Reply To: CO wildlife department promotes Ashby research!

[Anonymous]

#38717

David Petersen wrote: Some here may be familiar with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Department’s highly informative online “Elk University,” which covers essential aspects of elk hunting and after-hunt meat care for inexperienced elk hunters. The latest issue provides an excellent overview summary of some of the Ashby Study’s key points. This is a courageous act for a state agency and I can’t applaud them sufficiently. You can see it at http://wildlife.state.co.us/Hunting/ElkHuntingUniversity/Chapter4/Pages/ArrowsforElkHunting.aspx

A fellow traditionalist who has seen the “lesson” had this to say: “Wow … this is really awesome…the fact that they are using good practical data to properly educate bowhunters. Since I’ve switched over to Grizzly BH’s, properly sharpened, and strong heavy arrows I have not lost or wounded an animal. Made a terrible shot on a small yearling bull elk last year and he still went down in about 10 seconds. The bull wheeled on me at 25 yds., just as loosed an arrow….shot him in the left rear hind quarter quartering away from me. I shoot a 72 lb recurve and 690 gr arrows with a fairly high FOC. I drove that arrow all the way through the pelvis and severed the femoral arteries that come down through the tenderloin area.”

THAT is precisely the unforeseeable and largely unavoidable “less than perfect” real-life potential hunting tragedy that Doc Ed has worked all these decades to help us overcome. CO has more elk than any other state or province, and they want them DEAD, not wounded by hunters. Some incurable optimists of course will still resist and industry will raise nine kinds of hell, but this CO endorsement definitely will stir the pot amongst the toothpick arrow crowd.

And yet, other archers insist on using the lightest, flattest shooting rigs with mechanical heads that fail miserably when they encounter the leg bones, spine, or even the shoulder blade of the mere whitetail.

My mind boggles.