Copper31

I am fortunate to be able to have multiple spots to hunt. Between what I own and my inlaws own I have almost 500 acres to bow hunt. My family also has some land about 2 hours north that has been hunted by our family since the early 30's. For the reason of tradition every year for the gun/deer season we leave pretty prime whitetail country and venture the 2 hours to our 60 acres of land that is surounded by thousands of acres of public. We feel pretty blessed to see a deer during that time and if you see a buck with legal antlers well you would be a fool not to shot it. However this past weekend as I pulled my rifle up on a small buck it got me thinking. Why are my goals different for rifle season then they are for bow? For me it just has always been this way as long as I can remember. I was brought up that if you see a buck while rifle hunting you put it in the freezer. I would be more then happy to shot a doe to fill the freezer but there are no doe tags available for the unit we hunt. During bow season my goals are a little higher but then again I see 20 plus different bucks in a season. So I guess does anyone else share the issue? Any thoughts? Not looking for an answer on what to do just some things others have done in this situation.

kenman

I have never taken a doe with my rifle, ever. The first doe I see with the bow is going in the freezer. I put more pressure on myself to take a big buck with the rifle than I do with the bow. I have no problem taking a spike with the bow, but wouldn't think twice about letting it walk with the rifle.

GMMAT

Around here I see just the opposite. People around here seem to think they would compromise their standards if the deer was to be taken with a bow (re: any deer with a bow is a trophy).

I only bowhunt....so I don't have this issue.

jeff

goherd1111

I would much rather bowhunt than gunhunt. However, that being said. I have an Idea going into each year of the size buck I want to harvest. For example this year my goal was 130 " buck. Reguardless of weapon. If I wanted meat in the freezer I killed a doe and anything under 130" buck walked. I was lucky enough to harvest a doe for the freezer on the 4 of oct.And I was agian lucky to harvest a 132" buck on Oct. 15 both with my bow. I now have plenty of meat for the fridge as well ashaving accomplished mypersonal goal on the 130" buck. I am still hunting every chance I getand the only way I will fire another weapon this deer season is if I have a buck in my sights larger the buck I have already taken. I am going to visit my folks back home in WV over thanksgiving and it will be the only time this year I will pick up a gun to hunt. Mainly because this will be the only chance I get to hunt with my dad. Since I moved to IL in 2003 I have greatly missed hunting and fishing with my old man. Thanksgiving is the only time we get together during hunting season and that happens to be the first week of the WV gun season. I know the land we will be hunting very well. The chances of seeing that buck thats bigger than the one I killed in oct. is very and I mean very slim. So just being back in the woods with my dad and our love for the outdoors will make it worth the trip. Even though the chance of me even seeing a nice buck is slim to none. I love this time of year!!!

Greg / MO

That's one of the major concerns I have with most gun hunters -- the "if it's brown it's down" mentality... I know you said it's the way you were raised, not necessarily the way you are now... If you wouldn't put an arrow through it, why would you shoot it with a gun? I think it has a lot to do with the fact that bowhunters -- as a whole -- are a more evolved group of hunters, and I'm proud of that.

GMMAT

I agree Greg. I could fill all 6 of my tags in the first week of archery season, here. I just choose NOT to take a LOT of animals.

BTW....RobPA was down this past weekend....and I took him over to my hunting area to look around. I got that extra strap for that stand while we were over there. Send me a PM and I'll get it out to you.

Jeff

GR8atta2d

Well My opinion is different than Greg's. I am a 2 State Hunter. I hunt in Ohio (my home State) Bow only. Yes I pass up too many bucks holding out for a "wall hanger". I LOVE bowhunting, and to shoot a basket rack early in the season robs me of my precious time afield. It also takes away my best Big Buck opportunity.
I try and get-away to our Camp in PA for one long weekend of bow hunting but if I'm not successful on a Trophy Quality buckI pass up the smaller ones. Why?? Because if I were to tag out early in Ohio, I'd have more free time to pursue a big buck in Pa with my bow.

With that being said..I also Rifle Hunt in PA. The week after Thanksgiving has long been treasured in my family and is the roots of my Whitetail hunting passion. It's true that big bucks are rare in our History we haveonly a handful ofwall-hangers in 30+ years. However it's a totally different atomosphere. Deer Camp is about comaraderie. It's about being away with the guys. It's about life long friendships and relatives, playing cards, telling lies and reliving the hunts of old. It's about the memories of our members who have passed. For the most part now with antler restrictions if it's legal we are going to take it. Granted My father and I are the most succesful Hunters andhave passed on a few small legal bucks. Even before antler restrictions we had a no spike rule.
If I were lucky enough to take a Buck early in the week. I will have my bow, to try and fill my Doe Tag..I could do it with a rifle, but I like the challenge and time afield, so i'll make it more difficult.

None of this means that we compromise our ethics and principles and some-how become careless or wreck-less in our pursuits. We are Hunters and that is not weapon dependant. Gun, Bow, Muzzle-loader etc..when you go to the woods you take your values along with you. This is not just how my family and I hunt, but I believe it's how Hunters, hunt!!!

YooperMike

I grew up in the UP of Michiga, and still rifle hunt there, but this was my first year archery hunting in IL. It is a different world down here. In the UP there is a VERY VERY sharp divide between the "brown its down" crowd and the guys that will let a buck walk. I took a decent 8-point on Friday morning in theUP and was very proud of it, based on the fact that most bucks don't get a chance to get that big. I think in the UP though there is a sort of NIMBY (not in my back yard) philosophy. We see a ton of out of state/lower michigan hunters that come up and blast the first 3" spike that comes by, but they would never dream of doing that where they bowhunt in their home area.My brother and I hold the same standards for gun or bow, although I have changed a bit having seen these IL bucks!

Copper31

I would have to agree with some of what you said.
The only reason I gun hunt is so that I am able to hunt with my family. My dad doesn't bow hunt much and my younger brother doesn't get home enough to do so. It also give me a chance to see uncles and cousins that I normally don't see. Like I said it is more tradition then anything. Your right when I hit the woods with the bow again after the gun seasona small buck would walk with out a question. I am also bowhunting an area that is readliy available to me with a ten minute drive. I have also put a lot of hard work into the land that I own and bow hunt on. I know for my dadsrifle season ishis only chance at having venison other then what I give him from my bow season. It boils down to tradition. Getting a big buck just isn't that important to them, and filling the freezer with a doe is out of the question. Like I said there are no doe tags for that area. I don't disagree with what anyone has written I was just expressing some of the thoughts that were going through my head this weekend. I don't think it is wrong how my family hunts I am just not sure it is for me anymore.

YooperMike

My family hunt is also very much about tradition, right down to what we eat! Bowhunting is awesome, nothing like it, but I absolutely love heading up for gun deer season. I also think that in many parts of the country, especially northern regions, there is a certain macho aspect to harvesting doe. I know my grandpa would never shoot one! This is an interesting post though and has gotten me thinking about things as well.