Bows to Guns

[Sparra]

Gaday fella's...Quite often in these forums you read of people that have hunted with firearms of some sort for many years and then turned to bows.You never hear of anyone going the other way and was curious as to anyone knows of people that have gone from bows to guns...
Sparra...

[Antarcher]

I know one guy who was a mad gun hunter and switched to bowhunting. He got so frustrated at not getting a deer that he switched back to guns and won't pick a bow up again. Wuss.

[Rabbitz]

What makes you think it's mutually exclusive?
I have and will hunt with both. It depends on the purpose of the hunt.
(as well as my mood!!!)
If I am culling or cleaning up pests - Rifle
If I want to get up close - Bow.
If I want a challenge - Rabbits with a rifle, at 200m +

There seems to be a lot of "we're better than shooters because we bowhunt" here. Although similar they are different pursuits. There is no reason it has to be the one or the other, each is difficult to master...

Rabz

[Sparra]

What makes you think it's mutually exclusive?



There seems to be a lot of "we're better than shooters because we bowhunt" here.

I am not sure in my post where you got these assumptions from,all I asked is if you know of anyone who has gone from bows to guns....
Sparra...[/code]

[excelpoint]

I do both(just got back into bows). Bird shooting is one of my passions with the GSP's I breed. I determind to see if I can bag a stubble quail with a bow.

[Luke]

There seems to be a lot of "we're better than shooters because we bowhunt" here.

I'm also baffled to see where this is prevelant on TBGA forums and discussions :?

[rory]

I shot rifles etc throughout much of my teens (having shot bows for a couple of years when i was 10-12 yrs old. Havn't even looked sideways at a gun for a few years now, just plain not interested whatsoever any more, very boring killing if ya ask me (but each to their own :D :wink: )

I digress...

Sparra, I went hunting not long ago with a small group of guys. One has a compound bow, all the bells n whistles, can shoot accurately etc..... He had the rifle with him by the first afternoon :roll: :o , 'it's all too hard' factor... :D

[macka]

Nope i dont really know anyone who has gone from bows to guns.. its always just been thew other way around. I'm a professional kangaroo shooter so i work with guns most nights of the week and really for goat hunting around my place here it would just make it too easy. I spend all my time around rifles but thats just work for me, bowhunting is my passion. I shoot with a rifle and hunt with a bow thats how i describe it. Have hunted with shotguns and SG's against goats and must say shile not quite the challenge of a bow that was still a rush and stalking was still involved to get to 20m away so i enjoyed it. Other than that rifles only interest me as a tool for shooting roo's or cleaning up pest around the farm like foxes.

Pretty sure it would be highly illegal to shoot a stubble quail with the bow mate.

Macka

[jdelia]

yeh i was thinking that too. its illegal to kill any bird with a bow here in SA...

D'Elia

[excelpoint]

After some reading of the state game regs in Victoria it would probably be illegal to take a stubble quail with a bow, although it dosnt state you cant it does say firearms wise shotgun only, so I retrack my previous statment and wont be pursuing quail with the bow.

[wazza_X force]

not to emphasise rabbitz point about the whole where better than them sort of thing... but i think that once someone has tried bows, ans succeded, the thrill of getting so close to your game and being able to see everything in detail, im not sure why you would want to go back to rifle.

dont get me wrong, im a great fan of bird hunting and i also fancy myself at clay target shooting, but in terms of hunting (not culling or bird hunting) i just think that once youve had a crack at bows and guns, i think that bows is extremely hard to beat...

[excelpoint]

To me each dicipline holds a different meaning. Bird shooting for me is the tradition of the opening weekend camp(havnt missed one in a long time) the early morning wait in the blind for shooting time with my best mate next to me(dog). Or the opening of quail season with the dogs stretching there leads in anticipation of the hunt. I have good quail paddocks at my back door and spend 4-5 days a week after work in them preparing dogs for the field trial season, but most of these are with out a gun. Could I fill my bag on most nights? Yep but I hardly shoot a bird. The pleasure for me is walking behind good dogs or watching a young dog with potential building his skill. Thats why I also judge Utility Gundog field trials. As for bowhunting its a whole different ball game with different meaning for me. Its all about pitting myself against the animal, closing the distance in the stalk. The taking of the animal is only the end result. Whether I make a killl or not isnt important its just being there that does it. Sorry for the long post.

