Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
01-28-2008, 07:57 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
I doubt that this is anything that could really be proven one way or the other, but I've been reading some of the threads about folks with doe sinks that in turn end up putting lots of pressure on their deer herds by shooting a lot of does and I have been wondering if bow hunting vs. rifle hunting creates more or less pressure on the deer.
I wasthinking of getting a bow to harvest does next year on the thoughts that it would be less pressure on the property and not have as much affect hunting bucks later in the year with my rifle.
Thinking this through, I'm now wondering if that would be the case though. In either case I would probably be the only one hunting my 160 acre property. I would be shooting a maximum of 2 does and 1 buck during a 2+ month season either way. (That is the limit in my county).
Getting up closer may result in getting busted more often than you would with a gun. Our rifle season runs a little over 2 months so there would be plenty of opportunities to harvest enough does with a rifle before or after the peak rut where I would hopefully shoot my buck with a rifle.
Anyone else have any thoughts on the subject?
Thanks, Nathan
I wasthinking of getting a bow to harvest does next year on the thoughts that it would be less pressure on the property and not have as much affect hunting bucks later in the year with my rifle.
Thinking this through, I'm now wondering if that would be the case though. In either case I would probably be the only one hunting my 160 acre property. I would be shooting a maximum of 2 does and 1 buck during a 2+ month season either way. (That is the limit in my county).
Getting up closer may result in getting busted more often than you would with a gun. Our rifle season runs a little over 2 months so there would be plenty of opportunities to harvest enough does with a rifle before or after the peak rut where I would hopefully shoot my buck with a rifle.
Anyone else have any thoughts on the subject?
Thanks, Nathan
01-28-2008, 08:10 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Portage WI/Racine WI
Posts: 2,320
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
I'd say the differences in pressure are probably slim in a short time frame. After the first couple days of gun season deer generally go more nocturnal and the same can/does happen when bow hunting a small area for a short period. Over an extended season, and moving stand sites you shouldn't have any problem with pressure getting to the deer though.
01-28-2008, 08:30 PM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Inverness, MS
Posts: 3,982
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
Man for man I think bowhunters put more pressure on deer.. We have to get in close, invade their security.... Rifle hunters have the luxury of not doing that....
01-28-2008, 08:47 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
Really depends on the method of hunting with said weapons. Here in PA, does are pretty natural all bow season, at least where I hunt. Stealth of course is the name of the game and it's my whole intent on not putting any pressure on my herd I'm hunting.
Come rifle season, does run for their lives continuously. Most if not all woods around my areas are pushed. If rifle hunters took the same approach as bowhunters, the pressure might be less however, that's not the case in PA. (in my area)
Come rifle season, does run for their lives continuously. Most if not all woods around my areas are pushed. If rifle hunters took the same approach as bowhunters, the pressure might be less however, that's not the case in PA. (in my area)
01-28-2008, 08:56 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 957
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
You want an answer to this question?
Move to South Carolina where gun season runs from August 15th to January 1st. Our deer are some of the most pressured deer in the US. You can really see a difference if you are in a bow only club or hunt bow only public land. Its like night and day.
Anyone and everyone that you talk to that lives in SC, but takes hunting trips to the mid-west comes back star struck b/c they say that the deer out there are so much easier to kill. They say that the never look up. Here in SC our deer will spot you in a tree faster than they will on the ground.
It is rare here that you get to view a deer in its "natural" state.
Move to South Carolina where gun season runs from August 15th to January 1st. Our deer are some of the most pressured deer in the US. You can really see a difference if you are in a bow only club or hunt bow only public land. Its like night and day.
Anyone and everyone that you talk to that lives in SC, but takes hunting trips to the mid-west comes back star struck b/c they say that the deer out there are so much easier to kill. They say that the never look up. Here in SC our deer will spot you in a tree faster than they will on the ground.
It is rare here that you get to view a deer in its "natural" state.
01-28-2008, 09:05 PM
#6
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: S.E Wisconsin
Posts: 50
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
Move to South Carolina where gun season runs from August 15th to January 1st. Our deer are some of the most pressured deer in the US. You can really see a difference if you are in a bow only club or hunt bow only public land. Its like night and day.
there are simply more people in the woods. Not sure the weapon used makes a difference in hunting pressure as much as the shear number of hunters.
Hunt with gun or bow in the same area too many times and the deer will know you are there.
01-28-2008, 09:14 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2007
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 957
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
ORIGINAL: Bow4Buc
Do you think the difference here is in the weapon used or the fact that gun hunters simply out number bow hunters by the hundreds of thousands. Meaning
there are simply more people in the woods. Not sure the weapon used makes a difference in hunting pressure as much as the shear number of hunters.
Hunt with gun or bow in the same area too many times and the deer will know you are there.
Move to South Carolina where gun season runs from August 15th to January 1st. Our deer are some of the most pressured deer in the US. You can really see a difference if you are in a bow only club or hunt bow only public land. Its like night and day.
there are simply more people in the woods. Not sure the weapon used makes a difference in hunting pressure as much as the shear number of hunters.
Hunt with gun or bow in the same area too many times and the deer will know you are there.
However, here in SC people don't walk through the woods and try to jump deer to shoot them with a bow. They don't try to shoot them with a bow in front of a pack of hounds.
01-28-2008, 09:46 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 1,401
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
My hunting style would be about the same with either weapon. I would anticipate 1 shot for each deer down, so 3 shots over a 2 month period, whether with a bow or a gun.
01-28-2008, 11:01 PM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
Here in IL, typically you see deer all the time up until the time for the first morning of shotgun season/ ie our rifle season. After that you don't see deer. So yes they may know bowhunters are walking through the woods more etc....but I see them all bow season long, after gun season I've bowhunted, they shut down, and I know there are still plenty of deer in the woods.
01-29-2008, 04:04 AM
#10
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Heaven is my home, temporarily residing in WNY :)
Posts: 6,679
RE: Bow Hunting vs. Rifle Hunting = Less Perceived Pressure?
In my area, there are WAY more gun hunters than bowhunters .... more people in the woods = more spooked deer
MOST gun hunters are not, norare their hunting methods, as stealthy as a bowhunters, and this = more spooked deer
That being said, I gun hunt like I bow hunt ... but during the gun season, the idiots abound .... and the deer are hard to find
MOST gun hunters are not, norare their hunting methods, as stealthy as a bowhunters, and this = more spooked deer
That being said, I gun hunt like I bow hunt ... but during the gun season, the idiots abound .... and the deer are hard to find