bow VS rifle

[bimbo]

me i am an all out bowhunter, its way more of a rush to shoot a deer with my bow than any other weapon. so this weekend i think im going to stay home and see if i can shoot one of the big guys on my land i got out there with a bow instead of the rifle up north. does anyone else feel this way too? i mean its all hunting i do it just for the rush and for the love of the hunt. i mean anyone can go and find some land with a huge opening and tag that deer 100 yrds away but to put the time in and wait all season for that big guy to come in to 20 yrds after doing all that practicing and stick him with an aarow!!! theres nothing like it!

[jigglestick]

well bimbo, I've bowhunted more this season that I ever have. a change of circumstances has alowed me the time and flexability to do so.

now that rifle season is bearing down on us, I am almost sad.

the woods have been so peaceful, now every thing that moves is going to get it's a$$ blown off by the guys that only go into the woods two or three weekends a year.

heck, I'm not even sure if I want to go out saturday.

[Roofer]

Nah, you have it wrong.....anybody can go out in their back yard, take 3 months, and come out with a deer at the end of their arrow.

I do give credit to those of you who wait for a good shot and nice buck. You have a good gripe though. There are many gun hunters who make it look bad by taking running shots, sound shots, and flooding the forest for a quick 2-3 weekends. Heck, I know people that can't even be prepared for the 2-3 quick weekends. One guy has hunted for years and doesn't even own a rifle. He has to borrow one of mine every year. LOL!!

[mrklean]

I love to bowhunt i have bowhunted more then anything, the rush is the best but its also pretty cool to drop a deer at 200 yards in its tracks

[fishinmajishin]

I prefer to bowhunt for the challenge and chance to watch the deer the entire fall, but I've rifle hunted my whole life, and there's some quality points to love about it as well. For instance, I can hunt the firearms with my father(71) who can't shoot a bow.

[Eskimoman]

Bowhunting is where I am serious. Rifle hunting is tradition, time with family and friends, another excuse to go up north and hunt, and one of the best chances of the year at a trophy buck. I would never give up either.

[Kyle]

I think it is totally justified for a serious bowhunter, to take the time and gun hunt. Its tradition for me as well. Though I just got into bow hunting a few years ago, and have yet to kill a large buck or even see one from the stand, I have passed on many little bucks waiting for the big guy. Gun hunting is not the same. I do it in a totally different part of the state, and its about meat hunting, and being with family. Its just a totally different game. It is a bummer how the woods change after gun season though due to all of the pressure.

[DooWap]

I agree too, I love to bow hunt. The hunt is a lot more exciting and rewarding. But gun hunting comes down to the tradition of hanging out with family and friends. It's about the camp and all that stuff. It's still something I look forward to every year.

[MNice]

This is my first year of bow hunting, and this year I turned the big 50. I still would not miss gun season for anything. For me its about the camaraderie, staying at the shack, talking about the past years hunting, and general B-S'ing.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I say do what you want.. Remember though, no matter what you have in your hand, during gun season you must have orange on.

I too prefer the enjoyment of bow hunting. I dont even own a rifle(unless you count a .22) And I will be bow hunting this weekend, but over in WI where gun season isn't for a few weeks yet.

[Bear55]

Bowhunting is where I am serious. Rifle hunting is tradition, time with family and friends, another excuse to go up north and hunt, and one of the best chances of the year at a trophy buck. I would never give up either.

Well said, I do exactly the same thing. Maybe some day I will bow hunt the rifle season but I don't see if happening any time soon.

[UMDSportsman]

Bowhunting is where I am serious. Rifle hunting is tradition, time with family and friends, another excuse to go up north and hunt, and one of the best chances of the year at a trophy buck. I would never give up either.

I third that statement. If in the right stand, i may bring the muzzeloader with me instead of th rifle. Doubtful that i will break out the bow, but i will have it at home with me, just in case.

[96trigger]

I love them both, I am probably one of the biggest whitetail fanatics that you will ever meet. I hunt with the seasons, during bow season its with a bow, waiting for Mr. Big, when the gun season starts, I hunt that first day with the bow as I go second season, but then I'm done, I have tried hunting before but the deer are so spooky and nocturnal, I think its best if I am just one less hunter in the woods at that time. When its my turn to go firearm, I will, this year, I'm also going to try the ML season.

[bmc]

I'm an avid bowhunter and have only shot 5 deer with a rifle in my 22 years of deer hunting. I just don't get excited when I have the rifle in my hands, but that's just me. I understand some people don't have as much time on their hands as others to be able to bowhunt. As for me this weekend, I will be sitting with my 10 year old daughter Amanda, and hopefully watching her harvest her first deer. I'll still get out and do some bowhunting, if she leaves me any tags after the weekend! LOL

The most important thing we have to remember is that whether you hunt with a stick bow, compound, rifle, muzzleloader, rock, spear, or slingshot.....we are all hunters and need to stick together!!!

Good luck this weekend everyone, no matter what your weapon is.

Brian

[sticknstring]

Quote:

The most important thing we have to remember is that whether you hunt with a stick bow, compound, rifle, muzzleloader, rock, spear, or slingshot.....we are all hunters and need to stick together!!!

Good luck this weekend everyone, no matter what your weapon is.

Well said. How you hunt is not nearly important as the why.

I shot my first with the shotgun when I was 14. Grandpa started me off with the recurve soon after and it's been archery tackle ever since. I don't even own a rifle. I'll usually head to deer camp with the rifleman 2nd weekend and partake in tradition but using a firearm for big game just isn't in my blood. I do think it would be neet to shoot one with the muzzleloader some day though. Having one shot and a big cloud of smoke on a cold December morning... could get a guy excited.

[deerminator]

Bow. No more guns for me when it comes to deer. I love bow hunting during gun season. You can go where the gun hunters can't, often near sanctuaries. Grab the bow and go. Good luck!

[paceman]

I love hunting with both guns and bows. Its is a pretty cool feeling to be sitting in the stand come Saturday Morning and know that any deer within 200-300 yards of my stand could be shot if I so chose. Instead of hoping Mr. Big walks within Bow Range. But that challenge is what makes Bow-Hunting so much fun as well. I am glad I do both. My wife not so much.....

[pikerliker]

I like hunting with both and I think both can be challenging. Why do you think so many hunters that hunt with firearms come up empty each year? Because it's not a challenge? That doesn't make any sense. It totally depends on what type of terrain you hunt, how accessible it is for you to scout, how much control you have over the land (public vs private), how much free time you have to put into it, etc. I also get really tired of people always trying to one up everybody else with the "my way of doing it is better than your way". We need to be supportive of each other as hunters and sportsman, and not so judgmental.

~piker

[BobT]

Ditto

Bob

[harvey lee]

I love bow hunting and have done it for many years, too many to probably mention. It's a great way to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woods and be one on one against the deer.

Now, I also love the rifle season as it allows me to hunt a little more. I hunt all private land on a ranch where no one else hunts so no issues with a ton of hunters. Yes, it is pretty easy but yet still a rush.

[Joe15]

I look at it like this. with a bow the challenge is so much greater because you have to focus on making sure you shoot the same way you have all year long where as with a gun all you have to do is pull the trigger. It also gives the deer a chance. With a rifle you can pick the deer off at like 500 yards with a bow its like a max of 60 yrds

[BuckKiller]

it doesnt matter for me i like bow because you can start ealier but gun is easier. I just like to hunt... period

[Joe15]

amen...id sit in grass, trees, blinds, ravines or wherever as along as i could but my parents always yank me out