Last bow tomorrow

[nybuckboy]

Although Friday is the last day of bow season , tomorrow (Thursday) will be my last chance to score a good buck. As a whole, this has been a poor season in the woods as well as on camera. I do say that the future looks more promising as I’ve seen a number of young bucks around this year on the hoof including some potential NY trophies.  
 

How has everyone else’s season been?

[First-light]

I have seen some of the biggest bucks on the Friday before gun. GL

[crappyice]

My season started with a bang(well 3 bangs of does) but then has been tough. Buck sightings in a known producing spot had been paltry...but the season is only 1/2 over for me in 3S(bow only until 12/31)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[crappyice]

Double

[jpastor1759]

My season started with a bang(well 3 bangs of does) but then has been tough. Buck sightings in a known producing spot had been paltry...but the season is only 1/2 over for me in 3S(bow only until 12/31)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not gonna lie, I'm definitely jealous. Thinking about getting my jersey license this year so I can extend my season.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[BowmanMike]

I will be using my bow the first time this year during gun season. I don't want bow season to be over and it doesn't have to be. I will hunt some private land with the bow and there is a state park close by that only allows bow hunting. 

The muzzleloader will come out when i am hunting with friends or get too frustrated with the bow range.

[Lawdwaz]

I always hate to see the archery season come to a close. I really enjoy gun season but archery is my priority.  Bow season i take serious, gun for fun. 

[Otto]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

I always hate to see the archery season come to a close. I really enjoy gun season but archery is my priority.  Bow season i take serious, gun for fun. 

Never thought I would feel that way, but after three seasons with a bow I DO!  

[Fletch]

I agree bow season is my love it season. Gun I like but after the blitz it can get frustrating. Specially on the pressured lands I hunt.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moog5050]

2 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

I always hate to see the archery season come to a close. I really enjoy gun season but archery is my priority.  Bow season i take serious, gun for fun. 

I been fortunate to have some decent success on bucks in my short hunting career but 80% of them were in bow season.   I see very few shooters in gun and frankly don't find a gun kill near as exciting.  Part of that may be that I started hunting with a bow first.   I suspect many of the long time hunters started with a gun and prefer it still.

[GreeneHunter]

I and my son will be heading out tomorrow - Friday - for our last shot on my property (4H) with our Crossbow's ! We were not able to get a DMP for the area and I'd like to take a Doe or Two from the property before Gun opens up ! If we don't score tomorrow for a nice Doe (or two) there is always the week after gun shuts down and Bow/MZ reopens !

[Moho81]

I'll be out tomorrow as well for the last bow hunt of the year and this is the first year in my 6 seasons that I'll be happy to put a gun in my hand. The bow season has been super frustrating for me with hardly any sightings a majority of the ones I have seen have been way out of range and would not respond to call's and the 2 that where in range a screwed up on. 

[Lawdwaz]

11 hours ago, moog5050 said:

I been fortunate to have some decent success on bucks in my short hunting career but 80% of them were in bow season.   I see very few shooters in gun and frankly don't find a gun kill near as exciting.  Part of that may be that I started hunting with a bow first.   I suspect many of the long time hunters started with a gun and prefer it still.

The love for me was mutual in the early years.  My first archery season was 1976 when NYS implemented the Junior Archery Season.  I was only 15 and could legally hunt big game.......I had to wait a year to gun hunt but dad & mom only would let me hunt weekends and we all know that nobody kills deer AFTER Opening Day.

I'm foggy on what year I killed my first gun deer, a button buck but I'd guess '78 or '79.    I've posted details and pics of my first archery deer and first gun buck so I won't bore you with those again.

There is nothing like the excitement of a buck OR doe at 10 yards whether you are shooting or not, the chasing of a doe by a rutting buck at 3-5 yards hauling ass under your stand or even one of those "dumb" (I hate that term on so many levels) button bucks that have just been kicked off mom because she needs to tend to business standing below your platform.  Oh then there is that awesome "buck grunting" like a pig,  swollen neck and peeing all over his hocks 55 yards from you.  Heck he might has well be in another county for most of us archers. You rarely see that during gun and if you do, you drop the hammer as quick as possible, missing all the cool stuff. 

 

 

 

[jpastor1759]

I will be using my bow the first time this year during gun season. I don't want bow season to be over and it doesn't have to be. I will hunt some private land with the bow and there is a state park close by that only allows bow hunting. 
The muzzleloader will come out when i am hunting with friends or get too frustrated with the bow range.

I do this every year and enjoy it.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Steve D]

On 11/18/2020 at 8:12 PM, nybuckboy said:

As a whole, this has been a poor season in the woods as well as on camera.

Same here. Probably one of my worse seasons as far a sightings and cam action. Covered a lot of ground and spent about 58 hrs./33 sits and at best only had a couple of small spikes for an opportunity. Strange season as far as sign goes also. Scrapes aren't getting worked for three four says at a time and all camera action is at night. Most deer I have been seeing show up right after dark and one night after hunting on the way home had one run right into the side of my truck. It fell down got up and kept on going.

The only good thing is I got to spend some quality time in the woods and saw some great sunrises and sunsets. I love the fall and bow season and am thankful for all the opportunities I am able to take advantage of. I hunted pretty hard ; covered four different regions and I wouldn't trade the time spent for anything. It isn't a given there will be more opportunities so I try to take what I can and enjoy it as much as possible.

It gets frustrating for sure especially when my daughter sends me a pic like the one below of a buck in her yard today @1:15. It is what it is and just wish I didn't have to wait a whole year for another bow season.

Now on to a little bit of gun for some more frustration. I don't plan on spending a lot of time gun hunting...I have some coyotes I need to try and thin out. Good luck and I hope if nothing else you have fun. 

 

Edited November 20, 2020 by Steve D