Yes, if you have hordes of end stuffers hitting the woods it will have a tremendous impact and will put the majority of mature bucks on a strict nocturnal pattern.

We have an early muzzleloader season smack dab in our archery season and I despise it.

Ry, What have you seen that make you depise it?

Your's is a limited one, not everyone can take advantage of it right?

Do you hunt public land or priviate?

How many extra people (per 250) acres do you think are on the land?

The last two seasons I have hunted quite a few times with my bow during gun season, I have had no trouble seeing deer and getting them within my bow range of 30 yards.

Iowa has an early muzzle loader season and a youth season right before bow season starts. It has little or no effect on deer patterns in my area. I have scouted many deer over the past few years and have never had a muzzle loader season change the pattern.

It's not that I've seen anything, its the premise itself. There are a lot of leaves still on the trees at that time. Archery was always a nice peaceful, didn't have to worry about getting shot time of year. Now your hearing gun shots and having to wear flo orange. Yea I know all the stuff about still being able to kill deer and stuff, but for me dealing with all the extra hassle takes away from my overall enjoyment. I'll get my deer thru the season, what pressure it puts on the deer I'm able to adapt to, I just don't enjoy it

Its not that limited, anyone with a ML tag can hunt it. And in SRA areas which I hunt some, Xbows can be used which in my one spot I had an influx of 3 other guys into a few acre area that week. I hunt all private land and 250 acres is a lot of land where I hunt. Depending which spot I could have 1-5 extra people per 100 acres.

I too can get in bow range of deer in gun season, but I enjoy hunting so much more when the deer are moving naturally rather than being pushed.

Thanks for the honest answer.

You know what made me laugh is when they changed the proposal to keep bowhunting open during that week for antlerless only. Saying safety won't be a concern??ML's will have to first identify their target to make sure it's a doe before taking a shot so it shouldn't be a problem. LMAO ok Einstein. My arse isnt' going to roaming through the woods in full camo during that week. I'm sitting in a ground blind 200 yards from a MLer and he's supposed to be able to pick me out that easily where they think there is NO reason to worry about safety?Sorry.
Not to mention the poaching potential. I know myself and most everyone here would abide by the rules of the game. But you mean to tell me that if a 170" buck is standing 15 yards away broadside on the last day of early ML/bow season (antlerless only) that someone won't be letting an arrow fly?

I hate the whole concept of everything about the proposal and I'm still trying to figure out what the actual purpose of it is. MLers can use their weapon of choice during shotgun and late ML season. That's about 5 weeks which is currently more than bowseason (i think). What's the purpose of the early ML other than to whack a bunch of does before the rut and pressure all the mature bucks and drive them nocturnal?

That was my biggest concern when the proposal first came out. Read it and got that look I my face when I think something is stupid. 170 buck? How about a 110 that many people have never shot before.Think you would see more then a few people drop their buck during this season. Let's face it , if your hunting privite property and you don't have to drag the deer to the road chances of getting caught are slim to none. I couldn't put a deer on my wall that I poached, but many would.

What's the purpose, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.