Back in the 1970's Fred Bear and Bear Archery ran a series of advertisments to promote Bowhunting by "extending" your hunting season. Now I know that all of us here consider ourselves "Traditional Bowhunters" first and foremost,or we wouldn't be here on TradGang!!!!!
As much as I love traditional bowhunting,I still have a passion for "old" firearms,and enjoy hunting with them. No High Power Scopes,Stainless Steel and Composite Stocks for me.....Give me Iron Sights,Blued Steel and Walnut!!!!!
The only hunt I'm using a firearm for this year is a November solo mountain goat hunt. My wife insisted that I hunt with my encore do to the extreme conditions at altitude this time of year.
ON my way out now to hunt the northern tier new york where rifle season is on, with my long bow!!I bowhunt only now!!
It's all good!
Steve
haven't hunted with a rifle in 15+ yrs
I haven't gun hunted for big game for more than a quarter of a century; but I cannot say I do not hunt with a gun; because I raise bird dogs; and I hunt with a shotgun for chuckars and hungarian partridge and pheasant.
For big game though; I only hunt with a bow; a traditional bow.
And I want to know anyone that has limited out on chuckars and huns with a bow ! Let alone hit ~one~...
Stalking and still hunting on the ground with trad gear is the way I like to do it. Had many close calls but no tags filled yet. During firearms season I dig using an old Winchester '92 with a pounded and sanded penny for a front sight. Think me and Chuck are kinda on the same page here.
... mike ...
* Forgot to add I use a T/C Hawkin during the ML season also. Guess I'm a three season hunter. *
I will still pick up a rifle occasionally, but bows are so much more fun that there is really no contest as to what I prefer. If I do hunt with a gun, it is either with a semi primitive weapon (45-70 or 45 Colt) or maybe a 44 mag revolver. I still want them up close and personal.
Nope no fireamrs for me.Bowhunting only.........bowdoc
i LOVE smoke poles, i hunt a lot with my flintlock and my 56. smooth bore. also MANY of my family that have passed away willled all their guns to me, i feel it is only right to take them out and honor them even though i rarly hunt like that any more. i killed a B&C buck (1711/8) with a model 94 Winchester 30-30 that my GREAT, GREAT grandmother left me. it has a dozen notches in it from when she carried it. as my grandfather got to old to hunt he called me up one day and told me to come see him. he handed me his Winchester .32 special carbine. grampa lost a leg in the war and this rifle was his crutch for a LONG while. i killed a nice 5 point with his rifle wheile he was still alive to enjoy it. that was my most special deer i have ever killed! that rifles name is "Yer Ass" which was Grapas favorite saying. i would say "Gramp i saw a nice buck", and he would respond "Yer ass!!!"
Bow only here.
Quotethat rifles name is "Yer Ass" which was Grapas favorite saying. i would say "Gramp i saw a nice buck", and he would respond "Yer ass!!!" [/QB]
:biglaugh:
I use a bow throughout rifle season. However, I pick up and use a rifle for a sort time, especially when we have been seeing a lot of coyotes on our place.
I really am trying to get away from my firearm, just that trade muzzleloader are way to cool. also really admire trade hunters wearing blaze orange w/bow during gun season and are successful.
Been over 40 years since I hunted with a rifle. Just love my bowhunting more. Nothing against firearms to each his own.
Dave
Being a new bow hunter, I'm still not extremely "efficient" as far as getting the meat in the freezer. So I'll be taking out the rifle to get a few does this year, take some stress off my needing to get something with the bow. That way I can go back out there and enjoy it.
Its kind of hard to consider gun hunting hunting after going with a bow. I guess rifle hunting is where you start to harvest deer. haha
Single shot shotgun and .22 come out now and then for birds, rabbits, squirels and such. Could use the 20ga for deer but haven't. I think if I did use firearms for big game it would be old leverguns, blackpowder, single shot rifles or shotguns, revolvers. Bowhunting for me is the way to go, gives me more time in the woods.
I use all, rifle,black powder,pistol,bow if there was a season for rocks I'd most likely do that to!
Nothing anymore traditional than an iron-sighted, lever action, 30:30 on the
"first day-o-buck" in Pennsylvania.
I don't use a rifle much, but I do love the first day with the old lever.
.06 for deer every year.
I still save a deer tag most years for our late ML season, walnut and curly maple stocks, sidehammers, blackpowder, big tradition with me and my hunting compadres. I still do a lot of varmint hunting with custom bolt actions that I built, I still build them to help pay for my bow habit. I have only taken one buck in the past 16 years with a firearm. I have been drawn this year for a firearms WMA hunt at Dale Hollow state park, 2 tags, 2 does or a buck and a doe and will hunt with my old 6.5 swede I built 20+years ago, as an added bonus the 5 of us hunting will all be using rifles that I built. Its all good, and if we decide to limit ourselves to one method, might miss out on some pretty rewarding experiences in the field with other people. This being said, deer hunting to me is bowhunting, and after the last 3 years of trad, and having just as much succes, and a lot more fun, 98% of my deer hunting will be trad.
bow only. and I'll be happy when rifle season starts and fellas get outta my bow woods.
