Bow or Rifle.... You Decide!

Bowhunting vs. Rifle Hunting.

Which side are you on?

                When it comes to hunting, different seasons require different weapons to be used to harvest that animal. For whitetail, there are archery and rifle seasons. In some states you may even have to use a shotgun. For this article we will focus on bowhunting and rifle. Both are very different tools in harvesting the animal and have pros and cons for both. I know there are people out there who are on one side or the other, so I will choose my favorite side and give my reasons why.

                Bowhunting has been around for thousands of years and has been a common practice everywhere. There are different types of bows you can use to hunt. The recurve bow is a bow that has limbs curving away and a string. It has a rest for the arrow to sit. This is by far the hardest of the bows to use when hunting. The next bow is the compound bow. This bow is set up with limbs and cams to help the archer take some of the draw weight off the bow when the string is at full draw. These bows have different sight attachments and stabilizers all to help aid the shooter. Much easier to use compared to the recurve. The last bow is the cross bow. Similar setup with that cams and string but has a scope attachment and is shot more like a rifle. All shoot arrows or bolts and have cap on the yardage they are effective at depending on the area you are hunting.

                Rifle hunting has been around since the 1890s when the bolt action rifle was created. A bolt action rifle consists of a rifled barrel, scope or open sights, a stock, and the bolt action. Many rifles stocks are made from different material including wood or synthetic materials. There are many choices when purchasing a rifle. Once you choose a rifle based on look, now you need to choose the caliber rifle you want to shoot. There are many different calibers too choose from depending on your hunting area and animal you are after.

                Now we can get into the pros and cons of each weapon. Bow hunting has always had its cons of leaving animals wounded. A misplaced shot can leave an animal wounded and may not be retrievable. With the rifle, this is less likely to happen based on the kinetic energy a bullet has compared to the arrow. Misplaced shots can still drop the animal with the rifle due to shock from the bullet alone. Now this may be true but practicing with your bow can help eliminate this problem and lead to better shot placement. This still doesn’t deter me with the bow due to the amount of practice I put in before going in to the field to hunt. Another con that rifle hunters may have against bow is the limit on the range. In a wooded area, you have roughly 40 yards to make a good clean shot on an animal with a bow. With the rifle, it all depends on how far you can see and how far your gun is sighted in for. I have taken down deer with the rifle a hundred or so odd yards away. But does this really make this a con for bowhunting…. I think not.

This is where I now show my thoughts on which hunt is better. BOWHUNTING!!!!! To me, I love the fact you can only shoot so far. This is the challenge. I know with my rifle that all I need to do is put my scope on the target and its going down. With a bow, not so much. For one, I need to try to get that animal in my kill zone. This is the best part of archery. Trying to lure that deer in is a challenge in its own. Next, you need to make sure your shooting lanes are cleared and the wind. Higher winds will affect the flight of your arrow and can alter your shot. Yes, I know, the wind can affect the bullet from a rifle too, but let’s be honest, who is taking shots that far to where it really will affect it. Once this is taken into consideration, you now need to draw that bow back (if using compound or recurve) with out being spotted. I hunt from the ground. This is not the easiest thing to do especially if you become impatient. I have spooked quite a few on the draw back because I jumped the gun. To me bowhunting has way more rewards and takes more skill than rifle hunting. Not saying you guys that rifle hunt don’t put in the work to put yourself on those deer, just saying that when the deer are in front of you, it is much much easier to put them down.

No matter what type of hunter you are, we are still out there to do what we love to do, hunt. Rifle hunting has its pros for sure, but I love the challenge of bowhunting. I love the work that I must put in to shoot the bow accurately from different distances. I love having to work and train my eye on yardages. Quite frankly, there is no better feeling than having a bow in your hand. The way I compare the two, bowhunting are for the patient ones, where rifle is for the ones who need that animal down and in a hurry. Everyone has their own opinion, but bowhunting is the way to go. If you want to feel that challenge, then grab yourself a bow and get out there. If you want it to be quick, grab a rifle. No matter what you decide to use when going out this season, just remember to always make sure you are focused and IN THE HUNT!!!!