Essay
Pros:
When looking at the differences between a shotgun and a rifle there are some drastic differences that give each their pros and cons. Rifles tend to have less recoil than shotguns which is a large selling point when allowing rifles to be used. This brings in a new group of people to the hunting scene. Whether it is enticing for a younger crowd to start hunting because they don’t have to worry about large amounts of recoil or if it is an older group of people with upper body issues. Although there have been advancements in shotguns and their ammunitions, rifles also tend to be more accurate at longer distances which take away the large risk of wounding a deer and not finding it. Some may worry that rifle rounds travel further than a shotgun round, which is true, but everyone that hunts has been through firearms safety in which the first rule they teach you is “Know what you are shooting at and what is behind that target before you pull the trigger.”
https://www.twincities.com/2021/01/16/bill-to-eliminate-shotgun-only-zone-in-minnesota-introduced-again/#
https://www.findahunt.com/deer-hunting-shotgun-vs-rifle#:~:text=Shotguns%20also%20tend%20to%20have,and%20shot%20follow%2Dthrough%20effectively.&text=Rifles%20are%20renowned%20for%20their,choice%20for%20many%20deer%20hunters.
Cons:
Some ways a shotgun may be a better option for deer hunters is when hunting in close quarter areas, areas that do not have shots outside of 100 yards due to trees or other obstructions. Shotguns, in this situation, are a better option because their effective rage is 100 yards at most. In these shotgun zones there are many different areas being hunted that include these close quarters areas, but there are also hunters hunting open fields that allow for shots over 200 yards, which is not reasonable for a shotgun to accurately shoot. One more reason in which shotguns can be better than rifles in this area would be for drives. A drive-in deer hunting is when a group of hunters, anywhere from 2-10 or more hunters, walk through a wooded area or a field to kick up deer and push them towards hunters who are sitting and waiting. Rifles are not a great option for drives due to how fast everything happens and how far hunters are needed to shoot. Also, as talked about in the pros section, hunting in highly populated areas can make shotguns a safer option because of the distance they can shoot.
https://resources.mossberg.com/journal/shotgun-vs-rifle-for-deer-hunting
https://www.louisianasportsman.com/hunting/deer-hunting/why-a-shotgun-is-better-than-a-deer-rifle/
