Bow hunting during gun season?

[Keeper]

Hey there guys,

Looking at doing an elk hunt with the family in Colorado, however I'm the only bow hunter in the family. Rules state that  you can bow hunt during gun season, but you have to wear the orange. Anyone have any insight, experience or advice? Thanks for any help in advance!

[Cory Mattson]

We bow hunt all the time during gun season - started in Bucks County PA mid 70s and continues today. But we use things to our advantage like city limits - shotgun zones - private land - unwanted sections of public land. We are super successful. BUT. Bowhunting during a Colorado rifle season sounds like bowhunting whitetails during a PA rifle season. Probably not going to work. If you are happy not bagging game it might be OK to carry a bow and visit. Elk in CO are over-hunted. This goes against the more ordinary plan of a bowhunter scouting - hunting where sign is abundant - and actually "hunting". Talking public land now -just don't see a good picture here. If it is family private land maybe?

[kadbow]

I will be bow hunting mule deer on a gun tag this year in CO but it will be on private land.  I haven't gun hunted elk in decades but would not look forward to bow hunting during gun season on public land.  Private land can be a different story.  That said, some elk hunting is better than none.

[Sam McMichael]

I bow hunt every year during the rifle season. Quite frankly, I don't think it has any significant affect on the hunting. Every once in a while a gun hunter will shoot fairly near the property line. Deer will react to a shot that is very close, but more distant gunfire doesn't cause a reaction. Most of the gun hunters I know prefer a more open stand site, with little attention paid to the thick places. Hunting the thick stuff is a good strategy, especially when the guns are about.

[monterey]

I have rifle hunted quite a bit here and I'm pretty sure you have a pretty good chance.  If you are hunting with family then the season is probably already decided but if you ever have a choice, go with the first elk only season.  It's a draw but many areas are a sure thing.  

The rut is just tailing off then and a few cows that haven't been bred are coming into estrus again.  The bulls are very susceptible to cow calling then and will Walk away from cows to investigate a possible chance to breed.

[Michael Arnette]

I've never been during gym season but I had a buddy who took his Recurve last year with a family group and shot a cow so I'd assume it's douable!

[YosemiteSam]

I hunt deer here with an AO tag (Archery Only).  It lets me hunt more areas and over a longer season.  I know nothing about CO elk but out here, there is a HUGE difference in deer attitude before & after the rifle opener.  In most of the state, does are completely off-limits.  But what gives mild alarm to the does in August will have them in sheer terror by October when there are more hunters out and more shots.  Makes the hunting much more difficult.  Even Ishi had noted that the deer were more difficult to hunt once rifles were more common in CA.

I have had enough bad experiences during the rifle season and from talking with other hunters (face to face) to stay VERY cautious during the rifle season.  Safety risks are very high out here.  Be safe & either stay very visible or get into the thickest of cover to create a barrier of trees & rocks between you and every other hunter.

[Michael Arnette]

Originally posted by YosemiteSam:


I have had enough bad experiences during the rifle season and from talking with other hunters (face to face) to stay VERY cautious during the rifle season.  Safety risks are very high out here.  Be safe & either stay very visible or get into the thickest of cover to create a barrier of trees & rocks between you and every other hunter.

I'm going to concur here! I'm a hard-core bow hunter and my two buddies I normally go with put in for a mule deer muzzleloader tags... I had to bow out this year, I'm just not going to take the risk of getting shot. It's not worth it. I also try to wear blaze orange somewhere on my body at all times even during bow season, for one thing there is a problem with poaching in many of the areas I hunt, also with the recent legalization of crossbows in my state and others there is a significant risk factor even during bow season now.

[monterey]

I differ on those concerns.  Statistically, at least in Colorado, there is very little risk in hunting any season regardless of the weapon.

[YosemiteSam]

Originally posted by monterey:
I differ on those concerns.  Statistically, at least in Colorado, there is very little risk in hunting any season regardless of the weapon.

I've had better experiences out of state.  And I've never hunted CO to know about what it's like there.  But my experience here has taught me things I'll never forget.  And my professional training has also taught me that it's not the probability of an event that matters -- it's the consequences.  So I'm naturally more wary out here.

[Red Beastmaster]

I Bow hunt deer during gun season in a small woodlot that "shouldn't" have other hunters in it.

Here in PA you should not use white fletching!!!! Way too many trigger happy idiots!

[JohnV]

I pretty much agree with what Cory said.  Recognize that your chances for success with a bow will drastically decrease with the first pop of a rifle in your hunting area.  Elk will behave differently during rifle season if there is any gun hunting pressure in your area.  Consider hunting along escape routes as bumped elk move from timber patch to timber patch.  If you are okay with this then you should be okay.  You are going along primarily to be in camp and to be hunting with your friends, not to kill an elk.

[Keeper]

Thank you for the insight and input guys. I've always hunted archery season, but the family insisted on all going together. I just prefer my bow to any of my guns. We don't have private land, but we've been scouting some areas that are difficult to get to and from what we've found, have much less hunting pressure. That's the goal at least. The escape routes is idea that I will definitely utilize if I hear shots. Blaze orange is definetly going to happen. No point in shooting an elk if you get shot in the process.

[BWallace10327]

I've been hunting a 2nd season buck tag for a few years during rifle season, primarily with a bow.  The settler-descendant-owned ranch that I've been living and hunting on for 5 years has been sold to a new colorado transplant and no more hunting.  With that being said, I'll be turning in my buck tag for a preference point, regardless of the NEW fee for such a transaction and finding a new place to live ASAP.  

Its obvious that public and private land hunting are different animals, but I can speak from experience that in Colorado, over the counter elk units are much, much different than draw only.  I feel that goes for deer too, but the elk get it the worst.  Maybe just take your bow out for a walk and don't get too disappointed.

I don't know much about western hunts in gun season, but the opening day of gun season here in Texas is just another Saturday in the middle of bow season to me!!!!

Bisch

[Buckeye1977]

I've bow hunted quite a bit during gun season in Ohio but would never do it on public land. Have had some close calls even on private land but good opportunity to kill a deer if you take the risk