How hard core are you guys about strickly bowhunting? I just did not know if there are those here who put down the stick and string and pick up the smoking stick. In my 10 yrs of hunting my over populated (by hunters) public lands, I have took 2 7 pts and a doe with my bow. I once got invited by my dad to go hunt his lease for a weekend hunt and I took my stand to set up to bowhunt, did some scouting and the next morning we woke up and dad was sicker than a dog. I decided to take his 7mag so I can get him back home asap. By 8am I had a fork horn on the ground from a 275yd shot. I thought to myself, " Is that it, I sure didn't start breathing heavy and almost fall out of my stand like I do bowhunting" and I haven't picked up another rifle. My delima is this, I picked up a 30-06 last year for next to nothing and I am contimplating actually using it this year to take my son and daughter along for a better chance of us getting one together. My son is fine setting there for a while and can be still but my daughter, well, she is a little fidgity but is a true outdoor girl. So should I or should I not! I am a hardcore bowhunter at heart.
I haven't hunted with a gun since 2000. I just like bowhunting more. However, if the urge ever hits me I will certainly have no issues about shooting one with a gun. It is about fun for me, and whatever makes my toes tingle is what I am going to do.
I hunt nearly exclusively with a bow. I havn't this year, but occasionally I pick up the knight. When I do hunt with a gun it's only a muzzleloader. It's an inline, so it's not a lot different than hunting with a modern rifle, but I just enjoy it more. It's not the challenge or anything that drives me, it's just what I feel like doing at the moment, which is almost always bow hunt. That being said, I don't know at what point I may decide to take the MZ or perhaps even take the .243.
i put down the rifle as soon as i shot one of the newer aged bows and dont wanna go back! i will say this as long as you are out there though rifle/gun or bow at least ur in the outdoors. may be hard to hook non-hunters on bow at first, in that case a rifle or gun could be a great introduction! i knew i was an all out bow hunter when i was asked on a FREE whitetail hunt on the King Ranch in south Texas and turned it down cause they said i couldnt bring my bow. claimed they thought i'd wound the deer and not kill it with an itty bitty ole arrow. thanks but no thanks i'll stick with my stick=-)
I have hunted with a rifle in the past, and I may again in the future, who knows. But this year it is all bow for me. In fact, I put a new scope on my .270 in February and haven't even shot it
Burb, I'm a "Strictly Bowhunting" guy, but that don't mean I won't take an opportunity to take one of my kids to the woods and go against the grain and use a crossbow or even a gun, because I certainly will. I put a buddy in the woods for the first time this year with a crossbow, and in his first morning ever hunting in the woods, he put a bolt through a little spike, and called it the MOST EXCITING kill he's ever had!!! He'd been gunhunting for 15-20yrs, but had never had a hunt as exciting as shooting that little bitty spike from 20yds when it had NO IDEA he was there. He bought a bow a week and a half later, and is planning on hunting with it next fall when he feels more confident. What anyone else things is for naught, don't worry about what others think as long as you're "OK" with it!!! Good Luck out there!!!
I just like hunting. I tagged out of bow tags last week and once shotgun opens up next week, i'll be out there with shotgun in hand. I usually stick it out with bow as long as I can, last year I shot my buck with a bow well into gun season, just which ever gets me tickled first... I kinda like the boom too lol
My 6 yr old daughter went with me yesterday evening when it was raining and set up a feeder on a small plot I have permission to hunt. I am going to try to get my 8 yr old son on a deer in a couple of weeks. I haven't got him a good bow yet (thats another topic) but he can shoot his mothers .410 with a slug. He put 4 shots in a 5 inch circle from 10 12 and 20 yds with just a bead for a sight. I'll work on his bowhunting skills next year!
Bowhunting for me. But I ahve picked up a TC Encore Pro Hunter and plan on trying that for the ML season.
Well, going to go sit for and hour this evening with my daughter. SHe gets to carry along her single shot .22 unloaded until the stand and might get to take a shot at a squirrel. I'm going to carry the 06 this evening JUST in case I see somehting!
I hunted with a gun for 5 years with no success, i then started using bows in 2006 and i have harvested 2 deer with it. Ive also harvest 2 shotgun deer in that time. I prefer to hunt animals with my bow, but i dont hesitate to use a gun when available.
I'm strictly a bow hunter. I lasted about 2 hours In my 1st time ever gun hunting, It was the last time. I grew up In a bow hunting only family. My dad, mom, brother and I all bow hunt. When I turned 12 I was of legal age to hunt In Minnesota. I went out with my Martin Lynx compound bow and didn't have much luck with It my 1st year bow hunting, I just wasn't Into It much my 1st year. That same year dad told me that I should go out gun hunting as well to see If I liked that. He wanted me to make sure that just because him and mom bow hunted, It didn't mean I had to and If I liked gun hunting more at least I had the option then. He gave me the chance and I didn't care for It, at least he gave me the option though. 24 years later I'm still bow hunting and love It!! I don't take the fancy bows and equipment out In the woods with me hunting no more. The last 14 years I've been taking a recurve out hunting and It's been the best thing I've ever done. It's shot me many deer and bear. The main thing Is give your kids the option In the matter If I was you. I plan on doing the same with my little girl when she's old enough to hunt. Do I want my little girl bow hunting along with me Instead of gun hunting? More then anything in the world I do but I will let her make that decision on her own. Either way bow or gun she will make me one proud SOB when the time comes!!
I just love hunting overall. But, I do have to say that nothing comes close to bowhunting for the adrenaline rush, the planning, the quiet sitting for hours watching the wildlife and figuring out all the stuff that we have to do to be successful. Living out west like I do there are a lot of times I have a rifle in my hands and the sheer size of the open spaces of land is beautiful to look at. It's just not quite the same and the "closeness" of the hunt isn't there like it is when your bowhunting. Having grown up in Iowa and cutting my hunting teeth sitting in a tree with a bow and arrow I'll always be hooked on the stick and string!
Well, I had a blast with my daughter. She did an excellent job carrying her rifle safely and correctly the entire time. We lasted about 45 minutes and then the little one had to go to the bathroom. It was awsome to sit beside my daughter camoed out, scanning the tree lines for any movement. Anything that moved, (in a wisper) "daddy, look rigt there something just moved" Most of the time it was leaves falling, or shadows with the trees swaying from the wind. Either way she was on it. I even got a tap on the leg and "I hear somehting right there!" "I do too, baby girl, what is it?"