Actualy, I'm probly differant than most.....
The bow is my meat weapon. I get 2 bow tags,1 doe tag and 1 buck or doe tag. I get a buck tag with my license. (I don't even bother with "Doe Permits" anymore) Bowhunting is meat hunting,with the rifle it's "Bucks Only" (spikes or better!!!!!)
Since 2006, I am Bow Only.
I love my bow, I hunt with it 80% of the time. But I will always Find time to hunt with a rifle my father gave to me, more a sentimental thing.
I would hunt deer with a slingshot if I could, I haven't done much small game hunting for awhile.
Chris Kiefner
Bows and Smokepoles only. Still love the smell of blackpowder and them round lead balls.
Bow only. Don't get me started about the weak skilled idiots that have to resort to guns because it's my way or he highway baby!!! Just kidding it's all good. But I am bow only.
I also hunt deer with a flintlock rifle.
Around here tags are primarily issued by weapon type. If I have an archery tag I cannot hunt with a rifle. I purchase archery tags for deer and elk. These days about the only time I use a firearm is during the bird season. But even then I prefer to hunt grouse with my bow.
QuoteOriginally posted by Brian Krebs:
And I want to know anyone that has limited out on chuckars and huns with a bow ! Let alone hit ~one~... [/QB]
Don't know what a chuckar or a hun look like but I have limited out on grouse and ptarmigan. Also taken a few ducks as have several others I know.
In addition to traditional archery, I enjoy traditional muzzleloaders and handgun hunting.
I'm with Wood Slinger and others on this one. Not only do I enjoy hunting with my Hill bows, i'm a traditional blackpowder guy as well. Really love shooting and hunting with my Hawkens and Pennsylvania flintlocks!
Below is a picture of a flock of huns flushing:
Here is a picture of a flock of chuckars
flushing:
I hope this explains my use of a shotgun for them. :archer:
I love hunting with my dads old pre 64 model 70.
I usally try to take my buck with a bow and get my does with the rifle, I have alot of friends that I gun hunt with every year.
Any excuse to be in the woods is good enough for me and if that means using a rifle ill do that just as quick. i must admit though that hunting with a rifle is something i tend to do more "socailly" so to speak. if im with rifle hunter's then by all means i use my trusty savage .30/06, deer camp is the same way as most guys there hunt with their rifles. but when im just doing some hunting alone on the family farm or maybe with a buddy in the adirondack/white moutains you can bet i have my bow with me. the rifle is great too when i havnt made meat in the early bow season, ill pick up the thunderstick and hopefully get a deer sooner than i would have with my bow. After that first deer is down though, bow or rifle, its all bow hunting for me provided im not at deer camp.
but like i siad, i really just like being outside, wheather ive got the bow or the rifle or the trap basket. its all so specail to me i cant asign one thing as my favorite. but trad bowhunting is definently up there.
-cory
I've not had the opportunity to hung "big game" with a rifle per say. Grew up in a "shotgun state". Don't care for the shotgun anymore. But I'll confess my heresy. I love using my Ruger Blackhawk during firearm season. What's worse...is it wears a Millet Red Dot.
Please don't hate lol....I am what I am. Now, I can honestly say I'd choose that .44 revolver over a rifle for whitetail regardless of the state I'm in. It gives me 100 yards of "killing ground" and any more than that seems less like "hunting" and more like "harvesting".
BTW...I'm quite a gun nut so I know all about the terminal ballistics, TKO values, kenetic this and coefficient that...but that 300gr .429" bullet scooting at about 1250fps from my .44 puts them down with every bit of authority, and perhaps more, that the 440gr .500" bullet moving at 1400fps from my 12g shotgun. I have yet to figure that one out. If one of you guys want a "traditional" rifle in a modern caliber I couldn't recommend a .44mag carbine more. You'll pick up about 500fps out of the longer barrel making it an honest 150 yard deer-stomper.
Since I have young kids that fortunately love to hunt and to young to hunt alone at this point, I tote a gun a great deal of the time. I would prefer to bow only, but that will come. I want to enjoy this time with them though and that is priority for me.
I"ll use a bow only until I can't.....then I'll switch to what the rest of the old, weak or almost dead people have to use...then hopefully a custom kodiak t/d that Mr. Bear himself cut the shelf down just right for me with his knife for the big hunt. I'll still need my browning for those wiley rooster pheasants though.
Yes. Our bow season is short here in Wyoming. For deer & elk we get the month of September. If I lived where deer season was 3-4 months long I may never use a rifle but such is not the case. I am "traditional" with my rifles as I am w/ bows. No scopes that have a bell on the front big enough to stick a softball into, no stainless / synthetic / modern magnum, etc. It seems that today's trend is to become more of a long range sniper than a hunter but that's not for me. The old '06, 270, or even a 30/30 will do fine. Walnut & blued steel only.
