Phade

I have to agree partially with BA.

I love the challenge of bow, and the work it entails. However, I love the opener of gun because I typically see plenty of deer, and enjoy a bit of a break from the stress that I put on myself to fill a tag during archery. I hear plenty of shots, and they always get me wondering if the shots connected.

After opener however, it's like a ghost town. You start to see the hunter participation level drop as the season progresses, meaning less legs to push deer around. Along with aware deer, it leaves much of the huntable daylight empty and void of sightings. I'm conluding my last archery hunt on Wed. this week, and I've been out on 4 morning hunts, and 15 afternoon hunts this season. I've seen deer on all but three of those hunts, and half of those hunts had deer within bow distance. It sucks to go from feast, to famine in the span of one weekend. I'll still get out there with enthusiasm, but I dred the days after the opener. Good thing that can always change, because it gives me the hope and desire to stay at it, and get outside on those cold days.

GR8RALLY

This is my third year hunting, so I'm still very excited. I have been bow hunting, but let the does and 6 point and smaller bucks go till next year. Seen a couple 8 pointer's and one monster 10, but not within shooting range nor shooting hours. Now that gun season is just around the corner and my new rifle is sighted in, those bucks that were 60 yards away during bow season will be mine. As for the party the night before, did that my second year and boy was I exhausted on opening day by noon. Took a 1-2 hour power nap, I don't snore, but I always wonder how many bucks walk past while I was druling in my blind. LOL.

BigJohn H

Gr8rally Where in the southern tier are you? I am in Owego.

I used to hear lots of gun shots on the first day but since they opened rifle in Tioga CountyI don't anymore. I mean you here lots of shooting but not someone emptying his or her shotgun. I also bow hunt and like the rest of us bow hunters I like the quiet time and close range shooting of bow season having said that I also like gun season as it is hunting and I just plain enjoy hunting of any kind. Oh I also bow hunt the late season after gun, just because.

NY Bowhunter

I'm glad someone else mentioned it. I didnt' want to get called the holier than thou bowhunter [:-][8D]. I agree 110% with this. Somehow sitting in a treestand with the thought process being "I hope someone pushes one my way" just doesnt' do it for me. After 2 days of slugs flying, people driving deer, and scent everywhere in the woods it makes for some serious nocturnal patterns. I'm pretty depressed the last day of bowseason.

GR8RALLY

Newark Valley area.

nyhunter863

I will agree that there is something nice about the solitude of bow season, although I will take the precision of a rifle over a bow any day of the week. Deer do get wounded by poor shooting during the gun season, but even more things can go wrong with that bow in my opinion. Just check out some of threads on this forum if you think I am mistaken. A skilled, patient rifleman will rarely lose an animal, while a skilled, patient bowman has NO such guarantee!

BigJohn H

Well hell we're neigbors then, cool !

NY Bowhunter

I'd have to respectfully disagree with that. A SKILLED bowhunter will rarely lose an animal. A SKILLED bowhunter will not take a less than perfect double lung shot. A SKILLED bowhunter knows how to identify what type of blood he/she has and how/when to take up a bloodtrail. A SKILLED bowhunter will exhaust every single possibility to retrieve his/her animal sometimes (if needed) looking for days. A SKILLED bowhunter will not release the arrow if he/she is not 99.9% sure the deer is dead just as a skilled gunhunter. A SKILLED bowhunter often has the ability to pass and not force shots on deer within range if the perfect shot doesn't present itself. See JustinHNI's thread about the 150" buck he was at full draw with and had to let off because of a branch in the way.

nyhunter863

OK, but maybe you should tell this to all the bowhunters who admitted to losing numerous deer so far this year! They probably do a heck of a lot more bowhunting than I do, yet seem to lose quite a few animals from what I have heard and read. I actually have never lost one while bowhunting myself. Haven't taken very many deer while bowhunting, but at least I didn't lose any either. I surely don't consider myself much of a bowhunter, yet the ones who do consider themselves to be bowhunters first and foremost are telling us of all the deer that got away wounded. So, you are entitled to disagree, but very, very few bowhunters here and elsewhere would then qualify to your definition of "skilled". I think they need to reply to your definition of what "skilled" is more than I do.

GR8RALLY

Sure are John, even went to check out the North Eastern Outdoors web site by Airborne to see what it's all about.

So do you have property in Owego and you park your winnie on it during hunting season? I did the similar thing the past two years, parked my 02 Forest River Travel Trailer on mine for about 7 months out of the year so we didn't have to stay at the Whitney Point Motel every weekend. LOL, seemed cheaper to buy the trailer. Glad I did, we came back from a two month trip accross the good ol' USA this past summer with the kids and had a blast!

Done any traveling with yours?

You know, I think I just went off topic again, Sorry guys.