Jason, they are most endangered when I have my bow in my hands, quietly slipping through the woods, making my way to my blind in the wee early morning hours well before daylight, and they let out a deafening hiss - not a rattle. Happened to me near College Station several years ago.

They are larger and way more intimidating than a Diamondback. It's no wonder they are threatened. Imagine how I felt. I didn't shoot him because he turned and slithered away and he seemed to be eight or nine feet long at the time. I saw him/her all too well that morning. The thing ever does that to me again and he's not going to be threatened, he's going to be dead. Ruined my whole day.

You'll have more oportunities to shoot the lower caliber guns like .223, 22-250, 243 WSSM, etc. than the larger calibers. Even in hunting deer. Coons, coyotes, bobcats, long range rabbits, foxes, etc. are all good targets and can be shot a lot more often than the stuff you'd shoot with the bigger calibers.

Me, I am the one saying that you need one of each. If you didn't, why would they make them?

All of that, and here I am hunting with a bow during gun season...

Deer - Viking Terminator custom made bow at 72 lbs., or my good old Winchester 94 30-30 with a 4x scope.

Dove - just put away my Smith & Wesson model 1000 (original) and bought a CZ Redhead in a 28" 12 gauge. Sometimes I shoot my 50+ year old 16 gauge Remington 870 Wingmaster. Shoots just like it's brand new.

Plinking is with my Ruger 10-22 or my High Standard Double Nine.