A reply from carll2 (hunting)

[hotrod]

I believe you can't legislate morality or ethics. As mentioned the hunter safety course addresses shot placement. Those who will take less than optimal shots will do so regardless of the fact that they took a course, like many do who hunt with a gun despite the fact they have all passed a course telling them not to. I'm against more rules, we already have enough and adding more will just turn more people off hunting like the gun registry did....

[fishermccann]

You need a PAL to by a gun, I think that you should need a Pal to buy a bow. Just incorperate a section of the PAL course for bows. You would still need your hunter safty course anyhow.

[anonymous]

There is an existing International Bowhunters course. It is mandatory in some province's as well as several countries around the world. It wouldn't surprise me if Ontario brought this into play in the next decade. The hunter's ed course in Ontario does cover shot placement, but only briefly touches on bow hunting. Just the same it briefly covers firearms as well. The hunter safety course was revamped to ensure that you as a hunter can safely get in and out of the woods, survive if you get lost as well as make sure you identify your game and ensure you can safely take the shot. In the past the hunter safety course focused more on the tools used to harvest game, but as of late those topics are being covered by the CFSC for firearms and nothing for archery.

 

Just for interest sake, anyone who has a valid PAL, POL or RPAL has an H1 designation on their outdoors card allowing them to hunt with firearms. People who have done the hunter safety course but do not have a firearms license have an H2 endorsement on their outdoors card which means they can only hunt with archery.

[misfish]

Thanks for all the replys so far guys.

Good points from both sides.

[Twocoda]

Just for interest sake, anyone who has a valid PAL, POL or RPAL has an H1 designation on their outdoors card allowing them to hunt with firearms. People who have done the hunter safety course but do not have a firearms license have an H2 endorsement on their outdoors card which means they can only hunt with archery.

 

interesting for sure...i thought my card was just saying HI everytime i looked at it

[Big Cliff]

Gun or Bow its the same vitals your aiming at. Your taking the same shot just with a different weapon. Archery is just tougher because you have to be within 60 yards

No offence to the crossbow guys but at 20 yards, a crossbow is as easy as having a gun in your hands. Not much skill involved.

The only thing that a seperate course could teach someone is that they cant pick up a compound bow and expect to be good, you have to practice.

You are right, @ 20 yards a crossbow is as easy as having a gun in your hands, in fact I think it is deadlier. The skill part comes in getting to within 20 yards. I see lots of guys during the gun hunt taking 80+ yard shots. I get one shot, they will unload their gun.

 

Each to their own I guess.

[ch312]

Gun or Bow its the same vitals your aiming at. Your taking the same shot just with a different weapon. Archery is just tougher because you have to be within 60 yards

No offence to the crossbow guys but at 20 yards, a crossbow is as easy as having a gun in your hands. Not much skill involved.

The only thing that a seperate course could teach someone is that they cant pick up a compound bow and expect to be good, you have to practice.

 

i disagree with this entire post except when you said everyone should be aiming for vitals.

 

first, anyone taking shots at deer with a bow out to 60 yards has no clue what ethical hunting is about. at that range the deer has plenty of time to jump the string resulting in a bad hit.

 

i fail to understand why you think a crossbow is so much easier than a bow. you can have a compound drawn and beginning to aim by the time someone gets a crossbow up and looks through the scope. with both types of bows you need to wait for the animal to look away before drawing. scent control, stealth, and aim are critical with both bows.

 

lastly...compounds are light and take a bit of practice. crossbows are heavy and its awkward shooting off hand. both require practice to be good enough for hunting situations.