Horrible year guiding in Peaches!

[woodswalker]

whoowee actionshooter, now guys with multiseason tags are jokers? guess i was one of them cause i drew a permit and hunted archery. gettin deep in here, boy ive never heard of an expeirenced archer wounding anything "sarcasim".

[257 Wby Mag]

This is a good discussion, just may get a little heated.

What type of policy are you talking about putting in place? Just curious.

You might be right? Dummy's will still screw broadheads on en-route to kill a bull, guys will still get excited when a bull comes in all horned up to a bugle, not waiting for the optimum shot. But, maybe, just maybe it'll make a few more guys mindfull of thier actions, a test that is. if thats the case, we've succeeded. IMO

[luvtohnt]

were talking about making a 3-D range (approx. 5 animals) that they have to shoot BEFORE they can hunt.  Just an idea right now, but we need to do something.  Not only is it bad for business, but it just plain sucks to lose an animal and we want to try to avoid it happening again as much as we can.

Great idea, but I know I would rather have to take the test before I paid, or be guaranteed a full refund if i did not pass the test. However the thought of losing a significant refund amount because I did not practice would probably get me out to the range allot more than normal.

Brandon

[flashover52]

I've watched two individuals miss an elk with modern rifles at 50 yards in the wide open and less than 30 yards in some brushy area a day apart. How many people take their rifles to "sight in day" at the range two weeks before the season opens......  Folks shooting rifles can't really say it's "just" an archery issue.

This means nothing.

I sat next to my daughter who had buck fever so bad she missed a buck 3 times with in 80 yards. The barrel awas shaking so bad it was unbelieveable. My wife then droped it with a single shot.
Two days later she droped a doe with a single shot at 350 yards.

Each situation varys from time to time, even with the best hunters.

You're exactly right! I missed a 22''-24'' 2 point blacktail, with 3'' eyeguards, 4 times at 30 yards with a 300 mag that was stupid accurate. And I've killed a few critters.

I think we're on the same page. I've watched other threads where folks have suggested that archery hunters may not always finish the job. My only comments were that it can happen to folks shooting firearms too. Buck/Elk Fever, heart rate is high, etc.. If someone were to propose that archery hunters need to pass a statewide hunter safety exam and show proof of skills, it needs to be applied across the board.

But even then, you can't take the feelings of the moment out of the equation. I think the hunter ed class I took 20 years ago, just made sure you could handle the gun safely and basically hit the paper. Not so much of a test of marksmanship.

I appreciate the story Norsepeak.

I thought I read a couple years back about some outfitter in Colorado that had clients site in their rifles when they arrived. It was also sort of a qualifier to check how accurate of a shot they were out to ?? yards. It gave the guides an assessment of skills and how much work was ahead of them. Sounds a bit like what you folks are thinking.....

[bullchaser]

Thanks for the honesty tough situation  been their it hurts all the way to your toes,

[mtncook]

My first hunting party in Idaho stopped on the way to  camp to check rifles. The first guy stepped up and said mine is always low and left as he layed it on the sand bag. I was shocked, this group of 4 came from Florida on a long planned hunt and this crud did not even sight his rifle, probably had not even fired in the last year. That made me really think about what I was getting into. Luckily the rest of the years were pretty good. My last year we had a party of 8 in the camp. At the range some of the guys had me on the side while the last guy was shooting.  Took several shots before he and the group "expert" were satisfied.  Come to find out his rear base screws were loose and would not hold.  THis is the story where we tracked the bull for 2 days to find him just clipped through the brisket. I went with the hunter and his guide the first day of the tracking. When we were leaving camp I noticed believe it "DUCT TAPE" holding the back of his scope down.  We quickly changed  that deal for a rifle I had there.  He figured he had 1 good shot when they left the range. In 8 years of guiding there that was the only bull we had trouble with. I won't point fingers at bow hunters, the new gear is really good. Modern and ML have their share of wounded animals also. Right now I'm sitting on a story that I said I would not disclose until the hunter did. Bad shots happen we just don't like the results.

mtncook

[eastside boy]

This has been the worst year I can remember for these kind of stories.  Not sure the reason but I have a pretty good theory.  Makes me sick

Yeah no kidding!!! It comes down to hunters not practicing enough and not being able to grow a pair of nuts and keeping composure when making the shot on the real thing!!!!

[eastside boy]

Know your equipment and your abilities.....otherwise stay home

[hard hunter]

I have not bow hunted for a few years but when I hunted I would make sure that I praticed everyday for 6 months.  Now it may have only been 3-6 arrows in the back yard in a down pour but it was everyday.  I also started with broadheads a month to 6 weeks prior to the hunt to make sure they were properly tuned. 

Last time I went out in Washington (5+ years ago) I watched 3 "archers" shoot a dozen arrows at a deer in an effort to bring it down.  They were shooting 80+ yards when I paced it off later. 

I know even experienced loose animals and though we don't like it, it does happen.  In my opinion it doesn't happen as much for those who really prepare. 

I too am for a bowhunter class like Idaho has

[boneaddict]

Dang Norse!   and I know you care and tried your best.    Man this year sucks for this. 

[DOUBLELUNG]

I am all for proficiency testing with broadheads to archery hunt.  Used to be if you didn't practice extensively, the odds you would hit an animal, period, were very low.  Now, very easy with levelized sights, drop-away rests, wrist leash, mechanical releases, etc. one can very quickly have a high probability of hitting an animal at 40-50 yards, and a reasonable chance of hitting an animal SOMEWHERE out to 80-100 yards.  Based on what I have watched and what has been personally experienced by trusted friends, I'll comfortably state there is a significant proportion of ignorant, naive, and/or unethical bowhunters in the Colockum, and late season deer hunters in Swakane and Entiat.  

[boneaddict]

I think with the invention of the multi tag, and the mass migration of folks throwing away the orange vest for something in camo, because of less pressure or the "better" season or later hunts, we will see more an d more of this.  ESPECIALLY with equipment as you pointed out, make this weapon deadly out to 80+yards.  This sort of thing does happen to good folks in the woods.  But we don't only have it happening to them, but to all the un practiced folks, etc.

[h2ofowlr]

Didn't realize so many have been lost.  Fortunately I have not lost one during archery season that I have hit.

[Elkpiss]

When i was guiding in the Eagle cap in Oregeon we would get clients from all over the U.S, docotors, Layers and you could tell who was a hunter or not from the begining, but i would have them all shoot their bows for me before we went out hunting.. I had one guy miss 4 300 class bulls, clean misses, he was a return client came back the next year with all brand new *censored*, been practicing his shooting all year and stuck a 6x the first day of are hunt along with a nice buck.. you can tell when people practice it definatley shows..

[actionshooter]

whoowee actionshooter, now guys with multiseason tags are jokers? guess i was one of them cause i drew a permit and hunted archery. gettin deep in here, boy ive never heard of an expeirenced archer wounding anything "sarcasim".

You completely misunderstood the context of the statement. It was directed toward the "jokers" who go out and buy a bow and arrows at wal-mart a couple of weeks before season BECAUSE they drew a multi-season tag. Not toward the guys who hunt with archery, muzzleloaders and modern on a regular basis as many on the board do, myself included. I have had the multi-season tag before and hunted all the seasons, but guess what, I owned a bow (and practiced)  BEFORE I drew the tag.
  If your in need of boots reading this thread the BS isn't coming from here.