Personally, my home county is strictly bowhunting so i only bowhunt because its what ive always done, but my college county is shotgun. Me and my college buddy has been hunting this one state park for the last month and have passed on a few smaller bucks hoping for the bug guys that we have seen on our trail cam.... then our other friends from class did a 10 man shotgun drive opening day in the same exact area this Friday and took 4 bucks and 3 doe... I understand that its still hard to kill deer with a gun, but its so frustrating having some guys walk into the woods with a gun and do a large drive and kill that many deer in one morning and afternoon of hunting... what are your thoughts?
I gun hunt like I bow hunt ... almost ALL the deer I have killed with a gun have been 60 yards or less ... that being said, to each their own .... there are tons of deer..... if some states allows baiting .. then bait if YOU feel like you want to .... I mean really...who cares... Just hunt for you and try not to turn green
To each his own. I stopped gun hunting after my last buck (my biggest to date). It just didn't feel right to me. Nothing against those that do it, but for me, it was no longer the same. Rifle season starts next week in PA, I'll be out with my bow in hand. Don't really have much hope but I'll be out anyway.
If it's legal, I'm OK with others doing it. With that said, the only place I will hunt with a gun is up north in the Adirondacks. It's a completely different game there. I've seen exactly 3 deer in 3 years up there while hunting...........it's the most challenging hunting I've ever been a part of.
I love it. I am no less of a sportsman or hunter because I gun hunt. Personally, I use a T/C Encore (one shot) chambered in 20 gauge (we are shotgun only in the county I hunt). Like Preacher Tony so aptly put it, I don't shoot outside of 60 yards or so, and most of mine have been within 20 yards, a few at less than 5!! Me likes to get REALLY close! Sal
I feel the same way, it is frustrating to see some people shoot at any deer they please but there is really nothing to do. I gun hunt as well with a muzzleloader
I grew up gun hunting. I just choose to harvest my animals with bow only now. I may go back to it when I get older.
Depends on the hunt. I really prefer to bowhunt. There is just something about drawing back on an animal, and, the added work of getting that animal within 50yards. I do enjoy muzzleloader hunting. When I gun hunt, I generally dont want to be in a stand. I want the wind in my face, large, open fields and hedge rows. Spot and stalk. In the late season, in years past, I used gun hunting as kind of a scouting method, but, still able to shoot, should a good buck or fat doe present a shot. I'll walk the edges of the property, glassing often. Being in camo, on the ground, working the wind, and mobile, has returned some of the most valuable information I've ever logged on a target buck. Working fields and hedge rows, you spot things you may not spot from a stand....So, it's a hunt, but, I'm paying strict attention and noting ANY info that will aid in closing the deal on a slammer.. When it's all said and done; hunting is about putting food on the table and enjoying the outdoors. I'd rather be out with a gun than sitting on a couch, playing videos games !! Nothing can top the excitement of the wild...
Don't bowhunters "shoot any deer they please", too? I've never understood why many bowhunters feel the need to hate on gun hunters.
Bow hunting is my passion. But gun hunting is great too no matter what just being out and enjoying the woods is what matters most. It doesn't matter how you hunt or what you use if you have no ethics. Just for the record my longest harvest ever was 74 yards and was with my bow. I won't pass on an injured deer ever. I used my last buck tag on that spike that year.
id much rather bow hunt than gun hunt but i am takin a new approach to it this year.. instead of takin the scoped 270. im takin the open sights 30-30.... i wont get the complete satisfaction as archery equipment but it will be close....
I grew up gun hunting. I still do it and love getting together with my deer camp buddies. The style of hunting is not my top preference, but it's still hunting. I also fully appreciate the fact that without gun hunting bowhunting would be short-lived. There are plenty of deer to go around, so I'm good with gun hunting and gun hunters. Maybe if deer were scarce it would be a different story. I don't know.
Although I love bowhunting, I just finished up opening weekend of guns season. My whole family gun hunts and for me there is nothing better than getting together with the entire family and doing some deer hunting. The BSing, the ribbing, the joking, its just a darn good time and we get some deer to boot.
I rifle hunted VA with a friend, last week for a few days. Didn't see anything I wanted to shoot (at). But, the fellowship was great. I took a pretty nice 8 pointer on my 1st ever sit in NC with a rifle.....in my 1st 1.5hrs ever hunting with my new gun (here). It was exciting, in that I took him from the ground @ 20yds. But....it doesn't touch bowhunting (for ME). TIme will tell how much I hunt with a firearm in the future.
I like it all. I live in the woods pretty much year around. Hunting with a bow is my favorite but I definately will always have a place for gun hunting in my seasons. I am going to gun hunt more in the future as my boys become of age to hunt. I will most likely finish my life as a gun hunter when I am told old to pull back a bow.....hopefully that won't come for a long time. Heck, I just set up my wife with a double bull blind, propane heater, nice comfy chairs for her whitetail season, she has already had the boys on 4 hunts together. They are loving it and its cold out here right now.. lows down below zero coming up.. she would never or have never hunted in these types of temps without a blind and a rifle.. Shes loving it and is getting out because rifle season affords her this opportunity.
