appropriate to each method. For the most part other sites are quite strict on the issue.
OTOH, this site has a fairly low participation level and the impact is minor but it could become a problem if it grows.
I don't think you should have a black and white rule on it, I don't mind seeing bowsite let some rifle threads slip through. IMHO, there are rifle hunts out there that are far more interesting than some bow hunts. I'd much rather hear about a mountain goat/grizzly bear/sheep/etc hunt with a rifle than someone shooting a deer with a bow, from a tree stand, over a bait pile.
I don't mind an OCCASIONAL rifle "hunt". But they really don't interest me, so I skip them. To me, the smallest critter with a bow is much more of a trophy than a new world record rifle kill. And I don't see the difference if it's a kid, woman, or anyones' first kill. Celebrate what it is, but a rifle kill is NOT bow kill.
What I don't like is a story where someone is "bowhunting" with a rifle for back up, just in case bow hunting is too difficult. That's NOT bowhunting, even if it happens to work out before you decide it might not. There is much more to hunting, especially bowhunting, than just killing something.
I don't mind it at all. Just put a disclaimer on the title--Rifle Hunt--and still 99 % of the people will look at it anyway. Stick together.
I started bow hunting in 1984. Total hunting years is around 63 years. I have many animals that I killed with a bow that I didn't take pictures of over the years. Friends have wanted me to go with them to Alaska where I took both my bow and rifle. I recently completed my Super 10 in which I took 6 with a bow and 4 with a rifle. I am just as proud of the animals that I harvested with a rifle than I am with my bow. Some of the animals are only seen on the wall in my trophy room. Friends, neighbors, Boy's Scout groups and kids around the area really enjoy seeing the animals. Sometimes you get a real wall hanger that you would like to share with other hunters (bow or rifle). I am just about at the end of my hunting days so I won't have to "insult" some of you with pictures of animals that I took with a rifle. I have been giving away camo clothing, bow hunting equipment and rifles to family, friends and kids that want to get into our sport. We should be trying to get people involved with our sport (bow, rifle or ML) and not putting each other down for posting some of our trophy pictures.
Great post Bighorn.
I really like to bowhunt, but I must admit I have more guns than bows.
My most favorite trophy is one that very few will ever achieve on a couple levels. And that is a B&C Colorado Shiras Bull moose that I shot with a rifle.
Not. One. Regret. Ever.
I think most of us “Bowhunters” do have nightmares when rifle seasons are in place. I know I do.
Couple things I’ve noticed this year. Less bow hunts, more rifle threads.
Guys looking for info on hunts during the combined bow/firearms seasons with no intent on using a bow.
I still haven’t seen a justification for posting rifle kills. I guess to maintain “relevance”
I waited 20 years to get my bull moose license here in CO. I have been to Alaska twice and Canada once without even seeing a bull moose. Yes, two of them were guided hunts. I wanted to harvest my bull with a bow but where he was located we felt it would be almost impossible to get an arrow through the willows. So, I decided to use my rifle (I had both bow and rifle along). I posted my bull picture on here because I felt great that I had finally harvested my bull even though it was during the rifle season. Here is a picture of my bull. He looks larger in the picture than he really is but he is 46" across, 5 years old and he is still a darn nice bull. Tell me that after waiting 20 years for the license that I shouldn't show it to my friends here on the Bowsite.
Maybe some people get started rifle hunting, however they really dream of bow hunting but just don't know how to get started or the confidence to go out there with a bow. Maybe they're on Bow site cause they are trying to get information. Maybe you should ask the person that posted?
I'm with the majority, I could go to other sites if I wanted to read about rifle hunting. But I still respect that they share a passion of mine, just not the same method of harvest. Maybe a solution to this is to add another forum named Rifle. This would also give crossbow people somewhere to post. Hell, if we get enough forums going maybe our next Governor will start posting.
I agree Lee. This was a very unusual year for me in that my bowhunting was greatly abbreviated by having family members taking refuge at my house from the Florence hurricane. Having them here also gave me a chance to take some grandkids hunting marmots and they all wanted to use their favorite firearm so we did that twice.
Consequently, I spent way more time hunting deer, elk and antelope with a rifle than I did bowhunting. I posted about those hunts on some other forums but not here. It just wasn't about bowhunting.
