Well I guess this is kinda backyard?

[michihunter]

In all honesty, I have to agree with Scott on this one. A crossbow is easy enough to learn but hunting is not. You gonna ""babysit" him BT? Knowing you, you'd sacrifice your own hunt for the sake of this man, but for what? I personally don't feel that a hunt of this magnitude financially is a place for a rookie so to speak. I think all would be better served by putting in the hours now til next fall in hopes of getting him a bit seasoned.

[Greg Krause]

I would think that there is no place like this to cut yoyr teeth. even if an animal is wounded it will be recovered, even if the guide needs to go in with a gun.
I also think that you may see if he can get the recurve down BUT tell him up front that in reality he may need to use the crossbow. That he can get very proficient with in a short time. As to teaching him to hunt........
He can sit in a stand or sit over bait. Just explain to him how far is ok to shoot and show him proper shot placement.

[Scottyluck]

A good place to cut your teeth, yes, but Bt has said he is hard headed. Hard headed people tend to think they can do things that someone in the know knows they can't.
Hunting with the cross bow just to hunt doesn't cut it for me. But that's just my opinion. Why not just bring a gun?

[tedicast]

Kris and Skip...sorry man. I just don't agree with putting an inexperienced novice in front of a live animal, especially with a bow. there are just too many things that come into play that can go wrong. And as for Skips comment about even if the animal is wounded, it will be recovered.... I don't buy into that. That attitude is just showing a total disrespect for the animal. Preserve or not, an animal that is hunted still needs to be respected.

[Greg Krause]

all I'm saying is that everyone is a novice at some point, correct? we all are gonna have a first time on a live animal, yes? 3 months of shooting a crossbow and talking about shot selection should allow for more than enough time to become proficient with that particular weapon and the knowledge to use it correctly.
I didn't mean to sound like I thought it was ok to wound an animal and then finish it off with a gun. I just meant that this is a much more controlled environment than, fair chase deer hunting. since there is a first time shot at a live animal, why is waiting till next seasons deer woods, in a completely uncontrolled environment any better then a pig in an environment where there is some control.
I'm not sure why bringing a gun is any better than a crossbow? Given they both have a very different efficient range, within their range they are both lethal and are aimed/fired the same way. If a person can become efficient with a gun, they should also become efficient with a crossbow in the same amount of time.

[shaman]

admin said:

I can get certain people proficient at 15yrds in 3 months with a recurve.
(look at skipmaster )

From the looks of the DVD, unless you taught the recurve before the compound than skipmaster1 was already a very good shot. Taking a person who is already a good shot and teaching them something more difficult is different than taking a complete novice and getting them to the same point.

I'd have to believe that a crossbow with dot sight would be a lot easier to learn in the same amount of time.

[donk]

I say introduce him to the recurve. Watch him shoot help him out a bit and see what you think. If hes not going to be ready then dont be afraid to tell him. He has 3 months and IMO there should be no problem for him to get good at 15 yards IF (big IF) he wants too. The guy wants it bad enough he will work at it.

If not have him use the crossgun. Should not take too long to get him used to that.


Don

[BT]

O.K.

Very good input from everyone

I agree with tedicast and skip at the same time

I don't agree that a gun is better and in fact allows the person a false belief that he/she is hunting with a more deadly weapon which isn't true.

I agree that in a worst case scenario a preserve offers the best opportunity of recovery.

I also believe that skip nailed it as to the fact that everyone is a novice at some point.

I also agree with Shaman as to the sensibility of choosing one or the other.

Michi and Scotty make sense in pointing out the advantages of waiting longer for the traditional equipment.

And so I will encourage him to pursue the crossbow with the red dot while on a stand.

When I say hard headed I don't mean to say A$$
As Shaman pointed out awhile back....

Inflection and such are not seen within a post

What I mean to say is that he is like most....wanting to explain what he knows as opposed to listening without imposing prior knowledge

This fact is why any man (by and large) is harder to teach than a woman or a child.

I think we all know what I am referring to! ;D

[Greg Krause]

Have you talked to him about using the crossbow? He may not have any interest with hunting with it. You already said he didn't want to hunt with a compound, so I'm wondering if he would with a x-bow.
If he is set on traditional equipment, I think waiting would be a smart move. 3 months is a very short time to get someone shooting a recurve well. I know it can be done, heck I did it. I was shooting at least 7 hours a week with it though and have been shooting my compounds all the time before that. I'm lethal with it now, but I seem to struggle with buck fever when an animal is in front of me. It would be very tough to take someone with little experience and get them ready to shoot an animal in 3 months.
I just think the x-bow is a smart move as long as he is gonna be up for it. You shouldn't have a problem getting him set up and ready with that, in the 3 months.

[chester12]

I personally would tell him, look I am not sure that you are going to be good enough with the recurve bow in 3 months to use it on a hog. I therefore would work with him on both the crossbow and the recurve, if he is still intrested in paying the money to go on the hunt. He should be good enough with the crossbow in about 10 seconds (according to some people that I have read on the internet) to be a killing machine with it, so that should not be an issue.

I defenatly would have him go on the trip with the corssbow, becuase you can shoot in the backyard all you want, but you need real experaince. If he is intersted in hunting he is getting a late enough start at it that I don't think that he is be told that he should wait a while more. If he waits then the next time would be deer season.

Just my $.02.