RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Like I have told others before. I use my gun for put meat in the freezer, & my bow for HUNTING! I have never had a deer walk away from a gun or bow until this year. The only difference is the ability to shoot thru vegetation & be able to reach out & touch some one w/my 7mm mag. I believe that w/bow, the experience you get from being that close to a deer is a heck of a rush. I know that if it were gun season 2 weeks ago, I would have a nice wall mounter for this yr.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I'm missing the point of your post TJF. Why can't things be "equal"?So...ANY day of the season....if you're given the choice of weapon (1st day of season or last).....and there's a $500 check waiting for you if you take a deer......what weapon do you take?

Which one is easier to kill a deer with?

What does my "bowhunting only paradise" have to do with this question?

Lisa and I were talking about this, last night. If I had been gun hunting, last year.....I would have bagged the buck that's on my wall on Thanksgiving Day......the first day I saw him. I saw him again the day after......and I've have bagged him, then, too. I saw him one more time before I finally took him the first weekend in December. IfI'd have been gun hunting.....the buck I took Nov. 6th of this year would have been taken by me in 2005. if I'd been gun hunting....I also had 2 opportunities to kill him, last year.

So again I ask......You're hunting SC.....and opener is opener for ALL weapons. If someone told you there was a $500 check waiting for you to kill a deer that day.....what weapon do you leave the house with?

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Jeff, in your situation as described above, and knowing that you have sole permission to the property you hunt, then the rifle would seem to be an easier bet. Take most hunters situations though and things become much different. Its hard to understand just what the increased pressure of rifle hunters will do to deer movement unless you see it. I have no idea how much pressure is in or around your hunting area, or what type of tactics are used for hunting, but when rifle season starts up here (in my part of PA), hunting pressure will increase dramatically. Properties that have one or two archery hunters will now have 20 rifle hunters on them. It just seems to me that too many times we (myself included) as archers think that what we accomplish while hunting is superior to what rifle hunters accomplish. It seems to me that we hold ourselves and our hunting methods above those of rifle hunters and after thinking about it, I don't see how what we do is anymore difficult than what rifle hunters do. Our overall goals are the same, the weapons of course are different, but with the differance in weapons comes many other variables (atleast for most areas/states) such as pressure and deer movements/phases.

I would like to give you an open invitation to hunt any of my properties next year if you decide to hunt PA again, maybe get some others members like Matt, Rob, Frank, Ryan, Franand maybe invite that dang buckeye guy. It would be great to learn some new tactics and pick up hints from guys who hunt different areas with much different scenarios.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

HEY BM.....I understand what you're saying (believe me). But the title of your thread is "Bowhunting is easier". As someone who bowhunts, exclusively, I kinda take offense to that assessment (ya think...lol:D). You throw in "pressured animals" and agressive tactics (drives) and what you're REALLY saying is.....Deer become harder to kill during gun season (vs. Bow season). I buy that.....but that's not what your thread title says. So I'll ask you.....take the pressured deer of your rifle season....and now relaize that you CAN hunt hem with the bow during that time of the season. So.....choice....Bow or gun....during gun season.

Now which one is "easier"?;)

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Good points!!

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Buckmagnet,

I know exactly what you mean. A bowkill during bow season is often much "easier" then a gun kill during gun season.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Never gun hunted a deer, but I'd come closer to buying THAT than the original assertion.

BTW, Atlas....congrats on your gun kill this year.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Comparing apples and oranges.

All things being equal, obviously gun is easier...you see a deer at 100 yards...BAM. Not so with a bow. The season is the difference, not the weapon and many are posting in generalizations, not specifics. Specifics say that gun is easier and no one can argue with that.

Generalizations say that BM's point is shooting any buck in bow season is easier than shooting any buck in rifle season, specifically PA, 6 weeks of unpressured deer hunting, vs 2 weeks of deer running for their lives.

Add any weapon of choice in the first season and obviously gun would be easier.

I think that's pretty simple.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Lots of people confusing "gun" with rifle I think. Pistols, muzzleloaders, shotguns of all kinds etc.

Like saying "bow" only means compounds........I bet the traditional guys would have something to say about that.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I have hunted with both bow and gun for 30 years and without a doubt have seen more deer and had more opportunity at deer during bow season than during gun season.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Here in wisconsin the deer are presured big time I saw 10 deer my dad 2 and my brother a tail of one and we hunted all day all 9 days givin it was on public land but we dident get a deer or even a shot at one. with bow I shot at many hit one but but was to nervos and got a horable shot and saw lots of deer all in the sam spot that i hunted for gun.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

What's the range on a modern ML?

I saw a guy take a shotgun shot at 150 yds on TV, recently.

