ORIGINAL: atlasman
I have always and will always hunt with a gun. I should clarify that 200-300 yard "shooting" type of hunting doesn't interest me at all. I think every deer but 1 or 2 I have gotten with my gun were within bow range. My longest kill was 65 yards. I shoot a smooth bore short barrel Rem870 with Breneke MP slugs. DEFINATELY not the most accurate thing out there........so it is still a respectable chalenge IMO. Most of my early kills were off the ground with open sights...........maybe harder then killing a deer from a stand with a bow IMO.
Gun season has a TOTALLY different feel to it.........and I love that too.
Perhaps most importantly is the fact that my father gave up archery after a few years of recurves and then one of the first BEAR compounds. Gun season is all he has hunted for years now and there is no way on earth I am gonna miss a chance to go hunt with my dad.
Atlas, thats probably why I'm as passionate about archery as I am.
I grew up watching my dad shoot his bow, hunt with his bow, and come with animals he killed with his bow. When he decided to get me into hunting, I couldn't yet draw a legal weight, so he gave up archery for the first few years and we hunted with rifles.
As soon as I was able to draw a legal bow, he went out and bought us both brand new bows, and we haven't looked back since.
I know that when he is no longer able to draw a legal compound, he'll get a disabled/senior permit and shoot a cross bow. Any ideaabout who's going to buy it for him?