Bow Hunting in Gun Season
Pennsylvania
I was wondering how many of you go out for the rifle season with bow in hand. I have been hunting in a bow only area in rifle season for several years now. When Monday comes I will have my pumpkin suit on with recurve in hand. Good luck to any of you that might be doing the same.
I use the bow later on in the week when the deer are hiding between the houses. 75 yards from the owners house is the hotspot come Wednesday morning when he lets the dogs out.
I've done it several times but you have to be in a place where no gun hunter would go such as a small woodlot close to housing. Deer will go there when the war starts at daylight.
Good luck to all you diehards! I plan on getting a little OT on Monday:)
Used to do it when I lived "out east" every year.
I'll be out w/ recurve.....unless too rainy or cold..... those days a Ruger Blackhawk w/ open sights from my bow stands.
Nope, I don't want to be an intrusion.
Besides, I'm workin'.
I have used the compound the last few years, but with this toren bicept it is hard to draw quickly so this year I am going to start with the in line ML.
I'll be out there with my bow on Monday. My best PA buck ever was one I shot on the second Monday of rifle season in an area where the gunners cant get to. I'll be in that same spot Monday.
My last bow buck was arrowed in "gun" season. I'll be trying again!
Good luck to you guys hunting with your bows on the opener. I myself with be taking the ole Ithaca for a walk.
I'm really kind of anxious for Monday. I've had this spot available to me for quite a long time but never hunted it on "buck Monday" The pressure will be heavy around me but not where I'll be. It's essentially a funnel into a bedding area with enough houses that no gunners can get in but plenty of cover for the deer.
The bad thing is that the spot is one that I cant even take my kids into and I've always taken them to camp for the opener. Well, this year, neither son can go. They've done grown up and have other things happening so it'll be with mixed emotions that I go it alone into my little sweet spot!
I might get out during the rifle season, and if I do it'll be with a bow in my hands. But usually I avoid the woods during rifle seasons.
In some spots I will have the bow.In other spots I will have the old 30/30.
Bow here till January 29th. Don't know why. Just a faze I'm going through the last seven years.
Been bow hunting during rifle season for 10 years now
Do it for bear season past 3 years, including this year. Hunted all week and 3 days of gun with Bow for Bears.
Taking my 84 year old neighbor out in the morning and won't be carrying any weapon. Sitting with him for as long as he wants to stay out. When he is done, I will grab the recurve and head out behind the house. Never thought I would carry the bow in rifle season, but since I started shooting a recurve I don't have much desire to carry the rifle.
Been doing it for the past 20 years. Hunting with a firearm is too easy where I hunt.
No doubt it is more enjoyable than a rifle, but I just don't feel right sitting there with orange all over me. With camo in bow season, I can tuck in against a tree with brush for background and at least feel like I'm hid. Even if it was legal, I still wouldn't feel right knowing the pumpkin brigade is out there all around me. Maybe the second week I will give it a try.
I borrow a gun and go with my Dad just to spend time with him. The day he gives it up will be the last day I touch a rifle.
Just seems like cheating, and I sure don't like being shot at. Bowhunting is much safer.
I'll be up bright and early to lock up all the livestock and close the barn doors.
I love bow hunting! Once you bow hunt you never look at gun hunting the same way.
Well, here it is 5:15 am the first day of rifle deer season... Amatuer Hour is upon us. Bright new blaze orange hunting coat pockets stuffed full of clinking cartidges. The weapons cold, hard, unfamiliar. The orange army is invading the woods as I type this... well, at least invading the doughnut shops, they'll be in the woods soon enough. I'll be at work well before it gets light. Knowing what's about to happen, I can't help but feel for the critters.
Run Bambi, run to the thicket. 'Hunters' are in the woods.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2aOccbfAqE
6:30 now and the show is about to begin There is the usual parade out here on the mountain.
I bet it looks like a scene from the movie Frankenstien with the villages searching the woods by torch light.
It's now 10:00a.m. and there has been very little shooting.I'm in a thicket and have had deer around me all morning.Just missed a huge red Coyote.
Be patient, give them their two days of hunting and they will be gone. I need a break anyhow.
Stopped at the gas station at the end of my road to fuel up on my way to work and had to laugh. TRUCKLOADS of orange soldiers pulling in one after the other, must have been over two dozen of em... in all their blazed glory.
I just smiled, shook my head, and pointed my truck toward the mill. It's over for me. I don't feel the slightest inclination...
Hain't raffle hunted in years. Even my last 5 years of it, I took the flintlock out the first day. Man did I ever get some weird looks. But what really did me in with rifle season, was when a buck crossed an open field, and I was on the wrong end of the field. Talk about trying to crawl under a rock. Had about 9 bullets whizz past me, in front of me or beside me. That was it. I worked today and am heading to the bow shop tonight. Got a sweet BBO ready for stain and the first coat of tongue oil:)
I'm off the next two days, but deer season's over for me... I'll be working in the bow shop.