I don't post my Compound kills on the trad board (although I now shoot a longbow) out of respect for their weapon of choice. I wouldn't dare compare the two pursuits, either.....having done both, now.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I understand all the points made and all of them make sense. In my area of New York State I have killed bigger bucks and seen many more bucks in archery season than I ever see in rifle season.Once you reach a certain level of proficiency with a bow you are far more likely to kill a big buck in my area with a bow than a rifle.You practically always have a much more complete sense of what you are shooting rack wise with a bow versus a rifle.Unpressured and in close proximity.
Killing big bucks is rarely "easy" regardless of your weapon of choice.On my recent annual unguided out of state hunt I killed two bucks,one on day eight and one on day eleven,rifle in hand hunting my tail off,easy,I don't think so,but certainly easier than if I had my bow in my hand.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I have just read 6 pages and all of you got it wrong
It's all about location;)

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

i agree buck magnet i have hunt anew place this year i scouted once before hanging my stand and three time since i have had three deer at 15 yards two at 35 or 40 two of the 15 yard deer i shot at and missed

all though if i had a shotgun i think i would have had my 4 tags filled

but i for me it is about the same i will not take a shot out past 50 yards with my soon to b new shotgun and right now i am at 25 with my bow

there is no one hunting with a gun on this land but since gun season started they have bee more alert and on my last hunt i had a small buck run off that was working down to me because i made a slight off noise with my rattle bag

i think it is just as hard to take a deer with a gun given the same distance say 50 yards since when you have a gun there more alert
i do not see a bow Kill any of a high achievement then a gun kill

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Here's something for you and Lisa to chat about tonight...
Add 10 - 20 others hunting yourparadise. Do you think the same scenario would have played out ?? Throw in duck hunters stomping, driving and shooting up the place2 months before. Still think you willget the same senario?? Your buck didn't know pressure in the least or very little. Not even sure if you have a clue in all honesty.

I couldn't take you up on the $500 on any given day here. I didn't draw a buck tag for the general season this year in my state. In the last 6 years, I've drawn3times. I can get a bow tag every year. Harder to kill them with rifle when you legally can't do it 3 out of the 6 years.

While the act of shooting maybe easier with rifle then bow... it wasn't what Buck Magnet was getting at in his original post... there is much more to it.

Tim

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

If you look at record books through out the states the big deer on recordes are shot with guns. I would say record deer are shot with a gun.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I don't think things can truly be compared for the situations I hunt.

Bow season-I control the destiny of my season to a larger extent. I'm hunting less pressured deer for a longer period of time, and during a period where mature bucks actually move on thier own during daylight hours. I have a short range weapon.(30 yds and under)

Gun season-I control very little of my destiny. I have 3 days to hunt, the woods are a zoo of people and deer running for thier lives. I can use a longer range weapon(225 was my farthest gun kill)

I dislike gun season for the circus that it is, not for the weapon that I take into the woods.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

You got that right Ryan. I would love to see PA go to a 3 day rifle season and increase bow 2 more weeks,maybe flintlock too.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

We just talked about it. She says gun is easier, hands down.;)

What difference does it make what you add into the scenario???? Add all things in EQUAL....and then tell me which weapon is easier to kill a deer with (look at the thread title).

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I would agree with that.

If someone bet me $500 to kill a deer and I had a choice between the first week of bow season or the first week ofgun season to do it in......... I'd pick the first week of bowseason 10 out of 10 times.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

LOL.....this is hilarious.:D Is it the weapon? Or....is it the time of year?

NY....if they also gave you the choice of weapon to use.....which one would you choose?

I give up. You smokepolers have me outnumbered. I'm gonna do it one day...just to see what all the fuss is about. I'd even go to some hard-pressured public land, here.....but to tell you the truth....I don't even know where that is. As far as I know....I don't have public hunting land within an hour of me.

Now take that highly pressured, first week of gun season.....and you have the choice of bow or gun. Which one's "easier", now?;)

We'r ein a bowhunting forum asserting that "Bow kills are easier". It's not unheard of that there would be opposition to that assertion.

But I'm done......

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

You're right it halirous. If it's so easy, we should probably change seasons with the gun hunters. Let them have the month-4 months that some states give a bowhunter and we get the 2 weeks the gun hunters get. It seems only fair. LOL Maybe this bowhunting should be equated to hunting in cages if it's so easy. Maybe we should just do away with it all together since it's so easy and no contest. Yes sir, I could save a ton of money on arrows and stands and all that stuff. Heck, if you want a real challenge you'll take up the gun again and get rid of these kid's Robinhood toys.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Is it me or is Davemill and GMMAT agreeing with each other:)

Gun season is harder, because of what is going on around you. You can be the greatest gun hunter in the world, but if you are surrounded by morons good luck.
Same goes with bowhunting, my succes has little to do with me, and more to do what happens around me. Last four years pressure has been light, not this year. It's been dry and folks are out cutting wood, etc. Tonight i had neighbors target shooting down the river 25 shots in 1 hour[&:] Dad was out cutting wood, I did see some deer, right before dark.

As for weapon and all things being equal, well do I even need to answer?

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Obviously it's the time of year
"you smokepolers"? I haven't heard a gun go bang in I dont' know how many years.Nice of you to put yourself on that almighty pedestal once again though.



That's all fine and dandy and I get what you're saying. Take that same piece of property........ Is it easier to kill a deer in the first week of bowseason with a bowor the first week of gun season with a gun??

