Who besides me dreads rifle season?
Whitetail Deer
My bowhunting fanatic neighbors told me there's massive deer drives going on next to my Ohio property. I purposely leave my land as a refuge during this week so I'm not there.
I know lots of guys here enjoy rifle season. I am not one of them.
Anyone agree? disagree?
deer drives are part of tradition and heritage for many people,if its not on my place I got bigger things to worry about.It sounds like your place isnt safe unless youre there though.
Our first shotgun/straight cartridge rifle/muzzleloader/handgun season open Saturday. You can use all those weapons but not a bow. 'eye roll'
I would happily be in a tree during gun season if they'd let me. Instead, I'll be bowhunting in a park on a management hunt. Doe only but still fun.
It's depressing in MN. It's like a giant combine working over the state.
Agree. The Army of Orange
My cousin and I always bowhunted during the gun season in Maryland and had great luck. The woods would be full of hunters and my cousin and I would be in a real thick area about 50-100 yards apart. Long about 9 O'clock the hunters would start to their trucks to see what had been shot. When they were wondering about the woods the deer would sneak into the area where my cousin and I were hiding. We were very successful and almost always got our deer. One time we blood trailed a buck my cousin had double lunged with a broadhead and found a guy getting ready to tag it. We got his deer and drug it out to his truck. Another time a guy had field dressed my doe and said he found it dead. I took the heart and liver and let him have the deer since I already had one in the freezer.
Luv the smell of burnt gunpowder ;)
" I purposely leave my land as a refuge during this week so I'm not there"
Judging by your past posts concerning your neighbors Pat, I'd be very surprised if your place was a "refuge" this week with you not being there.
I am the sole hunter of a 50 acre hot spot surrounded by large farms that are only hunted during rifle season. Opening morning of gun season, right at daybreak, those surrounding properties sound like a war zone.
I started a practice several years ago of staying off that property during gun season to give the deer "safe haven". All WMAs in Ky are archery only, I hunt big woods public land during that two week gun season.
I’m a bowhunting only guy also and deal with 3 months of rifle season around my farm. I enjoy watching all the deer pile on my place when it starts.
I don't dread rifle season here in PA.
I love bow hunting and always hope to and try to kill a buck with my bow every season. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. It's rifle season here now and I'm rifle hunting. After Christmas will be bow and flintlock and I'll take one of them. I always save a doe tag for the second season. I just like to hunt.
I don't own the land I hunt and I'm just happy to have a place to hunt. Lots of pressure and hunters where I'm at and I know none of these deer are "mine". This is just the way it's always been around here.
The NY farm I hunt is bow only (there are 6 of us who hunt it including the owner who only uses a gun for coyotes) and the number of bucks we see are are amazing for our part of the state. We are luck that there are not a lot of hunters on the adjoining properties. But as far as gun season goes I don't care either way. Everyone should get their season (albeit the NY firearms season is far too long). I must admit though I hate seeing a nice buck fall to the gun...
Those gun hunters and their six day season dread the 130 day bow season.
When is white-tailed deer hunting season in Ohio?
Archery: Sept. 24, 2022-Feb. 5, 2023
Gun: Nov. 28, 2022-Dec. 4, 2022.
Muzzleloader: Jan. 7, 2023-Jan. 10, 2023.
I’ve done some rifle hunting but not for a few years. I do not like drives that scour the woods and people shooting anything that’s brown.
Doesn't bother me in the least.
I used to despise Mn gun season. Nov 5th through the 13th where I am at.
This year I decided to leave some cameras rolling and hunted a bunch after the orange army went home.
Pretty good movement afterwards. Got plenty of trail camera pics of bucks as well as seen plenty of movement from the stand.
Both myself and my son in law ended up shooting decent bucks. Mine last Sunday and his yesterday.
Sure we hunted on ground that had not seen any hunting pressure all year. However, one of my cameras was left on public. Interestingly no deer movement on camera during gun season but with in a couple of days afterwards there was good movement with a couple of really good looking bucks on the cam.
Opening of gun season today, not so much shooting going on, not so many guys out. I worry more about declining hunter numbers than 'the nasty gunners are gonna shoot *my* deer!'
Dread, is the exact word I would use. The ones that irritate me the most, are the damn road hunters constantly cruising up and down the gravel roads around us, or the ones that give you the “I thought this was state land” excuse, irregardless of the fact that there are “No Trespassing” signs clearly posted every few hundred yards.
