ORIGINAL: Lanse couche couche
After the first day ofgetting shot at, many bucks go nocturnal and are gonna stay bedded down rather than be out chasing does during the rut??? Uh, okay. However, based on that that assumption, then both bow and regular firearm rut season hunting should be hurt/ruined by the mid-october youth firearm hunts, and the second firearm season and late bow seasons should betotal busts in terms of taking bucks, since they don't even have the lure of the rut to have them out during legal shooting hours. Spotnstalk's anecdote is kind of helpful in terms of refuting the latter scenario, as are the several big racks that my father and his hunting partner took last year in December with both bow and shotgun.
Your failing to see the point we are all trying to make
As for the youth season being a hurt to harvesting a mature buck during the rut, It has no where NEAR the impact a late Oct. anterless only season would have. Youth season is not near as widespread not to mention the main rut is nearly a month after youth season anyway.
You cant tell me after a late Oct. anterless only shotgun hunt that them mature bucks are going to feel like coming out of the wood work that much more...
When you live in a place that has an abundant amount of hunting pressure the way it is (around here) your odds at taking a mature buck are even more reduced when you have a gun season placed RIGHT before the primary rut.
It would be like me asking johnny..."would you rather hunt 1st morning of shotgun season or last day of second season?" Common sense would tell yah which is better and what day your chances of killing a mature buck are of higher levels..[&:]
Would you rather have an 65% chance at taking a mature buck or a 40% chance? I know for me being a trophy hunter around here my chances being reduced would certainly fire me up!![:@]