Years ago I looked at bowhunting as this thing that would never really yield success. It was more of an experience and an excuse to get outside. That was back when I was really getting into this whole hunting thing. For me, rifle hunting was what I’d focus on in terms of success. Hunting with a rifle just seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and looking back it was. Rifle hunting is a great way to introduce someone into big game hunting. The chances of success are much greater. I feel as if it can also act like a vessel to guide one through certain experiences. With the low success rates of bowhunting, it’s kind of hard for a newb to get proficient at butchering animals. It’s also hard to get practice shooting at live critters. All of these things take time. With that time though, my perspective on the matter changed slightly. Why I prefer bowhunting over rifle hunting is something that came to me through years of experience.
The farther down the road of hunting I walked, the more little nuggets of experience I gained. I remember missing a lot in my first years. Buck fever would come over me hard and I had a difficult time focusing. After that though, I did finally take my first bear. It lasted all of about 30 minutes one morning. Saw the bear for about a minute or less, then shot him. My next rifle kill was the first deer I got. Same thing. Lasted about 20-30 minutes and shot my first buck. Those animals meant so much to me and still do. They let me experience some great times with family and friends, as well as getting to process meat in the field. Then there was the act of packing them out! This quickly became one of my favorite parts. After going through those experiences, I had a realization though. Both of those hunts ended in less than 30 minutes. I’m not complaining in the least bit. However, how it went down was, I saw them, then shot them. There wasn’t any cat and mouse. No stalk took place and my hunt was over just like that.
After a few years of rifle hunting, the bow and arrow became more and more appealing. It held much more opportunity in terms of time in the field and let me chase deer during the rut. During my first years of bowhunting, I got to see so many bucks and some really cool behavior. Then there were the stalks and a pile of “almosts.” For many, failing over and over again might send them back home. It just drove me more though. I wanted to be successful with my bow and was determined to do so. Heck, I remember just hoping I would miss. That’s it. It would bring me one step closer to success. My first archery kill was a javelina at 25 yards. Mind you I missed 8 times before that point. Getting to experience that whole thing was remarkable to me. Ever since that hunt, I have been addicted to bowhunting and that addiction grows each year that passes. The things that we get to see and experienced are unmatched in my opinion. Those close encounters live with you for quite some time. So do the “almosts.” If I were rifle hunting at those times, I would have never experienced the things that I did. The hunt would have ended much sooner.
Please, don’t get me wrong. In no way shape or form am I knocking rifle hunting in the least bit. Heck, I just shot a bear with a rifle a few weeks back and had a blast. If you’re new to this hunting thing, pick up a rifle and use it. The difference between the bow and gun though is great. Success always feels good in the field, but with a bow? Man, that is a feeling that is hard to describe. Archery kills don’t come easy and it shows once something is on the ground. The mental peaks and valleys that one traverses through bowhunting have a way of both breaking you down and making you feel like a million bucks. It’s a head game, but a head game that I along with many others crave. Because the feeling at the end of the trail is worth it. That is something I feel I’ll always crave.
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