Now that I own my land, I really hate it. Up until then I disliked it due to the "hunters" that step into the woods for a few days a year. I really feel that rifle season starts the weekend before as everyone is out setting stands and getting ready.
I hate it with a passion. By Far the worst couple of weeks during the year.
I wish I had a bow season in SC......
4.5 months of gun season.
Don't bother me in the least. Gun hunters have the same rights as we do IMO
I like deer camp and taking my rifle for a walk in the big forest areas in Northern WI.
I don't mind gun season, it's a PA tradition that I enjoyed for many years. Had my grandson out and he got his first deer with my first rifle. Today I bowhunt, just prefer it more.
That guy over on leatherwall hates rifle season. He also hates his thread about hating gun season being closed down. I told him to come over here, not sure if he saw it before his second thread got shut down.
Gun season doesn't bother me here in Colorado, but it was horrible in Michigan.
Im an equal opportunity hunter, so I hunt both archery and firearms season. I dont own any of the ground that I am allowed to hunt, so I couldnt ever at this point make an argument against either. I prefer to fill the freezer with the bow, but just today, for the first time in probably 10 years went opening day of our firearms season, and I shot a doe.
There were no deer drives where I hunt, and for an opening morning, very little shooting. I counted 12 shots, with mine making 13, before noon.
The opposite of dread I look forward to it like a kid on Christmas. I've been fortunate enough to spend either a evening or morning in the blind this last week with my wife, daughter, mom, and nephew. Some people aren't bow hunters and some bow hunters still enjoy picking up a rifle.
In a tree right now with my bow during New York gun season. Massachusetts opened this am. Heard my first shot 4 minutes after legal shoot Time..
I love bow hunting but they don't go KERPLOOOOW!!!
i love bowhunting but rifle season i do not go and i owned about 4 rifles but have not shot them in 40 plus years. To many careless hunters during rifle season and way to many people for my taste.
x2 PushCoArcher! I got no problem with rifle season either - took a nice doe on Saturday. Will likely take another during the antlerless rifle season. Still plan on 1 or 2 with my bow too since we have a 3.5 month archery season.
Ugh…don’t even get me started…
—Jim
The CO late rifle season on the plains starts Thursday. It's a slaughter on big muleys for anyone who can get access, since it's all private. I could have easily shot three bucks between 170-190 with a rifle this morning.
Fortunately, this rancher doesn't have any rifle hunters this year, but the surrounding ranches do.
I enjoy bowhunting and would do it exclusively if permitted. Rifle hunting doesn't bother me in the least. I'll hit the woods with whatever weapon is appropriate/permitted for a season. In Florida rifle season opens mid-November. I wanted out earlier so I took up Black Powder. I wanted out even earlier, so 25 years ago I took up archery. I hunt all seasons, but several of the management areas I regularly draw and hunt are archery only.
I love to bow and gun hunt. I hunt both private ground and national forest with my bow. Do the same with my rifle. I couldn’t imagine missing either honestly. It’s a tradition.
I imagine if more people hunted big ground instead of hunting food plots and bait pikes, there’s be more gun hunters.
I look forward to it as much as any season. That is the one time a year I get to take my wife out and she gets to fill a tag.
The eastern plains of Colorado has 2 rifle seasons, the early one is the last week of Oct thru Nov 8, the late one is the first 2 weeks of Dec. Almost 4 weeks total. It’s too much, IMO. Rifle hunting in this open country isn’t a challenge. Our mature buck population has been decimated as a result. Put me in the “dread” camp.
Matt
I didn’t hunt with a gun this year. I also hate the gun season. There were two occasions hunters wanted to access my property to retrieve buck shot with a rifle this season. Neither deer was retrieved. We had a good amount of snow. I just think there is a skill lacking for tracking deer. Very We have a minimum age 4.5 rule that is broad brushes but “followed”.
What turned me even more anti-gun season (WI) is that a lot t of bucks shot (and many lost) were due to crossbows. Every one wants a big buck so xbow bow season flourishes.
In the end, you need to be ready to shoot doe’s as overpopulated deer populations lead to other long- term issues, especially over browsing. . . That balance comes through land management. That average deer landowner in not versed in property management.
