Traditional-Only Seasons or Hunts?

[YosemiteSam]

I'm in discussion with our wildlife agency about having a traditional-only or primitive-only tag.  While I am aware of a few states that offer flintlock-only seasons, is anybody aware of states that have either seasons, tags or special hunts that have traditional archery (longbow or recurve only) as a method of take restriction?

[goingoldskool]

We couldn't be so lucky..

[Bowguy67]

My friend lives in Oklahoma and they either have primitive only seasons or areas. I can’t remember but look to that state

[Terry Lightle]

Some public land in Okla is shotgun with pellets and archery,not aware of primitive only except for traditional draw hunt at McAlester ammunition plant

[Bowguy67]

Terry it may be, I don’t recall what she told me but that’s the only place has anything I’m aware of

[mec lineman]

John, here is my view on the subject.  In theory a primitive season sounds great. The reality is if you have an early or special season to hunt. Folks will buy a recurve and be out there just because they can
 They may or may not commit to the time it takes to become proficient.  Also, what really would scare me is what if they declare archery season only open to modern bows or ARROW LAUNCHING DEVICES.  Just another way to look at it.

[Roy from Pa]

I don't think it's necessary.
We are all hunters, no matter the choice of weapon, and we all need to get along for the better of all hunting seasons..
Trad guys are the minority of hunters.
I myself and several others only hunt with stick bows, regardless of the season weapon rules.

[Sam McMichael]

We have archery only season but not a traditional only season. I don't know if any of the gov't regulated areas do or not, but I don't think so. It would be nice, though.

[BAK]

I only see one benefit to such a season, fewer hunters in the woods, similar to what it was before compounds became the rage.  But then would we be restricted to only that season?  Just don't think it is a big sell.

[Stringwacker]

The only traditional archery only season (hunt) that I know of is McAlester Ammunition Plant....but its a draw hunt.

[Rob5589]

Problem becomes; when is the season? Before the regular archery? After? Between archery and gun? Do you lose days in archery and/or gun? If they did, I'd bet good money that guys would see another opportunity and jump into a single string. Few years in, same ol' crowds.

[GCook]

I don't think it's necessary.
We are all hunters, no matter the choice of weapon, and we all need to get along for the better of all hunting seasons..
Trad guys are the minority of hunters.
I myself and several others only hunt with stick bows, regardless of the season weapon rules.

Here as well.  In fact our property we stay archery only throughout the entire deer season.  My partners are compound hunters and I'm using a single string.  I have no angst regarding their bow choice nor they mine.

[Ken Babicky]

Besides the reasons mentioned above, I pride myself in carrying around my stick bow, ESPECIALLY when everyone else is toting something different. In Wisconsin, we can bow hunt from mid-September to the end of January and I would hate to lose that long hunting season because we start segregating seasons into specific weapon type, and I think designating a traditional-only hunt could open the door to that. Other states are probably different. We do have specific rifle and muzzle-loader seasons, but you can always carry a bow... and I like that!

[DNewer]

The MCAAP hunt is in Oklahoma but it’s federal not state. 

[Tim Finley]

We had a special antelope season in ND and could just buy the license over the counter then we had a bad winter kill and they closed all antelope hunting for a number of years when it reopened we didnt get our special bow license back we can still hunt but have to draw a license on a lottery with the gun hunters . I think it had something to do with trophy antelope getting shot at 80 and 100 yds with range finders and release aids and it was happening quite often.

[Dave Lay]

Archery seasons have really been diluted here with the inclusion of cross guns which seem to be in the majority over even compounds.
     Having hunted McAllister in Ok. A few times, the comment Merclineman made about people buying trad gear couldn’t be more true. I’ve never seen more people with pawnshop bows and mis matched equipment in my life.  They get drawn and run out and buy or borrow a bow that allows them to hunt their 2-3 days . Id hate to see the wound rate there.
      I’d love to see a trad only area or season dates but don’t see that ever happening,  or not here anyway

[JakeD]

I’m pretty sure there are some traditional only areas/seasons in Oregon. I could be wrong though. Desert mule deer area maybe?  Seems like I heard something about that on the tradquest podcast.

[JakeD]

Quick search yielded this.

https://www.tradarcheryoregon.com/odfw-hunting-news

[dnovo]

While I think it sounds very appealing to a lot of us, stop and think about the results of such a separation.  You're putting a bigger wedge between competing groups for a resource and we have a very small percentage of all hunters.  How do you separate a season out.  Do we get the front end or back end of a season?  Game departments trying to manage deer herd populations are not going to give us a prime time. Most of us already have a long season, mine is 4 months I can hunt with my longbow, even mixed in with youth season, rifle season, antlerless season, late season muzzleloader.  I'm probably spoiled because I hunt my own property with no interference except for a couple days my neighbor's son hunts during rifle season.  Most of us are a bit more dedicated than the average hunter and we'll seek out harder to reach areas or still hunt hard late in the season when most guys are sitting home.   

[Wudstix]

I hunt from early October thru first week of January in Texas with recurve or longbow.