I never thought of tryin it before, i read that some hunters have,
you ever been givin any trouble for doin so?
thanks!
i stopped hunting with a gun quite a few years ago (with the exception of quail with a shotgun). i don't know what you mean by "trouble", but i have taken some good natured "ribbing" before. i haven't seen a problem in Georgia but can't speak for other locations.
Randy
I have decided to put the gun away this year for big and small game last season I bowhunted during gun season when my scope was having problems and I had two deer come within bow range in that two day period, so I figured I'd hunt hunt deer and rabbits this year with a bow only
last two years my weapon of choice has been my longbow. big game or small, the rifles have stayed locked away in the cabinet.
traditional all year long :archer:
I haven't, but I would like to. Seeing that I now love to hunt traditional only and have put my guns up for sale- to go towards another Longbow.
SOLD ALL MY GUNS COUPLE YEARS AGO, BOW ONLY FROM HERE ON OUT, NOW I CAN PRETTY MUCH BOW HUNT FROM MID SEPT THRU MID DEC, NOW I'M AT PEACE, AS FAR AS TROUBLE, I JUST GET ALOT OF RIBBING,BUT REMIND MY BROTHER AND HUNTING BUDS THAT ALL OF THE DEER I HAVE TAKEN WITH GUN,EXCEPT ONE,WERE IN BOW RANGE! PUT A NICE LITTLE BUCK IN THE FREEZER LAST YEAR,TAKEN MID RIFLE SEASON,WITH THE BOW! NO MORE RIBBING FROM MY BROTHER!
Yes, I have and continue to do so. I also have an interest in flintlock rifles, so I am playing with those a little during gun season. Won't be long and you won't have much choice but to archery hunt during gun season, if you want to use a bow.
Dan
I wish they would let us bow hunt the rifle season here in Nebraska. But they don't.. first weekend is a war out there, but a lot of good hunting goes to waste after that as most gun hunters have either filled and gone home,, or just gone home.. I envy those of you that have the choice.
I have always figured if I was going to get shot during the 9 days of He**, it really doesn't matter what kind of weapon I have.. I am no safer with a 300 Magnum hanging next to me then I am with a Kodiak Magnum on the hook.
I say if you have the choice,, put your orange on and go for it.
around where i live its not safe to bow hunt during gun season people will shoot at anything around my parts
For the last 15 years I have been tagged out by rifle season, not a brag,just the best bowhunting here in KY is early, the first 2 weeks of bow season, and the 3 weeks before gun season. In the past I have hunted with a bow a little during gun season, I usually get back and let the gun hunters drive them to me. I hunt a lot on ridges that run out into Lake Cumberland, and if you hunt the end of the ridges, deer will circle out and bed on them to get away from lazy gun hunters who ar closer to roads, fields. Sam.
Every year. I tend to have more success later when it cools down a bit.
thanks for the quik reply guys, I guess I shouldnt have to worry next gun season in cedar city =]
Where I presently live, I only hunt with my bow. I have shot deer during gun season. Never had any problem. However, one evening I was walking out. It was too dark to see to shoot but you could still see outlines against the sky. I happened to look up and notice a gun hunter about 40-50 yds away in a huge tree platform. It gave me an eerie feeling as I hoped he didn't mistake me for a deer. Since he would have been looking down, he probably couldn't tell what I was.
I do occasionally gun hunt back home in OK as I have a lifetime license.
All the time......
I've hunted and taken game with flintlocks, handguns, shotguns, rifles, etc., through the years and have grown and learned much during that time. I've reached a point in my life where I find most satisfaction out of hunting from the hunt itself with the greatest joy coming from a simple stick and string. Nothing wrong with other weapon choices, but none quite match the overall satisfaction I get from going afield with bow in hand.
