BOHNTR Report post Posted 9 hours ago 1 hour ago, creed said: I got to looking on the www and there’s actually quite a few studies done. Kind of eye-opening in a bad way. Just not factual data in our state. Wish we tracked better. Mandatory reporting for all hunts would be a good start. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PRDATR Report post Posted 8 hours ago 28 minutes ago, BOHNTR said: Just not factual data in our state. Wish we tracked better. Mandatory reporting for all hunts would be a good start. Well there are equal results for firearms too, maybe a few less casualties but the outcome is the same. They are tough for sure. Stinks to loose one but it happens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
knothead Report post Posted 7 hours ago It sure does suck and really takes the steam out of a hunt. At least it did for me. I had a very good kill ratio when hunting with a bow and arrow for my first 30 years. Only lost one javelina over that time. I made a couple bad shots on elk but I was able to find them. Over the last 10 years I have hit 4 different animals and lost them. One of them, an antelope, I found the next morning but the coyotes got to him before I did. I put my tag on it and my hunt was over. In 2009 or 10 I had a 5B archery antelope tag and it was the first time I ever saw a guy hunt with a crossbow in AZ. We were pretty much hunting the same 60-70 antelope that had a total of 9 bucks in the area. Over time we would cross paths in the field and talk. He told me he shot 5 different bucks and he was finally able to retrieve the 5th one. I asked him why he was hunting with a crossbow because I didn't ever see anything that was disabling about him. He showed me two fingers that we loosely taped together and said it may not look bad but he cant pull his bow back. He was almost apologetic. One of the bucks he shot out from under me during one of my stalks. 114 yard shot and I couldn't figure out what made them all run. That was my first encounter with him. He claimed he didn't see me stalking them. I think the loss of animals for me has taken away a lot of my drive to kill things. I love hunting as much as I ever did but the candle definitely does not burn as bright for killing stuff. A lot of this is personal and I think every hunter has to deal with it the best they see fit. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CouesPursuit Report post Posted 6 hours ago Very similar knothead, but 20 instead of 30 years so far. I chickened out on my sheep hunt. While practicing and shooting the greatest archery of my life, I intentionally left my bow in the truck and grabbed a rifle the day (2) I went after my target ram. He ended up coming below me 80 yards as scouting predicted he may. Shooting him with a rifle that close was bittersweet. I will never know if I'm a chump or if my decision was commendable, but I was terrified of wounding a true trophy animal and having him lost or run on inaccessible (YPG) lands. I'll try to stay off a high horse but I hate seeing wounded animals and wish shooting and as much real-world prep for the shot as possible was trendy. Critter numbers are declining behind my upgrading optics and experience. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trphyhntr Report post Posted 4 hours ago 4 hours ago, wildwoody said: should be like Alaska, , a wound is a kill. I also herd of a gentleman who hit 6 bulls in one hunt and never retrieved one I heard it was 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
