NJ bow hunter killed by another bow hunter

[eruby]

So, about 10% of the people on this forum are idiots according to you.

Is there an ignore button on this forum? I think I need one now.

+1- Think I know who the real idiot is...

 

[Derwood]

I agree with others who have pointed out that an idiot is an idiot regardless of his weapon of choice.

But I do see a potential longer term issue with allowing crossbows in the regular bow season: more hunters. Don't get me wrong, I'm OK with that. But as one person pointed out, people with shoulder injuries are able to operate a crossbow, and they require less practice to get good at shooting. The result is more people out in the bow season one way or another. So perhaps over time the season will have to be shortened/modified if it continues to grow in popularity. All the crossbow hunters I know are bow hunters who got crossbows once the rules changed. And all the bow hunters I know started out as shotgun hunters and then discovered how long the bow season is.

 

[fabsroman]

I agree with others who have pointed out that an idiot is an idiot regardless of his weapon of choice.

But I do see a potential longer term issue with allowing crossbows in the regular bow season: more hunters. Don't get me wrong, I'm OK with that. But as one person pointed out, people with shoulder injuries are able to operate a crossbow, and they require less practice to get good at shooting. The result is more people out in the bow season one way or another. So perhaps over time the season will have to be shortened/modified if it continues to grow in popularity. All the crossbow hunters I know are bow hunters who got crossbows once the rules changed. And all the bow hunters I know started out as shotgun hunters and then discovered how long the bow season is.

Have the deer bag limits gone up tremendously because of the use of crossbows? I am willing to bet that they allowed crossbows during bow season because bow hunters and firearms hunters have not been able to keep the deer population in check over the past two decades. Bow hunting is the only possibility in a lot of places, especially in Montgomery County and PG County. If you are from Derwood, just outside of Rockville and just south of Olney, I am guessing you know how many deer there are in that area (i.e., A LOT). My aunt lives in that area just behind Magruder High School. My parents live in Colesville. There is no gun hunting allowed in either area that I know of. The number of deer in those areas is INSANE. I used to live in Germantown and we had the same problem.

A lot of people, me included at one point, were not able to bow hunt because we just did not have the time to practice enough to make an ethical shot beyond 20 yards. The use of a crossbow extends my range without requiring a ton of practice time.

I seriously doubt the bow season will have to be scaled back at any point in the near future. If anything, they will have to do something to entice more hunters to get out there and hunt because the deer population around the suburbs is out of control wit the number of lyme disease cases skyrocketing.

 

[Derwood]

^Yeah man I'm from Derwood and believe me, I know ALL ABOUT IT! I wonder if we know some of the same people since I went to Magruder. I'm actually participating in the MoCo managed hunting program at Little Bennett this year.

Check this out:

In 2009 my sister's car would have been represented by one of those little red dots in an accident that nearly killed her. I agree that the season isn't going to be scaled back in the near future, but that could be a longer term result if the sport actually increases in popularity. The antis are always looking for a reason to reduce hunting opportunities.

 

[fabsroman]

^Yeah man I'm from Derwood and believe me, I know ALL ABOUT IT! I wonder if we know some of the same people since I went to Magruder. I'm actually participating in the MoCo managed hunting program at Little Bennett this year.

Check this out:

In 2009 my sister's car would have been represented by one of those little red dots in an accident that nearly killed her. I agree that the season isn't going to be scaled back in the near future, but that could be a longer term result if the sport actually increases in popularity. The antis are always looking for a reason to reduce hunting opportunities.

The statistic I was hearing from insurance companies about a decade ago was that more vehicle collisions in Montgomery County were from deer/car than car/car. Guessing that is still the case.

I used to hunt around Seneca Creek Park. Had permission from a "farm owner" that was leasing land from the state. The state gave him 75 crop damage permits. Killed 8 deer one morning by 9:30 and spent the rest of the morning dragging them out. Probably could have killed up a pickup truck that morning if I wanted to. The deer are just INSANE in that area.

I graduated from Springbrook in 1989. You might be younger than me. My aunt/cousins moved into that area after their kids had already graduated high school in PG County. Back then, there were cornfields behind Magruder's football field. With the ICC flowing through there and pretty much going right next to my parents' neighborhood in Colesville, a lot of deer have been displaced.

Good luck with the hunting. I have not deer hunted for about 5+ years now.

