We can bowhunt here all through the open seasons (the entire "deer" season). We're just hunting skittish deer from the opener of ML on through. We're also in harm's way on a lot of properties......and I will be on the new property I hunt. I was already going to mostly abandon those grounds for the bowhunting only lands I already had, anyways. Maybe I'll get some of those deer pushed to me, here? Who knows? I just know I don't like the sounds of it one bit. I'll lose out on some PRIME terrain. It's hard enough to keep tabs on one other bowhunter on 150acres. Add in him NOW hunting with a rifle.....and 2 other rifle hunters.....and I'd fear for my life on some of these ridges. I don't think I wanna keep up with where three others are all the time.

I do have some little pockets of land that I don't think they know exist (or haven't thought of them for hunting). I may be able to salvage those spots. ALL of these guys will be baiting, too. That won't bode well for me in any circumstance I wouldn't think (since I don't emply the practice as a general rule.....and I've never killed a deer over bait).

Might mmake early season scouting a bigger priority.....and make my early season hunting more aggressive, too. Maybe that isn't so bad......but the spot I hit that deer in Friday.....I'd been saving the entire season. First time I'd been in there was Friday. Next year (if this passes)...I'll be forced to hunt it more aggressively.