I have been gun deer hunting since I was twelve with my dad and older brother. We started out hunting public land and staying in whatever camper my dad had at the time. I enjoyed the comradery and also the thrill of the hunt. My brother bought 48 acres 20 years ago and man was it nice not having to share the woods with thousands of other hunters. Five years later my brother decided to build a log cab with the help of a bunch of our friends. It has been a work in process for the last 15 years but was a huge upgrade over the camper. About 15 years ago I started bow hunting and fell in love with the sport. I still enjoyed gun hunting, but it became more and more a social event for me. My brother has changed quite bit over the last 5 years and has been hard for me to be around so it became less and less fun for me. I shot a fork buck opening day this weekend and right afterward decided that I am going to retire from gun hunting and just concentrate on bow hunting. I am the only one that bow hunts so I have the place to myself. It is hard to give up something that I have been doing for almost 30 years, but if it isnt fun I dont see the point of doing it. Now I can concentrate on my real passion.....Bow Hunting!
That's where I'm at... other than last year for the first ever Saturday opener for bear, my rifle hasn't been fired nor seen the woods since the mid 90's... I just don't ever want to kill another deer with a gun. It doesn't do a thing for me.. (not that there's anything wrong with that)
I still actually enjoy taking the gun for a walk during the PA season. I'm not as "gung-ho" about it as I am with the bow in hand, but its a nice "change of pace". Usually, I never drag a stand into the woods with me. Just the gun and backpack. Most guys that hunt our property gun hunt only. It's nice to have everyone in camp and hang out. I haven't killed a deer with a gun in quite a long time. Like Rob, it doesn't do a thing for me anymore. However, I do have a "monster or nothing" mentality with the gun. However, I have absolutely no problem with anyone who gun hunt ethically. We're all hunters, regardless of weapon of choice.
It's crazy...even when I only gun hunted I never harvested a buck....and still haven't. All the bucks I've taken have been with bow, which I think feeds my "no gun" fuel even more. I'm with others though, gun hunting isn't a thrill for me, it's simply a way to put some slick heads down in hopes to fill the freezer.
I went hunting for the first time in four years during gun season. Even though it was gun season, I still used my bow. My buddy didn't mind.
100% bow hunter here. Havn't harvested a thing this season. Had 3 big does feeding under oaks Saturday morning at about 80 yards. Would have been easy with my rifle. Sunday morning I was sitting closer to where they were feeding and they end up feeding under the tree I was in before.....LOL. It'll all come together someday. If not, I'll hunt a lil harder next year
I only saw 6 deer this year while bow hunting but all of them would have been an easy shot with my 30-06. One of them was a nice 4.5-5.5 year old 10 point that was 6 yards away from me in some heavy stuff. Easy shot with a gun, but no go with the bow. You would think that would bother me knowing I could have easily shot it with a gun, but it doesnt at all. Getting that deer with a bow means so much more than shooting it with a gun....to me at least.
I'm also pretty much a bow only kinda guy too though. My dad's whole side of the family are gun hunters now they used to do both but in the last 12 to 14 yrs have gone strictly to gun hunting. That works out to my advantage so im not complaining and they do follow QDHM techniques when they hunt (except the really young kids) but over all it seems to all work out in the end.
For big game I'm 100% bowhunter also, my brother just got out of the military and seems to have an interest in hunting for the first time really ever. I'm thinking about building a real nice elevated gun blind and sitting with him next year, I think it would be a lot of fun. For myself, only bowhunting just fits my personality, I do everthing against the norm for some reason, I just like it that way.
I LOVE BOWHUNTING! I've seen a lot of deer this year and I think I could have shot every one with a gun. Bowhunting is just so much more exciting. Sent from my LG-P925 using Tapatalk
I have been bow only this year and my brother was until gun opener. I killed one doe but, wasn't able to find her. starting this weekend I will be taking both out with me. Only because I want meet in the freezer. I will only use the gun if I know they aren't going to come in range. It will be used only for doe. Its been a rough season for me so far with bow. I have had more deer within bow range than last year but, I was being too selective at the begining of the season for my experience. I would pass on does that had fawns and on younger doe. As for buck's I missed one and haven't had any within range since. I really want to put meet in the freezer at this point and would rather do it with a bow but, our season is 6 weeks from being over and I will not have as much time to hunt the last part as I did the first part. At this point I want meet in the freezer so if I have to take one with a gun I will.
