Steve, I am an avid archer and shoot regularly with many others of the same passion. I can honestly say (what would it benefit me to *dishonestly say*?
) that I do not know a single archer who is opposed to guns; in fact, I would guess that, like myself, many, if not most, of the archers with whom I rub shoulders carry handguns for personal protection. Most are die-hard patriots as well. As a boy growing up with a policeman as a father, I learned early the need to respect and properly use handguns, and I have no problem whatsoever with gun hunting, though it's not my preferred method.
When it comes to the issue of gun hunting VS. bowhunting (it seems sad that it should be described that way, doesn't it?) I would imagine that the basic complaint is this: Bowhunters generally aim to get as close to their game as possible in order to get as good a shot as is feasible. The real contest is in getting *close* to the game. And, because of the intimate nature of bowhunting, *most* archers practice frequently in and out of season. Too many times we hear stories of gun hunters bragging about how *far* the shot was that got their deer. I think that leaves some wondering about the nature of *hunting* in those situations.
Twice, I have been in Pennsylvania during the opening week of their buck season (gun). Watching my Brother-in-law's friends getting ready to 'hunt' is quite amazing. The rigor is something like this: On the Sunday before the hunt, they pull out their rifles that have been sitting in the closet since the close of the last season, and pull out what's left of their ammo. If they have enough, they go to a large field behind a barn and set up a target *'round* a hundred yards. They shoot 3 shots. If the three shots are close 'nough, then they are ready for hunting season. Opening day, they tend to climb into the same stand they have used for the last 10 years without doing any scouting. To me, it seems somewhat lazy and careless.
It probably doesn't help that many of the *dumb hunter* stories that make their way around the circuit every year usually revolve around people shooting guns from cars, at night or in other precarious situations that only convolute the issue for the majority who do things correctly. We own some land in Southern KY. After we closed on the property a few years ago, I spent a day hiking through the rougher areas. As I followed a spring down the west side of the property, I happened across a half-dozen or so deer carcasses that had been poached recently (this was in mid-summer). My dad and I identified bullet entrance/exit wounds in all but one. I did not automatically think 'those darned gun hunters!' I did imagine what I would like to do to the poachers if I ever got my hands on them. Unfortunately, like much of our society, some bowhunters probably blame the weapon instead of the person using it.
Now to be fair, I don't think that the vast majority of gun hunters hunt this way, so I don't think that the image is accurate. Likewise, I know a couple of bowhunters who utilize the same process with their bows each season, pulling them out in late September to see if they are ready for an October 1st hunt (of course, these are also the ones who *demand* that pro-shop owners change their strings and cables right away if they are not in good condition after sitting idle for nine months!).
The fact is, that poor/unethical hunters can spoil the sport, not just for the anti's, but even for fellow hunters. The more we can educate and hold other hunters accountable, the less this will be an issue. And for what it's worth, if you get a chance, look through the bowhunting websites and you will probably find that there is more friction between *traditional* archers and *modern* archers than between bow and gun hunters or even bow and crossbow hunters. As has often been stated, we probably spend more time and energy fighting those who most closely resemble ourselves instead of those who want to do away with hunting altogether.
