how traditional are you?

reddogge · July 14, 2009, 09:38:00 PM

I hunt archery season until early M/L season and I use flintlocks I built. Then rifle season I hunt a Winchester M70 Featherweight in .270 with Leupold scope for Sika deer. Then back to archery, then late M/L and finally archery to end the year.

There was a time when I only hunted archery and used a homemade Ithaca Hawken for the modern firearms season. Then I graduated to a Winchester 1894 in .32-40 iron sights and finally got the .270 for a modern deer rifle. I've been known to use a couple military rifles, I'm not a purist.

kbetts · July 14, 2009, 09:47:00 PM

I shot a doe at 90yds. in January with an open sighted 870 cause there was no meat in the freezer. Gave the barrel to my cousin the next day b/c it seemed so easy. In DE you can use a m/l during gun season so thats what I do. I have a special piece of private ground that I have free reign of and don't shoot guns there just for the simple fact that I know I'm the only one around.

LoneWolf73 · July 14, 2009, 09:54:00 PM

Hunt with my longbow and recurve till Muzzleloader.. then break out the 7mm.. mix it up after that with hand gun, shotgun, run a few traps, and as far as "Trad" towards the end of the season... hunt naked with a spear on the last day. Keeps others out of the area the next year. LOL

tradtusker · July 14, 2009, 10:02:00 PM

im a bowhunter, longbow or recurve and thats it

Toklat1 · July 14, 2009, 10:13:00 PM

My response to lonewolfs post

I hunt in an archery only county so my recurve it its. Texas doesn't have a muzzleloader season in particular. Use a M/L or Gun or Bow for the general season if you wish. I haven't hunted with my Hawken 50 Cal yet my i've got the itch to do so.

Brent Hill · July 14, 2009, 10:39:00 PM

For the last several years, I have only hunted with my recurve except for the weekends that I took my daughter who will be six in October. We tried bowhunting with my curve in the double bull when she was 4 but I was too serious and she couldn't be that quiet. I have just built some permanent box blinds with insulation and shooting ports so that I can bowhunt with her this year. If that doesn't work, my season will be split 60 % trad and 40 % 270 winchester and barby coloring books. Either way, life is good.

trashwood · July 14, 2009, 10:45:00 PM

I am traditional all the way....in a very untraditional way. top rig is a 25 yd tack driver, AGF Safari sight and all. Bottom rig a stringwalking hunters dream come true.

http://sites.google.com/site/stringwalkerbowhunter/Home/texas-kit

rusty -non-traditional recuve shooter- Craine

Greyfox54 · July 14, 2009, 10:58:00 PM

We used to be able to bow hunt during gun seasons but not anymore . I like to hunt so I use whatever I can , heck I'd take a slingshot if there was a season . Our gun season is one week and our muzzleloader season overlaps bow hunting so I usually take my shotgun for a walk around the woods that week and scout , seems to be a good reason to get in the woods . Fred

July 14, 2009, 11:02:00 PM

I use my sticks all the way throught the special archery season, the general season (rifle season), and the late anterless and spike season. I also use them for turkey season and any other season, The only thing I use a gun for is dove hunting. The fun thing to me is trad hunting so that's what I do. I don't mind if others get enjoyment hunting with their guns.

Bisch

Brent Hill · July 14, 2009, 11:07:00 PM

We are blessed in Texas to be able to bowhunt during gun season. I'm usualy the only bowhunter on my lease during gun season and hunt spots that are never hunted with a gun. Our mornings and evenings during g-season usually begin and end with a blast or two and I like to think that the deer seek out spots that have less human odor and noise. Hasn't failed me yet.

Wannabe1 · July 14, 2009, 11:10:00 PM

Do not gun hunt and do not own any hunting rifles. I hunt only traditional archery during the specified seasons in Oregon. I had a nice black powder rifle but, sold it not too long ago to fund another bow!

jonsimoneau · July 14, 2009, 11:45:00 PM

I don't hunt big game with guns anymore. And never will. But I really wish i could bowhunt during gun season in Illinois. I'd even buy a gun tag if I could hunt with my bow.

DRR324 · July 15, 2009, 07:56:00 AM

I hunt with the recurve all season. Haven't shot a deer with a rifle in 5 years. Now that my kids are old enough to hunt, I take them out with the .243 and enjoy sitting back and coaching them through it. Heres a pic of my oldest daughter and her 1st buck from last year.

Was one of the best feelings in the world and lots of "tension"... I'd tell her to get ready and then I'd blat him to stop, she wouldn't shoot, he'd take off walking again, I asked her if she was ready, blat at him, she didn't shoot, this went on for 4-5 times. I asked her was the problem was, she said she was shaking so bad so didn't think she would hit him! Finally she got settled in and dropped him at 90 yards, looked at me with a huge smile and gave me one of the best hugs of my life, and said "thanks dad- I'm a hunter just like you".

Maxflight · July 15, 2009, 02:18:00 PM

I too recently looked at all my firearms and wondered why I don't sell them since they very rarely have seen the light of day over the past 10 years. But....NAH.

I will occasionally pull out the old Model 94 to take a walk with during gun season, usually the days of inclimate weather, but leaving my bow behind is tough. It's almost like like looking back, and there, standing in the doorway, are my bow and arrows with the biggest puppydog eyes, their little lips all aquiver, softly wimpering.

I'm such a sentimental softy.

Jeff Roberts · July 15, 2009, 04:46:00 PM

Longbow year round. Been that way for many a year.

centaur · July 15, 2009, 05:23:00 PM

My guns continue to reside in their cases, and I imagine they will stay there. Bows are so much more fun to me that I have no desire to load up the smokepoles and blast away. For those that enjoy hunting with a gun, I say more power to you, but it just isn't my cup of tea anymore. If I can't get it with stick and string, I will go without.

koger · July 15, 2009, 06:51:00 PM

I deer hunt mostly with a bow, occasinally with a rifle on a drawn Quota hunt, and every year our late season ML hunt is a tradition with my wife and buddies/family. We are fo the most part usually sucessful,I still use a T/C .54 Renegade Sidhammer, and have taken2 does with a Ruger Old Army .45 Percussion revolver. Now that is a challenge, both under 30 yards! I often sit in the blind with my wife of 28 years, while she ML and rifle hunts, I am usually tagged out and venision in the freezer. We sit and talk softly, sip coffee, enjoy all the wildlife and usually a gorgeous sunset here in the mountains of KY, and usually within a day or two she has her 2 deer. I have lots of guns that I have built, ML and centerfire when I was a gunsmith full time, that will never be sold. They have tooo many ghosts, have seen to many camps.

Jason R. Wesbrock · July 15, 2009, 07:15:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Brent Hill:
Our mornings and evenings during g-season usually begin and end with a blast or two and I like to think that the deer seek out spots that have less human odor and noise. Hasn't failed me yet.

I use the same strategy during rifle season in WI's CWD Zone (where you can still bowhunt so long as you wear blaze orange). It usually works out quite well.

Bill Kissner · July 15, 2009, 07:28:00 PM

I tried a muzzle loader back in about 1965 or 70 for one day. Never killed anything with it and have bowhunted ever since. Traded the muzzle loader for a spotting scope that very year.

joevan125 · July 15, 2009, 07:46:00 PM

I just took up traditional archery and im going to hunt strictly with my stickbows. I can kill over 100 deer down here in Alabama so i should get lots of practice.