First off, this isn't a bash against gun season or gun hunters. Just wondering if anyone else feels a little depressed when gun season starts? Like every year, I walked out of my last sit before gun season with a bad feeling in my stomach. I walk back to the truck slower, stop to look back at the woods and think about how the first half flew by. Images of the season flash through my head. Bowhunting heats up to a peak and then comes to an abrupt stop. MI has 650,000 gun hunters hitting the woods Sunday which means deer behavior as we know it will change drastically. The 16 day firearm season is followed by a week of muzzleloader. I usually hunt the last two weeks of December when the cold weather gets deer on their feet again during daylight hours. The late archery season closes January 1st. Anyone else out there go through this? I feel like I need a therapy session. :D I'm all doom and gloom.
yep every year...and I gun hunt a lot from mid nov to Dec...traditional here in Va with the dog clubs...but I manage to continue to mix it up with bowhunts on certain property.
This will be the first year that I'm dreading the start of shotgun season. I've always hunted firearm season whether it be with my shotgun or ML, but this year I wish it was a couple of weeks later. I REALLY want to shoot a trophy buck with my bow, and this is the first year I've really been serious with bowhunting. I guess whenever I got my new bow it gave me the kick in the pants I needed to really get serious in bowhunting. I just dread knowing that once firearms season opens, hunting pressure will increase drastically, and the big boys will go into hiding. I know it's still possible to kill a big buck after the firearm season, but it sure as hell gets a lot harder. I have this weekend to try and get it done, and if not, firearm season starts a week from today.
i have a love hate relationship with gun season. i will take bow hunting over gun any time, but i really enjoy gun season for the simple fact if i can see the deer and he's not running at light speed he's toast. what i don't like is all the pressure that comes from the number of hunters entering the woods. i also hate trespassers, they'll walk right under a posted sign and say oh i didn't know or whatever bs story they come up with. i would say that the gun season always bothers me a little less if i fill a tag in bow. in wis. our gun season is only 9 days long (currently) so it's not horrible. plus i enjoy shooting my rife, not as much as my bow, but it's nice to reach out and drop them at 300 yards. i look forward to gun season, but not anywhere near as much as i look forward to archery season
NOPE! i cant WAIT! I look forward to the stories and comraderie of gun season ......oh, and the way your odds go up a wee bit I love gun season almost as much as bow ....
When gun season comes in in Illinois, I just hunt in Missouri. When it comes in Missouri, I hunt in Illinois.
Nothing like gun season. Friends,Can't beat it or miss it. It's 9 days in WI not that long and by now I need a little bow break. I like still hunting deer yes it can be done with a bow but a gun ups yours chances.:D
My call sign on here is named after our tradition of the gun deer and grouse hunting camps. If you consider just the hunting aspect. Bow hunting for me all the way. If you take into account the social aspect of gun season. I'll take gun season.
I absolutely dread gun season here in Missouri. In the past two days I saw roughly 20 bucks and 3 does. I know after this weekend all of those buck sightings will start to dwindle and dwindle for the month of Nov. Good news is I can't wait for the 2nd rut in December. I saw more mature bucks last year chasing does than the first rut and hope to have the same luck this year and it will be in between antlerless and muzzleloader season.
I don't get depressed so much. I enjoy time spent in camp with the gun guys, and I'll be out with my percussion ML in January when I can't bow hunt. That said there is a distinctly different feel to the woods. My 1800 acre lease has 5 bowhunters and only 2 of us are die hards. Now, (gun season), all 15 families could be in camp with lots of pressure in the woods. Last weekend there were 12 kids in camp ranging from 2-8 years old. My 4 year old had a blast. We'll have a bunch of fun again this weekend. Its just a different kind of good time.
No depression here. My area is very little pressured anyway, and Ill be sitting beside my 10 year old in the morning while he totes a shotgun My oldest son will be about 300 yards away with his. Im looking forward to it!!
I find, I'm looking forward to it even more this year.. Perhaps only those who have shared a camp with family and friends, can understand. Heck our season (Pa) comes in the Monday after Thanksgiving. We have so much fun on the run-up to the season (Fri-Sunday) opening camp, sighting in rifles, riding ATV's, downing some adult beverages, and playing cards. It's a true BLAST! Come Sunday we start to get our game faces on for the hunt. Then it's serious hunting, at least until Weds Morn..thats F.O. Day. River Rules... do what ya want when ya want. Then we'll regroup for the end of the week. Depressed NOT in the least, excited...absolutely! My Bowhunting is a true solitary pursuit...this is the only time I get to hunt with, people, it's a fun change to work together!
Gun season for me is more about the atmosphere and being with family and friends than it is about killing a buck. I still go through all my steps of preparing, and hunt hard though. I don't get to amped up about filling my tags, and usually just take the first 2 does I see. If a big buck walks by me I will take him, but I doubt I can ever gain the same feeling as I do while bowhunting. If Illinois would allow us to carry bows during our gun seasons, then I would ditch the shotgun in a heartbeat.
Nah, we open for Bow around the middle of Sept...then ML starts about 3 weeks later and then a week after that rifle comes in..I just tote the bow (bow only county) and occasionally join my buddies for a few gun kills. I love to hunt by any means possible, even though the bow has my heart and is in my hands 99% of the time.
If you consider just the hunting aspect. Bow hunting for me all the way. If you take into account the social aspect of gun season. I'll take gun season.[/QUOTE] I feel the same way. Where I hunt in WI the gun season goes Oct 15-18 Does only Nov 21-29 EAB Nov 30-Dec 9 muzzleloader Dec 10-13 Doe only Dec. 24- Jan 3 EAB WAY TO MUCH PRESSURE!!!!
I guess I am lucky to have archery only areas in Quantico to hunt...still have to wear BO, but no guns allowed. The entire mainside is archery only, but you can only hunt from 8 - 2 week days Was somewhat bummed walking out of the woods Wednesday knowing that the gun season was starting. Going out to a location off base tomorrow, that is still federal property and they only let three hunters on it - archery only.
i cant wait for tomorrow mornin's gun season to open, i get to take my son and see all my family, brothers and nephews it's our thanksgiving for the guys and one girl this year, i am mainly a bow hunter, but as i get older there is nothing like are sons getting there first deer and everyone getting together,once a year to share in a special day that is opening day. hope everyone has a safe day and bag a big one. oh ya i was out tonight bowhunting here in northeast mo and the bucks were running and chasing does like i have never seen it , must be the front moving in. seen my biggest of the year tonight run right thru the neighbors yard and into the bean field i was in. hope he try's it tomorrow.
Gun season used to bum me out until last year. Last year was my first year f using a ML, and I live it just as much as usomg the bow.
