Rifle Or Archery?

What is the best method of hunting rifle or archery? Personally I like rifle because it increases my odds of connecting with a deer. However I know many people who have sworn off powder and lead in favor of carbon shafts and mechanical advantage. This argument is along the lines of chocolate verse vanilla there is no wrong answer.

Rifle hunting has its advantages the biggest being its ability to harvest a deer from a great distance away.  This means a hunter does not have to predict the movements of the deer with great precision. Yes he has to have some knowledge of his quarry but not to such detail that it requires him be able to get within feet of a deer. As a result this type of hunting is great for beginners. It allows the hunter more leeway when it comes to overall skill. Another facet of rifle hunting is the capability of more accurate shots because of the addition of advanced telescopic optics. Even at increased distances a hunter can place its projectile where he needs to.

When it comes to archery the most popular reason given is the mental change that is presented as a result of trying to get with an acceptable shooting distance. Unlike a rifle which can be deadly out to a couple hundred yards a bow can has an upper limit of around fifty yards. Therefore it requires a better more intimate knowledge of the deer and its habitats.  This intense form of hunting usually draws an older more experienced following. Many are crossovers from rifle hunting and are seeking a more challenging form of the sport they love.   

Whether someone prefers rifle or archery hunting it really shouldn’t matter. It’s the fact that they are participating and extending the sport that we all cherish that should take paramount in the discussion. So if the question of which is better should ever arise the universal answer is both.