The folks that don't care for gun hunting would not fare well in VA. Bow is 1st sat in Oct to 1st sat in Nov. Muzzleloader 1st sat in Nov to 3rd sat in Nov. Rifle 3rd sat in Nov to 1st sat in Jan. Depending on the calendar that's 8 to 9 weeks of gun from Nov till Jan. Deer become almost completely nocturnal from Thanksgiving week till the end of the season.
I like it when I hear gun hunters bitching about the length of bow season or bow hunters getting more rut huntIng time. I’ve never heard of a law that prevents them from learning to bow hunt.
Since I can bowhunt during gun season, I don't mind it at all, plus my son makes time to come hunt with me a little during our rifle season. I've always been pretty successful when the "orange army" hits the woods with my bow. After all, it's really the best management tool to control our deer population. Without the boomsticks, we'd easily have quantity and quality issues.
I like gun season when it is one on one but not a fan of deer drives.
Doesn't bother me. It doesn't change the way I hunt. Depending how my bow season is going, I may be in the woods with a gun.
I definetly do Pat, in my part of middle America I do understand the traditions and camaraderie that hunting camp brings, however I know so many that only pick up a gun or go hunting 1 weekend a year and that is for the 9 day rifle season here in Nebraska, we as bow hunters put in so much time preparing scouting and sitting in the stand while so many guys fill their tag out of a pickup window opening morning.. I’m not anti rifle hunting but what most do is not hunting IMO. Most of all what burns me is I would say with prejudice well over half of the animals taken by rifle hunters in my rural area turn into dog food and often times the meat is never salvaged or taken care of, guys simply pull the trigger for a quick fix and hit the ditch with the rest of it, something that rarely takes place with bow hunters, unless your one of the celebrity bow hunting types that take part in early season whitetail hunts here with a few of our outfitters , then they fall into the same category as the rifle hunters I despise because of their lack of appreciation for the meat they harvest..
I enjoy hunting, bit it archery season, rifle or muzzle loader. I love to hunt and kill sh!t. My wife and I easily go through 3 deer every year - tenderloins fried in butter with minimal seasoning, all kinds of sausages, etc.
Gun season is for my kids and wife. Don’t hate it at all. I’ve got 40+ days to shoot a deer on our place with my bow and I have it all to myself.
I hunt all seasons that I am able to.
Lol @ Brotsky
Had to get him riled up. :)
Despise PAs gun season. Not because I don’t like rifle season, I do. I despise the Amish showing up in school buses, putting on drives of 40,50,60 guys, no orange…basically strip mining every piece of public property. And private. Because as they push thru State Forest, they ignore private property lines and just continue on.
I hate gun seasons. Seeing everything I passed up get blasted. Just so the can say they shot a buck and like Murph said simply feed the dogs or coyotes . Or the “Meat” hunters in Colorado with a bull tag instead of a cow when most areas are like 25/1 or more
Agree with GG, except I'll add that I have to take a couple garbage bags with me to pick up the inevitable beer cans and rifle shells along the roads.
Thanksgiving turkey Neck shot at 100 yards with a rifle I built.
Thanksgiving turkey Neck shot at 100 yards with a rifle I built.
I enjoy it all. Last year I bought a pawn shop savage 110. I bought the action vice and barrel nut wrench. Removed old and installed new barrel, new stock, did the inletting & bedding myself installed and set new trigger and it shoots great. As I said I enjoy it all.
Illinois is a goat rope every year. Thankfully it’s only 7 days. Two of my best areas don’t get hunted, so the deer tend to hide out there. A couple days later is a great time to hunt them.
I always look forward to going up to camp for the camaraderie and opening weekend of rifle.
Been dreading the blaze orange army slaughter here in Ohio for the past couple days... Yeah Pat know exactly how you feel... Unfortunately for us bowhunters organized deer gun drives have been a fact of life here since I was a kid in the 60's and likely always will... Properties aren't big enough to hold a mature buck through all hunting seasons and reason I like late season hunting/scouting to learn what survived to look forward to the following season... It's part of the whole hunting experience, it's the process... Unfortunately we have to wait until mid January after statewide muzzleloader season to get a good comprehension... It's hard to imagine a buck here to survive long enough to reach his full potential and the few lucky ones that do reach their potential go viral on the internet or magazine covers... Always chuckle when I hear folks speak of 6, 7, 8 year old bucks.... Those are rare monarchs here in the state of Ohio, although the few that do make it likely get holed up in some kind of a secured sanitary once the lead starts flying...
