I agree with Buckhunter. As a guide in New Mexico I've seen three guys using recurves wound animals that we never found, after two + days of tracking. If it weren't for the high tech bows like my Mathews Switchback, I'd never be comfortable shooting a 800 lb elk with a recurve. Thats' were ethics come in. If the hunter feels comfortable about the shot, if you've personally watched him shot the recurve over and over again and the shots are dead on and yet we reach the field, call a screaming 6x6 into a broadside shot at 22 yds. and the arrow does not pass through and the elk runs off with little or no blood and you see the arrow sticking in the animal but only 5-6 inches are in the general area of the lungs is that ethical?
