Archery Hunting: A True Gentlemans Sport
Chuck Holloway

Many people perceive hunting with a bow and arrow to be a barbaric and inhumane way to hunt. I don't think they could be any more wrong! Archery hunting has been considered a gentlemans sport for many years. The sport is actually more ethical than most other sports due to intense rules and regulations which restrict many of the freedoms granted to hunters. These ethical guidelines have been preserved for many generations because big game hunters have grown to embrace the rules and apply them to their everyday life.  

Archery hunting has grown to be one of the most popular hunting sports. The federal government has granted power to each state to determine their own rules and regularions. This includes hunting dates, hunting locations and the animal gender that can be hunted. States are responsible for implementing their own start and end dates for the hunting season which allows enthusiasts from around the globe to enjoy the gentlemans sport.  

When compared to rifle hunting, bow hunting appears to be more primitive bringing the hunter closer with nature. Hunting with a rifle provides ease with a relatively large margin for error. Rifle hunters can usually fire at a target from 150-200 feet killing the animal instantly, whereas, Bow hunters depend more on efficiency and accuracy. Bow hunters have to position themselves within shorter distances, approximately 70 yards, to achieve an efficient shot. Although, different style bows require shorter distances for an efficient shot, such as recurve bows, longbows and selfbows, which can be fired at distances up to 20 yards. The goal of the bow hunter to kill the game with precision and accuracy to avoid unecessary suffering for the animal.  

The chief unwritten rule of all respectable hunters is that once you make direct contact with the animal you always track the game to make sure it is dead. In some cases, the animal will survive even though it has been struck by an arrow. If this happens you should track and kill the animal immediately to avoid unecessary pain and suffering. This is especially true with archery hunting.

These rules are not governed by any state or federal organization, but are still followed as if they were. The unwritten rules of the outdoors which are followed by almost every hunter and are the main reason why archery is considered to be a gentlemans sport.

Chuck Holloway is an avid archery fanatic with 18 years of hunting experience. He is a lifetime member of the North American Hunting Club and an active member of the NRA. Chuck has a strong passion for the outdoors and enjoys capturing the details of the hunt in his journal.