I was thinking the same thing. I've definitely missed more bucks with a gun than I have shot. Gun hunting in PA is a bit of a different animal. Seeing a deer standing still is pretty rare. I do both, but I probably have at least 10 hunts with a bow for every hunt with a gun. I enjoy both, but for different reasons.
I began gun hunting after 2 years of bowhunting. It's more of a tradition, and party than it is the actual hunt. I still wake up plenty early and get to my stand way before daylight and stay in it until noon, but I'm really not all that worried about filling my tags. It takes a pretty nice buck for me to take, but I will be just fine with filling my tags with the first 2 does I see. With this year being the first year my dad can't hunt, I plan on setting up a few ground blinds for him to sit with me. The first deer I see, I will probably shoot if he is with me. I have not shot a buck younger than 3.5 with any weapon in over 7 years, so we will see what happens if a little guy pops out.
I hunt Antlered and antlerless w/bow. Go out in shotgun and late season to take does for: 1. The meat; and 2. To keep the buck/doe ratio in my advantage (as best as one can).
Bow, handgun, shotgun. Haven't picked the rifle up in a while, but nothing saying that I won't in the future. The only thing I never tried yet at ML's. No interest oddly enough.
This is my first season bowhunting. I just took my first buck last weekend and the rush I got from that was beyond anything I've felt rifle hunting. That said, I still plan on rifle hunting for the forseable future, especially with my Dad.
I prefer a bow but I have taken big game with both a rifle and a pistol. If I would have to pick one it would be a bow.....hands down.
With all of my considerable experience deer hunting (6 times so far!) I can say that I am 100% archery.. BUT I am planning on getting either a barrel with cantilever mount for my Remington 870 20 ga. (OR, tough choice an entire new Rem 870 Shur Shot). At heart, I am a gun guy (read total gun nut)... I build AR's and AK's from kits and parts I gather up on gun broker and elsewhere and expect to gunsmith in my retirement. I am planning to start on my distinguished pistol badge this year, I am quite handy with the short gun. That said I still think that bow hunting is the purest form of taking a deer (or other game animal) and will grab the bow as often as possible. But I want venison in the freezer this year and am not too proud to drop one with a 20 ga. slug at 100 yards and I can take my son with me a lot easier with the gun then the bow.
Bow is my preference, but I still M/L and rifle hunt several times a year. We have our annual opening week gun hunt in WV Thanksgiving week...its a blast. This is our 23rd year. Family, friends, lots of dead deer...a great time with lots of great memories. Wouldn't trade it for anything. This year I haven't gun hunted yet....but I'll probably tote my M/L out this week. Its fun to mix it up once in a while. I'll be out on opening day in VA next Sat with my rifle in the morning, hoping to get my son a buck.