I'm not too concerned what others think of my using a longbow during rifle season. As long as I strive to stay above board and lead by example, most who I've encounter respect my dedication. But, there is always room for a bit of ribbing(going both ways) :)
later,
Daddy Bear
All I do is bow hunt... I like it when the orange army pushes the deer my way....just stay up in the trees when others are banging away
I am an archery nut and a gun nut. I also like to "hunt" fish with a graphite shaft (rod) and reel and mainly flies, although I use other lures and even bait on occasions. Being in the outdoors with whatever hunting tools I choose is a wonderful experience that always brings me closer to God and His incredible creations. There is nothing quite as nice to take hunting as a simple stick and string, but a nice rifle or shotgun can also be a thing of beauty in my opinion. In these days when outdoorsmen are a diminishing segment of our population and more and more people hate to see anyone out hunting, those of us who love the outdoors and choose to hunt using any weapon need to respect one another and stick together. I know some of the Trad Gang members choose to hunt only with traditional bows and I certainly understand that feeling. Sometimes I start to think that way too. But then I pick up one of my rifles or shotguns and really have a good time shooting it. Someday I may confine my hunting to shooting stickbows, but not yet. I do like them the best though. Twenty years ago I went to Jim Dougherty's archery shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to buy a little recurve bow for my 5 year old son for Christmas (he still has it). Jim helped me pick out the right bow and some arrows for my boy and we talked for quite awhile. He told me that at the time his elbow was bothering him quite a bit and he had not been shooting a bow much, but that it didn't bother him a lot because one of his favorite things to do was to go turkey hunting with a shotgun like he had done since he was a kid. I enjoy that too. The point I am making is that even the great legends in archery are often also very fond of guns and fishing rods -- anything that lets them get out and hunt something. Enjoy hunting with the tools of your choice, especially if it is trad archery gear!
Allan
all the time, yet I have to deal with dog hunters, which is fine. In the area now they know I will take a deer in front of their pack if it stops. Just gotta catch their dogs and bring em out with me! LOL
J
I bow hunt during PA rifle season. The gun crew I hunt with always asks... are you really gonna hunt with that thing? I have more fun then they do, trust me.
New Hampshires bow season runs from Sept 15th and goes straight through till Dec 15th.Muzzleloader season starts the first week of Nov and goes 11 days then on Nov12 rifle season starts,but the entire time you can hunt with your bow if you want,three months of bowhunting!
When legal, on private land: yes.
The bow season here in IN runs right on thru the general gun and muzzleloader season. I bowhunt right on thru! If I haven't taken a doe by the time gun season rolls around, I will take the gun out on Thanksgiving weekend to take a doe to donate to the local mission. Some of the processing places here locally will process the deer for free if you donate it to one of the local food programs/missions. Pretty decent of them. Mike
Yes, every year..
I hunt private land. In Missouri you must by a rifle permit to be legal, but can hunt with a bow during rifle season. Most years I will take my .54 muzzleloader out a day or two as well.
John III
Last two year I have bow hunted during the gun season here in Arkansas. The only things I have to remember is to follow the gun hunters rules during the gun seasons. I must wear orange can only take the sex or antlered deer that is legal in each area during the gun season. The rules are a little more laxed during the archery season and the pressure is a lot less. The ribbing that comes along, sometimes, is usually just in fun and offers me a chance to talk a little archery talk with some new folks.
I hunt in the city limits of a couple of Ohio cities during gun season and usually have the woods to myself.
I started bowhunting every season when I switched to stickbows.Just too much fun to stop I guess. :)
Yeah I didn't add that I cannot use my bow for the week of muzzeloader season, not legal, and there are the laws about what weeks during gun you can take either sex. So there are laws that must be dealt with in the gun season that I don't have to worry about in bow season.
J
All the time.... I am actually more comfortable hunting with my longbow. During gun (big game)season many times I will hunt the "bow only" areas, especially when gun season just starts. I enjoy the peace of the late season and still plenty of deer out there.
the only way I deer hunt is with a bow. ...here in Arkansas we can hunt through all gun seasons with a bow. The rut usually peaks around the opening or next week of our gun season, so I am not gonna miss that.
I am glad that you phrased the question the way you did. I posted the question once as "was anyone ever tempted to put down the bow and hunt with a gun" and had the post pullled as: "not archery related!" :rolleyes: :D
Anyway, I did take out the shotgun twice last year as I was tired of sitting in the cold but I will forgive myself that relapse and stick with the bow again through gun season.