This is no lie, back in the day when I used to partake in drives, once watch a wild doe run up to a high fence bouncing down the the side trying to jump over into a 75 acre pay to kill place... She was trying to jump inside the can to get away from the outside pressure... That's how pressured they can get...
Remember another time Thursday of gun week after deer been run all week I was on stand and a buddy on the drive yelled above me 60-70 yard or so, "Czatt you down there", "Yeah, what"... "There's a doe laying here"... "Is she dead", "No, she's breathing, I think she's sleeping"... He walked up to her and poked her with the gun barrel... She jerked up and busted out of there like a bat out of hell... That's how tired in such a deep sleep she was in from being run all week...
Although a tradition, haven't participated in deer drives in close to two decades now, but it was always a social event of hunting buddies getting together once a year and having great times... We had a blast (pun intended) laughing, joking teasing each other... Deer camps, etc, was good times, some I'll never forget... I actually miss it... We never killed anything probably over 3 years old because we hunted the same properties year after year few surviving to the following year... Few of these buddies were serious bowhunters as I hunting other properties for big bucks, but these other guys went to kill deer and have fun, sometimes kids were brought along... It was more a social event than a deer kill, although we did kill a lot of deer...
I used to look forward to gun opener just for the camaraderie, but now I feel for the deer...
I like rifle hunting too.
I dread it. I am glad that all the concrete-walkers that come down are hunters, and I hope they remember their deer seasons fondly when hunting hits the ballot boxes. . . . I just wish they'd all hunt at least 10 miles from me :). I don't mind the gun season as much as I mind the influx of jackwagons.
I like guns. I've actually gun hunted the last two years a little bit. I used to just take a bow. And I always like and look forward to muzzleloader season. I'm alone, it's cold, and the deer are looking for food. . . . I look forward to youth rifle season as a time to spend time with my daughter. She shot her first last year, and her second this year. And she was stoked.
I hate that every pretty 100 inch 2 year old 8 point gets slaughtered. I dread that for sure.
It just is.
I have never gun hunted a Deer or any other biggame "except" a Water Buffalo on my last days hunt & with the Guides Rifle. It's their time & I'm glad they get the chance as we bowhunters do.. I do like the areas that are non hunted as they do become Havens.. The Deer find out real quick.. So gunners, enjoy your drives & what ever but respect the ground that is off limits & non hunting during your time.
No deer drives in Texas. No orange army. Mostly private land and you can hardly tell when general season starts in most places. Oh yeah, bow hunters get to hunt from the first Saturday in October until the first Sunday in January. Nothing to bitch about here.
When I moved to WA state you had to make a choice of what tag, archery or Modern. Have not hunted with a rifle in 36 years. Although I have used my bow to tag some great Blacktail bucks the last three days of the season----------rut begins
I throughly enjoy bowhunting, but I have to respect all legal hunters. Other hunters paid for their license just like I did and are entitled to their season.
Buffalo x2. Hunters are all targets these days. Better to stick together than hang separately. What I hate is how hard it becomes to see a deer after Minnesota season. Have 3 recent pictures of deer with slug holes in them. Flip side is I’ve shot 2 of my best archery deer on opening day of rifle season.
With trail and cell cameras I am guessing guys driving their neighbors land is now harder. My son watched 2 shooters cross a neighbors field into their woods 3 days before the gun season ended, walked past their midfield gun stands. I am hoping they are still walking.
Sixteen days in Indiana during the heart of the rut...I hate it!
Michigan -Nov 15 till Dec 11th this year is open to killing bucks with a gun. It can get ugly.
I dunno I enjoy Gun season man. brings back alot of memories for me carrying that old 700 around .
I'm guiding my wife on a couple late season rifle doe-only hunts. She's thrilled by it, and I can step back and enjoy her hunt. And she is totally geeked about putting meat in our freezer.. It's a win-win all around.
I'm guiding my wife on a couple late season rifle doe hunts. She's thrilled by it, and I can step back and enjoy her hunt. And she is totally geeked about putting meat in our freezer.. It's a win-win all around.
I dread the orange army =( but realize it's part of it. Nothing I can do but offer refuge
Someone mentioned a long gun season in Va. That’s only true in some parts. My area of Va only gets a 2 week gun season. It’s not really a problem for me cause I like my rifles as much as my other gear. The increase in road hunters is bothersome on one property. Gotta watch those poachers.
