Horrible year guiding in Peaches!

[Wea300mag]

Wow, this is really sickening. I'm not often for new rules/regs but if we can't police ourselves better than this, an archery proficiency test should be instituted. I'm reading more about lost elk than harvested elk.

[WDFW-SUX]

Something seems to be in the air this year....

[jstone]

I have been bow hunting for about 12 years and Every year i hear more and more bad stories from people in the field making shots that never should be made. I understand that good shots go bad but come on people :bash:WAKE Up. Take responsibility. With people like that we wont be able to hunt because the tree huggers will win.

[cabin308]

I don't want to sound overly critical or have this be a bash on anyone so I'm trying to keep it nice.  
What I want to hear and see on these forums is success stories and ethical pictures of tagged animals and good hunting experiences.  We all know that things don't always go the way we would like on a hunting trip, it's bound to happen sooner or later.  But IMO if you make a poor shot, don't recover wounded game, stop searching after a couple hours, whatever......then keep the experience to yourself as something to reflect back upon on your own as something to learn from.  Don't share it on an open public forum.  I would prefer to hear you say that tag soup tastes bad and keep it at that.  The antis are always lurking to find anything to shut down hunting, look at their latest push to shut down bear hunting.  
If you have an experience about any hunt, let alone one of the coveted tags for elk, deer, sheep, moose, goat, wolf(Idaho-MT), please be discrete and careful what you post.    
Flame away...

[nw_bowhunter]

Good point!!!

[Franz]

Sorry you and your clients had a hard time this year that sucks. But what I think Really sucks is that this post is getting more response's than Flyguide's great post about his efforts to harvest two great elk. One with a Friend and the other by himself. It just seems like a lot of people focus on the negative and not the postive enough. I agree with Cabin308. Dont air your dirty laundry. Again just my 

[brianmtsinc]

Cabin308,
Thank you for your post.  I completely agree.

My 
Now, don't get me wrong, I have been hunting for many years and things can and do happen.  As such, I will VERY RARELY pass any judgement about another hunter. 

Unfortunately, every time us hunters (archers, muzzle loaders, modern firearm) post something negative about our passion, those people that sit on the fence of weather they approve of hunting or not, lean a little further towards the anti's.  I understand the need to vent and share the things that go wrong.  But those things need to be shared only between close hunting partners, with a sorrowful tone and a willingness to completely evaluate what went wrong and why.
 
I appreciate Noreses willingness to share his story with us all.  He is a super nice guy and a great guide! (My group has hunted with him and they offer a great service!!!!), but as the thread continued and stories continue to mount, it saddens me to think of not only the lost animals, but the damage we are doing to ourselves.
Just my 

[3dvapor]

i realize nobody likes to hear about wounding animals but id like to think these guys as well as other members can use there bad experience as a learning tool whether it was bad shot placement wrong broadheads, arrow weight, distance, and what to do when a bad shot is made.  how long to wait, when to leave a area and come back.  sometimes we have been able to turn a bad scenario into a success story by knowing what to do and taking emotion out of the situation which weighs heavy on the shooter.

[Thenewguy]

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, this is really on the hunter and not you guys. Best of luck next year!

[carpsniperg2]

bum deal to say the least

[Skyvalhunter]

Wow, this is really sickening. I'm not often for new rules/regs but if we can't police ourselves better than this, an archery proficiency test should be instituted. I'm reading more about lost elk than harvested elk.

Yea it's sickening. I talked to one guy that hunted the Clockum and he mentioned that he ran out of arrows in his quiver and a few of the animals had arrows sticking out of them. This is the type of hunter that gives ethical hunters a bad name. I would much rather not get an animal than even attempt that.

[Hornseeker]

"Thanks for the support guys, it is a terrible part of bowhunting for sure"

I dont have time to read the whole thread, so forgive me if I'm hitting on something that was already covered...

But... I will guarantee, more animals..BY FAR are wounded by muzzy and modern hunters every year and even more of a "percentage"... not just more because there are more rifle hunters...

I have seen and heard soooooo many tales of guys taking shots at 400-1000 yards...not seeing a reaction in the animals and NOT EVEN going to look and see if there was blood? Lets not concentrate on the bowhunters, sure we want to improve bowhunting ethics, proficiency and such...but dont make it sound worse than it is...

I am also with Ryan and others though, I've heard about more wounds this year than any previous year....

E

[fishm@n]

Damn I hate to hear stuff like this especially in those numbers of bad shots.   I bet those guys can all hit a pie plate at 40 yds consistently but... in the heat of calling in a bull and getting a terrible case of the shakes that most guys will, it is a different story. How can you guage your clients ability to shoot well under pressure? Perhaps have them run up a hill with their bow and take shots with heart pumping and lungs heaving.. or simply do not take shots over 30 yds?

I'm an archer and it is this kind of thing that gives archery a bad name. Is it too many guys getting into archery but not taking it seriously, not putting in the time with their equipment? We all need to know when to NOT take the shot. Respect the animal!

[ribka]

Think norsespeak has a valid point. When I lived in Maryland had to pass a shooting test to hunt military properties.
Had to put 5 out of 5 shots in the vitals of a 3d deer target at 20 yds in order to receive a permit to hunt. 

Now shots in the midwest and east coast are typically at much shorter ranges because most hunting is done from tree stands.


Agree with using heavier arrows. I shoot at least 700 grains and most of my shots are pass thrus. Maybe have minimum arrow weight standards? Would this cut down on guys flinging 350 grain arrows with 80 grain broadheads at animals over 50 yds?

Been said before but think a lot of the blame is do to the hunting shows on tv and guys bragging on those shows about taking animals at super long distances. Seems like people have put too much emphasis on shots and not working on their hunting skills ( moving quietly, scent control, map reading, camo, tracking, reading sign etc.). Meet a lot of guys who think that hunting is just going out in the woods and pulling the trigger on your gun, ml or trigger release. And of course when you do work on your shooting make practice realistic and similar to hunting situations. I practice sitting, kneeling, off hand, snap shooting. Most of the animals I have taken over the years have been at  relatively close ranges.

Nothing beats time in the woods. I think spending the off season, hiking, shed hunting, taking photos of animals -at close range-in the woods has really helped my hunting skills.

[coachcw]

I think there's a lot of guys that can hit a quarter at 50 yards then fold on game . I think 308 is right on try to keep to yourself and learn from it , I know it's not just archers in this matter and wont elaberate.  .