doetrain

During the bow,gun and muzzle loader seasons last year I saw a total of 28 deer,4 bucks and the rest were doe's. I had shots at 1 buck and 1 doe the rest were out of range except for a buck who caught me with my pants down and gave me no shot because I spooked him after he spooked me. Many of these doe's I saw more than once I think, so about 17 can be subtracted from the total sightings of 28,that leaves 11. I hunted with a bow only last year and missed my doe shot from a tree stand so I ended up with 1 buck down and 1 doe missed,the others could have been shots taken if I had a gun during those seasons. I had 2 shot opportunities in the end,is this your expierence most of your season many sightings but few shot opportunities?

Game Stalker

I generally don't see alot of deer.When I do,it's mostly doe which are legal for only one day out of a 2 week BP season.In gun season,they aren't legal at all.This area is highly hunted public land and the doe,which greatly outnumber bucks,numbers highly fluctuate from year to year.That being said,deer sighting are pretty unpredictable and usually non- legal does.There is one exception: Doe are allowed in bow season.I picked up a bow and intend to make great use of that opprotunity this year.Most of my shots come from wooded areas and are usually inside of 50 yards.Before I purchased a bow,I usally had fluctuating success.Some years,none.Other years-a two deer average.On this property,you really have to work to make a harvest.Too much hunting pressure.

A11en

Doetrain, I had a similar experience in sighting, but my set-up is a funnel so most of my sighting are shot opportunities. I shot a doe opening day with my bow, just to fill the freezer. After the first day doe, I had shot opporunties on 25+ deer - does and small bucks (both are legal from mid Sept through Dec). However, I was focused on a single eight point and blew the shot (thought he was 25, but he was 32 yards). So last year I only shot one, but could have easily tagged out (we can shoot 6 here in NC).

I used to shoot anything I saw. I've learned far more by watching them at close range than I have my first 20 years of gun hunting. I must admit, I still enjoy opening day of rifle season too.

fishtaconc

Doetrain,

Your experience is what usually either keeps bowhunters coming back or driving them off from this form of hunting. Try reevaluating you stand location somewhat mabye split the difference so to speak to increase you chances.

UncleNorby

I set gun stands differently than bow stands. I like to be within 30 yds with a bow, so my bow stands are set right on top of trails. I may see deer on other trails, but they are usually out of bow range. It is great when you find a spot where trails converge, and the wind allows a bow stand within 20- 30 yds of both trails. For gun stands, I actually like to be a bit further away from where I expect to see deer. Helps avoid getting winded, and sometimes allows me to get between 2 hot trails that are say 150 yds apart, and keep both within gun range.

I'm going to guess that I could kill about half the deer I see in a season. On average I shoot at less than 5 deer a year though.

uncle matt

I would say that I have actual shot opportunites about 5-10% of the time shotgun hunting here in IL and about 33% of the time bowhunting here in IL.

That being said.....

When I am bowhunting I am in pretty wooded areas. If they move by 50 yards away I may well not even see them.

Gun hunting I am sitting in stands that may well be in woods or wood strips but I can see out into crops fields which afords seeing alot of ground. A few stands look out over big CRP fields, too. So that coupled with the fact that I am looking thru binoculars ALOT I see ALOT of ground. I see lots of deer in the CRP. Some make it towards me, some don't.