I used to dread MN rifle season. For the past 5-6 years not so much. Leave my property quiet with lots of food and 80% sanctuary.
The deer find it??
Mark
In MA we get a 6 week bow season ending the Saturday after Thanksgiving, followed by a 2 week shotgun season, then the remainder of December for muzzle-loader. So, bow through the heart of the rut here. I can remember when the seasons were much shorter, so no complaints. Regs are more generous in eastern MA but land access is tougher.
Could have used a few more guys bumping 'em yesterday.
In Missouri.... in November....
During the November firearms deer season, hunters harvested close to 200,000 deer across the state of Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation has announced that 197,724 deer were hunted during firearms deer season from November 12-22.
A total of 102,633 bucks with antlers were harvested, 16,929 button bucks, and 78,162 does, the Springfeild News-Leader reports. 188,928 deer were checked last hunting season by hunters. 102,054 of those deer were bucks with antlers while 16,537 lacked them (button bucks). The remainder of the70,337 deer hunted were does.
MDC Cervid Program Supervisor Jason Isabelle weighed in on the numbers in a press release. “It would have been hard to ask for much better weather during the November portion than what hunters experienced this year,” Isabelle said in the release. “To have sustained temperatures that were well below average for nearly the entire season portion was quite remarkable.” Isabelle noted that the cooler weather may be responsible for increased deer movements.
During the November firearms deer season, at least one hunting-related injury occurred that was not fatal. The incident was self-inflicted and took place in Bollinger County, as reported by MDC.
During the late youth portion, young hunters were able to bag 2,881 deer In late November, 2,881 deer were harvested by young hunters aged 6 to 15, according to preliminary data from MDC. This included 1,302 bucks with antlers, 322 button bucks and 1,257 does.
The top counties for the late youth portion were Lincoln with 82 deer harvested, Franklin with 65 and Osage with 52. In comparison to last year’s total harvest of 3,534 during the same time period, there was an increase of 1,498 antlered bucks , 390 button bucks , and 1,646 does .
Isabelle reported that, in recent years, the late youth portion of the harvest has ranged from 2,000 to just under 4,000 deer.“This year’s harvest total was slightly below average, but that wasn’t unexpected given the rain that moved through portions of the state Saturday evening and Sunday morning,” Isabelle explained.
Good stuff
Good stuff
I don't mind the gun season here in Ohio. In fact, I took the opportunity to shoot a mature 140 class 8pt yesterday that I wanted to get out of the gene pool. Archers have it the best in Ohio, as they have an over 4 month non-stop season and the gun season is 1 week. Not that big of a deal at a the end of the day. I'd rather see more hunters than less and keep interest in hunting higher than what it is right now. I don't think gun hunters kill that many big bucks proportionately.
Hunters hateing other hunting seasons,,,,, never in my 73 years would I have imagined this would happen. Different world today................ and you wonder about the future for kids,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, geesh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh no,,,, someone shot my deer I named Crooked Horn or something,,,,,,,,,,,,,, what a joke
I grew up in traditional camps, and learned from some terrific trackers etc.... I love the gun season, as well as all hunting seasons,,,,,
I bow hunt several months a year, and rifle hunt 2 weeks a year. I started hunting deer with both around the age of 14 and love them equally. Rifle season gives me a chance to connect with friends and family that don't bowhunt, and bowhunting connects me with nature like rifle hunting doesn't.
I hope you have plenty of cameras because several hundred acres can be pushed in no time with a few guys.
What I dread is people bashing other peoples hunting preferences. I prefer bowhunting for deer but I have no problem participating in gun or muzzleloader seaon. I hunt during those seasons the same as I do when bowhunting, sitting by myself in a treestand or ground blind. I'm not a fan of deer drives but I'm sure as hell not going to condemn other hunters for doing it as long as they are doing it legally and ethically. I have a hard time accepting some of views and opinions stated in the posts above. I can hardly accept that these are the views of other hunters. On a side note, isn't the P&Y scoring system modeled after the B&C scoring system? That should tell you who was there first.
Bou, you are correct. I have the gun hunters tell me all the time that reason they dont get big bucks is because the bow guys already killed them all. The fact that anything big had to have made it thru a multitude of seasons of all types for 3 or 4 years seems to be beyond their ability to grasp.
