BBHPete

Might I suggest if you are just getting started in bowhunting that you find a winter archery leage or indoor range you can hone your shooting skills at.

God Bless & Good Hunting
LM/NAHC
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thundermug lives

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Ice fishing kills time in winter.

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Ice fishing? Being in Florida I've never done that. What do you catch ice with? When is the season?

davidmil

Well, we started bowhunting on crop damage permits the first of July. That lasted until Sept 15th when the regular archery season came in.... which just closed Jan 31st. So now I have to wait 5 months so I can hunt 7 months. Yup, off season IS TOO LONG.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle> Fortunately they throw in a little turkey season. I have a &quot;Honey Do List&quot; that's longer than my packing list for a week long campout. Of course it still doesn't seem to shrink much during the off season. In fact, it's been a work in progress list more than a &quot;Honey Do&quot; list. Maybe more like a cancer... it just keeps growing and growing. Someday that list will kill me. Has anyone ever really completed or checked off everything on such a list. I suspect that would be UN-American to do that. Yup, it's the off season... I'm rambling.

Rack-attack

Think of it this way:
Last season didn't end, Next season has just begun.
This is the best time of the year to scout, set up trees and explore those areas you wouldn't during the season. No bugs no people its great.

ElkhuntingFool

I wish we could scout right now. The areas that we hunt have about 10-15 feet, minimum, of snow on them. We don't hunt out of stands, so we can't do that either. I don't start scouting until May - most of the snow is gone by then. Sometimes I still get snowed on during that time.

akbowhunter

Lil, i second that! except i dont like the cold so ill wait for break up. god knows it cant get here fast enough tho. but hey 2 more months and im off chasing yogi.
Ron

Tazman

Elkhunting fool as others have said the season never really ends, if you are just starting out with a bow, now is the time to start practicing, you need to work on making shooting a bow as natural to yourself as you can. Scout when you can, fish, hike, scout some more, and then practice. Good luck in your first bow season.

The Tazman

shed1

Elk,

In your country, with that much snow I am sure your deer and elk migrate, unlike many of us whom scout year around, because our critters for the most part stay in a general area especially the whitetails. I use a snowmobile and snow shoes for winter scouting, but I am only dealing with 4 feet of snow at the most. Usually more like 2-3. I spend most of Feb, March and April shed hunting (great exercise in this terrain) scouting and situating set- ups(stands or ground blinds)for next season.
I spend a lot of time raking out entrance and exit routes to and from ambush sites.

I also try to shoot my bow a couple of times per week. Once June rolls around I shoot my bow every day and begin videoing bucks and bulls in the velvet. I keep a detailed journal throughout the year. I would have to say January is my slowest month do to weather and available daylight.


Shed