I enjoyed my first season of bowhunting tremendously. That said, what I don't like about it is all the preparation for a specific stand site. With both bow and rifle, you have to find a good tree. But with a bow, you have got to make sure you've got your shooting lanes cut and that can be a lot of work. It sucks if you spend a lot of time prepping a stand site and it turns out not to be productive.

Where I hunt, most shots are within 50 yards bow or rifle, so the "closeness" is not the issue for me. With my muzzleloader, if one spot is not producing, well, I can just take my climber to another promising spot and set up in a tree with good cover. I may have to trim a little here or there, but nothing crazy because I can thread a needle with a gun. I don't have to worry about a small branch or twig because my trajectory is so flat. With a bow, hit a twig you didn't see and you could have a very bad hit on the deer. No fun!

Today I took two does with my muzzleloader. Range was about 35 yards. Now, I didn't have to draw on them, but I had to reload to get the second deer. Reloading a muzzleloader without getting busted ain't easy either!