Also here in N.E. Iowa at least, the deer drive seems to be becoming a thing of the past. It used to be wide open, lots of big groups and everything got pushed.
These days access is becoming enough of an issue guys are quitting. More and more places have on or two guys sitting in the plastic shit houses on stilts, and the big groups cant drive anymore. Also lots of land owned by people who arent farming or hunting. Doctors and lawyers buy country estates. No hunting.
It changes a little more every year..i would be really surprised if it doesnt dwindle away to nothing in 5 to 10 years. The writing appears to be on the wall.
Dont have a dog in that hunt really but for a lot of guys this was a huge tradition that appears to be fading. I can imagine they arent happy about it, and i dont blame them.
Compared to 10 years ago i barely even hear any shooting anymore. I wonder if its the same everywhere, or a local phenomenon
I imagine the natives did deer drives too. Obviously not with guns. The thing I dread at least CO is muzzleloader season smack in the middle of bow season
Only thing I dread is the neighbors with stands RIGHT on our fence line that have cattle fields on their side, and the woods/deer are on our side. Can’t police every gun shot. ;)
I used to , to the point I hunted neighboring state instead. Then we found out the deer would cross the shallow parts of a bordering river on opening day. We would get them with bows as they climbed the ridges by the river.
I also started hunting a little bit with firearms hunters and found more than a few who were not complete jerks. Different techniques for a different weapon but good old bowhunting techniques do get them close for a shot then as well. Nothing wrong with that,
Lastly, there are still a few archey-only WMA, Refuges,etc. in my area and I do hunt them during the firearms season , as they are not open to the other weapons. Success with a 9 pt and a 8 pt during that period,,,
I like hunting season. Never one I’d didn’t like!!
I dread rifle season. Nobody in my immediate family has ever rifle hunted. I have only shot one doe with a rifle while hunting with the kids. We will be bowhunting during rifle season.
It completely changes deer behavior where I hunt.
There was a few years that I truly dreaded it, but embrace it as family time as it allows me to get out and spend a lot of quality time with all three of my children and even my wife from time to time still doing at the core the same, hunting… Rifle season is one of our family’s fun weeks of the year together where there’s little to no other stuff going on that normally consumes our daily schedules as Wisconsin’s season is always Thanksgiving week.
I think maybe some are missing the point what I think Pat is trying to convey... One blaze orange idiot stumbling around alone may not kill many potential big bucks (we have a one buck limit here in Ohio, regardless of method) it's those "organized drives" that can devastate potential bucks or if shooting does, all deer on a property...
As said, been there done that, if we knew a good buck was in a section, whether by sight of somebody in our group seeing him go in there or got between us first time through he was still dead meat...
We usually had 15 or 20 hunters opening morning, and maybe half a dozen or so by week's end with others coming and going throughout the week... I remember one good buck we made a drive was setting tight and the first time through got back between the drivers... One experienced hunter in the group seen him and I think may have even shot at him, so we knew he was a good buck decided to drive it again... Again we did, and again he got between us... He was holed up tight in thicket of a nice woods with this small crabapple thicket probable less than a acre in size... Plan C, we decided to push from a different direction "holding hands" as we say, and we killed him third time through...
If we knew the whereabouts of a good buck and had permission on the property, 90% of the time he wasn't getting away... We were pretty experienced and pretty good at killing deer on organized drives... Heck, we used to do drives with bows... It still goes on here and reason deer are spotty in Ohio, it depends upon the pressure of the property and surrounding properties...
Pat may have good opportunities though if he can police the property lines keeping the pilgrims off during firearms seasons where the deer light and feel safe on his property as a sanctuary... They'll run until they're not shot at anymore and hopefully they make it to Pat's place...
You can bet all those monster Ohio bucks that go internet viral or you see on magazine covers, at one time or another had a sanctuary, and some just got to far away from there sanctuary when the slugs started whizzing...
What completely changes deer behavior in my counties is bowhunters filling feeders and camping on them all week. It literally turns bucks nocturnal most of the rut.
Agree. Hope that I am not just jealous.
I remember reading some years ago that the timing of gun season was a major factor in big buck survival. Having the gun season after the rut is better than during. More bucks survive to become 'trophy size'. I believe the article used Kansas - post rut gun season - as an example. (This was some time ago, not sure of current regs there.)