 

[Derwood]

That's very interesting to hear about your experience hunting by Seneca Creek. I didn't realize the deer issue was so severe back that far. They actually cut the cornfields down around Magruder during my sophomore year and shortly after that built the worthless ICC about 100 yards behind my parents' house. This is my first year doing the managed hunts with the county, but in the online test they administered in advance is said not to expect county staff to "herd" the deer using ATVs at every hunt. Wow. Haha. No, I did not expect that but it's incredible to hear that they do that sometimes. Good thing I just finally bought a deep freezer! If you ever decide to take up hunting again, send me a PM. I did not come from a hunting family and only know a few people that hunt--most of whom I met through a club I joined last year. So I'm always excited to meet another "local" guy who hunts and almost certainly knows more about it than I do. I've explored some of the WMAs in the area and have located some spots that aren't as heavily pressured as the rest of the land.

Ever looked into urban archery? My friend and I always talk about doing it in our old neighborhood because the sound wall for the ICC funnels all of the deer into a specific spot that is about 300 yards from the nearest house. So I've often thought about hunting there but since many of the neighbors are big time anti types I never wanted to risk disrupting the neighborhood with a wounded deer runing around and possibly bringing any grief on my parents.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

I don't see a lot of people getting into bow and crossbow just because of the extended seasons.

When it's 23 degrees outside, a lot of folks just want to kill the deer and get the deer home as fast as possible. Guns are great for that. The deer drops over dead or runs 40 yards.

It takes a special kind of idiot to shoot a deer with an arrow or bolt when it's 23 degrees and then track the thing in the dark for 2 hours through thorn bushes.

 

[fabsroman]

That's very interesting to hear about your experience hunting by Seneca Creek. I didn't realize the deer issue was so severe back that far. They actually cut the cornfields down around Magruder during my sophomore year and shortly after that built the worthless ICC about 100 yards behind my parents' house. This is my first year doing the managed hunts with the county, but in the online test they administered in advance is said not to expect county staff to "herd" the deer using ATVs at every hunt. Wow. Haha. No, I did not expect that but it's incredible to hear that they do that sometimes. Good thing I just finally bought a deep freezer! If you ever decide to take up hunting again, send me a PM. I did not come from a hunting family and only know a few people that hunt--most of whom I met through a club I joined last year. So I'm always excited to meet another "local" guy who hunts and almost certainly knows more about it than I do. I've explored some of the WMAs in the area and have located some spots that aren't as heavily pressured as the rest of the land.

Ever looked into urban archery? My friend and I always talk about doing it in our old neighborhood because the sound wall for the ICC funnels all of the deer into a specific spot that is about 300 yards from the nearest house. So I've often thought about hunting there but since many of the neighbors are big time anti types I never wanted to risk disrupting the neighborhood with a wounded deer runing around and possibly bringing any grief on my parents.

lol - I never quit hunting. I just have not had the desire to deer hunt the past couple years. The only meat I use from the deer is the tenderloin, and I used to give the rest away. Much easier for me to process geese, ducks, and doves, and I enjoy shooting the BS with my buddies in the blind. I've been hunting every year since I was 6 and I just turned 43. I have access to a 120 acre farm 5 minutes down the road from me and could get out several days during the week to hunt public land (I work for myself). Having kids has cut into the time available for hunting and other than deer hunting on a 230 acre farm in Washington County with a couple quasi friends, going out and sitting on a stand by myself just doesn't appeal too much to me. If I get back into it deer hunting, it will be because somebody pulls me into it through a friendship or my kids want to do it.

There is a website for urabn archery hunting in suburban Maryland. Believe one of the guys has been on this site before.

http://acdmt.org/bowhunting/

If I were you, I would ask the people in that area how they feel about it. When I was hunting by Seneca Creek, from 1997 to 2004, I was shocked at how many people were all for me killing the deer. Some of the MTB riders would tell me where the deer were. Some people commented with "kill them all." The anti-hunters have no clue about ecology and how badly we, as humans, have screwed it all up and what it takes to fix it. The deer are a prime example here. The snow goose population and the havoc it reeks on the environment is another prime example if they want to actually think about the situation.

If you are worried about wounding a deer, it running off, laying down in brush in somebody's backyard, etc., just assure the homeowner's that you will remove any dead deer on their property, whether caused by you or not, if they call you. Not only that, but if they would prefer that it be done at a certain time of the day, that you will accommodate them there too. Personally, I am about to asking a couple of neighbors if I can bow hunt a creek bottom behind my house. The deer are always down there and my lot is the smallest of the bunch at 2 acres. I've had 10+ deer in my backyard on several occasions.

