RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

LOL Greg, ;) And I figured since 97' I had to put that on these boards somewhere. :) Regardless, it's perfect, carry on. :D

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Last year I shot my first with a bow and I hadn't shot another deer until opening weekend of gun this year and I shot 2 with a gun. It was a nice break to sit in a stand and shoot and have some venison but itjust wasn't near as fun and exciting as calling in the 6 pt last year and shooting him broadside at 10 yards with a bow. I can tell I'm changing. This is the first year I didn't even buy a buck tag for gun. Still working on getting him with a bow instead.:)

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Yup, I still hunt w/ a shotgun. It is a smoothbore, so shots are 50 yds or less.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Big game, no. Bow only; no challenge with a gun for me.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I concur.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

It doesnt matter what i hunt with i just love to do it, heck i even enjoy shootin the ole BB gun with my little cousin.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Thinking about it, one way to sum up howI feel about it is this;

My passion for archery/bowhunting far exceeds my passion for taking/killing/harvesting game.

If it were soley about the killing, I would go back to hunting with firearms.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Dan I agree that its no where near the same experience but you can still have fun with a gun or with gun hunters. I took a friend of mine on his first hunt during gun. I know the heart of what you are saying...I would rather hunt with a bow anyday but a gun hunt can still be a lot of fun. It just depends on the set up and who you are with. I love the fact though that its in your veins now...I totally understand. There is nothing like it.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Some of the older people in rifle camp are why I go. Below is a pic of APAJaws (Dan's) grandfather. He is 86 and shot this deer 2 weeks ago because us youngins can help him get out there. 3 days before that his buddy Ernie (89 years old) shot a nice fat 5 point. This is why I hunt with a rifle.........as I said before it's the people and times w/ friends and family.

I hope when I am 86, a I still get to go out even if I can't pull the bow back. If a rifle gets me out there, so be it.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Rick, that would be an extremely worthy reason for toting a gun around... :)I would agree whole-heartedly for that cause.

'Course, I'd check the state regs first and see if I could just bowhunt during gun season with all the others; that's what I do in Missouri and Illinois. In fact, I'll be bowhunting tomorrow night during shotgun season in Illinois.

Again, very good reason.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

NO!

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

yea but only with my muzzleloader normaly its to maximize my deer to give to the food bank and to thin the overcrowding on our farms

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Well, I used to do it all. I would start the season out bowhunting. Then muzzleloading would come in; followed by rifle season.

Last year, I bowhunted all bow season and through muzzleloading. However, I still took out the 30-30 and got a wallhanger (w/in bow range) with my rifle.

This year I bowhunted on up until rifle season. Even took the bow out the first day of rifle. I've had the gun out about 3 times this year since I change locations sometimesand hunt with my dad.

I'm definitely using my bow more and more each year.

BTW: All the deer I have killed with a rifle have been on the ground and w/in bow range. So that is why I decided to mainly just hunt w/ a bow during gun season. Why not???:)

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Yes but I've taken to hunting with handguns. It throws a lot more challenge into it and is probably the only reason I head out with a gun at all.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Ryan that is the next thing I want to try to. A friend of mine is getting me interested in it.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

First of all, gun hunting is tradition for me. I use rifle, shotgun and pistol. I mainly go to be with family and friends. It is also my main way of taking does. When I'm bowhunting, its just me, I'm a hermit!

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

That's an awesome quote.

I hardly gun hunt. Here and there just to be social with family and friends. Other than that I'm toting my bow :D. I dont' like things that go bang.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Elsewhere on the forum I wrote:

But of course to each his own. This is just a personal standard I set for myself. It's not intended to knock anyone else's passions. Way I see it,I workmy butt off to buy all this equipment waiting for a chance to get outin the woods after arranging childcare and clearing schedules with the wife, all the while hoping theweather cooperates,I want the most out of my hunt. And I aint gettin the most out of it unless I get out my bow, even during the gun season.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Only on private land, and only if I haven't filled my freezer by the last week of deer season. I don't have anything against gunhunting, but when I arrow a deer, I still get those "adrenaline shivers" right after...I don't get that with a gun!

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Here we go again...

I'm going to try not to get confrontational this time, but, I can't take the narrowed view of some bow hunters who make statements like "gun hunting just isn't a challenge anymore" or "with a gun it is just shooting", "with a gun it is just killing" and so on.

If you are one of the people making these statements, it is my OPINION that you are not a very creative hunter. If your only method is to be in a stand trail watching, then yes, if you see the deer before it is spooked and you are going to take it. The hunt is pretty much over unless something goes wrong when you are carrying a gun.

But, if you really wanted to be "challenged" (which is a word I keep hearing), and really put your hunting skills to the test, you should try "active hunting" in stead of "passive hunting". That is the difference that I associate to gun hunting. Sitting in a stand is hunting like a passive spider, the black widow for example. Once the quarry has entered the web the surprise attack takes place. Active hunting, would be to pursue your quarry with no web, like the brown recluse spider. You take your most educated guess as to where your quarry may be, and you go get it. Like I've explained many times before (and will spare you guys with it this time, since the last time I was actually asked to "enlighten" and then told "uninterested")
My first ever bow kill was last year, and I was unimpressed to say the least. It was one of the easiest kills I've ever experienced. I do understand how tough it can be, and have been skunked, busted and so on.But I killed an eight point buck, on the first day, at first light, shooting a borrowed left handed bow, right handed. Since that time I've killed a number of deer this way, and Passive hunting (which is what most of you are doing) is "easy" by nature, when compared to "active" hunting. Sure passive hunting would be easier to succeed with a gun than with a bow, but from my experience, active hunting with a gun, is much more challenging. In all aspects, whether it be mentally, physically or both. That said, active hunting would also be much more challenging with a bow, but in most cases, it would be impossible.