Here in MA the gun season starts late - this week - and while drives do take some good deer, there are always more out there. Vermont, where I used to hunt, starts their gun season two weeks before Thanksgiving and rifle hunters hammer the big boys. (My best was on Nov. 13th.) Find does and there's a good chance there'll be a buck with them.
It's tradition for many - drives and what not. I just dont like the way it changes the woods. The deer behavior, the quiet, etc. If folks love it, well, it's what it is, have at it.
But yeah, I'm not a fan of general rifle/shotgun seasons.
(Still go out a few times though, just because hunting season only comes 1x year)
“deer drives are part of tradition and heritage for many people”
I never knew what a deer drive was until I moved to Wisconsin. I couldn’t believe it when I was told how they work. 2 guys on one end of a field with 50cal slug chuckers, and 6 guys on the other end with 50cal slug chuckers! All 8 of them are jonesing to get a deer, and it’s possible that bubba may have already started drinking beer!?
No thanks! Those slugs leave a hell of a mark if they hit you in the fleshy parts!
I feel some dread during the deer gun season in Ohio, but I would not change it if I could. The population needs to be controlled and the deer gun season is necessary for that. I don't like having mature bucks removed but the gun hunters have just as much right to them as I do. Fortunately, mature bucks are hard to kill and some of them make it through. I don't shoot bucks with a gun but I allow does to be shot with a gun. IMO the best time to kill a mature buck is during the archery season so I think that we bowhunters have it pretty good in Ohio.
Pat I understand the dislike for gun season.... I dread it too in NY. But c'mon... you're talking about Ohio and its week of gun (not including MZ)?! That's nothing to lose sleep over!
In NY it permanently alters the way the deer behave after a few weeks of deer drives. (Usually) if you have a spot that is left alone they start to show up in day light again by the end of the season.... but it has to be left alone, and considerable acreage or feeling of security for them to resume daylight feeding.
The property I shot my buck on (the thread I started back in early Nov. "Rut ready Stud") had a deer drive on opening morning. They shot 9 deer out of that central woodlot - not including the neighbors bordering it who also capitalized on the disruption and picked off a few deer (as was reported back to me).
Deer drives blow. But I get that its a tradition for probably half of gun hunters.
I've been venturing south to the mountains of PA the last 2 years with bow, and now gun. During bow season we hunted for 5 days straight and never ran into another human until we cruised around on some gas roads one day that it was 70 deg midday. It was like having a 14,000 acre playground to ourselves! Saw a hammer of a mountain buck (150+) too... and almost got a shot opportunity at a busted up mature buck.
During firearm those same places are crawling with people. So this year we went down for firearm opener again but decided to pick a new spot that had almost no easy access (gas or logging roads), and steep climbs immediately from the hard road. Lets just say I'm continually surprised by the motivation of some resident PA hunters. Encountering people miles from the nearest road and over 1,000' of vertical climb. Toting a gun at times there still hardly feels like it levels the playing field in those mountains, but it does feel like an appropriate tool for the job. Love bowhunting as much as the rest. And will be bowhunting here in NY in my quiet spots that won't see gun hunting pressure. I'm not sure anything compares to the dread of NY's 41 continuous days of gun hunting, though. Ohio has it good!
My earliest memories of deer hunting were with a gun, but I now really despise gun season. But then I don't like compounds or crossbows either.
This pic was taken the Sunday after the last day of hunting season 1992. I know because that's my 5 year old son Eddie in the pic and he's 35 now. We drove deer in the NW VA hill's and we're good at it. We did deer drives with bows, muzzleloaders, rifles, didn't matter. Everyone took venison home and we had a great time.
I hunt all of rifle season with my longbow on the ground. I hunt deep in our timberlands. I have not met another hunter in probably 15 years. So far this season, I have yet to see a deer. We have very few up here. Bears yes, deer, no.
It’s all rifle season down here. Hounds and bait too. Both are fun when done right. I manage deer with my bow and see more than others in my club hunting differently. My choice.
The first time I hunted in the Midwest I was amazed by how different deer that haven’t been chased with dogs and rifles sense August 15th act.
T-roy what’s the difference between regardless and irregardless?
Lol. I grew up gun hunting. Really been missing it past couple years. But Canada is nothing like the US for hunter density.
Well said goyt (Cliff). Deer survive every year and we as bowhunters get first chance at them the next year.
