Doc

So I would guess that it's an evolved sensitivity designed to have them stock up on food energy in the face of a storm. So how come we haven't evolved the same way and run to the refrigerator when a storm approaches .... or do we? I never paid attention....lol.

I am maybe the world's worst off-hand shooter. I would say that 90% of my shots are bench rested when stand shooting. My gun stands are built with shooting rests in mind. For still-hunting, I carry shooting stix. It is a huge benefit, and I mean HUGE, to be able to steady rest on something.

I am saying exactly what I said before. Once you start adopting and promoting the arguments of the anti bow-hunters, there is no stopping that line of reasoning. If we were the ones writing the laws and could guarantee that a line was really going to be drawn then maybe we could successfully play that tune, but the fact is that we can't all of a sudden say, "That's far enough". We do not have that power. So you coming up with a wish-list of stopping points ands rules is wasted effort. When you start down that path of saying that there are shortfalls in the archery equipment and the people who use it, you have stepped out on a slippery slope that you or I or anybody in archery can control.

And I am saying that you cannot take one of the two weapons and strip it of all of the advantages that it has and then make some kind of hunting comparison where those things are put back on. I understand that the truth is widely stretched on both sides, but making bogus comparisons are not the way to combat that. Let that crossbow shooter go into a prone position with a bipod, or bench rest his crossbow on a log, and you will begin to have a look at the crossbow advantage. Let the compound shooter use some sort of draw lock so that neither of them has to draw the string in the presence of the deer. Anything short of that is simply an irrelevant comparison that is just as much biased and comprised of manufactured claims as any that are being made on either side of the argument.

Every town and city has some form of newspaper that publishes letters. And yet we seldom see any pro-gun letters. One would think that somewhere in each municipality there would be at least one gun owner that is fairly skilled at writing. This guy has a very organized, clear and credible way of writing and has reached one news outlet. How about all the others. It's a free, widely read mode of putting a point across. Why is it always left for anti-gun/anti-hunting individuals to use?

I really don't care. It is irrelevant.

It doesn't matter what your intent is. I'm just telling you that this exact same line of reasoning (or lack thereof) is used in exactly the same way by a lot of people who would just as soon there were no such thing as a bow season at all. It makes no sense to keep handing people incapable people more and more efficient weapons in what is supposed to be a weapons-challenged season unless you are willing to take it completely to it's logical conclusion. You can use a lot of justifications for crossbows, but I really do disagree that it should serve as a weapon to make up for archer's shortfalls. There just is no stopping that mindset once to accept it.

Keep an eye on the bird feeder. When it looks like the birds are going nuts and every bird in the valley is chowing down, you will also see the deer doing some extra munching. And yes it is a sign of an impending storm front. Works best in winter conditions.

Well, frankly I don't even have enough interest to go and look. As I explained in great length, we are not talking about target range competition. It is completely irrelevant.

Ha-ha .... I've heard a lot of gun hunters say the same thing. Only they're not talking about "bad apples". They're talking about the whole idea of using arrows to kill deer. The bow season is one that purposely and deliberately increases challenge through equipment handicap. Now, either we believe in that or we don't. And if we don't then let's go with the most efficient form of weapon .... the gun.

I don't know, perhaps the crossbows are allowed to use bracing equipment in competition. I shouldn't even be saying because I have never even heard of crossbows being used in organized target competition prior to this thread. Perhaps they are allowed to bench rest them, or shoot in a prone position, or whatever. I suspect that is not the case, but will not say for sure. Maybe, nobody here really knows for sure. But when comparing weapons for whatever reason, I would assume that when you are talking about hunting situations you would argue using hunting conditions. I mean, if you are going to talk about sand-bagged, bench rested conditions, I think it would be foolish to think that using shooters of average ability, compound could out-shoot a crossbow. But that's not what we are talking about is it? Likewise we are not talking about target range conditions. We are talking about hunting using potential and probable field conditions. So I really don't understand the relevance of competition scores. And yes, I still think the introduction of competition scores is ridiculous and irrelevant. As far as bracing your arm against a tree, I don't doubt that it might be able to be done. It's probably not something I would attempt to do, but I suppose anything is possible.

If I were going to shoot competitively in a mandatory off-hand fashion, I would much rather use the compound. Take away my crossbow bipod, or log benchrest, and I'm sure the heavy awkward crossbow would be an ugly thing to control compared to any kind of bow. I never have been all that good at off-hand shooting even with a gun. On the other hand, hunting is not competitive shooting. In a hunting scenario, I can use anything that a rifle shooter can use to make the thing rock-solid. Heck, I can even shoot prone or kneeling and braced off my knee. As I said, "anything that a rifle shooter can use to make the thing rock-solid". That is when the crossbow works out to have huge benefits. Using super-regulated and restricted competitive rules and then trying to compare the results to hunting situations is ridiculous.

What the heck .... You have 5 guys trying to break into your home with at least one of them armed? What are you supposed to do wait until they shoot you before you are allowed to respond with deadly force? I agree with others here. There has to be more to the story. Otherwise prosecution is ridiculous.

I have seen wild crabapples in both bright red color and also yellow. Also, there is something we call thornapples that have little apples on them. Unlike the trees pictured here, the thorn apples have huge nasty thorns that can do some significant damage to people ... lol. But, I'm sure everybody has seen those ugly critters and remember them well after coming in contact with them.

