Bowhunting Popularity

[Jbehredt]

Even with the the so-called explosion of archery hunters, the success rates have barely wiggled.
That includes compounds and xbows.

Maybe people who are only getting into it now that it’s easier aren’t willing to work hard enough.

 

[Kevin Dill]

I can't truly say what archery success rates have done in all states. Guessing is a bad habit, but here's what I'd guess: They've probably improved from what they were in the 1960s, '70s and maybe '80s. I doubt if they've changed much in the past couple decades. I do know you're counted as an archery hunter if you buy an archery permit or hunt even one day with your gear. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a lot of guys own and use the gear, but don't really give it their all. Certainly archery success is based on dedication and time spent hunting with it. Those who pursue it more casually or infrequently will still be counted within the surveys and data. The same thing applies to all endeavors of course.

I'm one who is glad to see the interest in and popularity of bowhunting. I do think this popularity is likely to continue, but I can also see it leading toward future adjustments of archery season regulations if it adversely impacts a state's species in some way.

 

[goodgrouper]

the area of Montana I live in bowhunter numbers are equal to rifle hunter numbers. I think if Montana were to become a choose your weapon state it would clear out at least 75% of the guys in the woods come September. I would love to see that, just for selfish reasons obviously.

 

[S.Clancy]

the area of Montana I live in bowhunter numbers are equal to rifle hunter numbers. I think if Montana were to become a choose your weapon state it would clear out at least 75% of the guys in the woods come September. I would love to see that, just for selfish reasons obviously.

I like Montana for precisely that, you don't have to pick a season. The one thing I wish they would do with archery is close some of the mule deer general areas to rifle by Nov 1 and have it go to archery only if you're going to continue to do a rut hunt. It would let people hunt the rut and hopefully allow more deer to mature. Maybe just wishful thinking.

 

[Coveyleader]

Its a great thing that we are growing. The sad thing is, as much as we are growing, there is little support for our state bowhunting orgs.

I don't think the success rates have climbed much out west, but I can say crowding has and we're seeing the effects of "easy" archery for sure. We may not see the effects on the harvest rate side, but we are surely seeing it in the form of acquiring tags and over crowding.

Lately, the podcasts (except for Rogan) have been nothing but a broken record and are getting hard to listen to. I swear if I hear another rant about "how we eat what we kill," " I would have killed it with a compound at 100yds" I'm going to vomit.

Great times for archery, I just wish we could get numbers behind our state orgs to make a difference. Colorado is going through some tough times, and rifle seasons are encroaching on us daily it seems. Sad.

 

[Beendare]

You might well laugh at this, but there was a time when swearing allegiance to a hunting bow was something akin to announcing for the priesthood and taking a celibacy vow. In those days we knew it meant lots of struggle and very few punched tags. We didn't encounter very many guys who were truly dedicated to bowhunting first and forever. Most hunters looked at bowhunting as too hard, too limiting and too likely to leave them with clean knives.

The 'We didn't encounter many guys' was the best part. Heck, we would hunt Co OTC every year....get into screaming bulls just about every day...and hardly run into another bowhunter except on some trails.

It was fantastic! We used to call bulls in on one of those gas pipes, they weren't shy...then Larry D came along and that was the beginning of a huge influx of bowhunters. I remember drawing unit 9 one year...and a couple years later drawing another good Az unit as a non res....at the risk of sounding like an old fougy...those WERE the days.

Now with guys seeing the elk vids on YouTube....and as you said Kevin- a guy can be decent with a compound pretty quick they are so easy to shoot.....everyone wants to go elk hunting and get into screaming bulls. I've seen a sea change over the decades in the elk woods with the elk adapting to the pressure..... coming in quiet and being a lot more wary.