[Scott]

I know of one excellent Bowhunter that has turned to the rifle after a very successful part of his life with the Bow. Mick Watts! I am not bagging him in any way, shape or form just answering sparra's Q.

[jindydiver]

I use both a rifle and a bow.


When I go out with my rifle it is still hunting, but I have just decided to up the chances of downing game because I want to be sure of putting meat on the table. I don’t worry about somebodies argument that a bow is more about hunting than a rifle, I am a realist and all the bull**** in the world about how bow hunting is more “pure” or whatever isn’t going to feed my family.
Once the icebox is full each month the bow gets it’s run.

I used to shoot my bow a lot more but infirmity has meant that to keep the supply of carcases up I have no choice now but to use the rifle more and more, I don’t stress over it, it is just the way it is.

[barebow]

Well I just bought a centrefire rifle this week and hope to do a fair bit of range shooting with my son one weekend a month.Been hunting with a bow since 1974 and had and used rifles during this time.
To me two entirely different types of hunting but my boy is not interested in hunting but loves target shooting with a rifle,so if that means we go rifle shooting once a month together I am all for it.

[wazza_X force]

i think that was really well said by jindy. if hunting is your way of providing food, i believe that bowhunting is by far not the best option. fair enough that when i bowhunt, i try to eat all that i can off the animal, but when it all comes down to feeding the family, rifles are the way to go.

imho

[bobzila]

on my 18th im going for my gun permit and will proberbly only hunt with a rifle for awile and just do archery on the side :oops:

[Lucky Mick 23]

I have hunted with a rifle for well over 30yrs. Thats right, HUNTED. I will, and have crawled through and over anything to get as close to the chosen game as possible, to deliver a one shot clean kill to the head, for i like jindy shoot with a rifle to fill the freezer, and also for enjoyment. But that doesn't mean i fling rounds all over the place. One shot, one kill, thats how i was raised by my late father who was Aust Champ and got a spot on the Aust Olympic team. For me hunting with a firearm brings back great memories of my childhood, hunting on a Sat arvo with my father. I, to this day hunt with my two boys whenever the opportunity arises.

Sparra, this is not a shot (pardon the pun) at you or your thread, as i love to hunt with my bow as well, but i have been involved in numerous conversation around the camp fire, and those conversations usually are very negative towards anyone who hunts with a firearm. It is percieved by alot of the bowhunting fraternity that if you hunt with a rifle, you have no stalking or hunting skills. Even though a rifle enables you to take a long shot (depending on the terrain you are hunting in), a good hunter will close that range to eliminate any variables that might come into play.

Sparra, in answer to your question, i enjoy hunting with both bow, and rifle. At the moment i hunt solely with my bow (until the freezer gets low) and am loving every minute of it. That is not to say that as i get older and the body starts to let me down, that i won't hunt solely with the rifle. I guess time will tell.

Sorry all, it has been a sore point for a long time with me.
Sparra thanks for giving me the opportunity to state my opinion, Hope i didn't bore everyone tooooo much. :wink:
Regards Mick.

[Marlin44]

Hi my name is Dave and it's been a year since I used a firearm. :D
I don't know anyone going from bow to rifle - mostly the other way. Used firearms as a "tool of the trade" for many years now. Still getting used to the buzz of getting close and personal to game using the bow - one addiction to another 8) 8)

[ssga1]

Well i to don't know anybody that has gone from bows to guns.

I import firearms for a living, dont get me wrong i love carrying a rifle however the bow carries a far different challange as a hunter!

SSGA