John- Here is the argument that you will get. The NYS bow season lost its "primitive" status when we all knuckled under and accepted the compound bow as a legitimate bow season weapon. I know that a compound is still basically a bow that involves the very same shooting disciplines and methods that even the ancient bows required. But the fact remains that things have gone exactly the way that the old-timers who argued against the compound put forth. It has served as the "missing link" that provides the precedent for the inclusion of just about anything. Those guys were right. I must admit that even though I argued vigorously against them, when they opposed the introduction of compounds, there was a new precedent set that now has morphed into the introduction of the crossbow. We can't deny it. The genie was let out of the bottle with the compound. It now is followed by the crossbow, and I believe that it is simply a matter of time before some version of muzzleloader will take place inside of bow season. That is what the youth rifle season timing was all about. It simply was a test case to show that archery equipment and firearms can coexist. So everything is flowing predictably in a direction to dilute a true bow season. The fact is that the seasons that the bowhunters have carved out is constantly being jealously viewed by all hunters with all weapons. And the will of the hunters as a total group will rule. Those who think that certain qualities of challenge will be honored are simply not recognizing the fact that we are in the minority, and most hunters have no sympathy or respect for the notion that bow season was designed initially as a season of personal challenge. They all see that even bowhunters themselves are more and more involved in eliminating that challenge through technology, and they view the bow season as simply a waste of opportunity. It is truly just a matter of time before bow season will have very little to do with bows. The majority of hunters always prevail, and bowhunters are a true minority. So while it is great to keep up the good fight, it is also a cause that has the odds stacked impossibly against the bowhunter. The crossbow is a done deal, it is only a matter of time. At this point it is important to recognize defeat and try to heal up the rift that was thrust on us.

I am of the opinion that the DEC is not interested in things that have to do with a smaller deer harvest (buck or doe). Any moves in the direction of restricting harvests only come as a result of severe political pressure, or severe deer mortality. Otherwise, everything that I have seen them push are items that make deer hunting more efficient at reducing population. I honestly think they may fear a time when hunting can no longer handle population surges and are constantly looking for more ways to get more deer with fewer hunters regardless of what season. I'm thinking that a one buck rule would be met with the same lack of DEC enthusiasm as AR has been.......Just a theory based on DEC policy statements, proposals, and actions.

Basically, the tape over the sights works very well. The whole thing is about going for precision and the fear of the sight coming off the target at impact. It's a mental pressure that we put on ourselves that forces involuntary panic reactions. Covering the sight takes away that pressure for precision to the point where you can simply relax and feel the proper form and release. My target panic took a different form. I would get where if a shot didn't go off in a reasonable time, I would just have this super-exaggerated giant "flinch". It could be so violent that it would throw the shot right off the butt. Covering the sight would stop it. Just removing that pressure to hit the center of the center, would put my mind straight. It's an ugly thing, but there are remedies. However, it is never permanently beat, and can re-occur at any time. The funny thing is that I have never had it happen on a deer. I think that's because there are other things going on at the time that interrupts any brain-spasm from happening.

I suspect that he is not quite done with law on this incident. In my judgment, he had other options. I would guess that would be the criteria as to whether charges would be lodged.

I would purchase a gun safe, and that should take care of that concern.

Here's what I had in mind, and of course the thinking is customized to our house layout. Our bedroom is at the end of a narrow hallway (about 30 feet long). What I was thinking was a heavy-duty spotlight mounted above the door looking down the hall. Pointed away from the bedroom doorway so it is not blinding me, but blinding anyone coming down the hallway. So the scenario is that I can see him, he cannot see me or anything else for that matter. If its a "friendly", I can clearly see them. If it is an intruder, I can see him and do what's necessary. A strobe might work, but I am concerned about the intermittent flashback and how that might effect my ability to see as well. The switch for the light would be inside the bedroom so that I don't have to step out. Also, what the heck, hook up a loud alarm to that switch also just to warn others in the house to stay put, and also add to the confusion factor of the intruder. But not so loud that he can't hear the action on my 12 ga. Ithaca....lol. I would think all that would be an intruder's worst nightmare. I doubt that I would even have to fire a shot.

I think a lot of the AR goals would be automatically achieved with the increased selectivity of the hunters.

I have one more recommendation that you might want to consider. Ask your bow shop guy if there are any archery clubs in the area. It sure does make the practice sessions more fun when you have someone to shoot with. Also, judging by the pictures of your initial results, there may be a natural talent for competitive shooting. Plus it's just a lot of fun to have other bowhunters to talk to and throw around different ideas on tackle and techniques. It's just a suggestion that you might want to think about.

You know, even today I often walk through a stretch of woods at the end of the day and spot something that brings back memories of 20, 30, 40 years or more ago. It may not have anything to do with a kill, just a recollection of a time long ago that I walked the same trail out. It is weird, just kind of a flash-back to a younger age. Of course I have lived and hunted this same valley since I was 11 years old, so there are a lot of memories here. But great memories in the woods are not always linked to a kill. There is an old beech tree that never fails to bring back great memories when I see it. About 55 years ago, I carved the initials of my wife and myself in that old tree. That was long before we were even married. They are still there. It is amazing, something in the woods that can instantly take me back to age 15 everytime I stumble across it while hunting.

I think the gun range thing is the best idea if you can talk her into trying it. She just may get hooked. Another direction of attack would be to bombard her with mental images of home invasions, and robberies gone bad, and some of the twisted brains of the wacked-out druggies out there, and just generally trying to convince her that there is a need for effective home defense. If she is concerned about the dangers of being armed, you need to show her the dangers of being unarmed.

Flashlights are good, but don't they provide an aiming spot for the bad-guy?