I think "bow only" is in my future.
 

1st let me say, I love all types of hunting, especially deer hunting. I also love all the nifty tools we have available to kill them with, and I do not enjoy, or take pride in any type more than another. That said, I am increasingly finding it harder to find good places to rifle or ML hunt anymore. Sure I live adjacent to thousands of acres of public rifle hunting land, and I also belong to a club that owns another 30 thousand acres of private land to gun hunt. However in all honesty, for the time and $$$ I spend on hunting , when I go in the woods I wanna at least see deer. All the places Ive gun hunted, I just dont see much. However, there are tons of great suburban bowhunting opportunities all over the place around here, and every time i get into one of these little gems, i see and very often kill deer. All of my good bucks have come from these little "bow only" spots. Every year I kill several deer in these places and every year there seems to be more than the year before. All the big tracts of woods seem to have less and less than they use to, so as much as I love my remington 700 and my ML, I dont think Ill be spending much time or money on hunting rifles anymore, and Ill be focusing more on achery equipment and treestands in the future.

Anyone else going more towards the bow only burbs aswell?

I have to agree. I see plenty of deer in my "little" bow spots here in Western MA & Eastern NY... The areas I can gun hunt are not very productive. I was actually saying the ame thing to myself that you said the other day.
I do enjoy the time spent w/ good friends and family associated w/ gun season though...

Yeah its just a fact of life in this part of the country, shooting guns and hunting are considered "fringe" activities:rolleye0011: If someone sees you walking out of the woods w/ an evil scoped "sniper" rifle, theyll likely call the cops on you, but for some reason, even the people who dont like the idea of killing deer, seem to not mind and almost respect bow hunters.

No doubt I feel the same way. In a very short time bow hunting has become a passion. Even during rifle season, I still prefer to hunt with my bow. There is something about the "closeness" that brings me nearer the sport.

what's gonna happen once everyone jumps on the bow bandwagon?

Just maybe, Hunters will become more intune with the sport. Or Maybe Bucks that are taken at 40 to 200 yards will grow to be a bit more mature. And just possibly, hunters may become better hunters. Stewards of the game if you will . I do not have a problem with rifle hunting , as I do it as well. But Bowhunting has made me a better hunter. And I mean that as it it encompasses all aspects of the sport.

Here in Nebraska, it seems like when rifle season comes around, EVERYONE is a hunter. I have to agree giving more time to my bow hunting. I also love all types of hunting but I have been saying for a few years that I was going to give up rifle hunting and get another tag with the bow. The truth is, its hard to make myself give up rifle hunting. I wish I could hunt the spots I bowhunt with the rifle!!!

Bowhunting is my primary and I do have better spots for the most part, but something always makes me want to toss a orange vest on and pick the gun up too!

i have to agree completely.. i rifle hunt..and bow hunt.. but here in Pa we no longer have a 3 day doe season.. and let me tell you we have 180 acres of private posted land and mostly 90% is unhuntable. but the deer population here is suffering greatly from over hunting does. when it comes time for rifle season i have to use my sacred bow hunting areas in the thickets stuff imaginable to find them, and then i just use my bow. i think in the last 4 years ive killed at least 1 deer with a bow during firearms season hunting this way. bowhunting makes me a better hunter instead of grabbing my boom stick and marching around aimlessly looking for creatures to run away from me lol

I couldn't agree more. It seems like more and more people are out in the woods every year. After I'm done with school I might just ML and bow hunt. Although as said before I do enjoy the time with friends and family gun season offers.

my dad keeps on getting more of a bowhunter me I hunt more with a bow but when gun season roles around thats all i use is a gun

Well late season you really need the range of a gun. The deer are moving less, the does are'nt running around looking for bucks, and the bucks are not fighting. The big bucks are using the does for protection. The mature does lead as the big bucks trail behind watching. Most residential places I've hunted with rifle are used to the sounds of hunting. And leave their porch lights on. As long as your one hundred yards from a house or a public road it's legal to shoot. I think bow season should start earlier in my area. But instead they prolong the season into March for doe. Who wants to harvest a pregnant doe, Yuk!
And lets' face it, all the felonists HAVE to use a bow....

I rarely use a gun anymore. I hunt with a bow during gun season on a regular basis. Most of my hunting is done prior to gun season anyway.

This year I never even removed the gun from the cabinet. I own 73 acres in the country: I rarely see another hunter during archery season (except, possibly, the last week of archery when the rut is under way: I may see a few). However, during the 12 day rifle season the gun hunters come out of the wood work. Opening day is like the local mall, the first Saturday is nearly as bad, and the second Saturday (last day of the season) usually includes a big drive.

Meanwhile, my freezer is loaded from three deer I killed from my Dad's yard in Allegheny county (Pittsburgh) with a crossbow. There is not enough room for gun hunting, but all three were killed within 15 yards of my stand anyway.

Here in Southern Indiana we have so many areas where a gun would be unwelcomed by many,such as where I took my Buck this year with homes so very close. I started out my season hunting in the Hoosier National Forest near English IN but saw no Deer at all for two weeks of weekend hunting though the rubs,scrapes and tracks were everywhere. They seem to be almost totally nocturnal according to our trail camera in this area. During gun season I heard less firing than last year but a lot of Deer have been taken so far in the Southern part of my area. The little pockets I hunt are full of what you would call urban Deer. In the last 14 days I have seen 16 while out,or coming out of my hunting spot,mostly Does only 2 Bucks some I'm sure are the same ones I've spoted twice. I love geting close to them it works my heart real good everytime I see them but I have had only two shot opportunities,one hit ,one miss. The Bow is my choice but I'm sure geting one with any weapon still gets the Rush going. Geting back in the woods all day is great no matter what happens,it's like when I fish just being out there is a plus,catchin or bagin one is better but it's all a great day.

I still love shooting deer w/ my gun... I just don't like gun season around here in Western Massachusetts. I prefer bowhunting around here... just see more deer in my "spots" I can hunt w/ the bow in my hand.

Here in VA bow season is early Oct to Nov then 2 weeks for blackpowder. After that its no fun. Everyone around me hunt with dogs, so it easy to be sitting in your stand and hear 20+ dogs and 3 or more gun shots since there is no plug law anymore.

I am happy with my bow and Hawkens BP gun all yr.

Well it was 9 deg. wind chill this morning, and I really didnt feel like sitting in a tree stand ,so I decided to stalk an out of the way spot on public land, near my house, w/ my muzzleloader. saw crap:s8:

On another note, I got stuck on some ice, when i went to pull out, and it took me 20 minutes to dig myself out. in that time, about 15 big 4x4s passed and saw me sideways on the roadside w/ a shovel in my hand. you would think one of them would at least stop and ask if i needed a pull. NOPE! not one.

people ,what a bunch of bastards:nonono2:

I totally agree, it's hard to beat the lower pressured action a guy can find for bowhunting. The gun season woods are crowded and after the first volley of shots fired in the morning... the deer catch on QUICK! Thus low deer sightings for the rest of the short gun seasons... it can ge depressing quick. You just can't beat a couple of weeks of bowhunting the Rut, BEFORE the invasion of the pumpkin army!

i love gun season, i hunt public land that is bow only and it is empty when gun season is in.

plus its like a 2 hour drive up to kaw lake to gun hunt.and that place is crowded with orange,i miss not being able to hunt for the last 2 season its killing me. 2010 hopefully.