Not much shooting. Then again I had the chain saw running all day. Did a couple patrols of the property and didnt see any trespassers.
My sister-in-law was quite interested in hearing about all the folks who must wear Orange when hunting. The Orange color was what intrigued her.
She's from Northern Ireland. And there are 2 important "colours" there: Orange, and Green.
Certain colors worn here are not necessarily Safety colours elsewhere!!
Choose your colors well, oh hunters ye! Be careful out there!
Had a doe visit around three. At four a buck bust towards me at full gallop. Then the buck sees another hunter and exits stage right. He is taken around 75 yards from me. I hope the son shot him. Good prayer time up in South Fayette. Met the wife for dinner at Napoli's...Yummy!
Joe
I like each weapon in it's season. Killed a dandy 11 pointer today that I was after all bow season.
I am glad to see I was not the only nut in the woods with his recurve on Monday. My buddy and I heard a few shots, some closer then should have been, meaning they were not supose to be on the property. It is Pa after all and unfortunatly this happens a lot on the first day of rifle. Even with that we saw 27 doe, no buck and my buddy arrowed a nice doe around 1130. A good day bowhunting, even though it was rifle season.
3 does on the last day of gun season, 2003, with the bow.
Should have had 5 that day. I missed a 3-legged doe in the morning and a doe in the afternoon.
Good day.
Wow, I've never shot 3 deer in a single day with a bow. But Wow, I've never missed 2 in a day with a bow either :^)
My brother killed 3 in one sitting back in NJ when we were young. Ran out of arrows, had to chase the last one down and hit it with a log to kill it.
Missed a seven pointer on open day with my recurve Like JB I can't put it down .
spent all saturday in the woods with my kids exploring and checking out some old favorite spots as high up and far from the road as I can get ,only to have some one in my favorite spot at 5:45 monday morning,left 2 doe walk hoping my daughter would get a shot but they hit the thick stuff and she didnt feel good about the shot.So the freezer is still empty but spent a beautiful day in the woods with my daughter which doesnt happen often enough.You guys got me trying to think of all the off the wall to close to the houses places I could try to hunt with the Hoyt on Saturday!
3 deer in a day. That must be a hell of a spot to hold that many deer at the end of rifle season. I have shot at two different deer in a day but never harvested more than one. I will be out next Week again with the recurve. One of these days it is going to happen.
Headed out tomorrow after work for the first time this year in Gun season, gona have the longbow in hand, also first time for a new spot on the property I hunt, it’s probably 200 yards off of the land owners back yard, its supper thick and being that my wife works with the land owner I’ve heard that they are seeing lots of deer hanging around the thicket behind their house since Monday!!! I got these pictures on a well worn trail 15 yard from my stand. The dates are correct, should be fun. Not sure if I’ll shoot any of them but who knows, I'm really after a very unique look buck that’s got a bad limp(prob deer VS car).
That looks like some quality deer cover!
After school got out for about an hour and a half in back of the house with my Hoyt. Saw a tree rat... maybe.The snow was so pretty.
You guys are school teachers? That's cool.
You're not English teachers though, are you? :^)
English is on my certification and teaching license although it never occurred to me that I needed it to contribute to Bowsite. My opaulogees.
"Threads on a bowhunting website are not worthy of spell check or revising or editing."
iS tHat wot you tel you're kids? That grammer, punctuation, and spelling only matter some of the time.
However, it's only a reflection on you.
"We work hard all day and hunt hard in the afternoon then come home and have a few beers and then we type."
Hopefully not creating lesson plans or grading papers.
Arrowed a 10 pointer this morning. Snuck up on him while he was bedded and shot him while he was fixing to escape. He stayed bedded tight because of having a front leg shot up, I suspect.
Hawkeye
Great job! Congrats!
He didn't have ALL his legs shot off did he?
Steelersfan,
What a role model you are for our children. Teacher?? Considering how quick you fly off the handle when someone busts yer chops a little, my guess is you ain't much of a teacher. Maybe the sub that everybody hopes they get 'cause it's so much fun jerking his chain.
BTW, take a long sip of grow the he!! up and come back when you've matured a lil.
No Red, just a front leg. I found out the neighbor hit him on Monday.
I hunted in Galitzin Forest, Gamelands 26 over to Blue Knob and Shawnee State Park Monday through Thursday afternoon and seen three does at the park in Tuesday's rain. Talked with a guy that shot a nice 8pt in the Galitzin Forest. Other than that I never seen a drag mark or a dead deer. Came home Thursday evening and went out around the house today.
