Strictly bow

[WhitetailAddict11]

I think I have made a commitment to the idea of bowhunting all season when climbing in a stand, and saving the Remington for pushing deer around a little bit with dad. Watching some duck commander episodes last night, in one of them, Phil spoke of how old school duck hunters wouldn't shoot birds in the air, they would let them land first, then scare them up and shoot. They believed if you couldn't get the ducks to land, you weren't a duck hunter. So that aided in my decision, if I have an encounter with a shooter buck during rifle season that I could have killed with a gun while I have bow in hand, but he never comes close enough for an arrow, I think, for now, I can live with that. Thought ladies and gentleman?

[Lawdwaz]

I think I have made a commitment to the idea of bowhunting all season when climbing in a stand, and saving the Remington for pushing deer around a little bit with dad. Watching some duck commander episodes last night, in one of them, Phil spoke of how old school duck hunters wouldn't shoot birds in the air, they would let them land first, then scare them up and shoot. They believed if you couldn't get the ducks to land, you weren't a duck hunter. So that aided in my decision, if I have an encounter with a shooter buck during rifle season that I could have killed with a gun while I have bow in hand, but he never comes close enough for an arrow, I think, for now, I can live with that. Thought ladies and gentleman?

 

Your thoughts on this AFTER the season will be telling.

 

Luck.........................................

[WhitetailAddict11]

Oh I'm completely aware. It all sounds good in theory until I watch a good one walk out of my life forever when it could have been a done deal with the rifle haha

[phade]

Whatever floats your boat.

 

I have a lightswitch effect...bow is for me and my challenge. Gun hunting is largely for family/friends and enjoyment.

[Lawdwaz]

Whatever floats your boat.

 

I have a lightswitch effect...bow is for me and my challenge. Gun hunting is largely for family/friends and enjoyment.

 

Yes, I'm pretty darn serious with the bow but when gun opens it's all about a good time with family & friends.

[WhitetailAddict11]

Good stuff guys

[ncountry]

I have been thinking for a few years that the day may come when I feel that I am a skilled enough hunter to leave my gun at home. But after weeks of seeing deer just out of range and thinking "if I only had my rifle" I drop my bow for the rifle opening day still..lol

[NYbuck50]

im toying with the idea of doing the same thing this year. Bow all gun season while im on morning sits, and toting the rifle when i push for the family and friends in the afternoon. I feel like the key to this going well is to arrow a nice buck during bow season, taking the pressure off of wanting to fill a freezer/get my buck during gun season. At this point, if i get my buck during bow, ill keep the bow on stand during gun season. If im holding all my tags come gun season,  the '06 is coming up the tree with me.

[crappyice]

Last year I hunted bow straight through(a lot of time in 3s) and never took out the gun. The larges buck I saw all season stayed 50 yards away from me during gun season and there I da with my bow (between my legs!). Still worth it for me

[agross]

I'm doing the same this year for archery season.  Strictly using the recurve with no sights.  I'm going to keep the compound locked up for 2013.  In years past I always chickened out and took out the compound for the rut (in case a big one only came into 40 yards and out of recurve range of 18 to 22 yards.)

 

This year it is all or nothing.  Haven't decide yet whether I will carry that out into gun season.  Definitely taking the recurve but not sure if I will bring an old lever action 30/30 irons sights as back up. 

 

Let us know how it goes.   

[Fantail]

"Phil spoke of how old school duck hunters wouldn't shoot birds in the air, they would let them land first, then scare them up and shoot. They believed if you couldn't get the ducks to land, you weren't a duck hunter."

 

Sounds like some hooie to me. 

I am not strictly Bow, I tend to prefer it.

[ncountry]

Off topic, but I never did understand the mindset of having to shoot a flying duck. I will shoot sitting ducks all day.Small chance.. or at least a Lot less likely to wound or miss one.

[MACHINIST]

Bow or gun it doesn't matter to me,its the time in the woods.Sure would I have more bucks on the wall if I had a gun during bow season.But I wouldn't have ONE on the wall except for last years if I were a bow only guy.With that being said I applaud your decision and hope you have a great season bow hunting,but if it comes down to it don't be beating yourself up any if you reach for the Ol' bangstick.Deep down we are"hunters" doesn't matter what implament we use.Good luck bud!!!

