Why hunt with rifle rather than muzzy or archery?

[kerrdog]

I have always been a meat hunter. If Davy Crockett had a choice between his flintlock and a 30-06 which do you think he'd choose? How about an Indian in say 1830. Would you think he'd rather his bow to the same 30-06? The center fire rifle even a 30-30 will give more killing ability at greater distance's and quicker follow up shots. Bow's and flintlocks/caplocks were not weapons of choice. What they were were the best thing at the time. In those days they hunted for food, not sport. Those of you that do hunt with a bow, how many use the compound type as apposed to the long bow or even re-curve? How many muzzle loader hunter's choose the flint lock over the cap lock? Tell you anything?

When I hunted, I did not choose a weapon because of it's greater experience needed to master. I did not hunt to see how small a bullet I could kill an animal with and I did not choose a single shot to limit my shots and make the first one count. I think the best of hunter's use bows and i suspect the best of those use re-curve or long bow's. They limit the practical range of the weapon. Probably the muzzles loader hunter require's more skill also as you do only get one shot and it take's to long to load the second shot. People hunting for food because they really need the food will give themselves every advantage, that is centerfire rifles.

I feel there are advantages with a muzzleloader, which is why I hunt with one.  Yes, it's one shot (which is the least of my worries), but I get in before the modern rifle mobs, I get two Elk seasons, and our hunting areas are very dense, limiting the effectiveness of a scope, and long range shots.  Plus, I'll pass on a shot if it's not a good one, regardless of weapon.

I'd guess some bow hunters feel they also have an advantage since they can hunt the rut, bugle to locate animals, and call in a bull.  And what fun!  I'm gonna try that someday myself.


Yes, I'm gonna make you look at it again.

[Mudman]

Todays front stuffers are as good as a 1 shot rifle.  Love them but not the same as they used to be.  I think that is why they get the short end of the stick for areas and seasons.  Doesn't take much time to reload either.  What 20-30 seconds?  I could reload my Hawken quickly with speed loaders.  I think rifle hunt is more about the kill and tropht typically.  To me archery is about the love of outdoors and nature.  Time spent and extra attention to details of nature is what I enjoy.  Its just not the same experience as rifle hunting to me.

[snowpack]

Todays front stuffers are as good as a 1 shot rifle.  Love them but not the same as they used to be.  I think that is why they get the short end of the stick for areas and seasons.  Doesn't take much time to reload either.  What 20-30 seconds?  I could reload my Hawken quickly with speed loaders.  I think rifle hunt is more about the kill and tropht typically.  To me archery is about the love of outdoors and nature.  Time spent and extra attention to details of nature is what I enjoy.  Its just not the same experience as rifle hunting to me.

That depends on the hunter, not the weapon.  There are modern guys using open sighted .45-70s or revolvers or shotguns hunting in the same basic ways as the imagined bowhunter.  And there are bowhunters that take rifle style shots on game--using a bow but hunting with it like it is a rifle.  They shoot at moving game 100+ yards and road hunting.

[Buckmark]

Why hunt with a rifle over a muzzy or bow, easy i can't shoot a bow out the window of my moving truck...

[BULLBLASTER]

I have done rifle elk in wa recently because I have a blast that seasons and have been very successful! We hunt a very crowded westside unit and it is just very fun! Not sure why I enjoy it so much but I do. If I draw multi tag ill hunt late muzzy there too. I have done archery in Sept but lately Idaho has been soaking up my September's. Tue rifle elk season fills a void in early Nov.

[Broken Arrow]

I'm not sure why....but i strongly encourage more people to rifle hunt. Our seasons are way to short and the hunting is way to hard.

[deerslyr]

Im surprised at the responses. I really dont enjoy bow hunting any more than rifle hunting or muzzleload hunting. I hunt all three and flat out love them all. I love bugling bulls with a bow in september, I love putting on my old blaze orange vest, dusting off the 270 and cutting tracks for big bulls in a foot and a half of fresh powder, I love the puff of big smoke after you squeeze of a shot on a nice buck with a smoke pole.  Ive experienced all of that and cant say I like one more than another.

[wiremonkey]

Just to throw it out there why is there more rifle hunters rather than muzzy or archery?   What are the advantages and disadvantages?  Rifle hunter myself, but been thinking going to a stick flicker maybe.

I hunt modern firearm because I hunt with my dad and my uncle. If I switch weapons I loose that time with them. I have been trying to pique some interest in muzzy with them but that will probably never take, which is alright with me. I am very fond of my .270 WSM 

[biggfish]

I switched to bow one year and nearly got skewered with a deer strapped to my back I'm gonna try again this year and hope I don't run into another idiot

[Jimmy33]

I like it all. I started hunting with a rifle with a brief stint muzzleloading for elk when the "sagebrush" unit was open OTC around Ellensburg during the late hunt. When I lived in New Mexico I bought a muzzleloader because I got drawn for a bull tag there. When I moved back to Washington, I wanted to hunt longer seasons so my Dad's friend gave me a right handed Martin Maverick bow. I shoot left handed so I had to sneak my hand behind the quiver but I killed a buck my first year. The following year I was given a Howatt Hunter recurve and shot a buck with that. During my first two years I missed two elk with a bow. It was awesome. The only thing I didn't like during bow season was the heat. Since then my sons have started going with me, they are young, and I switched to muzzloading so it was easier for me to hunt with them. The muzzloading season offers many things that the rifle season does not. Better seasons, less people, but fewer units. I say all this but I decided to hunt with a pistol this year and was drawn for Observatory Bull. Next year...I am going back to muzzleloader.