....would the modern rifle be your only means to harvest deer? Would you otherwise forgo the use of archery equipment, shotguns and muzzle-loaders if there were no restrictions on modern rifles for taking deer? Some people claim to use alternate weapons to get longer deer-taking opportunity but they have no choice because rifles can only be used in designated gun seasons in many jurisdictions nationwide. If the game laws somehow changed to make "gun season" all deer season long, would you then only use a rifle? Or, would you hunt with a bow, shotgun or muzzle-loader anyway just for the "Sam Hill" of it if any of those methods were also permitted all season long?
It's my hunch that the progressive rise in limited gun seasons and restrictions on rifles in certain jurisdictions has compelled many veteran rifle hunters to take up bows, slug guns and muzzle-loaders who would not have done so otherwise. Changes that have spawned less-gun-friendly game laws have forced a rise in archery and muzzle-loading. Certainly a few have taken up muzzle-loading and archery just for kicks but I believe most of those hunters who have gotten into other methods of take have done that purely out of legal necessity.
Certainly many ducks hunters would still toss lead at ducks if it weren't for bans on lead. I believe also there would be many more rifle-only deer hunters if game laws didn't put any dampers on rifle use.
It's my hunch that the progressive rise in limited gun seasons and restrictions on rifles in certain jurisdictions has compelled many veteran rifle hunters to take up bows, slug guns and muzzle-loaders who would not have done so otherwise. Changes that have spawned less-gun-friendly game laws have forced a rise in archery and muzzle-loading. Certainly a few have taken up muzzle-loading and archery just for kicks but I believe most of those hunters who have gotten into other methods of take have done that purely out of legal necessity.
Certainly many ducks hunters would still toss lead at ducks if it weren't for bans on lead. I believe also there would be many more rifle-only deer hunters if game laws didn't put any dampers on rifle use.
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