If you’ve been following hunting stories, advices and tips, you may have realized that most skilled hunters usually use both bows and riffles in hunting. You may then be wondering why you should pick one of the two instead of going straight for both. The truth is you sure can go with both, but there are reasons why you need to make a choice between them especially when you’re learning the skills. For one, it is easier to master the skills of hunting when you concentrate on one weapon at a time. I recommend bow hunting over riffle whenever it comes to making that choice.
There are several reasons why bow hunting is better than riffle hunting. It is much more satisfying to you as a hunter and, if done correctly, fairer and therefore more humane to the game.
Even then, different hunters draw satisfaction from different factors and what one finds satisfying may be boring to another. We will therefore look into what makes bow hunting interesting and why it is considered more humane, against what makes riffle special.
Bow Hunting Is Traditional
Sometimes, doing things the old way is good for reasons far beyond nostalgia. And seeing that several people are currently trying to run away from technologically improved activities, you wouldn’t blame a hunter for being part of the trend. Bow hunting connects us to the past of hunting and with nature itself, taking us back to our roots.
Bow Hunting Is Challenging
Most of us appreciate things we’ve worked hard for than those that have come easily. While riffle hunting is just as hard, it is no doubt that bow hunting is significantly more challenging. Regardless of the reality that the current bow can fire arrows even to 400 yards, and shoot at speeds that may go above 200 mph, it is primarily a relatively short-range tool, best used within 30 to 40 yards at most. Your ability to stay calm and keep your target at such a close range necessitates expertise, which makes a good shot feel more impressive than if you were using a rifle.
Bow Hunting Improves Your Hunting Skills
When you’re just learning how to hunt, you’ll realize that bow hunting requires much more effort, composure and skill than riffle hunting. Of course, with both tools, you will need to make a good shot which will need good positioning and aiming but bows require a little more. Once you can spot the difference in skills, you’ll realize that a bow is the ideal choice when you want to have a nice exercise while improving their target-directed movement skills.
Bow Season Is Longer Than Riffle Season in Many Regions
Many hunters prefer mastering bow hunting especially because in most areas, it begins early and generally goes longer than riffle season. Considering most of them hunt for the meat rather than just enjoyment, the longer season is much needed. Furthermore, the bow season usually comes when there is more game than during the riffle season.
Bow hunting is much quieter
The loud sound of a gun may not be a bother to every hunter but some may find it inconveniencing. This is especially true when you are new to riffle hunting or are affected by loud sounds. A riffle may also disrupt other animals in the area within which you’re hunting. There’s some relative audibility even with silencers, not to mention muzzle flashes which might sell away a stealthy mission. Bows and arrows, on the other hand, leave you blending in with nature with the silence. It is easier to make a kill and go your way without meeting an interruption or causing one.
Bow hunting is fairer than riffle
If you’re a hunter who believes in giving fair choices, then bow hunting is one way to keep the playing field even. Sure, your instinct in the sport is to hunt and take home the game. However, the animal deserves a survival instinct which is, primarily, running. Shooting a gun denies the animal their fair chance at surviving the hunt. Bow hunting, however, regulates you to distance, calculated aiming and killing time, allowing the animals to fight for their lives. This agrees with the purpose behind ethical hunting which is to maintain healthy population balance among animals in the wild. Gun hunting may result in overkill.
Bow Hunting Results in Cleaner, Healthier Meat
When you’re hunting for meat, it is better to use a bow and arrows over bullets, for obvious reasons.
That being said, riffles are still preferred by some hunters over bows. Here are the reasons why.
Riffle Hunting Is Cheaper Than Using Bows and Arrows
Believe it or not, bow hunting is a bigger investment and can cost as much as twice the cost of riffle. This is because bow hunting requires several inclusions such as scentless clothing, tree stands and camo. Nevertheless, bow hunting is still worth that price and most hunters are more than willing to sacrifice the money.
Riffle Hunting Requires Less Effort and Skills
Quite the opposite of bow hunting, all you need to do with a riffle is make the correct aim and shoot. And you can aim from long distances and still make a lethal shot unlike in bow hunting which necessitates you to get closer to the game. If you’re the hunter who prefers less work and skills over challenge and more skills, riffle hunting is the way to go.
Accuracy of the shots
As we have already covered earlier, you need to be an extra good a hunter to make a good, quick kill with a bow and arrows. Hitting from a specific angle allows you the accuracy of hitting specified body parts such as the heart and both lungs, killing the game instantly. The rule isn’t so necessary in riffle hunting, and a single bullet can do a lot of internal damage. With riffles, almost any shot is an accurate shot. This however, doesn’t mean that anyone can hunt with a gun. Remember, you may just hurt the animal cruelly and leave them suffering with a bullet wound, a damage you wouldn’t want to inflict if you care about ethical hunting.
All things considered, both rifle hunting and bowhunting have their advantages and depending on what you consider as important in hunting, you can make your own decision on which is better. With good bow hunting skills, however, the mastery of rifle hunting skills is almost certain. The same cannot be said when you’re good at rifle hunting.
