I am not trying to cause trouble, but I want to know what draws everyone to archery hunting. I personally went to archery hunting because it was peaceful and more enjoyable. I could sit in the woods for hours upon hours without hearing a rifle going off. I hunt fairly close to game lands and on the first day of rifle two years ago, I heard over 400 shots in the first three hours of the day. Well, this year I was sitting in my treestand in archery season. I was waiting for one of those big bucks to come out when BOOM, a rifle goes off. I jumped because I wasn't use to having rifle's going off while archery hunting. A couple minutes later, Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom. A guy probablly 350 yards away from me emptied his gun on a small doe which ran across a field in front of me. Then all he!! broke loose. The deer started moving like the first day of rifle season. They start running from one patch of woods to the next and everytime, they get shot at. The woods just kept ringing with shots. The closest shot was the guy about 350 yards from me, but the whole hillside that he was one was sounding off with gun blasts. I counted over 90 shots in the three hours that I was on stand that evening. I know that Alt has "good intentions" with that fall rifle/muzzleloader but if they keep going on I am going to go strictly late season archery. I can't stand having a nice quiet day on the stand, some does walking out behind me and BOOM BOOM BOOM, then all I see is the white tails booking through the woods. It isn't enjoyable having to worry about bullets flying past, it isn't enjoyable having every deer in the county spooked, it isn't enjoyable watching deer come towards you to be scared away by some idiot shooting. I didn't find archery as enjoyable this year. WHAT WENT WRONG??

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
"Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE"

BM, I must be missing something? There was no rifle hunting in archery season during the 2001-2002 season, nor is it scheduled for the 2002-2003 season!
Are you talking about the junior/senior early season. If you are, you must be unlucky. I never even heard any distant shots in my neck of the woods.

Yes that is what I am talking about. There were tons of shots everywhere around me. I am glad that it was only junior/senior early rifle because god only knows how many shots I would have heard if it was everybody out their.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
"Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE"

Trying to get away from the crowds,the challenge and a extended hunting season.

I was out with my son and nephew in that season in the ANF and didn't hear more than a dozen shots either of the two days we were out. Thats pretty much what i hear went on most places. I guess you just happened to be in an unlucky area!

I heard one shot and saw nobody that whole week.

The only way to avoid it is to shoot the does. Get everyone who'll listen to fill their antlerless tag, and report it. Otherwise, it's a lost cause. I hear ya about the peace and quiet. It's a shamee, and I don't like it any more than the next guy, but the fact is hunting is a management tool, and archers haven't been getting the job done.
The worse possible thing is an early antlerless rifle season, there'll be so many bucks poached, it'll be unbelievable. None reported and factored into the kill statistics, either. That shot you hear on the next farm over could be the buck you're after. Shame. I've seen it in MD with the does only early blackpowder. Aweful lot of bucks checked in on archery tags that weekend at the gas stations where nobody checks the bullet hole.

I know that this wasn't the typical scene around Pa, most of the shots were groups of four or five. There were probablly only twenty hunters around, but that was enough.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
"Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE"

Why would you call someone an idiot for using a legal weapon of choice? Just curious. I love gun hunting and I enjoy archery hunting. I got into it for extended season thats it. I enjoy all seasons as long as I am out hunting I am happy. So If I choose to hunt with a rifle than am I am idiot? I also must say that being in the woods with almost no other people around was kind of neat. Almost spooky. But it was kind of nice.

brian

I love rifle hunting too, but I don't like when people crack off shots at deer running like 200 yards from them. I enjoy rifle hunting, not as much as archery. I just don't like people who take shots they can't make and that people other people in harms way. That is why that guy is an idiot.

Good Luck This Season: Buck Magnet
"Hunting is not a sport, it is a passion, it is a WAY OF LIFE"