Bow during Rifle

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

Does anyone opt to take out the bow instead of the rifle? When I got my Bow hunter Education course an instructor said he hadn't taken a gun out in years. At first I was thinking he was a felon, but now I find myself thinking of carrying the bow out.

[F-150]

I have taken the bow out during gun season, nevere had any success doing it though. A friend was sucessful during late archery last year. Keep us posted if you do !!!!!!!

[agross]

I have been taking my recurve out during gun season to try and get one but no luck yet.  Oh and I also carry my 7mm wsm for insurance on the long shots.  

[BigRed44]

I think it would depend on where you are hunting.  If there are a lot of gun hunters around you then your chance of seeing a deer come by that is not spooked would be less likely.  Probably 80% of the deer I've shot in PA have been on the run.  Things are totally different where I hunt in NY.  Nobody is really pushing them around me.

[ATbuckhunter]

I thought about it before. I love my rifle too much to put it down for a season. Although I do have deer come into 10 yards when i have my rifle and the exact opposite when i have a bow lol. 

[alwaysarchery67]

As in my moniker...always archery....haven't shot my rifle in 6 years....I love bowhunting!

Not a trophy hunter by I do hunt with my own 3 point on one side rule... I have harvested a mature doe and an 8 point buck....yum

[Hunting3m]

Wait.....isnt that illegal? I may be wrong but i thought only youth are allowed. 

[CuseHunter]

Wait.....isnt that illegal? I may be wrong but i thought only youth are allowed.

you can use the bow in all seasons

[ants]

Wait.....isnt that illegal? I may be wrong but i thought only youth are allowed. 

Nope..I person can opt to hunt with a bow or muzzle loader during regular gun season, and can use a bow during late muzzle loader season.

[CuseHunter]

At this point in my life, I have no desire to use my bow more than I have to. I prefer to gun hunt 10x's more than archery.

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

I think I might this year. The spot I typically hunt during rifle is the least pressured area on the land. All of the bucks in rifle and muzzleloading I have gotten have been within 20 yards, although last year I missed a monster in a small opening at 60 yards. I somehow managed to hit a big spruce... still a sore subject as it was my first miss in the 14 years I have hunted deer and last time I saw a good buck all season.... and it was opening morning. Just seeing how many bow die hards are out there!

[irish_redneck]

Itching to get my 270 out

 

[GreeneHunter]

Itching to get my 270 out

 

 

Same here ! I inherited a 270 last year after gun season closed and will be putting down my trusty 30-30 for the 270 this year !

[Doc]

An even more interesting question would be whether anyone here has ever gotten a deer with the bow during gun season. I have had some rare occurrences when I have had them close enough in gun season that if I had a bow, I could have gotten the shot. But that really is a rare situation. To purposely leave the gun at home, I seriously doubt that I would have all that much success or confidence. I suppose it all depends on where you hunt. If you had exclusive use of enough land, you might find some deer that didn't realize that there was a gun season going on .... lol.

 

But really, like others here, there is a time for everything. I am a two-season hunter and I do enjoy hauling out the gun when the time comes to do that. It's kind of my "revenge" weapon for all those deer that thumbed their noses at me during bow season by being just out of bow range ....lol.

[irish_redneck]

year before last every gun kill I had was 25 yards or under

[deerpassion]

depends on the spot for me.. some of my stands serve no benefit to having a gun because of close quarters so i use the bow then.. but most of the time i'll take the gun out, especially on public land where the deer are super spooked after the first couple days...   this year im takin the 30-06 out opening day because i've already gotten a couple doe's and a nice buck with the bow this year, so I'm looking for a nice buck to come strollin by or get bumped towards me and make it a two buck year... been a little while since i've shot one with the gun... so much of my effort for the year is to get on em early in bow.... 

[132 eight pointer]

I plan on bowhunting during the regular season but that is because the the town property is bow only.Kind of cool being out then because it is just like the bow season in that it is pretty quite in the area.

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

Yeah, the spot and land is the deciding factor for me this year. The main spot I hunt is close quarters. 60 yards is a stretch for that area. I certainly wouldn't like to have a bruiser show up in one of those few spots that are out of bow range. 35-40 yards is a the max for me with a archery, definitely wouldn't feel comfortable taking a shot at anything above 40 yards.  Guess I'll decide when the time comes.

[Five Seasons]

i have some land, that while legal i would not gun hunt. It's right out my back door so I am considering some bow sits this year. Otherwise I would not. Bow season is long and I get my fix. No reason to "decrease" your odds I guess unless you're just in it for the challenge.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Not me. Once bow season is done, I get my muzzleloader out and dont look back. I love bow hunting, but as others have said, I get my fix. I enjoy gun hunting as much as I do bow hunting.

[Meat Manager]

Normally I would use the implement that would give me the best chance to harvest a deer on that particular day.  Beyond the personal challenge and wildlife/outdoor aspects of hunting, I like to fill the freezer, and the amount of time I get to hunt has gotten to be less and less as my little son is getting older.

 

However this year I leased and heavily posted a property to use mostly during gun season so I could avoid the orange army.  Couple that with the fact that I harvested 4 deer this archery season and that most of the deer I have harvested with my smoothbore shotgun are under 30 yds (never over 60), I am considering keeping the lease Archery Only.

 

There are also several state parks near where I hunt that are archery only throughout the hunting season, including Highland Forest near Tully, and Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca (Part of Tompkins DMFA).

Edited November 6, 2013 by 7J Everyday

[Chef]

I will stay in westchester and bow hunt all season long.

[NYbuck50]

im strongly considering it this year. At least for morning sits, than grab the '06 in the afternoon while doing  drives for the old guys

[azhuntress]

I shot a doe several years ago in PA with my bow during the week long muzzleloader

season that's held each year in mid October. The guys in the camp next to mine were

jealous because they hadn't even SEEN a deer and here I come dragging a doe out that I

had shot with my bow.

During the late muzzleloader season in NY I always carry a bow. I have never shot a buck during that season but have taken a doe with my bow two different years.

[dbHunterNY]

depends if there's a big buck around and active then i'll bring the rifle.  otherwise i'll bring the bow.  might bring the bow regardless this year due to the car accident I was in.  30-06 might be rough on the healing shoulder.