Are we really hunting?

[LongWayAround]

Hunting over a corn pile is bait - hunting in the corn of a corn field isn't?

Using camouflage makes you less of a hunter than wearing buckskin?

Hunting with a longbow kills the deer different than using a crossbow?

Hunting from a treestand is different than Hunting from the ground?

Hunting at its earliest involved using tools to make things sharper, faster, more deadly than what we used the week before. Its the main difference between us and the animals.

Animals run faster, see farther, smell better, are stronger, and have almost every natural advantage.

The Indian word for bad hunter is vegetarian...

Our great grandfather's deer season was when the meat pole was empty, not when the government said they could use a certain stick with a certain string, on a certain side of the road.

You may have noticed fields of harvested corn are quite a bit larger than a 50lb bag of corn.

Nobody wears buckskin.

You can't possibly think it's equivalent difficulty to use a longbow vs crossbow.

Yea, tree stands are different than sitting on the ground. Seems obvious.

Your great grandfather's deer season didn't exist because they had nearly killed them all via unregulated hunting.

 

[coyotekilla]

You may have noticed fields of harvested corn are quite a bit larger than a 50lb bag of corn.

Nobody wears buckskin.

You can't possibly think it's equivalent difficulty to use a longbow vs crossbow.

Yea, tree stands are different than sitting on the ground. Seems obvious.

Your great grandfather's deer season didn't exist because they had nearly killed them all via unregulated hunting.

You may have noticed fields of harvested corn are quite a bit larger than a 50lb bag of corn.

Nobody wears buckskin.

You can't possibly think it's equivalent difficulty to use a longbow vs crossbow.

Yea, tree stands are different than sitting on the ground. Seems obvious.

Your great grandfather's deer season didn't exist because they had nearly killed them all via unregulated hunting.

As Ronald Regan said the 9 most terrifying words in the English language are, "I'm from the government and I'm here to help. "

Had the government not been involved the American plains bison might have a much different story to tell.

In my opinion, unless your Tim Wells, chances are your using an unfair advantage. And I'm OK with that. The contest is between you and your quarry, not you and the other hunters. As long as your both abiding by the laws in your jurisdiction, go forth and enjoy yourselves.

 

[DonV]

Lot's of good stuff here. I hunt with a rifle, compound bow, muzzleloader and shotgun. Even a harpoon for gators. Legal and ethical are 2 different things. As some mentioned gadgets are making us less effective hunters - I agree. Less kill is needed. Crossbows are night and day from a compound (which I use) which are also night and day from a recurve or longbow. Also taking a trophy vs. a doe matters IMO. He is after a trophy buck. I do not feel if he gets one it is an accomplishment. I hunted one place where someone else dumped bait nearby - my odds at a mature buck went way down. My land is very lightly hunted and trophy bucks hit bait when it is light all the time.

I am not set in my thoughts and everyone draws the line in a different place. It is my land and I can decide what goes. I want to be fair and this topic has been something I have been thinking about more and more. Add in drones, cell phones, heat vision and it gets even more away from my feelings on what a true hunt is.

 

[DonV]

For me: No cams. No bait. No private land.
Spent years archery only-compound.
Now that I’m dragging the rifle out a little it feels like a cheat code lol.

Personally, I think cell cams during season are about as unsportsmanlike as it gets.
I know MULTIPLE guys every year who get a pic on their cell and run out and kill a buck in the backyard or the back forty.

Exactly not sportsman like IMO.

 

[DonV]

This thread combines a lot of things. My own personal decision on what I will permit is up to me. I have decided I will let him hunt this year how he wants. Next year no crossbow only compound bow.

It is not just the crossbow. Or the bait. Or the cell cameras. It is the combination, and NO hunting skill is involved. None. He is sitting next to my privacy fence in my backyard, wind in his face. Deer will never see him if he is still (xboa do not require you to draw). Deer cannnot get downwind, my backyard and house are there. He checks camera befoe he walks in so as not to spook deer. He knows what time the bucks are coming in. It is a slam dunk shot with an xbow.

I also know when the deer come in. I can easily give anyone an xbow, make them shoot one time to be sure they aim right and understand trigger. Show them 2 pics of a deer (broadside and quartering away) and tell them where to aim. Walk them through my backyard to my gate, open gate walk 25 feet along fence and sit down with xbow and a rest, against my fence. Corn is 25 yards away. If the person can sit still they will kill a mature buck. No experience required. This not hunting and involves zero skill, experience or effort. I have even been carrying the corn back for him to save him a trip. (he lives 45 minutes away).

 

[DonV]

Here is where the hunt is. Sitting against the fence (on the other side) facing west (wind does not go to woods or bait 90% of the time. Bait is in the pic to you just cannot see it.

Last I heard 10% of peopel hunt and 10% are anti. 80% are in between. What do you think most of the 80% would think of this "hunt"?

 

[loganwayne]

Meh if it bothers you tell him to stop. I have cameras and corn piles and also hunt alot of public blind. I even used a crossbow the last two seasons because of a shoulder issue.


I hunt a small piece my buddy owns and had hunted it a couple years before he put a house on it. When he built his house it was at the top of a killer transition that the deer use a lot. Now my ground blind is 25yds from his front door and Im hooked up to his wifi

 

[207North]

Here is where the hunt is. Sitting against the fence (on the other side) facing west (wind does not go to woods or bait 90% of the time. Bait is in the pic to you just cannot see it.

Last I heard 10% of peopel hunt and 10% are anti. 80% are in between. What do you think most of the 80% would think of this "hunt"?

Whats the goal here? Give the “10% anti” something to use? Sway the 80% your way? I dont get it.

