Archery Only Seasons

[JimE.IV]

I see archery seasons being carved up, shorted and shared with various weapons and specialty season all over the country.  When I voice my concerns I am often labled as "selfish".  People ask me, Why do you believe you should have 3 months of hunting to yourself?"

So I have a simple question:  Why are Archery Only seasons worth protecting?  Why should there be a Bow Only season?

[TimZeigler]

There was a great article in TBM recently that addressed the Primitive Weapons seasons.  If you get a chance you should read it.  Alot of good facts and figures supporting traditional archery seasons and hunters.  I'm not sure if it was the Spring 07 or Winter 06.

[ChuckC]

Archery seasons equate to more man hours spent per animal harvested.  Simply put, there is a much less chance of success with a bow than with a gun, and a typical bowhunter puts in more time in the hunt than a typical gun hunter.  The Departments all have figures from years and years.    

The results of three months of bow season, at least in WI, does not even come close to the kill figures of ten days of gun season, or, in fact, to the numbers posted from the first two days...opening weekend.   Once again, more hours of enjoyment in the field for every animal harvested, with not a great impact upon the herd.  

The various Departments are there to protect and monitor the resource while providing opportunity for the most hours of outdoor participation possible.  At least...that is my point of view.
ChuckC

[Arwin]

I wish there was a primitive bow season. I read the same article in TBM and agreed. I have no problem with what weapon a person chooses, but for the enormous amount of time a traditional archer has to put in to stay lethal, we deserve some time to ourselves. Most compounds these days have the same accuracy as a slug gun out past 55yds. You can even get a Red Dot scope for those bows. Bow season was meant to be low impact, but with all the new technology, modern bowhunters have the odds tipped greatly in their favor. Modern compounds are more like up-right crossbows. With let-off being up to 90% on some bows, just about anyone can pull back a hunting weight bow,which floods the public land that I hunt during bow season. In my state I'd like to see the last week of September for primitive bowhunting. Thats not greedy I don't think. Small game hunters are already in the woods, and the deer are far from any sort of rut action. It would be more of a doe harvest time.

[Jerry Jeffer]

I can use my bow during gun season, so as I see it, bow hunting is all year long.  

[Arwin]

Same here. When I'm dragging a deer out during gun with a stickbow in hand, I get some funny looks from the gun slingers. I love the first two days of gun opener. It's some of the best bowhunting there is!

[SteveB]

Are you saying a compound will shoot with a slug gun past 55 yds?

Steve

[Arwin]

They are as accurate as a slug gun past 55 yds. I've seen plenty of footage with guys shooting game animals at 60,65,and even 75 yds. I think the range on a 12 gauge with a slug couldn't be more than 100 yds.

[SteveB]

In the hands of a skilled, practised few that may be somewahat true. Key word FEW.

However good Olympic shooters will drill an 80 yd target all day - with a recurve!

I am an average shot with a slug gun at best, but can hit the kill at 150 leaning against a tree. Good shooters with the new saboted slugs go to 200.

Getting back to Jim's question, I would like 2 seasons only - all guns in gun - all bows in bow - lesser weapon (bow) could be used in gun. Seasons to be set by herd management requirements from accurate data.

Steve

[varmint]

The counties I hunt here in SC are any weapon the entire season,Aug 15-Jan 1.Rifle,shotgun,muzzleloader,compound recurve,longbow,spear,slingshot,ect..........use whatever you feel all season.

My choice is bow all season every season............

[John Scifres]

Starting off your inquiry with...

   

I see archery seasons being carved up, shorted and shared with various weapons and specialty season all over the country.

...is probably not the best way to get unbiased answers.  Provide examples and data and you will get better, less opinionated replies.

We have too many deer in many places in Indiana.  Allowing crossbows in late season is one way to increase the kill.  Longer gun seasons is another.  Still, we killed fewer deer last year than the year before.  About 25% of the deer need to be killed by predators to maintain populations at current level.  We have little or no winter kill and no large predators here.  In one overpopulated county in western IN (Parke), blue-tongue disease or EHD is estimated to have killed 20-50% of the deer last year.  That's what happens when there are too many deer, and not enough hunters.

Fewer hunters, less land open to hunting, and many other factors are conspiring to allow deer populations to get out of control.  It will only get worse from here.  Allowing more opportunity with more effective weapons will help.

[Bill Carlsen]

I can remember when there were no bow seasons in most states. If there were most bowhunters got 10 days or two weeks before gun season and that was it...with a one deer limit for the rest of the season. You happen to live in a time of plenty....long seasons, multlple tags, more animals than ever before...I could go on and on. We have got it good compared to when I first started in the 50's. Back then some states didn't even have a deer season or very limited ones. One group you can thank for all the extended seasons we have is the compound guys and mfgrs. It was their efforts more than anything else that opened up the seasons and afforded us the opportunities we now have. Asking for an additional extended primitive season is, IMO, suicide. We don't need more division amongst ourselves. Learn to be a better hunter. Each year I have multiple opportunities at animals that I know would be good situations for guys with primitive skills and I live in a state where deer density is among the lowest in the country. One of the best times for me to hunt is right in the middle of the firearms season. I read a post the other day about a guy who just shot a deer in Ohio. My God, it is February and there is still archery deer seasons going on!  What more do you want? Do some reasearch and go back to  about 1950 and see what we had to work with then or see what you need to do in Germany if you want to hunt with a bow. Then thank God for what you have.