 

[fabsroman]

I don't see a lot of people getting into bow and crossbow just because of the extended seasons.

When it's 23 degrees outside, a lot of folks just want to kill the deer and get the deer home as fast as possible. Guns are great for that. The deer drops over dead or runs 40 yards.

It takes a special kind of idiot to shoot a deer with an arrow or bolt when it's 23 degrees and then track the thing in the dark for 2 hours through thorn bushes.

Hunt the morning only, then go to work. lol

 

[amoebicmagician]

The only plausible explanation I can think of: the idiot was "scoping" the other hunter out of curiousity, and let one fly cause he had his finger on the trigger.

No matter what, three safety violations occurred:
1) Arrow/muzzle in a safe direction
2) Keep finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
3) Be sure of your target and beyond

This is the reason why, rifle scopes should not be used as a monocular. Spend $20 and get one that won't kill anyone when you get curious.

This is EXACTLY what I was thinking, only way this could have happened other than if he did it on purpose

 

[iH8DemLibz]

Either way is a moot point.

Not seeing deer this year that want to play at 20 yards.

Got the .40 caliber ML dialed in this afternoon at Elk Neck.

They won't be laughing anymore when they step out of the woods at 50 yards.

 

[Derwood]

Thanks for the suggestions. I actually asked some of the neighbors on the street two years ago. They've all known me since I was a little kid and know we're a nice, responsible family and all that. And I framed it along similar lines you've suggested. I was basically concerned about 8 homes at the end of the street/cul de sac. Six of them thought it would be great/didn't care. One guy even said he'd thought about doing that himself but hadn't hunted in many years and didn't even own a bow anymore. Then I learned that one of the families is big time Vegan with a Capital V (to the point that they let mice live in their house because they don't want to kill them) and another family was purposely feeding the deer peanut butter and food scraps and had named several of them HA! I realize it's still legal for me to hunt there since I'd be well over 150 yards from their property, but I don't want to do anything that would upset them either for all the obvious reasons.

I'm about 15 years younger than you. Maybe we should be friends so that I can drag you back into hunting! I'm a member of a club with excellent duck/goose hunting in the Lower Potomac when the weather is right.

It's interesting the way people know nothing of ecology. I noticed this when reading in the newspaper about how Fairfax County, VA had public meetings about a possible deer management program there. I think they ended up opting for some sort of spaying program rather than hunting. In the online test for the Montgomery County program they go into pretty good detail explaining the need for the program and how it has been pretty successful since it was started in 1996. They're actually taking comments right now about the possibility of expanding it to an additional park next year. Judging by that map, they need to expand the program to every park.

 

[Pablopac]

Hunting safety is the same, firearm, bow, spear....
And don't hate us cross bow folks.
I still want to bow hunt.
Hard helo landing in the sand screwed up my back and shoulder.
I cant practice enough with a bow to be ethical.
I can, with a crossbow.
Same range.
Same rules.
So give an old army attack pilot a break!
pablopac

 

[RebelYell]

I don't see a lot of people getting into bow and crossbow just because of the extended seasons.

When it's 23 degrees outside, a lot of folks just want to kill the deer and get the deer home as fast as possible. Guns are great for that. The deer drops over dead or runs 40 yards.

It takes a special kind of idiot to shoot a deer with an arrow or bolt when it's 23 degrees and then track the thing in the dark for 2 hours through thorn bushes.

 

[wilcam47]

Either way is a moot point.

Not seeing deer this year that want to play at 20 yards.

Got the .40 caliber ML dialed in this afternoon at Elk Neck.

They won't be laughing anymore when they step out of the woods at 50 yards.

ML seems to knock them down faster/quicker than a rifle in my experience. I guess it depends on the shot placement.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

You ain't a kidd'in. That's the fun stuff right there.

 

[iH8DemLibz]

ML seems to knock them down faster/quicker than a rifle in my experience. I guess it depends on the shot placement.

I agree.

Being hit by a heavy, slow moving bullet is like being hit with a wrecking ball.

The deer have a tendency to fall over.

 

[Inigoes]

All this talk about muzzle loaders, made me validate mine during lunch before the rush starts at the ranges.

 

[wilcam47]

I agree.

Being hit by a heavy, slow moving bullet is like being hit with a wrecking ball.

The deer have a tendency to fall over.

the last 2 I blasted with a ML dropped in their tracks!

 

[Twanger]

+1- Think I know who the real idiot is...

+2