Jeff, your posts are always thoughtful and articulate.
That you re-read and contemplate both yours and other's comments is why you have earned my respect, and are one of my favorites here on Pelican.
Thanks for having an open mind.

I'll echo Dantilla's POV...there is, like any sport, experts and dilettantes and the middle ground.

There is a defined bow season in Maryland and I only let experts hunt my farm during that season, my son included. I have seen the mess of arrows in haunches, high back, etc. as the deer seek refuge from other farms, horribly wounded. Same, btw, in Black Powder season and shotgun season...the lack of accuracy can be astounding.

I had to kill a deer last year that has his left front leg blown off in shotgun season. He made it far enough to get here, and settled. He would have starved. Not a welcomed task

Jack won't hunt with a bow unless he is current and shooting narrow groups from 40 yards.

He shot his own arrow a few years ago:





http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1577207471.JPG

As I mentioned earlier, I have a real issue with the kinds of firearms allowed during "black powder" or "muzzle loading seasons". But, as with my issues with the bows allowed during the archery seasons, I realize that my idealism is very much a double edged sword.

Traditional muzzle loaders, like traditional bows, can be a real challenge insofar as extracting acceptable hunting performance, both from the weapon, and from the shooter. All of the modern allowances - scopes, saboted bullets, black powder substitutes, etc. - reduce or eliminate those challenges, allowing the less than dedicated to achieve acceptable performance. That simply results in fewer wounded deer. I understand and accept that.

This is going to sound quite contradictory to my oft stated position as a gun rights kind of a guy, but I sometimes think that maybe we should have some form of hunter qualification, like they have in most European countries. You show up with the weapon with which you intend to hunt, and demonstrate that you can use it effectively before getting signed off to hunt. I don't think that would be unreasonable. And it sure would reduce crowding on public lands during hunting seasons...

Oh, and just for the hell of it, my idea of a proper muzzle loading hunting rifle, a .50 caliber flint lock round ball only "Tennessee Mountain Rifle" that I built from the Dixie kit 40 years ago. I've lost track of how many deer I've killed with this thing:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1577211329.jpg

I am on board because that is what I do before anyone gets to hunt my farm. Hunters should qualify: You can buy the weapon, own it, get good with it, then prove you are astute enough to employ it hunting. Just like a car.

We are down to four folks that have been here hunting for almost 20 years. Good group. My son earned his way in.

Shooting an animal evokes more emotion than most folks are willing to deal with and it shows.

For as long as I can remember I've been into Archery.
Like a lot of things life can get in the way so right now I'm bowless but not for long.
(I sold everything when my kids came to live with me full time)

I enjoy Lilly's videos. She has a lot of passion for what she does.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_LJrrBNRP6g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Can't speak for other countries, but, in Belgium, getting a hunter license is much, much more than demonstrating you can use a gun.

The succes rate for passing the exam to get your license is only about 50%.

Paul,
Doing a "Robin Hood" is pretty common with modern stuff. I stopped aiming at the same spot on the target after ruining two arrows. One was shaft splitting shaft, the other shaved a fletching off the arrow and put a cut in the carbon shaft. Oddly, I've never done either with my scoped crossbow. Both were done with my compound at 25 yards.

Looks like he's shooting a Diamond. Good choice! I shoot Bowtech. Wicked bows.

Agreed and it was the same rule in our house. No deer hunting here but if you wanted to hunt duck/geese/dove with my dad you had to qualify 25/25 at the skeet range first. Knowing when you have them zeroed prevents a lot of winged birds flying away to die a slow death.

Skill matters.

barebow? isnt that usually attributed to a compound bow with all the bells and whistles removed?

a traditional bow, is just that. traditional. bare anyways, but the simple fact that it is traditional?