When you stalk hunt a deer, you are usually going to its bed. The bedding areas are so thick you can not see into them very well and must get really close in. Like within bow range, but walking on the ground. Now your scent is on the ground and walking up to them, and oh yeah, don't forget to be quiet and still.
Someone please explain to me how sitting in a tree stand, shooting at the same distance with a bow, which is a consistent shooter, is more challenging? And I didn't say that it wasn't challenging, tell me how it is MORE of a challenge?
I am totally aware that hunting with a gun just may not be appealing to some. And I'm not going to try to talk you into it. But at the same time, I'm not going to sit back and listen to inaccurate statements. So, before you use terms like "easy" and "not challenging" when speaking about gun hunting, ask yourself what kind of hunting you're talking about.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

If the theiving SOB's had left me with any guns, I'd still be hunting with guns and bows, especially traditional style muzzleloaders. I never replaced them because I didn't feel like providing burglars with even more guns.[>:]

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

No, I don'tbig gamehunt with a gun or rifle. I do bowhunt during gun season though with friends who use guns.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Killer Primate,

I don't agree with you about passive hunting with a bow being easy. Hunting with a bow is challenging to me because it is close range game where a lot can go wrong prior to ever releasing an arrow. Just finding the right spot can be a huge challenge at times. Sometimes it works out perfect and seems easy, but more often than not guys end up spending an incredible amount of hours on stand before they kill a buck. Maybe you are just an exceptional hunter and finding good stand sites is easy for you. IMO, most guys won't share your view on bow versus gun hunting if they have done both for any length of time. Some successful gun huntersgo years without taking a deeronce they take up the bow.

With all that said, I have no problem hunting with a gun, just as I said in a previous post in this thread. Some of my best hunts have been active gun hunts, so I know what you mean. They are by no means a walk in the park as some here would have you believe. There is a bit of eliteist attitude that gets conveyed here at times when topics like this come up, but IMO most hunters these days are multi season multi weapon hunters. There is my nickels worth.

Good hunting to you.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I have only hunted with a gun. I just bought a crossbow, and I haven't got anything yet. [:@]But, I'm excited to learn more about bows, and I hope I like it just as much.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Next year, I have a pheasant hunt scheduled. Looking forward to it. Yes, with my longbow. Others will have guns but they will allow me first shot at the birds (well at least till I get one). Currently, I'm in the process of making a catapult (throwing one gallon jugs) for practice.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

My wife's uncle used to hunt pheasant with a bow. I think it was a recurve, but could be wrong. He was a great shot. I comend your efforts. The biggest problem for him was his dog. It was so dang fast often times he couldn't shoot because his dog was chasing the bird too close, and would sometimes get one!

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

That sounds like a neat weapon (catapult) good luck with it!;)

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Two words: Gun Safe

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

LOL, I'll probably end up shooting myself with it. :D

Check this out.

http://www.cdi3d.com/bow/jugshooter.mpg


I think you mean fun instead of effort!!!;)

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

If that catapult doesn't help your aim, just put some cats in that contraption and I bet they can swat down a few pheasants for you. :D

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Yep, I still hunt with guns. I want any advantage I can get. After gun season ends in Arkansas, I'll go back to my bow.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I tried gun hunting here in Ohio, but wasn't confodent with the shotgun w/slugs as far as accurcy is concerened, got a M/L and now I would rather hunt with that than a slug gun. But I really enjoy bow hunting the most. I do enjoy M/L with my 15 year old son,and so far he has 2 does with his I guess I had better get busy the kids showing up the old man.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Got a visual on that! Good one!

ROTFLMAO!!!!:D:D:D

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Well, GregH, that's about as smart as the cop who came to the house and asked if I had my gun cabinet locked. "Sure!" I says. "They very carefully removed the glass out of the cabinet door and did an expert job at replacing it after they got the guns out."

Here's your sign!:eek:

It's way too late to buy a gun safe after the turds have already gotten 'em!

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Man,arround here it sounds like hunters are shooting at each other on opening day.Its scarey hearing the stories of how the deer ran through the reeds and the guy dumped a 10 rd. clip,at something he couldnt see!Im sure its not like that everywhere.That fella talking about putting the sneak on bedded deer,oh yea,I could see that for sure.but not here when every nut in town has stumbled through and spooked em all deep into the marsh.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Now and then i go for squrriels/rabbits with my .22 or shotgun

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I hunt shooters and shooters only. If rifle isn't open i bowhunt, if rifle is open i rifle hunt. I really could care less what i killem with as long as i gettem. Not about to shoot a buck with the bow i would not take with the rifle. To me the bow extends my season and will probably never put down the rifle.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I really enjoy the challenge of bow hunting. I would have had the opportunity to shoot at deer with a gun during gun season this year but didn't get to take those shots because I had my bow. Still glad I had my bow instead.So now back to the woods I go until the end of December.

I am going to try muzzleloading next year, though. Ordered a traditional percussion Hawken muzzleloader kit and going to build my own before season starts next November. I think hunting with that will be nearly as big a rush as bowhunting. Then my wife will have to listen to me carry on about my custom built rifle and the pioneer days and how the way I'm hunting is a lot like they did. :D

BTW, the guys on the Black Powder forum rule and have a lot of great advices to give.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

Sorry to hear. If it were me I'd get a safe and a couple of guns because they're a part of my life that I enjoy.

RE: Do you still hunt with guns
 

I hear ya, Greg. Problem is, around that part of the Dallas areawhere I was living back then,a safe just gives them something else to steal. The jerks will steal the safe, steal your dolly so they can move it, and thensteal your truck so they can have something to haul it in. They are so dumb that they work harder to steal stuff than they'd have to work if they just got a job and bought it themselves.:eek: