So, After 7 years of trad hunting, Nothing comes close to the rush of tagging a trad deer. Now with gun season approaching, I really want to attempt to tackle it with trad gear. I NEED one more deer to fill the freezer for my growing family's needs but am unsure of the wisdom of attempting to do this with a recurve with guns going off around me. How many guys out there really do trad only? I am a ground hunter by choice. Any advice?
I bow hunt through the gun seasons. It is muzzle loader season now. If you can find a quiet spot, the deer always seem to hold up there.
Hunt deeper, hunt thicker.
I too bow hunt during the gun season, but I have a 120 acre Parcel completely to myself with my brother in law. Otherwise, if it were not for that situation, than I would probably be gun hunting also.
I do. I killed two does on opening morning of our modern gun doe only hunt this year. I am fortunate to be on a lease that the gun hunters are all friends and respect me and my areas. I am also fortunate to live where there are a good number of WMA's that have very short permit gun hunts allowing much time for bow hunters. That being said I still would not shy away from hunting other places that get invaded by the orange army, most gun hunters are predictable. I use that to my advantage. Get out there but let caution rule and hunt safe.
Chris
Haven't done much gunhunting in years!!!
I use my Longbow in all the seasons. As some have already said it can be done, and certainly err on the side of caution. Good luck and happy hunting.
Tony
I love walking the woods with the bow, even through the gun season. The flame orange coat is a must for safety as the gun hunters love skirting the edge of the bush with there pickups and scare the devil out of everything around ,me included . Take advantage of them and settle down in the thick bush,they will keep the animals moving for you. Be safe! Maxx
There is no gun season on my hunting ground. I hunt trad all year long. The guns go off around me and I just hope my piece of ground becomes a sanctuary for the deer.
Never had a problem putting meat in the freezer and to me, doing it with a gun just is not any fun.
Bisch
QuoteOriginally posted by Bisch:
There is no gun season on my hunting ground. I hunt trad all year long. The guns go off around me and I just hope my piece of ground becomes a sanctuary for the deer.
Never had a problem putting meat in the freezer and to me, doing it with a gun just is not any fun.
Bisch
I don't have my own hunting ground but I too prefer the bow and don't have any problems putting meat in the freezer when I go. I haven't cared for gun hunting in a long time and my personal opinion is that gun hunting is just killing. You miss alot of nature when your so far away from your prey. Just my opinion.
tex-archer
I was working this morning and saw three gun hunters coming out of the woods at 9, less than two miles down the track we saw a nice 10 point walking down a fence line. When you hunt don't just put a couple of hours into and enjoy everything you see.
Trad only for over 17 years. In Kentucky public land is quota only for firearms, so during statewide gun season the public land is pretty empty of hunters, perfect time to hunt it, during the peak of the rut at that!
Thanks for all the advice guys. I Think I'm ready to leave the gun in the cabinet this year.
It's been several years since I have hunted with Firearms. I kinda miss going after pheasants with the shotgun. Problem is here in Ohio your lucky to hear a wild pheasant anymore. I have no problem with the orange army. They get a very short season and I look at that time as a break for me. I'm thinking of hunting with my .44 mag unless I fill my last tag before then.
Against the law here..I use flintlocks during gun season anyway.
Longbow and wood arrows in gun season here
Georgia season is only a few weeks long as bow only, and its in the heat, so if you want to bow hunt the rut you bow hunt the gun season.
Most of the deer I have killed with a gun were in bow range. I dont see it as a real disadvantage
I hunt with my longbow during gun season, the guns are resting in the safe, where they have been for several years.
QuoteOriginally posted by cahaba:
Hunt deeper, hunt thicker.
And be there first, wait for the masses to push things to you.
I shot a spike and a doe whitetail yesterday with a longbow within 30 minutes of each other. Guns have been going off for a month. I was in a ground blind along a well used trail.
You can do it, keep after them.
I have Miss Hope for the month of Dec. When I signed up for that I was thinking about time off and all of the deer I have killed in late season. I totally forgot that with Indiana's season changes that there are only 7 days in Dec. without guns going off.
I will be out there orange on head and Hope in hand trying to get it done on public land. :D
Rob
I have been hunting a bow only zone this year, gun starts next week here and I will be out of town for a couple of days, I'm thinking about just staying in the bow zone for the rest of the season......1st time in over 40+ years I have not had a gun in my hand in the fall. I guess I can't kill a deer with my bow if I carry a gun.....funny how things change!
I bow hunt duruing the Mich firearm season. Being a ground hunter, I position myself on the edges of really thick cover. Nothing against the guys and gals that like to firearm hunt, I simply lost my desire to kill deer with a gun. If all goes well the hunters in the other woodlots will do most of the work for me. Good Luck.