I was not going to "chime" in again but..... I have been on this Bowsite.com from the beginning, ie, 1996 or 1997. I was thrilled that a hunting site was devoted to bow hunting only and that the participants were bow hunters and I would expect mainly bow hunters using bow hunting equipment. Yes, I know many hunters have and use a variety of manners of take but this site from the start, was devoted to bow hunting, yes, using bow hunting equipment only.
But some were along the line of time, a few bow hunters decided to also add their rifle kills and then that lead to including their stories about their rifle hunts, especially if they went on a hunt that may prove difficult, they took both bow and gun.
Over time, pictures of kids and then a few pictures of women with a rifle showed up and the consensus was, Oh, that is ok! Then a few trapping posts were added and then a few rifle coyote hunts were added.
The owner of this Bowsite. com felt that this was ok and good for the site and participation, so it has gone on for the past few years even though rifle participation is very low and one can chose to watch/read the posts or not.
If I was King for a day and then owner/developer of this site, this site would only be devoted to bow hunting , its skills, the passion and the challenges of hunting with the hand held, hand drawn bow.
Since I am not, I will still participate as I have in the past but I will not read, watch, or participate in a post that includes a rifle kill. Bowsite.com has always been special in my mind and I guess, I will just keep it that way, yes, in my mind.
My best, Paul
Agree with you Paul.
Probably been reading and posting on here for about as long...
I love bow hunting for the challenges presented. My chosen type of equipment provides the animals I pursue significant advantage. For much of my hunting I add the additional challenge of holding out for a more mature, trophy class animal. Thus, in order to be consistently successful, I have had to expend a tremendous amount of time and effort hone my skills and abilities. It has been more than worth that effort.
I absolutely love seeing hunters achieve their goals with a bow and arrow and am always happy to help them gain the necessary skills if I can.
I do get very excited about some of the spectacular hunting adventures that many of the guys on Bowsite are able to do. Some of these adventures are truly once in a lifetime and I do not begrudge a hunter for pulling out a rifle to ensure success (if legal). I am always very happy for their successes and do enjoy reading a well written story with a once in a lifetime animal as the reward.
There are still many amazing hunts that I want and hope to do in my life and those stories provide details about the adventure and keep the flames of desire to go and experience those special hunts.
However, it is always a bit of a let down when the gun comes out in the end.
"...pulling out a rifle to ensure success..."
I've never measured the success of a hunt by the kill. If I did, then ALL hunts would be with a rifle. In fact, I've had many successful hunts where no animal died. To me, being true to the method, overall effort and experience is what's important. If I'm bowhunting, then I'm bowhunting. No rifle could be involved. And you never know if you would have been "successful" with a bow unless the season/hunt ends without using a rifle.
In the grand scheme of things, considering the problems going on in our country and the challenges ALL hunters face now and going-forward, this is about as important as a mouse turd on the floor of a wall tent.
This is one of the reasons why hunters are constantly handed their azz by anti's... Division from within our own group... Can't even stand together because they used a rifle...OMG they used a muzz... Bowhunters suck because they use modern technology... my ancestors only used primitive weapons and you all suck... Disgusts me....
Don't like it... don't read it. I'd be willing to bet that 99% of the people on this site have used a gun to shoot something...
Kelly , this post has nothing to do with "99% of the people on this site have used a gun to shoot something" I have two rifles, two pistols, three shotguns and yes I have guns to shoot something. The basic topic/post was, "why the rifle kills on a site that was originally developed to showcase bow hunters and bow hunting using bow hunting equipment.
Nothing wrong with a conversation about that. Sorry this post "disgusts me" and we "all suck". my best, Paul
Then, maybe someone should tell Pat that he has to stop posting his rifle kills on his Bowsite. If he didn't want rifle kill pictures on here he would delete them. It seems to me that some here are telling him to stop it. Let's see if he does. Out of the 23 mounts that I have in my trophy room, 18 have been taken with a bow and 5 with a rifle. To my knowledge I have only posted 2 of my rifle kills on this site. My bull Tahr and bull moose. If that is too much for your liking then too bad.
Merle,, this topic was presented and discussed by Pat a few years ago and being the owner and founder of Bowsite.com he can do what he wishes and show what he wants. No one here is telling him anything that will make him change his current policy towards showing some rifle kills. So there will continue to be shown, some rifle kills on Bowsite. The option for some will be to dissolve their relationship with the Site. The other option is to continue to see Bowsite. com as a bow hunting site and if a rifle kill shows up, then do not read the post. I stated my opinion and will continue to enjoy the Site as in the past and will continue to contribute, as Bowsite.com is the best bow hunting related site there is.