My primary hunting rifle is an '03 Springfield that was beautifully customized some 50 years ago. It has been well cared for and is in fine shape. No scope, but a precise Lyman peep sight. The majority of rifle killed game I've taken has been less than 100 yards.
No rifles at all for me.. I do hunt deer every year with a caplock .54 Hawken.. Way too cool not to use it.
I also hunt alot of upland birds with an over&under 12 gauge shotgun... Watching great bird dogs work is a great thing!
If I had to choose only one type of hunting the recurves would win out,, but just barely win over the O&U pheasants...
JDS III
Yeah i might starve if I relied on the bow for meat. LOL! since it is trad gang I will levae it at that!
J
Haven't rifle hunted in 25+ yrs
If I had to choose only one type to hunt with for the rest of my life I would choose my flintlocks.
There is no finer feeling than walking the woods or fields with an exceptional hand made, historically correct flintlock rifle or smoothbore.
I love taking the Flintlock in the woods almost as much as the Longbow! Two different beast but I hunt with them the same way I always do, the Flinter just has about another 40 yards more than the longbow! I like getting them in close no matter the weapon!
I went from 1980 until 1995 without participating in a firearms deer season. Strictly bow. In 1996, I got the itch to smell gunpowder in the December deer woods again. Now I look as forward to sneaking around the snow covered ridges with my 45/70 as do hanging in a tree on a frosty October morning. :)
I still hunt with the shotgun and muzzleloader some, but not much. I usually hunt 3 or 4 days with the guns as I like to still get out with my friends. I have a bow only area so i bow hunt mostly! Shawn
I've killed deer with about everything, pistols (glock30, 1911, contender 45/70) black powder, rifles, shotguns, compounds, etc. Killed several turkeys with shotguns, too. Now, the only way I hunt is with my recurves or longbow. I will take my son hunting with a gun, but he is the one doing the shooting.
David
I bow hunt thru muzzle loader the pull out my vintage (60's Model) A 336 3030 for a few weeks and go back to bow . I like to change things up in Dec. and do a little small game / stump shooting along with my deer hunting . Might try Turkey hunting this spring with my longbow .
Mike
Im with Rooselk, yes I'm a 2 season hunter, I hunt elk and deer seasons, both with a longbow...PR
They close bows down during rifle season here, so I hunt with rifle except this year which will be my grandsons first year I,m going to do my dangness to see he gets his first, also rifle is kinda family tradition, got to go trad.
Im 51 years old and have never hunted with a fire arm in my life. Didnt start out to do it that way and dont have anything aganst it just havent done it.
As far as extending my season i hunt all year around here in California, havent hunted deer in about 20 years it gets in the way of my hog hunting.
Im tring turkey hunting in about 2 weeks from now and in 4 years i move to Arkansas so the not deer hunting thing might change.
.58 caplock during gun season
I've only hunted Deer with a rifle for one season and now use the bow exclusively for them. For Turkey and occasionally Rabbits and Grouse the shotgun goes with me. I have been thinking about getting a side lock muzzleloader though, seems like they would be fun to shoot and possibly a good option to use in the late muzzleloader season to fill a tag.
T.C. Omega during gun season, Never got much satisfaction out of shootin deer with a gun. but I get a tag anyway, usually after the first day I'm so aggravated with the crowds of people, I just shoot a doe and become camp cook. :biglaugh: I wish they would let us bowhunt during gun season here.
Dad used to pull me out of school for a week of deer camp before I was even old enough to hunt, rifle season is our time to hunt together. Been that way for 35 yrs. Dad got rheaumatoid artheritis back in the 50s and crippled himm up pretty bad so he never could draw a bow, he's tried.
Wouldnt miss the first week of deer season with the old man for nothin! So I'll dust off the ol 30-30 and go park my butt on my stump.
Eric
Eric
More then double on 2 season hunters..hummmmmmmm interesting to say the least...bowdoc
I'm a hunter and I hunt as much as I can using the appropriate weapon for the season. We are priveleged indeed to have the choices we do. :thumbsup:
Usually attempt to shoot something with each of my weapons, whether it be Bows, Handguns, Muzzleloaders, Flintlocks, Shotguns,or Rifles. They all provide me great opportunities. Enjoy all my toys!
I have only hunted with a bow since the middle 80's. My youngest son 10 hunt's with a rifle and my 13 year old a "training wheel" bow. My youngest say's he want't to be a "gun hunter" the older is ready to shed the wheel's. I just hope they both keep hunting!
I take my bow with me all year long, although muzzleloaders look like fun.
I hunt primarily with a bow but I do like to hunt with a gun on occasion. Lots of old memories of rifle hunting in the north woods of MI.
Love the smell of Powder from my Long Gun. :thumbsup:
by the end of bow season i am ready to try use the gun. my luck, if i brought the bow i would see the biggest buck of my life at 50 yds and would get a chance at him. :( if i am going to get up in the morning and hike to the top of the mountain, i want to give myself the best chance at harvesting whatever it is that im hunting.
i titally respect everyone that brings their bows during gun season. but i doubt i will , at least for a very long while.