Count me in!, ill still be out there with my longbow in hand. I guess for me, the love of the hunt with trad. gear far outweighs just putting meat in the freezer.
Theres just something magical about getting it done (or not) with stick and string.
I too hunt with longbow during all seasons. My main reason is I shoot everyday with the longbow, and don't have the trigger time for myself to feel comfortable. So much at stake when it's point and shoot. Orange is a must, during gun season here. Despite hunting on private property I have people trespass each and every year. Last year I had a 20-something kid walk about fifteen yards in front of my stand like he was in battle- I spoke out "they didn't come this way." He stopped, looked around and up at me and huffed off like I ruined his day. I saw him go back to the property line and tell his buddy where they both were looking through the brush trying to find me. Weekend City Slickers... ;)
I bowhunt during all seasons. One thing to remember is to get as far away from the nearest area where guns are going off.
I love to gun hunt Sika deer and make no bones about it. Deer camp at its finest with old friends. But I take a bow and spend a couple of nights out with the bow too. Best of both worlds to me.
I prefer the bow! Been hunt'n gun season with my trad gear for years so I figure why stop now. I dont like being out there with the orange army, but I'll endure it!
Good luck feller's!
Jason
My guns have been put away just because I get more satisfaction with bow in hand.
I will have both weapons hanging in my tree with me this coming Saturday.
I have bow hunted through gun season for many years and have no problems with it.After all, I can only hunt those animals within about 20 yards of me, so the distant boom of the guns don't bother me. I've noticed it doesn't really bother the deer unless very, very close. They often don't even look up at the sound of a rifle. Its the little bump of my bow against the stand that really turns them inside out.Fortunately, hunting pressure around my place is not excessive, so movement through the area does not seem to change in the gun season.
we are and have always been bow only - as gun seasons open we do move to bow zones in several states - urban bow units - blackbeard island - and we have a few clubs that are bow only. Back in the 70s & 80s I did hunt with a bow during gun seasons but now there is just plenty of opportunity to get away and stay away from gun hunters and gun season.
I love all aspects of hunting.I was a gun hunter long before bow hunting was common, and have used much of what I learned from those years in my pursuit with the bow and arrow.Here where I live the deer have to be keen to survive.Any hunting, no matter what the instrument used, is a challenge and a great tradition. No hunting is just killing when it's applied sportingly and with fair chase. Some people I regret to say don't care about FAIR OR ETHICAL and that hurts all our immage as responsible SPORTSMAN.
There is a time and place for everything.
I love sitting in a thick patch of brush, 10 yards from a good trail with my long bow. But, I also, love chucking patched round balls down range in a cloud of white smoke.
I inadvertently did yesterday. Trying to enjoy the wood on the last day of archery season here in PA, thought I had the game lands to myself. Two hours after I settle in some wahoo decides to sight in his shotgun using a bunch of pumpkins for targets. Nothing but gunshots all morning and the road out was lined with holey pumpkins. I went in deeper to avoid the racket but didn't see a thing all day. :mad:
Wondering if I'll be able to stomach the noise and frustration when rifle season kicks in, but hate to miss out on those beautiful woods!
It depends where the deer are moving. I enjoy hunting regardless of the weapon. I also have some stands that are unhuntable with bows so I take the weapon most suited to the hunt at hand. The only real downside I've noticed hunting in general gun is that more people end up in the woods.
I haven't picked up a rifle in years. It's rifle season here and has been since mid October; if you want to hunt deer in the rut, you are competing with the rifle guys. I hear gunshots just about every time I go out, but I'm lucky to have some places where the orange army doesn't go..
I bow hunt right thru firearm season, which starts on thurs here in Michigan! Not many gun hunters around me but there are road hunters which are scary cause they never know what or who is in the woods when they shoot! I may load up the Thompson Ctr Renegade and hunt some round ball!
Still injured so not this year, but I have always kept hunting with the bow here in shotgun season.
Last year was a bad one though, hoards of ATV's brought wave after wave of groups of shotgun hunters. They were doing massive pushes leaving no stone unturned, jogging through the swamps and thickets pushing to set up shooters. I thought I was in deep, but I was wrong.
It was disheartening, and ruined my enjoyment.
I wont hunt opening day around here anymore.
I'll wait till late season when its cold.
This is Butch on Mudd's computer. That's what we're doing this week. It's gun season in Mo. & we're out with our longbows. Bunch of Fun.
Wetfeather (and others like him),you are an insperation.
I've got no choice in France as there is no bow only season, just got to get out there and be careful with all the others. :archer:
If the PA Army of Orange didn't have so many idiots in their ranks, I'd head out with my longbow, but given the way it is, I'll do some Christmas shopping and wait till the late archery/flintlock season comes in.