Long range hunting isn't anymore risky than archery.... funny part is archery hunters are revered in some circles as "real" hunters.
I understand and agree with what you’re saying in regards to the risk of a clean kill vs wounding, but you have to admit that there is big difference in the amount of “hunting” required to get into a shot position with a bow vs a long range shot with a rifle.
It depends on how you define "hunting". I think of hunting as the pursuit and endeavor to seek out and kill something. Hunting can require several different skill sets. If you're stand hunting, then patience, holding still, and marksmanship are paramount. If you're still hunting, spot-and-stalk hunting, etc, then stalking may be a major skill set required, in addition to marksmanship. If you're calling, baiting, or driving, then stalking isn't all that important. If you were to use a knife or spear, shooting skill wouldn't be required at all. Yet all of these are different styles of hunting. Essentially, I think a lot of times people on this forum conflate stalking with "hunting". I would agree that LR hunting requires less stalking skill than SR hunting does. But it requires more shooting skill. Some guys enjoy hunting that involves more stalking, and other guys like hunting that involves more shooting. Both are hunting in my book.
