Who do you think is a better hunter?

[JRM6868]

Would you think a guy is a better hunter that has taken lets say 5 B&C bucks with a bow or a guy who has taken that many with a gun?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Zap]

It is obvious to me that it is easier to kill a deer with a gun....

When you talk about old/smart bucks the task gets alot easier with a gun than a bow.

[bowhunter15]

Depends. Maybe the guy with a gun hunts worse land for example and really reads the sign and knows the deer, and gets close encounters despite using a gun. Maybe the guy with the bow hunts awesome land where seeing a booner isn't all that uncommon. I'd say that all things being equal, I'd give the edge to the bowhunter because he knows he has to go in those woods and wait not only to see a great buck, but also get it within range and get a shot off undetected, which is considerably harder with a bow.

I've read an article from a MN hunter who's bought an archery license the last 25 years but never released an arrow, because he'd hate to burn his buck tag with a bow when he could use a gun instead, which is clearly his more favored method of shooting. Funny, I'm the exact opposite. But it goes to show that not everyone has the same opinion and hunters can be great despite their weapon of choice.

[Ack]

5 B&Cs is an accomplishment with either weapon, but generally it would be harder to do with the bow.

[Stanley]

The bow for sure.

[PEAKRUT]

I will go with this replay.

5 B&Cs is an accomplishment with either weapon, but generally it would be harder to do with the bow.

[Liberty-Hunt]

5 B&Cs is an accomplishment with either weapon, but generally it would be harder to do with the bow.

X2 it's clear.

[Uncle Lou]

Back in the late 90s I went to CO 2 yrs in a row to do DIY solo elk hunts. On the way back I would stop and visit my cousin near Boulder, who was all about archery and he kept saying, you should try it with a bow, it is more of a challenge. Although I was heading back to MI to "challenge" myself on our whitetails upon my return.

One summer I saw him in MN and he told me he was taking his dad on a rifle elk hunt and how easy it would be to get one with the gun, he new his area well and frequently sees them during his archery hunts. Short story they got skunked and he found out how easy gun hunting wasn't after the elk herd had been chased all over the place during rut by the bowhunters.

So I say it depends

[JRM6868]

So what if the bow hunter had 5 B&C and the gun hunter had 10 B&C ? Still your same answer?

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[whitetail007]

lots of factors but if they where both hunting the same ground i would have to say the guy using a bow.

[straitnarrow]

I grew up with a saying "there is a lot of space around them" there are difficult shots with bows just like there are with a gun. The bow hunter may have a 20 yard shot on a calm day for a b&c buck and the gun hunter could have a very long distance shot on a windy day. I don't think the weapon of choice makes you a better hunter. I think it's what you do to find those b&c bucks regardless of weapon.

[ Post made via BlackBerry Curve ]

[Southern Man]

On the question who is a better hunter, I tend to think it would be about equal. To find, pattern, and get into a position to kill a buck of that quality is quite a feat. I don't think the process to do that would be any different for a bowhunter or a gun hunter. Down here gun hunters outnumber bowhunters. Early bow season seems to be a laid back time of year. When gun season rolls around, the pressure really changes the woods. That alone increases the difficulty of finding the buck and then knocking one down. Granted, the actual shot would be easier with a gun (for most people) but as far as a hunter goes, I'd say it was equal.

Also, I'd venture to say most bucks of that caliber would be shot within bow range judging by how thick the woods are around here. You just don't see that kind of buck wonderin around the fields here. But hey, you don't see many of those kind of bucks here at all

[Schultzy]

During the gun season through out the years I could have some outstanding bucks If I were a gun hunter. Many bucks In that 30, 40, to 50 yard range that were way too far away for me. I could have more bucks If I were shooting a compound for the same reason.

[headgear]

Regaurdless of the difficulty of shot I feel it takes more skill to get a BC buck into bow range and get off a quality shot on him. Now there might be special circumstances where a gun hunter has an amazing hunt and does something 99% of the hunters out there could not do but on average I will give the nod to the bow hunter.

[Stump]

I'm not sure if I'm alone with this take, but for myself........I'll take the 5 B&C bucks and it wouldn't matter with which weapon I shot them. Because at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what someone else thinks and whether they say or think it was easy or hard in the manner that I hunted them. If I shot them in an urban area, the big woods of the north, on a guided hunt or spot 'n stalk. In part, I think it's pretty egotistical for one to sit back and judge someone else's hunt and pick it apart to fit what they would consider to be a "quality hunt" or a "quality kill". Who are we to say.....