A National Ban on Bowhunting Deer?

milkman · Nov 26, 2004

( A National Ban on Bowhunting Deer?

Calm down ... not gonna happen. )

That's exactly the reaction the truckers had to the rumor that radar detectors would be banned from commercial vehicles. Happened.

JimR · Nov 26, 2004

Here is what I think about PETA. People Eating Tasty Animals
I think I'll go have me a piece of juicy venison.

slydog · Nov 26, 2004

( You can be 4.5 inches off on a deer kill zone and the animal will run for miles. )
Possibly, but not unless something is chasing him.

Hakim · Nov 26, 2004

There is no more central, powerful, or enduring "codes" of the meaning of life as an American than "Nature" and "Wilderness" and "Freedom."

Any such change in the "laws" -- to deny the freedom to hunt (not even with a gun no less), out in Nature, wilderness, would have to occur via legislative change through ALL the states. Now seriously, that just is not even remotely feasible.

No group is going to be able to dislodge the power of these core codes of belief as being "acceptable" in American life. Not in the next ten or so generations, at any rate.

Relax, like I said, ain't gonna happen. I'll keep my broadheads. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

beenthere · Nov 27, 2004

PETA is now including the 'suffering' of fish in their programs to 'eliminate' us doing.

I have no quarrel with anyones feelings about not hunting or killing animals to eat, just don't try to tell me what I can or cannot eat with their efforts.
Fine by me if they (PETA) don't want to eat animals, or kill flies, or bugs, or fish, or whatever (how do they keep from killing bugs with the windshield on their cars?). /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

I take Bob's enlightenment here as a good heads-up warning of things to come. Prepare the defenses, or should we become 'offensive'?

Alan L. · Nov 27, 2004

I don't have a dog in this fight, as I'm not a deer hunter but am pro-hunting and pro-NRA. But, I think the problem with bow-hunting is that its not as accurate. Deer get shot in non-lethal places in the body, thus causing more suffering. Not saying it should be banned, just an observation.

beenthere · Nov 27, 2004

I am a bow hunter and a gun hunter (shotgun, black powder, and .308 rifle) and I have had pretty good success as well as some misses (injury to the animal) with all of them. Not equally, but all.

I prefer the bow hunting, as it is a much quieter sport, requires a lot of careful planning, set-up, waiting, and watching many animals which are part of nature (not the same with gun hunting). After many hours, a chance at the 'hunted' is the payoff, and where the excitement begins. Dissappointment is only when the shot isn't well-placed and a killing one. But usually it isn't a careless shot.

I don't want to 'argue' which is better, or 'more' killing as this is what the 'anti's' want to see. It's already been well said earlier in this thread several times.

Those who want to bow hunt should be able to, as long as a human being isn't being hurt. Those who don't like it, then don't do it. Simple as that, IMO.

I don't see any more or less suffering with killing a fish vs. killing an animal. One in the same, IMO. Flies, bugs, deer, squirrels, pheasants, quail, beetles, worms, grubs, moles, mice, rats, ants, moths, etc. are all of the same and equal, IMO. I hunt them all with weapons of choice.
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

MossRoad · Nov 27, 2004

Here in Indiana we also cannot use high powered rifles because of the population density... except... you can use a high powered pistol chambered for high powered rifle rounds. Kinda silly logic, as it is then just a short barrelled, high powered rifle.

To me, shooting a deer with a gun is no trick 

whereas shooting one with a bow and arrow IS a trick? I'm not serious, of couse. However, if it takes more skill to kill a deer with a bow and arrow than it does with a gun, then we could go with the following logic:

It takes even more skill to kill one with a spear. Even more to hit it with a club, and even more to just run out there and tear it's throat out with your bare hands. But I believe spearing, clubbing and bare hand hunting are outlawed in most places. Why? Because the majority of people find those methods barbaric, cruel, un-sporting and inhumane. So, I wouldn't be surprised if bows and arrows are outlawed eventually, too, if the majority of people start to see it as inhumane. If they start viewing it as someone testing their trick rather than harvesting meat from nature, or controlling the herd population, it will become distasteful to the majority and will be voted away.

fortyseven2n · Nov 27, 2004

I believe that a well placed bullet makes for a faster kill than the same shot with a bow. It is the shear shock from the bullet that does it . I have shot deer with a .308 , .270 and a muzzleloader.

Each shot was a heart/lung shot and the deer ran no more than 50' and were dead withing seconds. On each occasion , at least one lung was comletely destroyed and the heart was half gone.

On the other hand , had I missed these organs , the bullet probably would have passed on through and caused a slow death . A broad head arrow would have sliced through blood vessels and caused a much quicker death from internal bleading.

Just my two cents worth .

fortyseven2n

MossRoad · Nov 27, 2004

I don't see any more or less suffering with killing a fish vs. killing an animal. 

Some folks think that fish don't or can't feel pain and fillet them alive. My grandpa taught me to cut their heads off, which kills them, then fillet them. I asked why. He said, "Just in case they can feel it, so kill them quick." I take the same stand on hunting. Kill them as quickly as possible, so they don't suffer. It seems like the ethical thing to do.

By the way, how's hunting going this season? We had a good harvest and most of the crops are out of the fields. From what I hear, the deer are plentiful, but there are fewer hunters here in Indiana this year. I've seen several deer on my property this year. One nice 6 point with a thick, heavy body paralled me on my tractor a couple weeks ago. Lots of does with twins, too.