Bow hunting during Gun Season

[MUSKY18]

I am rifle hunting this first weekend, but after that it will be bow hunting for the rest of the year. Wondering if any of you change your strategy while the gun season is going on. I would tend to think that with all the lead flying around the state, deer are going to become much more skittish. Look at maybe getting deeeeep into the swamps? Thoughts?

[newfish]

I have bowhunted after the rifle season and yes the deer are skittish. Just be extra cautious with your movemnts, scent control etc. Remember the phases of the rut and use those tactics to your advantage. As you move from Rut into post-rut you still might have success with you scents and rattling etc. I would go into the swamps if I were you initially during the remainder of the gun season.

As you progress through the post-rut deer are going to revert back to that eat, sleep, survive mentality. The biggest difference that I have found is sometimes they won't bed far from a food source if they aren't pressured to much. So if you set up a stand or two over a late season food source you may get something that will come into it. Soybeans, corn, rye are good source that deer go to when it gets cold and there is snow on the ground.

Pack some warm clothes too, because it gets really cold sitting out there when there is snow on the ground. Just my two cents and good luck.

[slimngrizzly]

I agree with newfish, one of the best times to kill a monster is when we get SEVERE late season weather conditions and the deer are on survival patterns. They have to eat, but you have to sit there!