 

[rookieforever33]

Its your land. As long as its legal and you are happy good for you. I am surprised you draw a line at comound bow and not the bait pile though. Oh well.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Here is where the hunt is. Sitting against the fence (on the other side) facing west (wind does not go to woods or bait 90% of the time. Bait is in the pic to you just cannot see it.

Last I heard 10% of peopel hunt and 10% are anti. 80% are in between. What do you think most of the 80% would think of this "hunt"?

How much land is there? Are you in a subdivision? Neighborhood? To me, I could kill the deer in my suburban backyard all day, but it wouldn’t be hunting. It would be killing. I don’t have a problem with killing, but I would not pass off any deer taken in my backyard as the result of my hunting. If the goal is just killing deer, then use all legal means. Better to kill them with a crossbow than a Chevrolet.

But, if this is land that could be “hunted”, then I do believe in greater restraint (for myself).

 

[Predator_SD]

Your gut reaction is correct. This is NOT hunting its killing deer. There is a difference.

That being said people are getting lazier and ever more reliant, scratch that DEPENDENT, on technology in every facet of their everyday lives. Tech is making people dumber, fatter, lazier, and all that balled up with the attention span and patience of a gnat.

It was inevitable that the worst of modern day life would creep into something as sacred as bowhunting. There is no going back now that the mindless masses have these things to assist them with doing something most could never pull off without their crutches, kill deer.

As such i would absolutely tell this guy to grow a pair and hunt deer the right way or do what he’s doing somewhere else. I mean, using a crossbow over bait all being watched 24/7 with a cell cam? Dude should be embarrassed.

 

[Predator_SD]

It’s all relative.

Is using a modern bow really hunting? Is using a range finder hunting? Is using a rifle with a scope that you can shoot at 600 yards hunting? Is getting to your hunt site with a vehicle hunting?

Do you not think that hunters throughout history have baited deer? Native Americans would absolutely bait deer and set up right on the site.

Yeah, with a stick bow they made themselves out of willow!

 

[Lawnboi]

I don’t mind bait, or crossbows.

The live feeds of deer on your property be it cell cams or thermal drones is an issue though.

 

[dårlig jeger]

Not directed at anyone here. You guys are all cool. But, as a group, bowhunters seem more concerned with what other people do than any other group.

No washing your car in your driveway!

 

[Mtns2hunt]

Sounds like a bunch self righteous hypocrites on this post. I don't hunt this way or that but it's okay for some else to hunt with cams, bait or crossbows.

I like cams because they help me know what's on the property. I have hunted with recuves, compounds and crossbows. Oh and rifles including muzzel loaders.

I have had loads of fun using all legal tools at my disposal. Sure glad I hunt alone as I answer to myself alone.

As for game being dumb I have not noticed that at all. I am still hunting after three months and only harvested two animals. One buck and one doe. Law requires the harvesting of a doe before a second buck may be harvested.

I don't use bait because of cwd. Plus it's illegal.

To much BS here just get out and enjoy nature and the outdoors.

 

[Macintosh]

Hunting = finding rocks and turning them into stone projectile points yourself, making something to launch said projectile from items you found or procured in the woods, and sneaking up on a critter wearing nothing but the skins of the last critter you snuck up on, in order to dispatch it with your homemade implements, and then butchering it with a stone tool. Either that or running it down with nothing more than a stick while wearing maybe a loincloth at most. If that isnt how you hunt, then I dont really care what you think about how others choose to hunt. Anything more than that^^ is just shades of grey.

 

[TWoch]

Everyone keeps talking about the “law” after we just watched Colorado wolf reintroduction become law. Does law supersede biology now? Just because it’s legal doesn't make it best for the species.

It was legal to kill 5 turkeys in Alabama during Covid…does that mean you should?

 

[bowkill]

It always seems to come down to people saying, "Well as long as it's legal...", but at some point I hope everyone has to draw a line. If they suddenly passed a law saying you could use thermal drones that shot RPG's at the animals while controlling them from your couch, are we all going to say, "Well as long as it's legal..."? I'm sure there is a subset of people that are always going to be comfortable using "any legal means", but I still have my own self-induced restrictions that are quite a bit more regulated than what is "legal".

 

[waspocrew]

It always seems to come down to people saying, "Well as long as it's legal...", but at some point I hope everyone has to draw a line. If they suddenly passed a law saying you could use thermal drones that shot RPG's at the animals while controlling them from your couch, are we all going to say, "Well as long as it's legal..."? I'm sure there is a subset of people that are always going to be comfortable using "any legal means", but I still have my own self-induced restrictions that are quite a bit more regulated than what is "legal".

And that's totally fine.

If someone is wishing for a more primitive hunting experience, by all means - go for it. Nothing is stopping you from hunting with a recurve during archery or a flintlock for rifle season, etc. Dump the rangefinder and start guessing distance.

I’m not going to get up in arms about someone sitting over bait on their property or having a trail cam set up if their state fish and game says it’s fine.

 

[bowkill]

And that's totally fine.

If someone is wishing for a more primitive hunting experience, by all means - go for it. Nothing is stopping you from hunting with a recurve during archery or a flintlock for rifle season, etc. Dump the rangefinder and start guessing distance.

I’m not going to get up in arms about someone sitting over bait on their property or having a trail cam set up if their state fish and game says it’s fine.

Right, and I'm not necessarily arguing about whether baiting or cameras should be legal and I'm certainly not trying to come off sounding like I'm better than anyone for the way I choose to hunt. All I'm saying is that when you take it to extremes, the argument that as long as it's legal hopefully falls apart. It should be more of an issue that we don't agree with what our lawmakers are considering to be legal.