Can anyone tell me why.........

[oldred73]

It seems like Bow Hunters take so much better harvest pictures of their deer, even does, than shotgunners. Before you jump me, I was a shotgunner and had two gun bucks, one with good harvest pictures and one with "back of the truck", BLOOD out the nose, Busch Light cans in the back. But since then I've started bow hunting and muzzleloader hunting and with the help of a good hunting partner started getting and almost insisting on way better harvest pictures. I have seen some awesome harvest pictures of little deer and some horrible pictures of once in a life time hogs....Just wondered what your guys' thoughts were on the subject.

 

[dbltree]

This is a touchy subject but it has been discused before. I think it's just very different styles of hunting and many of us reach that point at different times in our lives.

Hunting with a group can often be like a big "party" and perhaps things are a bit more "hurried" as a group moves to the next spot.

Many bowhunters also shotgun hunt in the same manner or style, taking a stand and hunting alone. The very nature of this style of hunting is much quieter, slower and many hunters tend to be in awe of thier surroundings and quarry.

That reverence towards the whitetails they harvest often (IMO) leads to wanting to portray them in the greatest light.

I know many of us really appreciate the quality photos posted on IWC regardless of weapon or season. Hopefully we will impact others and encourage them to take great pics as well.

Beauty they say is in the eye of the beholder however and if one is proud of their pics in the back of the truck or tool shed then I also respect their feelings and use care to not impose my standards on someone else..... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[dominator]

i would say shotgunning is more laid back. i do both and i put about 200 times more effort into bowhunting. and it's way cooler to shoot a huge buck with a bow.

 

[150 Class]

I think there are more and more great photos today compared to a few years ago and fewer and fewer bad ones thanks to sites like this and P&Y and B&C telling us how to take better in the field harvest photos. As for gun seasons taking less time to get the good photo, one difference is the pressure from the "group" to keep going. You shoot one with the bow and you are done. You have all day to take photos. You shoot one with the shotgun and you probably are not done and the group wants to get going to get more deer.

Harvest Photo "How To" Link

 

[loneranger]

I personally don't like any picture of an animal being held up by a person smiling, with the glazed eyes,tongue hanging,blood dripping. I usually take a photo of the animal, just for my memories, without me in it. But this is just my personal opinion, and I know few would agree, but that's alright. I wouldn't condemn them.

 

[GregBickal]

I like to go a step further and take pictures of where I shot my deer, how far away I was, what the area looks like. Someday when I have old-timers at least I'll have photo's /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

I also started nailing a small section of the leg of each deer with the harvest tag on it and nailing it to a rafter in my garage. Someday it will be a long line, I hope

 

[Handcannon]

I have hunted both shotgun & bow seasons in the past. The way I see it is that bow hunting is far more personal between you & the deer. It takes so much more effort to get w/ in 30 yards of deer & harvest it w/ an arrow. I get a stronger sense of pride when I get one w/ a bow than w/ a gun. I have far more respect for deer now compared to when I used to shotgun hunt w/ a group. When I hunted w/ the group it was - bang bang, drag, load & get another before the sun goes down - not any time for pics. The only good pic of my shotgun buck is after it was on the wall, not one field photo. I regret not taking the time for a good field photo.