southLA

Hey guys. I don't want to turn this into a gun vs bow war, but i have a few questions. This is going to be my first year hunting deer and I've yet to purchase a weapon (unless you count my duck/geese shotguns). The gun season is much shorter than the bow season, so with a bow, I'd have more opportunities to hunt, which would be great. However I do realize the challenge in bow hunting.

So basically, could I start deer hunting with a bow or should i go with a rifle?


Thanks.

halfbakedi420

uo to you. ya ever shot either? maybe its worth it to grab sum1 who has a nice size chunk of the big picture and get em to take ya shootin. you will know after ya have a go round with each one, which is a better suite fer yerself

salukipv1

being able to bow hunt the rut vs. gun hunt the rest of the year, may make you more addicted, bowhunting that is....warmer weather, nicer anyway, more deer activity.

wouldn't say being able to shoot a gun helps you bow hunt and vice versa...

Major Woods

Why not do both, I've shot a bunch of deer with my duck gun.

scottycoyote

i vote both too. If you can only pick one id probably look into muzzleloading, here you get the extended season and muzzleloading is in for most of the prerut and rut, where firearms comes in on the tail end of rut

vl Whitetail Genereal lv

I would use a gun for you first year hunting. That is what I did the first year I deer hunted. I just really got into hunting now so I recently purchased a bow and they are a lot of fun but quite a challenge to get good at shooting and tuning it and all of that.

WHITETAIL GENERAL

I started out with a gun, before i got my bow. I would defenantly start with a gun before i go to bow. With a gun you can make more erros than with a bow and it will be much easier for starting out. learn to hunt deer with a gun before a bow. Learn about how deer react to wind and such things while gun hunting, before you go to a bow.

StealthHtr22

Whitetails have fantastic senses and I think you may be surprised what they can smell, see, and hear. Consider a few other things before deciding....How are you going to hunt? From the ground or in a tree? What is the concentration of deer in the area? Are you hunting open country?

A gun is definitely much easier, but bowhunting is an addiction. Nothing like getting these animals in close and having a longer opportunity to watch them in their natural setting. If you get a bow and are comfortable shooting with it, I'd recommend being prepared to hunt archery early, and if things do not shape up the way you want, pull out the firearm later in the season.

Oh, and now is also a good time to start studying whitetail behavior articles if you don't have much experience with them.

southLA

Thanks for the replies guys. If I go with a rifle, I'll probably go with a Handi rifle so i'll be able to hunt a little earlier. I'll be hunting from a stand, from a small area on my farm, and also possibly my uncle's lease in the woods(far better place than mine).

Waldo Hunter

I would get yourself a good bow and start shooting it as much as possible. There is a lot to learn about bow hunting and also about learning to shoot a bow and getting your broadheads to fly correctly. But don't let that scare you, its all worth it and there are plenty of books and articles out there to get you up to speed. I started out with a rifle and wish I never would have. A bow makes almost no noise, your close to the animal, the feeling of accomplishment is unmatched, and they are just fun to shoot. If you do get a bow, you will need to dive right in and don't be afraid to ask questions. Its tough, but imo its worth it. Plus you can shoot your bow almost anywhere when you want to do a little practicing. Just my 2 cents! Good luck with whichever you chose.