Bow only for me too!
For me it is the only time I can get in some cold weather bowhunting. IF we get cold weather before the season ends.
J
The counties I hunt in SC are open to ANY means of hunting from opening day till the last day,bow,black powder,modern..............most of the members of the club I'm in including myself hunt with a bow from the opening all the way thru,occasionally picking up the muzzleloader if the mood happens to strike.
In PA it would be a waste of time unless you had access to a large resticted private area.
Stick and string the whole season.
I hunted with a bunch of guys the first Sat.during the late flintlock season here in PA. The second drive put a young buck barreling past me at 4 1/2 yds.with my cedar shaft in just the spot it was suppose to be.I will remember that hunt forever.
Craig
Late Flinlock Season here doesnt have much in common with rifle season.
I take a day or two to help my oldest kill a deer during the first week of (rifle) season. After he's done i'm in the bow only counties with a bow in hand...
I hunt with the bow all the way thru rifle season until the last week and then out comes the .308
Just trying to keep the freezer full. Pretty tough when you only get to take one deer per season here!
I bow hunt only from mid Oct - Jan 31st. But during gun season I will wear hunters orange to and from my stand. I do not want to become a statistic.
You Betcha!!!!! :thumbsup:
I usually do bowhunt during firearms season. But this year will be my son's first season hunting, so I'll be taking him out with the shotgun. I may still carry my bow, since my top priority is getting him in range of a deer.
Our bow season starts Sept. 13 this year and runs through Feb. 21, 2009, excluding Christmas day and Sundays. We can take as many antlerless deer as we want, and up to 3 bucks.
Oh heck yeah. I don't still hunt during our gun season - ambush makes lots more sense, but my bow comes with me.
I haven't hunted with a gun for 25 years. Killing big game with a gun doesn't do anything for me.
Been Hunting all seasons with a bow...which is what everyone here in NC will be doing soon if NCWRC gets there way and lumps everybody (Bow, Gun, Black Powder) in the same season starting next year (on private land). UGH...don't you just love the way the government runs things!!
David
other than dove and quail mostly dove everything is with a bow
Past 5 years only hunt with the longbow. Some of my most successful hunting times have been during gun season when it is a bit cooler down here Texas way.
My wife and I do, regularly, and she killed a pretty good buck with her bow last year. We just wear orange as required.
When I first moved to Ohio in 98 I started hunting with a Remington 870 for the first year. Then I purchased my first recurve and hunted with it even during the gun season. For the next five years I hunted with the bow and kept the 870 as a home defense gun. I still own guns but not for hunting, maybe a flintlock in the future. For hunting, the bow is the only way for me. It was easier to hunt in Ohio, I only had to step into my back yard. I moved back to San Diego and its a little more complicated.
In Iowa it is llegal to hunt with a bow during regular gun seasons. You can use a bow during late muzzel loader and pistol season.
QuoteOriginally posted by T Sunstone:
I haven't hunted with a gun for 25 years. Killing big game with a gun doesn't do anything for me.
Same here. Killed my first with a bow in '88 and since then, it's just not challenging enough with a rifle/shotgun to satisfy me. I'm just glad I don't live in a state that prohibits hunting with a bow during gun season. :thumbsup:
Yes, frequently. Our archery season starts in mid-October. Gun season starts one month later, both run through the end of January. It's not at all uncommon here to see people bowhunting after gun season starts. We are required to wear orange to and from stand during gun season, but if 10 ft. or more in an elevated stand you don't have to wear it while in the stand.
in washington state, our tags are equipment specific. you can use a bow in firearm season if you buy a firearm tag but then you can't hunt in an archery season. i like it that way. it's fair for everyone and keeps people from hunting all fall by just switching weapons. thats good for game management here with dwindling mule deer populations and loss of open lands.
Not sure if I already answered this or not....but I gave up gun powder in my late twenties.......
Bow only for me all season long. Opening day of gun season here can be some of the best bowhunting around. Many gun toters will push the first day and you can have many deer fly past your stand if you set up on the backside of where they are. ;)