This thread is a microcosm of what's wrong with the country right now. An inability for some/many/most people to discuss ANYTHING. If they have a different opinion, instead of having a respectful discussion, they resort to name calling. Our form of government was never designed to be a "winner take all" proposition, and it can't survive that way.
Read link - and then decide if we should keep bickering about rifle vs. bow kills
This isn't about bickering over gun vs bow. It's purely a matter staying on point in our topic choices. Would you walk into a meeting of a club for cake bakers and insist on discussing BBQ? I suppose some people would but why?
Paul, I agree with what you said above. Frankly, I am a bowhunter and have been since 1984. I always want to hunt with a bow but there are times when it isn't feasible to hunt with one. That doesn't mean to me that I shouldn't show what I harvested with others that would be interested. As you said, you can just skip over the picture or story about the hunt. Some of you may remember that I posted a picture of my fused spine (11 levels). I'm doing my best just to get out and hunt with the pain that I live with. I no longer can hunt by myself because I am not able to lift anything over 10 lbs. In fact, pulling my bow at 50 lbs is a major task. Scouting is not something that I can do anymore. The moose hunt may be my last hunt and I am glad that I harvested one and could show it to others. Just wait until you get crippled up and in the same situation. You may think differently when it happens to you.
My semi-live for a 200+ muley with a bow has gotten nearly zero traction with the Bowsite community if only because I posted the rifle hunting success that we had earlier in the season. Lesson learned I guess.
Justin, not sure what you mean by "traction" but know that only a few wjo follow threads actually post on them. Especially semi-live hunts, and more especiallly on the CO forum since there seems to only be a handful of regulars on here. If you restarted it on the main mule deer forum with the pics of that brute and continue on from here, you'll get a lot more interest, FWIW. Good luck with that monster!
I just want to say there is no bad time for discussing BBQ. I don't care if its a cake convention or a meeting of the Flat Earthers, the topic is always valid.
LOL! Agree, coming from a Raichlin fan.
Jaq- I appreciate the insight. As I've never done a semi-live here on the Colorado page I don't have a frame of reference. I don't think I'll restart on the main Mule Deer page as I enjoy seeing the whole story from beginning to end, but I will post a link with some pics of him though. Be nice to see the Colorado page get more traffic (not traction).
Anyways, I don't mean to derail this thread. Back to your regularly scheduled conversation about BBQ... I mean pancakes... I mean automobiles... Ahh hell, you know what I mean.
Paul,
That's not my point. I get that this site is geared towards the bowhunter. My point is that the majority of people on this site probably hunt with other weapons as well and don't give a rat's A$$ about a couple of non-bow kills being posted. 99% of the content is geared towards the bowhunter. Would it be the same if I posted a picture of an elk killed with a spear, or killed a grouse with a rock, slingshot, spit-wad for that matter. Would my content not be allowed because its all about bows? Ultimately it's Pat's site, if he doesn't want it here, he and he alone can control that... Everyone is free to browse, look at what they want and ignore what they want.... Heck you could even start your own bow only forum and ban all the lead chuckers...
My point is everyones got their panties in a wad over trivial BS.... Time could be used better posting something constructive, than dwelling on what's wrong and pointing out how everyone else is inferior to the bowhunter or doesn't belong in the forum...
And for the record, I'm perfectly fine with whatever opinion you have. I just think there is a bunch of childish crap that goes on here, that's my opinion, you don't have to agree with it either... I can agree to disagree...
Paul said: "I will still participate as I have in the past but I will not read, watch, or participate in a post that includes a rifle kill."
But you post pictures of pheasants you killed with a shotgun. What the difference between a rifle kill and a shotgun kill. Kind of hypocritical IMO
Easy solution, start your own archery based website....
Don't need, I'm already a member of several good sites that keep it all archery.
Whatever the folks want to do here is pretty much up to the members here. There's a lot of value here when you consider the input regarding season structure and other regulatory matters.
I come on here for the bowhunts. There are plenty of other websites out there for the rifle hunts. I have nothing against rifle hunters. I help family out with rifle hunts every year. But I don’t post their pics because...it was killed with a rifle. I like bowsite for the “bow hunts”. Just my opinion.