Three legged buck I shot today. He had been shot in the leg on Monday. (Camera is off one day.)
Nice Jeff. Congrats..
So steelersfan is a teacher? LMAO. Joey hain't too bright either:)
But I just love maken bows. And, that's the way it is.
Bowbender, ya otta get that thorn outta yer arse:)
“BTW, take a long sip of grow the he!! up and come back when you've matured a lil.”-BB
Or maybe Steelerfan is passionate about his calling? I really don’t know, do you? I do know teaching is much like baseball. Everyone has played Little League baseball so most know they are a better manager than Jim Leyland. Everyone was a student for at least thirteen years so many think they are a better educator than Madeline Hunter.
Much has change during my thirty some years at this. I would say the most hurtful is the politicians have become micro managers of the districts and in turn the administrators have become sudo politicians. I have not met a politician that can explain why millage in milk toast white suburbia brings in more monies with less millage and why the rich districts keep getting richer. My daughter graduated high school with a semester of college credits under her belt with no charge to me. Where I teach the students do not have this option. Where my daughter now teaches every classroom, K-12, has a $5000.00 Smartboard. In my district, there is one Smartboard to share in the elementary. (I would be happy with a large wipe board, although we still use chalk.) How is this political taxation not discriminatory to lower economic students?
In the lower housing school district’s curriculum is geared to state testing and there is no such thing as a teachable moment. If it is not state tested it is eliminated. Swimming and Behind the Wheel Driving are just an example of two lifelong skills we use to give the students, which are no longer a part of our school. My children participated in both with no money coming out of my pocket. Where my children went to school they have a five year cycle on textbooks. At the school I teach at most curricula are photocopies. How is this political taxation not discriminatory to lower economic students?
As with hunting there are some poor teachers out there. Although like hunting most are truly caring and take their craft seriously. Most can spell and write a complete sentence too. Now in my defense I’ll bet I have written and been awarded more grant money for my employer than MOST UBP members combined. (PTL for spell and grammar check) Anyways I know I am fighting a losing battle here since everyone is off the sauce…
There have always been disruptive, emotional, and defiant students; always will be. Many have asked how I can stand today’s students. (Don’t get me started on the brake-up of the family unit.) The students are the easy part of teaching. About 15 years ago I was offered a Reading Specialist position at the highest paying district in Allegheny County at the time. My superintendent would not let me out of my contract. I always thought it was Gods way of telling me that the kid’s really needed me here. Truth be told it is the other way around.
Bowsite?
Jeff nice buck!
Took the Hoyt near the Ohio Line. Seen three about 75 yards out although I didn’t see any horns. White camo and a bow in a snow squall… awesome, totally awesome…and some people say there is no God! Talk about pretty….met the wife for a steak sandwich at Harry’s… Yummy!
Enough of the teacher debate. They are underpaid for what they do for our children, and 99% of the ones I have ever ment put their students ahead of everything in their lives other than their own family.
Saw 16 deer behind the house tonight, including one wide 8pt. Watched them all week out the back door walked right under my stand. Tonight they all stayed 50 or more yards away. Back after them in the morning.
In regards to the teacher thing, I was only pointing out the humor and irony involved in teachers using bad grammar and spelling. It's funny.
Nice buck Jeff! Congrats!!
Hawkeye
Way to go!
Finally, a bowhunter actually smiling with his deer! Most of the pics on here look like they are dissapointed or something. I'm going to use it as my background on my office computer.
You know, I don't really see any legs in the photo. :)
I always figured Red for a leg man.
Congrats Jeff, nice buck , well done.
Jeff, is that the deer you are going to string the lights on this year, and put him in front of your house? Did you get him because....he didn't have a leg to stand on?!
"In regards to the teacher thing, I was only pointing out the humor and irony involved in teachers using bad grammar and spelling. It's funny."-Jeff
Maybe you would have to be there….About ten years ago the school was getting audited and the Superintendent came down and asked for a grant application and other documentations, which I discarded. She then asked “if I had anything!” I said I have my first draft of the grant. Her eyes lit up and said” that will do the trick!” I rooted through my cabinet and handed it to her. She gave it a quick glance and didn’t say a word. She gave me a stare which said,”How can someone like you get this far in life"… and handed back the draft. It wasn’t funny at the time, although now…I chuckle.
Over six hours Saturday with Uncle Rick. He said I pushed him a few doe fetching him for lunch. All I saw was a groundhog.
Matt talked me into an hour hunt in back of his grandparents’ farm. He tried to push me a buck or two.. Matt couldn't find me in my white camo (had the required orange)...neither did the deer. I forgot how the wind misses you in that valley and I was pretty cozy for over an hour.
This thread is something. We're really respectful to those who do things a little differntly than we do, don't we?
