Bows Are Better

Bows Are Better

I grew up in Southern Colorado right at the base of the majestic Rocky Mountains. Hunting was a big part of my dad’s life and it was only natural that he would pass those interests on to me. Much of my childhood was spent in the mountains hunting and fishing. I can remember my dad going out hunting with his 30-06 rifle. He and his hunting partner Russ always brought home nice big bucks. I was taught at a very young age to shoot rifles and how to hunt. When I turned twelve it was a rite of passage for me when I was able to officially go hunting. Dad only shot rifles, so that was all I really knew. I have killed many deer in my life with my own rifles and enjoyed each hunting experience. Once I learned to hunt with a bow though, my enjoyment of hunting turned to a deep passion for hunting.

When I turned 19 I was out on an elk hunt with a few of my own hunting buddies when I came across a man sitting in a tree with a bow. I felt very bad about messing up his hunt for the morning so I invited him back to our camp for breakfast. We all sat around and talked for hours and told hunting stories. At this point in my hunting experience I had never used a bow nor seen one used. He told me that hunting is much better hunt with a bow than a rifle. For one thing nothing can compare to the rush you feel just by being close to your target. Bow hunting also requires you to be stealthy since you are so close to your target. This conversation sparked an interest in bow hunting for me, and I started doing research on how bow hunting is different than traditional rifle hunting after this trip. That was where my passion for bow hunting began.

As I researched, I found many differences in bow hunting and hunting with a rifle. In bow hunting, your shots range from five yards to possibly even up to 100 yards. In rifle hunting, shots can range from ten yards to potentially 1000 yards. Also in bow hunting you must factor for wind direction, stand or blind placement, the degree of stealth you hunt with, your equipment and many more factors. In rifle hunting you can be 300 hundred yards away and not have to worry so much about being “scented,” making little movements, or being within 60 yards.

Another huge difference in these two types of hunting is the types of sights and scopes that are used with each. With a rifle you mount a scope on the rifle that could potentially take a shot clear out to a 1000 yards. When a rifle is sighted in it’s