The Big Bow Debate
 

Greetings everyone,

This is my first post. I just finished watching SDW 5 and I am pleased with and agree wholeheartedly with Ralph and Vicky's comments on ceasing all the fighting among the hunting community and unite as one. I have been using a crossbow for a long time now and remember all too well being ostracized by the archery community for doing so. The acceptance is growing and I thank people like Ralph and Vicky for being strong proponents of all forms of archery. With the advancement in bow technology it is a great time to be a bow hunter no matter which form of bow you use. The one thing that should unite all bow hunters is the fact that it gets more of us in the woods for a longer part of the season each year and makes us better hunters in that we have to study our animals better to get close enough for a clean harvest. I have gotten to the point now where I would rather bow hunt than rifle hunt. Shooting a deer or bear from a distance just doesn't present me with the same rush as watching and waiting patiently for that animal to get within a few yards of me while remaining still and quiet.
Please forgive me if I got a little preachy with my first post but I just wanted to salute Ralph and Vicky for their openness and efforts in bringing us all together under the Archery Umbrella. Thanks and keep up the good work.

HOW-DO! Welcome to the forum!! What a GREAT first post! You bet, Ralph and Vicki have hit it right on the nose!! We are all hunters. Period! The more we fight amongst ourselves, the more the anti's can drive a wedge and get a foothold!

My view: I don't give a darn what you hunt with. If you hunt, you're a real hunter. Period.

Welcome!!!

Are you from Glenn Burnie MD???

Welcome to the forum! I also hunt with a crossbow, and I thank Ralph and Vicki also because I won it on there Lucky Logo Contest. If I hadn't have won it 2 years ago I wouldn't be hunting now. If we can just get Harford County Maryland to let us hunt with it all bow season. Only 5 counties in Md can do that now. Someday....

I live in a small communityjust north of Kingston, Ontario, Canada called Glenburnie. I have lived there all of my 56 years but family comes froma smaller community further north called Bolingbroke. That is where I do most of my hunting and fishing as we still own my grandfather's farm which over the years has been reclaimed by the trees and beavers. Because of that it is a great place for deer, bear, ducks and geese. Looking forward to bow hunting this weekend. I have a big 11 pointer that I want to invite to dinner at some point this fall.

Welcome!

Do you ever bear hunt on the family property? If you do - I volunteer to help manage the numbers if you're interested. I know the Ontario bear numbers are coming back fast since the spring bear hunt was stopped. :)

welcome

timba

Welcome !!!

Predators
 

I do hunt black bears. Each spring I participate in a spring bear hunt with my cousins. In the last three years we have harvested 12 males, two of them over 450 pounds. If anyone is wondering how we can have a spring bear hunt it is because we are members of the Shabot Obaajiwan Algonquin First Nation. Unfortunately we can only make a dent in our area. The population is exploding everywhere in Ontario. Also there is a marked decline in the deer population as the predators are outnumbering the game. In the last two deer seasons we have shot more bears and coyotes than deer. So far this fall I have not even had an opportunity to shoot at a deer with either my rifle or bow.

welcome to the site. I live in BC and must say the bears, coyotes, cougars and wolves have increased here as well over the past few years in the region 3 part of BC. But luckily we have a spring hunt too!