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I don't care WHO uses a gun NY....I'm not on any pedestal, either. I know "hilarious" when I see it, though. I wasn't lumping you (specifically) in or singling me( specifically....and on a pedestal) out, either.

I see what you're saying...and I'll say I have NO IDEA of what hunting high pressured deer is like. I can't answer your question, intelligently. No one will answer mine, PERIOD.

That's OK.....have a good one.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

The way this post was phrased is causing some confusion.

I don't think BM is referring to a choice of weapon, as obviously it is a little "easier" to kill a deer at
100 yards with a rifle. :D

It is really the choice of season - pressure / time of year.

Even that being said, gun hunting is a lot easier where I'm at b/c during the rut and cold weather
(from November on) you can hunt with rifle or bow and everybody is out there anyway with rifles.
All things being equal, a bow is a lot more difficult IMO.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

We all are so hung up on which weapon is "easier" but I think it really boils down the person behind the weapon. A guy that is a good hunter can probably have a better than averagechance atkilling deerany time of the season with his bow or his gun by selecting good stands, actually being able to take a shot is the last part of a good hunt. When I bowhunt during the firearms season I make sure to hunt stands I will likely get bow shots.

This is one of "those" topics,everyone has an opinion based on how they hunt and what they seeand none are really wrong just different. On a side note there was a thread the other day titledBows for Defense and for the record I would want to have a gun in that situation even if Bow Kills Are Easier.;)

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

It's so obvious!!
I've been gun hunting for 26 years, bow hunting for 21 years, and "all things being equal", a gun is so much easier, but things aren't equal. I've seen 10x as many deer bow hunting, as I have gun hunting, but I'veshot more than twice as many with a gun! The seasons are so different, you can hardly compair them!
I'm sure there are areas where hunting with a gun is harder than hunting with a bow, because of the pressure, but northern MN is not one of those areas!

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

dang, 7 pages in 24 hours

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Better then the other way around I guess ;)

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Well I've read8, and you are right on ,Germ.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

This post hits it right on the head. MD's gun season opened on Sat. and I remembered why I hate gun season. Unless you have a bunch of land with no pressure, I kill quality bucks much easier with a bow.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Hey I've never tried either. You're at least halfway there, though.;)

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I had this thing solved pages ago...:D

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Be careful..... you might find yourself hunting.

No kidding the gun is going to be easier to kill a deer in that first week with. You're assuming all things are equal. We're talking about2 different seasons. Is it easier to kill a bow deer during bow season or a gun deer during gun season?

Cute isn't it>???

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

NY...seriously....Do you want me to apologize for having an unpressured (for the most part....except for the poachers that are my neighbors) piece of private land to hunt?

Is what I do not hunting in your eyes? (not that I care....just wanna make sure what you're trying to project, here)

You look it up. My area of NC is unlike many areas across the country. I honestly don't know where I'd have to go to hunt public land. It's MUCH easier, here, to hunt private land.

Again....I only hunt where I do. I can only answer your question for the woods I hunt. If it were allowed, though......the gun would ALWAYS be the easier weapon to kill a deer with. I hunt with a bow through the gun season. Could I kill more/more quality deer with the bow or the gun during this time?

Try as you may.....there's really only one answer to this question.....and it's obvious.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

I would agree with that for your woods but I am not convinced that the above answer is so obvious in other areas especially if you are taking the seasons and other variables into account.

NC website has inf oon some good public lands and they just added some new ones in the past couple of seasons. I can add a link later if you'd like.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

Not at all. I just find it funny that you're so possitive of the answer, but yet you've never hunted a day of gun season on pressured public land. That's pretty remarkable. I could care less where or how you hunt. But to sit back and seemingly have all the answers and not experiencing half of what you're commenting on is .... well.... a little strange.

I hunt with a bow during gun season too. I have for many years now. Jeff, I understand that if you're walking out your door and had to choose a weapon that would be easiest to kill a deer on THAT particular day, you would pick up the gun. I agree that is very obvious. However you're completely missing the other side of the argument (and what the thread is about). Is it easier to kill a bow deer during bow season or a gun deer during gun season? And you can't answer that.


Let's get one thing straight before we go any further. I live, eat, and breath bow hunting (as do you). I really can't even stand shotgun season around here. If I never shoot a gun at a deer the rest of my life it would be fine by me. There is an ENORMOUS amount of difference between what it takes to bowhunt and gunhunt. So I'm not coming on here being a proponent of gun hunting. I'm not a "smokepoler" either. I'm just making some observations based on past experiences.

RE: Bow Kills Are Easier....
 

You're right, NY. I can't. But when you post a thread titled "Bow Kills are Easier" in a bowhunting forum......what did you really expect? You're gonna get the guys who gun hunt agreeing with you....a portion of the bowhunting community to pass it off......and a portion that takes it as a mild slap in the face as to how they pursue the whitetail deer.

Call it what it is....."Is hunting unpressured whitetails easier than pressured whitetails"....and I'l give you that, every time.....with ANY weapon. Given.