Is anyone else...

[BradB]

...not looking forward to rifle season? I was talking to a colleague of mine today and we both discovered that both of us were regretting that we had to go rifle hunting this weekend. I have a friend who I have to take, and he has family he has to hunt with. Both of us wished we could be bow hunting instead. Neither of us would say this to our friends and family, as we don't want to run their fun.

Nothing against rifle hunters (I was one for a long time) but I'm looking forward to all the chaos and hoopla being out of the woods so I can peacefully bow hunt again.

[FISHINGURU]

i'm with ya

[swany25]

I shot my first deer with a bow this year. I've alway been and still rifle hunt. But nothing much better than that up close encounter with a deer and taking it with a bow.

But I realized that the thing I enjoy best about rifle hunting is Deeer Camp. Family, friends, sharing stories, giving each other a hard time for missing (usually me), tracking deer.

[propster]

Why don't you bowhunt while all the others are gun hunting? You'll still have the chaos, but get to do it the way you want yet still enjoy the comraderie.

[vister]

Why don't you bowhunt while all the others are gun hunting? You'll still have the chaos, but get to do it the way you want yet still enjoy the comraderie.

thats what i was thinkin, u just have to wear blaze instead of camo

[Chef]

I agree, I gave up the gun deal years ago...I will, take my Son out though so he can experience harvesting Deer and compare it to hunting.

[fivebucks]

If I had to chose between my deer camp time and my bowhunting, deer camp would win in a landslide. I love bowhunting but getting up north with my best friends and spending a week in deer camp is the best week of the year. I won't even think of taking a buck with a bow before rifle (unless it's a monster) because it would burn up my buck tag for rifle and our camps big buck contest.

[archerystud]

I'll take bow hunting over the gun any day of the week. However, my dad is getting up there in years and only gun hunts now. So it's more of a family/tradition thing for me.

[96trigger]

I am getting ready for firearm season. I love to bow hunt, and am very passionate about it. However, its getting to be freezer filling time. I think I'd like it more if I had one more week with the bow. Deer camp is the best. I don't know how many years my Dad has left to hunt, so I will always hunt during the firearm. I really don't care what method I use to take a deer, I just like to hunt whitetails. If I shoot one with a bow, it is all the more sweeter, however, shooting one with a gun is never bad.

[fishermatt]

I love to do both. After seeing deer out of range or not getting a shot, or getting busted just before a shot opportunity, it's nice to have the rifle in hand knowing I have some real firepower and won't have to track very far!

[96trigger]

AMEN to that Fishermatt. I have started seeing bucks, but nothing close enough to shoot.

[brassman]

I love bowhunting but I still love rifle hunting that much more because it is how I started deer hunting, also deer camp is the best. I like how people say that bow hunting is up close and personal, in my circumstances my bow shots have been farther than most of my rifle shots. My first two rifle deer were less than five yards, only two of my 6 rifle deer were past 15 yards. my two bow deer were 23 and 27 yards, beating my rifle average. This year might be different as there is a fresh clear cut and I have the ability to shoot 200+

[harvey lee]

I really enjoy the rifle opener. We have a group of friends who all get together and hunt the opener. To me its another chance to enjoy the great outdoors hunting deer.

When talking about how far away we shoot our deer, my range is typically 150 yards and up to 350. I hunt an open alfalfa field and they can walk out or run anyhwere.

Taking one with a bow is tougher but I love stacking up deer so it just doesn't matter. I have shot a ton of deer with my bow and it may not be the thrill it use to be.

[sticknstring]

I'm not looking forward to it either but I'm biased because I don't gun hunt. It's fun to share deer camp with everyone though and help trail, drag, etc.

[Bear55]

If I had to pick one wheapon to hunt with the rest of my life, the bow wins in a landslide. But like others have said deer camp is more for friends and family and the overall experience. And it is nice to be able to reach out and touch those bucks that are out of bow range. Some day I might leave the gun home and bring the bow out for rifle season, that way I still have the bow but I'm still at the shack with all the guys.

[96trigger]

I have bow hunted during firearm opener down here forever. This is the first year I'm actually going to get to use a firearm as we are going the 3A season and not 3B. I can tell you this. After the first day, the deer are skittish down here and I hang up the bow until December.

[Meat-Run]

I agree with most comments but with a rifle in hand I kind of feel like a little redemption is needed especially after the way this season has been unfolding for me. Lastnight I wish I had a rifle but it does take the fun out of it. The camp, family, stories told and made is hard to let go or to make new ones will always be a tradition.

mr

[Wanderer]

Love to bowhunt - its my ME time.

Love to rifle hunt - its my WE time.

Usually the rifle puts most of the meat in the freezer for the year so I kind of count on it.

I can and do go back to the bow after the gun season.

[bigbucks]

Pretty much agree with all of the later posters. I love both. I always shoot a deer or two with the bow, sometimes I do with the gun, sometimes I pass depending on what & when they are. The gun (shotgun & rifle) is still fun, but I'd rather shoot a big buck with my bow than a gun. Like hunting the naturally moving deer, when they're easier, not easy, to predict.

[HOT SPOT]

I love them both, But I would prefer to shoot one with a bow. Here is what happens to me tho.

A few yrs ago like 7-9 yrs the area I hunt had two seperate hunts.

A) the first week sat and sun

Then next sat sun mon and tues

the group I hunt with decided that we would all hunt the first week. So sat morn comes around and I have a nice 11 pter come 25 yrs broadside. So I shoot it. The thing is I could have easly shot it with my bow. Oh well. ( Not that big for a 11 pter)

The next weekend my dad And I decide to go out bow hunting and hope that someone pushes something to us. By 815 sat morn I had to watch 3 Nice bucks. a nice big 10, a Hug 10 And not sure on the other trot by at about 40 yrds. all three of them bigger than the one I shot the week before.

Oh well I am just happy I got one Just would have prefered to A shot the one with my bow or B shoot the Biggest of the 4

[Big Buck Buster]

I used to hunt with rifle for about 12 years, then needed a bit more of a challenge, so took up bow hunting and never looked back. Rifle hunting, to me, isn't that fun anymore. I still hunt with the rest of the family that rifle, but I still use my bow. Blaze Orange, but still get the job done. To me, bow kills are more rewarding than with a rifle. The deer camp thing still works for the bow hunters.

[BradB]

I went out the night before rifle season and saw two nice big bucks, one who I grunted near me 4 times. I was in the thick stuff so I never got a shot. I went out the next day with a rifle and saw nothing, but my buddy who has never shot a deer was thrilled to get a spike. That was pretty nice.