I' ve always bowhunted during the various muzzleloader season in MD--I took a nice buck during the first ML season. And about 2 years ago, I started carrying BOTH my gun and my bow during the firearms seasons so I would have both options available. THIS year, I decided to carry just my bow for all the gun seasons . . . and it cost me this morning.[:' (]

I couldn' t hunt opening morning because I couldn' t get off work and skipped the afternoon hunt because it featured featured 50 mph winds, so today was my first chance. I knew that my area had been hard hit by the gunners on the opener as it is every year, and the wind (which was non-existent on Sunday--a no-hunting day in my county) made it' s reappearance as soon as my foot hit the first step to my treestand this morning. I was guardedly optimistic, but by 7:45am had seen nothing that drew a breath--and had heard only 2 distant shots. At 7:50, I was looking towards where I had seen a nice 8 point 2 weeks earlier and thinking how I could have shot him easily with my gun. Then, I saw a deer . . . and another . . . and another . . . and so on until I had 6 standing there, broadside at 40 yards, unaware and feeding my way! They were all big does with a couple really huge for the area--bigger than a lot of the local bucks. With my gun, it would' ve been all over, but with my bow, the high winds and a few misplaced branches, I couldn' t chance it. My scent control rituals served me well for a long time, but they were almost directly downwind and eventually picked up enough scent that they decided to slowly walk back the way they came without offering me a shot.

I initially kicked myself for leaving the gun at home, but I know some of you also bowhunt exclusively and now I' m undecided. should I go back to taking both weapons . . . or stick with the bow and skip hunting with the long range weapons?