Hunting with a traditional bow and arrow

[gr4vitas]

Anyone else around here hunt? If so what is your preferred method?

I've been hunting since I was old enough to hold a BB gun to my shoulder. I've taken quite a few animals with rifles and shotguns etc but it wasn't until just recently I've decided none of that is any fun anymore as it presents almost no challenge for me.

So I went out and bought a compound bow, spent months researching learning and practicing. After only a few short months with my new compound and placing 3rd place in a state archery competition 4 weeks after starting shooting my compound I realized it wasn't for me.

Since then I've bought a grizzly kodiak magnum and spent 3 times as much time learning the intricacies of traditional archery. I've got my bow tuned and my arrows built and tuned to my bow.

Since then it's been nothing but pure joy stalking animals and getting shots on them. I've become more proficient over time and am capable of taking longer and longer shots accurately.

There is just something about the flight of the arrow that is addicting. Especially shooting instinctive, you can just feel the arrow arc and when it hits where you were looking I just feel euphoric.

Here's a little video I put together the other day of me milling around behind my house, trying to get a squirrel for dinner!

Was my first time trying to film me hunting so the camera work is a little shoddy but I'm working on a better setup for the future!

[Deleted]

I hunt but only do it with a rifle, it takes years of experience and training to hunt proficiently with a bow, until you reach that level it is cruel to the animal often requiring many arrows and waiting for the animal to bleed out.

[xXzCoDProxXz]

I just cant do it. I ONCE in my lifetime went hunting and my friend shot a deer. Poor thing was still alive there cringing to his last breath. He mustve laid there for like 5 minutes before he bled out

/shrug the jerky was pretty good, tangy and flavory without even putting BBQ sauce on it

Not saying I am some animal rights mofo but I just cant do it

Um just buy a rifle they went down in price by a lot, and its a lot more easier with a firearm then with a bow

[Deleted]

I hunt but only do it with a rifle, it takes years of experience and training to hunt proficiently with a bow, until you reach that level it is cruel to the animal often requiring many arrows and waiting for the animal to bleed out.

Yep, pretty much the only reason I'd never try it.

Sport shooting looks fun, but I wouldn't hunt unless it would be as quick and painless as possible.

[Cracked]

You should at least have enough hunter dignity to go after a wounded animal to finish it off.

[gr4vitas]

I hunt but only do it with a rifle, it takes years of experience and training to hunt proficiently with a bow, until you reach that level it is cruel to the animal often requiring many arrows and waiting for the animal to bleed out.

Thats the only way you can kill an animal with an arrow, bleeding them out. That's the point really.

The only reason animals die instantly with a rifle is you ether shoot them in the head causing instant death. Or you shoot them in the vitals and they die instantly due to hydrolic shock.

I wouldn't say it takes years of experience to hunt proficiently with a bow. You have to know your limits though, for example if your not comfortable taking an accurate shot (in the vitals) beyond 15 yards then you shouldn't. And you'll just have to put more work into getting closer to your animal.

[ParanoiD84]

I just cant do it. I ONCE in my lifetime went hunting and my friend shot a deer. Poor thing was still alive there cringing to his last breath. He mustve laid there for like 5 minutes before he bled out

Why did your friend not finish him of? that's not very nice to let it suffer.

[gr4vitas]

You should at least have enough hunter dignity to go after a wounded animal to finish it off.

It wasn't wounded. It did not die and wouldn't have.

[Deleted]

I only ever take the shot if I can hit the heart, 1 shot and its over, headshots are too easy to fuck up so don't try those.

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Thats the only way you can kill an animal with an arrow, bleeding them out. That's the point really.

The only reason animals die instantly with a rifle is you ether shoot them in the head causing instant death. Or you shoot them in the vitals and they die instantly due to hydrolic shock.

I wouldn't say it takes years of experience to hunt proficiently with a bow. You have to know your limits though, for example if your not comfortable taking an accurate shot (in the vitals) beyond 15 yards then you shouldn't. And you'll just have to put more work into getting closer to your animal.

Sounds like you enjoy the suffering you can cause.

[KnibZer]

Take it to the next level now! AND BRING FORTH THE MIGTHY SPEAR!!!

[Deleted]

I'd love to go hunting someday, but with a gun :P so aside from saying nice video I'm not of much use to you sorry pal

[gr4vitas]

I only ever take the shot if I can hit the heart, 1 shot and its over, headshots are too easy to fuck up so don't try those.

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Sounds like you enjoy the suffering you can cause.

How else do you suggest to better kill an animal with a bow? They don't make magical instant kill arrows.

You shoot them, they bleed out, they expire. The same way the native americans did it and many other peoples. I hunt for meat first and foremost, but I also want a challenge. Hunting with a traditional bow is about as sporting as it gets, you have to be a thousand times better of a hunter to get a kill.

You give the animal way more opportunity to flee and survive.

[Deleted]

How else do you suggest to better kill an animal with a bow? They don't make magical instant kill arrows.

You shoot them, they bleed out, they expire. The same way the native americans did it and many other peoples. I hunt for meat first and foremost, but I also want a challenge. Hunting with a traditional bow is about as sporting as it gets, you have to be a thousand times better of a hunter to get a kill.

You give the animal way more opportunity to flee and survive.

The native Americans never had firearms to hunt with, if they did you can bet your ass they would have used them.

[gr4vitas]

Take it to the next level now! AND BRING FORTH THE MIGTHY SPEAR!!!

Some day I'd love to get to hunt a wild bore or something with a spear. It'd be very hard to get a squirrel with a spear, and it'd surely ruin most of what little meat there is on one! :P

[Deleted]

How else do you suggest to better kill an animal with a bow? They don't make magical instant kill arrows.

You shoot them, they bleed out, they expire. The same way the native americans did it and many other peoples. I hunt for meat first and foremost, but I also want a challenge. Hunting with a traditional bow is about as sporting as it gets, you have to be a thousand times better of a hunter to get a kill.

You give the animal way more opportunity to flee and survive.

I guess his point, at least partly, is that there's no need to hunt with a bow, so it seems like you're doing it for the pain you can do to it. If you hunt primarily for meat, I'm guessing what, you're below the poverty line? No one in the US, even below the poverty line, needs to hunt for meat. Use a rifle or shotgun, much more efficient. No need to make an animal suffer any more than it has to for your sport.

[Deleted]

Some day I'd love to get to hunt a wild bore or something with a spear. It'd be very hard to get a squirrel with a spear, and it'd surely ruin most of what little meat there is on one! :P

I would love to see you hunt a wild boar with a spear too.

[Rukentuts]

I would love to see you hunt a wild boar with a spear too.

Those things can do a fuckload of damage to your body.

[Deleted]

How else do you suggest to better kill an animal with a bow? They don't make magical instant kill arrows.

You shoot them, they bleed out, they expire. The same way the native americans did it and many other peoples. I hunt for meat first and foremost, but I also want a challenge. Hunting with a traditional bow is about as sporting as it gets, you have to be a thousand times better of a hunter to get a kill.

You give the animal way more opportunity to flee and survive.

The same way you kill them as fast as possible with a gun. You shoot them where it instantly kills then, hence Rich said it takes years of practice before you can kill an animal without suffering.

[Alvito]

I have gone doe hunting with a bow once. All we ended up doing was stalking prey and sitting around. It was towards the end of the season so that does make it a bit harder to bag a deer. 2 of my friends families only bow hunt and each year they normally get a few. On a side note fresh venision jerky is awesome only jerky I will eat.

[Rukentuts]

The native Americans never had firearms to hunt with, if they did you can bet your ass they would have used them.

They did in the last years of their existence, and they did use them.