Bowhunting during general firearm seasons

[Ken Taylor]

I know that this has been discussed before but it's always nice to get a fresh out look.

In Quebec there are no designated bow seasons for black bear or caribou, therefore bowhunters are legally obligated to wear orange, etc. to hunt those species here.

During the designated bowhunting season for moose, I am working at caribou camp so I bowhunt during the moose gun season when I get home.

During the whitetail bow season, I am hunting moose so I miss that too and then bowhunt during the deer firearm seasons.

Essentially, what I am saying is that I don't get to hunt bow seasons very often but still manage to do o.k.

I was wondering how many of you hunt during general firearm seasons?

This is my last big game harvest of 2009 -  Saskatchewan gun season (I've been hunting small game only during the winter)  

[rastaman]

i hunt with my bow year round...gun season or not.  That is one big deer!  Thanks for sharing!  

[ranger42]

Hi Ken, I use a longbow throughout all of Indiana's deer seasons. Including the firearms and muzzleloading seasons, I have no problem harvesting my share of deer. Nice Buck!

[KSdan]

Very nice. . . "yes" I have hunted in gun season with a bow-though not often.

[Gun]

Where I live basically the month of November is a shared shotgun, muzzleloader, bow season. Doesn't really hinder me. You hear a shot once in a while off somewhere but I hunt places for the most part that only I have access to. Waste of time to put up with others messing around. I do OK.
Nice Buck!

[kibok&ko]

Hello Ken, in France there is no difference between bow or firearm season, we hunt all together during 100 % of the opening time,

i'm living in a collective drive hunt tradition area with big dogs ... not easy for bowhunter

i'love to try to bowhunt before the general opening day, for sure the animals should be more quiet !

so you just have to be more "clever" and when time to time you succed to be close enough to release an arrow in the air you are even more happy i think !        


congrats for your wonderfull deer !    

[Kip]

Very nice deer.Quit using a rifle about five years ago.Killing less deer but more bow kills than I use to b/c we have a long gun season so bow only was shorter so hunting with bow more days.Kip

[rickshot]

don’t own a firearm…but I hunt all seasons. keep smilin'. rick.

[Zbearclaw]

I try and only hunt wilderness areas once rifle opens out here.  I have been scoped too many times to hunt within a few miles of any road or easy trail once general season opens.

Once ya get five miles or more off the roads the folks there generally know what they are doing.  

No offense meant, but I am no longer drawing hazardous or combat pay...

[Jerry Jeffer]

First of all, NICE BUCK!!!!
Second, I hunt all year with the bow. Muzzle loader/flintlock over laps half my bow season in PA. I also hunt general fire arm season with the bow. I have to have orange on, but I don't think it makes any difference. The way I hunt, camo or not, if you move too much you are busted!

[joe skipp]

Gun hunters move the deer around more. I prefer to bowhunt CT during the NY gun season because the area I hunt is off limits to gunners but the deer find "safety" on our land...or so they think...

[Mudd]

I bow hunt year round, just buy the appropriate tag and license(Fishing and Hunting combo).
God bless,Mudd

[Jim Curlee]

If you want to hunt the rut in Minnesota, you hunt with the "brown is down" crowd.
Jim

[Boone the Hunter]

I hunt michigan through gun season and do ok, but the deer get shot up real fast and you have to know were to find them, most of the big bucks go nocturnal but the does are still shootable. Congrats on Beauty of a buIck, I love big northern deer. Heres a pic of a good day in last years gun season with my brother.    

 

[Ken Taylor]

Boy, I didn't think that I would get so many responses so quickly, and from three countries...wow!

Thanks for the compliments on my buck and a hearty congratulations on beautiful animals to those who posted pictures.
Boone, you guys sure ended that season with a statement!

Ken

yep i always hunt with a bow during rifle season in a archery only area, done real good , got five pope and yongs five years in a row, ..just got lucky i guess past couple years nothing but does...but this year lookout....

[Chris Shelton]

I do it all the time, scares the bejessus outa me sometimes, but I manage.  I dont own a full orange vest, just a hat.  I dont really have anything to worry about, I hunt where noone will care to venture, to high, lol.  I have been really close to being successful during gun season, but no cigar yet.  My first and only trad whitetail kill was actually during bow season . . .BUT it was also youth day.  So technically it was during a 1 day gun season, lol

[Ken Taylor]

Chris, your first sentence cracked me up!

You made me come to the realization that I don't hunt populated areas. I forgot to mention that in my opening post. I guess most of you had figured that out already anyway.

I see by the responses that it really depends on where you hunt.

[Hunter 709]

Nice Buck Ken. I also hunted Saskatchewan in 2009 but I got skunked.  The zone that my Dad's farm is in allows out of province hunters for the bow season but the season ends right before the gun season starts on Nov 1st (or there abouts).  The problem is (in 2009 anyway) that the rut hadn't really started up yet.  I saw a few deer but only one mature buck and he pegged me at 50 yards.  If I head back next year I think I'll wait for the November rifle season and hopefully have a chance at a rutting buck.

[Ken Taylor]

Thanks Earl. That was the biggest of only two  "racked" deer I saw.

I think that it was a tough year for hunting whitetails right across Canada. Everyone had pretty well the same stories.

And you're right, the main advantage to bowhunting during the rifle season is you get to hunt the rut.