Writer shoots self in foot, needs eye exam
Before I get to the point of my e-mail, I will tell you that I have been a subscriber for several years and in the past have really enjoyed your paper and always looked forward to each issue. Now you can cancel it.
In the September issue, I read several articles promoting the use of crossbows. The first article was a perfect example of why they don’t belong in archery season. It isn’t so much the weapon as it is the mentality that comes with it. Mr. Cooper starts off stating how easy it was to “become proficient” with it. Later in his story he shoots himself in the foot by misjudging the yardage on a close shot and luckily for the deer, missed totally. Are you telling me that a person with Mr. Cooper’s 30 years’ experience can’t estimate 20 yards?
Let’s continue. He goes on the next day to wound a deer at 12 yards. Wow, I don’t think a range finder will help Mr. Cooper. Maybe he should have passed on the medical procedure and went to an eye doctor.
I will be the first to admit that things don’t always work out in the hunting wood the way we would like. I just don’t think that we need to bring in tens of thousands of people like Mr. Cooper and yourself that are not interested nearly as much in the hunt and the preparation that comes with it, as you are in killing deer.
Bowhunting was founded by men who loved the outdoor experience with archery equipment and had the guts to do what they had to to become proficient with the weapons that they had. Not to see how low they could set the bar.
It’s not a bad thing if you can’t participate in bow season. There are plenty of other things a person can do (Squirrel hunt, fall turkey season, fish, hunt other states, etc.) without molesting the purest of all sports. What if the NFL lowered their standards to play football? Who would watch? I also believe that most crossbow “misusers” could shoot a bow if they were willing to put in the time it takes. I’ve seen the handicap title abused terribly in the last 10 years.
If you, or Mr. Cooper or most other crossbow users were offered $10,000 to shoot a bow again, I have a feeling you could hear bow case zippers all over the state opening up. For the folks who are truly unable to shoot a bow, and they really have the spirit of the true bowhunter, I don’t care what they shoot. Even a crossbow. If they are just lazy, or unwilling to put forth the effort, I don’t wish to share the woods with them. Why not set the bar higher? Maybe we wouldn’t lose bow hunters to lack of interest if they had some self pride in the way they worked a little harder to accomplish the task of bowhunting, instead of looking for ways to make it as easy as possible. What if we “Man-up?” Like I said earlier, it’s not the weapon, it’s the person behind it.
Dennis J. Voss, Member
United Bowhunters of Missouri, Professional Bowhunters Society,
Compton Traditional Bowhunters,
Union Archery Club, NRA,
Missouri Bowhunters Association