[G-Man]

i have a friend that does bow all season including muzzloader. to each his own. once you shoot a bunch of deer the method by which you take them becomes a priority. i ran the gammut myself and even went to blackpowder pistol(single shot 50cal) to make it harder and harder on myself. having taken deer with everything but spear and crossbow(i would try if they were legal) its just more important to me now to set someone up in a good spot and see them be sucessful. its all about scouting and setups for me now...

[WNYBuckHunter]

If I had the land we hunt locked up, and didnt have to worry about a bunch of other guys being there, Id consider it too. I wouldnt want to do the vertical bow in the dead of winter thing, but Id do crossbow then. Seeing as I dont have nice, managed land that only sees light pressure, I drop my bow as soon as gun opens. I have switched it up and only used my Muzzleloader, except on drives. Gives it some extra challenge. The buck I shot last year was a challenge, as the first pull of the trigger resulted in a misfire and I had to push the load out of the gun and reload again. I wasnt an easy thing to do knowing there was a nice buck right out in the field, and I was on the ground, pretty much in the open. After the first shot didnt go off, I started getting the shakes and had to calm myself down again as I reloaded as fast as I could. Definitely more of a thrill than just ejecting a dud bullet and loading another in the action.

[Doc]

This is the first year for rifles in Ontario County. I purchased a brand new rifle and by golly I am very enthusiastically looking forward to gun season..... I mean like "crazy enthusiastic". 

 

Anybody that knows me knows that I am a dyed-in-the-wool bowhunter and haven't missed a bow season in 49 years. But I am a 2-season hunter and gun season offers a completely different hunting experience that keeps things interesting. And then too I agree with whoever said that bow season is an individual challenge while gun season gets more into the social aspects with friends and family.

[GreeneHunter]

I am not a Bow Hunter ... That being said I have decided to give it a try this year , I took out the Compound Bow I bought a few years ago which I never used and tried my hand at taking a few shots last evening at a cardboard box in the backyard .  Needless to say I need practice ... lots of practice ! I took the course a few years ago with my son and already have the bow tag so I'm good to go there . I just wanted to spend more time in the woods !

[Doc]

I am not a Bow Hunter ... That being said I have decided to give it a try this year , I took out the Compound Bow I bought a few years ago which I never used and tried my hand at taking a few shots last evening at a cardboard box in the backyard .  Needless to say I need practice ... lots of practice ! I took the course a few years ago with my son and already have the bow tag so I'm good to go there . I just wanted to spend more time in the woods !

One thing that helps to motivate practice is to develop a love-affair with archery and the bow itself. I understand that a lot of people these days want to get themselves into the bow season. But if the only driver is to be able to hunt a few extra days at a more comfortable time of the year, you probably will not be into it for very long. Part of it all is the challenge of the bow itself and the skill required to master the weapon. That is the real difference between bow hunting and gun hunting. What I am trying to say is that you really need to be practicing because you like archery, not because practice is an ugly activity that you have to grunt your way through just to hunt. If you don't get your mind right on that, you are doomed to failure. At least that's the way I see it.

[Danny]

I actually started bow hunting first, hunted 4or so years before taking a gun out, now I bow hunt then goto rifle for a week then back to bow on the island, bow gets tuff once rifle season comes around

[GreeneHunter]

One thing that helps to motivate practice is to develop a love-affair with archery and the bow itself. I understand that a lot of people these days want to get themselves into the bow season. But if the only driver is to be able to hunt a few extra days at a more comfortable time of the year, you probably will not be into it for very long. Part of it all is the challenge of the bow itself and the skill required to master the weapon. That is the real difference between bow hunting and gun hunting. What I am trying to say is that you really need to be practicing because you like archery, not because practice is an ugly activity that you have to grunt your way through just to hunt. If you don't get your mind right on that, you are doomed to failure. At least that's the way I see it.

Doc ... Good Point ... advice well taken ! I loved archery way back when I was in the scouts (non hunting) now just to bring back that feeling and include it in the hunting aspect !

[WhitetailAddict11]

My topics always seems to spark good casual conversation amongst us, I'm glad to see everyone keeping things civil. Great advice Doc, you have to love it to be good at it IMO. Or just really lucky!

[Danny]

No question the satisfaction of an archery kill tops a gun kill in some ways, I personally compare it to bait fishing to fly fishing, however that being said its all in the experience you get, i remember times bow hunting and seeing a basket 8 out of bow making a rub out of bow range, if i had a gun he would have been shot before ever getting to watch that