Is bowhunting "all" (or mostly) about the challenge, to you?
 

Is it? Or is it something else? More time in the woods (extending your deer/other game seasons)?

If it is about the challenge.....do you find yourself "uppping" that challenge......or looking for ways to make it easier? Give examples of either.

No wrong answers.

Little of all. If archery season was only after gun season in middle of winter, I wouldn't participate as much as I do.

I love being in the woods in the cool fall breeze, watching the leaves fall. Chasing the rut. Anymore, I really want to kill with a weapon I made by my hand.

50% extends my season.
20% challenge
30% Just love hunting and spending time with my kids.

For the most part I agree with BC - it's a little of everything. There is something about it for me, though. Whle it is more challenging, it's not the challenge that has captured me. It's the absolute rush of being up close and personal with my quarry. The experience of feeling my heart beat so intensely that I am sure the deer walking under me is going to hear it, having to fight to regulate my breathing so they don't hear me gasping for air while at the same time concentrating on keeping the muscles in my legs from shaking. I just don't experience that with a gun in my hands. Make sense?

I agree with all this

This is pretty close for me too. I would add that I just love shooting them with a bow.

I make no apologies for my love of the sound of a rib snapping or the sight of sprayed blood.

They say that hunters progress as they get older - until the shot is un-important. But after 30 years and untold gut piles, I am still a meat hunter for the most part so the challenge is not big reward for me.

It's the best feeling I have ever felt. I love that pounding in your chest, and then the adrenaline rush after the arrow is released.
Chris

I just enjoy being in the woods this time of year. The sights, sounds, the animals up close.......

For me it is about being up close and personal with them (Challenge). Also the time of year archery huntning in Wyoming in September with bugling bulls and the changing of the aspen trees is hard to beat. I guess you could say that it is much more relaxing as well since there are less hunters during this time and the temperature is usually pretty decent. I add a few things to make it easier from time to time but I as well have made a few bows that I would eventually like to bring something down with.

Good bunch of post's here everyone!!

To me there's no quieter time In the woods then bowhunting. A person can learn so much just sitting there listening and enjoying what mother nature throws at ya.

As for the challenge In bowhunting. There's a few different ways one could go about this. I'll use whitetails for an example. You could up your challenge with the type of buck your after- whether your going for age, more Inches, or up and close hunting (20 to 30 yard max). You could also make It more challenging by what choice of bow you shoot. I myself go the traditional route and no doubt It ups the challenge and besides I'm not a fan of the high tech stuff so the traditional route Is better for me anyway. Everything I listed Is pretty much the way I bow hunt. It's up and close hunting and at the same time I'm trying to shoot some of the better bucks that are In the area. Doesn't pan out too often but that's the challenge and one I enjoy (most of the time). :s4:

All In all It's a little bit of everything for me.