I have also harvested my biggest bucks with my bow. I think it definetly depends on the region. I know out west it is much easier to get shots at mature bucks with a rifle. I haven't gun hunted in Ohio just because I have been lucky enough to tag out before hand. I have a TC Encore collecting dustI really think it depends on where your at in regards to ease of harvesting deer. Either way, I don't think it's easy with anything to kill big bucks.

They both obviously have their challenges. Bow, deer must be much closer. You can't snipe them from 300 yards. But I also agree that the hunting pressure makes it much more difficult.

In my hunting "career" I've killed but 2 antlered bucks. One w/ a rifle, 1 w/ a bow. The one I shot w/ my rifle was even in bow range....

Try Minnesota out once! I hunt during the gun season with my bow, if i would of been gun hunting i can think of at least 10 to 15differentbucks in the 160" range i could of shot gun hunting the last 20 years, they were all in that 40 to70 yard range, some even closer then that but to far out for the bow. I person would be crazy to say that bow hunting is easier then gun hunting in Minnesota!!! But I guess I can't speak for theother states, all i can speak for is where i live and hunt.

Area dependent for sure...decoys, bait, feeders, the rut or all of the above.

Consider yourself lucky. I've been hunting 30 years in NDand haven't seen 15 different bucks in the 160 range scouting, bowhunting or rifle hunting combined !!!10 160 class bucks would be stretching it. We don't have trees either to hunt out of in my area. Whydrive hunting and road hunting are the two " major " ways of hunting deer here during the General Season. [:'(]

I might just have to hop the line and bow huntMinnesota. Sounds likebowhunting the big boys would be a piece of cake with all those big bucksightings. (joking )

Tim

I suppose when you factor in the "orange army" you throw an element that exists.....but could or couldn't be part of the original "assessment". I'd buy "Killing a deer in gun season is as toughas killing a deer in bow season", but let's be honest......

It is NOT easier to kill a deer with a bow than it is with a rifle.....if all things else are equal.

LoL. You guys come to South Carolina. In some parts of our state our GUN season runs Aug. 15h--Jan. 1st.

We have a two week archery season in some places. Thats it.

So, the other 4+ months our woods are open to gun hunting. Just think, from Aug. 15th to Jan. 1st our deer are chased with guns, dogs, and bows. Now do you think YOUR deer are pressured?

Very good points BM.You have some good points in a way. Let's see.... gun season opened up here 1 week ago. In that week I've had one spike in bowrange and saw 3 other does [:-] That's it in one week!![:@] First week of bowseason I didnt' count, but like you said almost every time out I'd have deer within bowrange. As far as sightings? Lost count of that too but at least 10 times more than first week of gun.

The combination of the orange army, hunting post rut deer, lack of scent control by other hunters, deer drives (biggest IMO), etc..... sends these deer to the underground tunnels to never be seen until complete security of darkness.

So, strictly based on numbers of deer roaming in daylight hours the odds of harvesting one with the bow start out in your favor. The challenge lies within scent control, becoming a ghost in the woods, setting up to get close enough, entry/exit routes, playing the wind, being able to draw at the right moment, etc... That's where the difficulty in bowhunting is. Anyone can draw back and shoot a broadside deer @ 20 yards (at least I hope), it's getting to that point that is the challenge. So... I would agree thatbased onnumbersalone you have a better chance of killing a deer while there are a lot more deer roaming the woods during the day. I wouldn't label it "easier" though, because there is 10 times more work and thought to put yourself in the position to do so. Did that make sense or did I just contradict myself [8D]?

Smooth bore slug barrell that I sight in at 50 yards.........the vast majority 95+% of my gun kills the last 20 years have been in bow range. Many off the ground with open sights. This all under REDICULOUS pressure.

Many of my bow kills have been a piece of cake in comparrison.

Good points by all.

I've had some easykills with both bow and gun. I've had some hard ones with each as well.

In my experience it's easier to find the deer during bow season when they are relaxed and moving about in an orderly fashion. I may not get a shot at the deer I want during bow season, but if I put in my time, a shot will eventually present itself. Whether I shoot or not doesn't matter. I was presented with an opportunity. I just may not have taken advantage of that opportunity by drawing and releasing an arrow.

Now that I think about it. I can't remember any year over the last 15 or so where I wasn't presented with at least one good opportunity. Usually that number is much higher than one to be honest about it.

Gun season...all bets are off.

As a side bar...Sometimes I think "us" bowhunters tend to make this whole bowhunting thing appear to be harder than it really is. Sure...we have limitations on our range and the potential to get busted at critical moments of the hunt, but other than that it really is pretty straightforward since the deer are not too difficult to find.

All you have to do is look at how many of us here have scored on deer this year, or any year for that matter. There are pictures and stories everywhere. Our success rate is quite good I'd say. So really, how hard is it?