Mostly the spelling, APauls…
I'm a fan of hunting be in bow, gun, or muzzleloader!
Proably will ruffle a few feathers here. Rifle hunters sitting over natural habitat are doing more hunting than someone sitting over a pile of corn. I see more big mature bucks being taken off a feeder like a beef cow than I've seen rifle hunters shoot mature whitetail bucks back home in KS. Pretty obvious which takes more hunting prowess.
Hunted both gun and bow for various species this year as like many in the past. Whitetail has been exclusively bow for quite a few years.
Fuzzy, that a .32 Remington in the pic? I have one. Shot a lot of deer with it.
Thanks btnbuck, Although mature whitetails bucks are tough under any conditions, the gun seasons probably helps to hone their evasive skills to make them an even a greater challenge.
Like it or not, the rifle seasons keep the herd in check. I live in MO and lots of deer are killed, a previous post gave the stats. It’s amazing because when my Dad grew up here he only saw one deer, he was riding the school bus in farm country and he still brings it up anytime we drive by the spot. They used to live on a big farm that’s now got some great deer hunting.
Whocares , close its actually a .30 Remington they are great rifles.
The only hunters I have a problem with are the ones who make all of look bad. Many seem to do it on purpose. The guy who hunts in a manner that makes landowners want to close their property in particular. I take pride in having places to hunt where I am welcome. I don't mind other respectful company. BTW I often tell non hunters about the great things I encounter in the woods. I see a lot of smiles and nods when I relate stories of small animals entertaining me while I sit in wait...
I know that rifle season is needed and necessary for herd management but it still always stings a little when you hear gun shots around when you are still bowhunting. I will say it sickens me how much deer meat goes to waste during rifle season.
Timex lets see your Shotgun you retrofit Salvage 110 Thanks
The original 243 barrel is below the gun. I sold the original stock
The original 243 barrel is below the gun. I sold the original stock
Goelk.........Not sure about your question .....if your being negative about killing a turkey with a rifle it's legal in VA in the fall during deer season and I don't know many folks confident enough to neck shoot them. If your serious about the gun it started as a Savage 110 chamberd in 243. I rebarled it with a criterion 26" heavy Sporter barrel chamberd in 6.5x284 Norma, fitted a bell & carolson stock to the barreled action, installed a rifle basics trigger set to 8oz and a hawke frontier 4x20x50mm scope. And yes it's very accurate..
I don't hate rifle season. I hate post rifle season. Deer sightings go way down and the ones I do see are wired tight. Last night I went out to one of the farms I hunt and it was a "fart squirrel" for me (skunk).
Hunting northern Wisconsin with a rifle back when everyone wore red and black checked clothing, and the snow was deep was always the greatest times in deer camp. I will never forget, never too many hunters and the comradery never ending! Hunt hard , and the nightly card games, yes deer drives thru miles of thick swamps it's a wonder we never got lost. No rifle hunting is great too, in it's own way. I am strictly a longbow hunter and have been for many decades, I make all my bows and arrows and live to elk hunt but i do miss the smell of gunpowder at times, like someone said above.
We can can bowhunt during gun season here. Most of the WMA have scheduled gun hunts..I usually don't go. Been hunting an archery only tract a lot though. I'm considering doing what Jerry Simmons use to do during the gun hunts, set up strategically to where the gun hunters might push deer to me.
I do not dread the NY northern zone rifle season. What I dread are seasoned hunters rifle or bow, that shoot multiple 1 1/2 year old bucks each season, , then complain they cannot find a mature rack buck.
Timex I've neck-shot a few fall wild turkeys with rifles myself. Quite a challenge. Farthest was with a scoped Model 99 in .300 Savage, about 80 yards.
Nothing dreadful about this stuff. Taking another generation out to the deer woods.
Will be 75 in a few days. Shoulders, elbows and a bad tremor make bow hunting tough. I love to hunt and took a cow elk, buck and doe antelope and buck and doe WT this year. Still have muzzle loader muley doe and cow elk shoulder season left.
I LOVE RIFLE SEASON
I didn't know OHIO had a RIFLE season????wtf
Used to be shotgun slugs only since guns season was adopted in the 1940's until a few fews ago (may have been a decade or so now) but anyhow, at first they allow big bore revolvers, and then a little later adopted straight wall rifle calibers... Here is how the regs lists:
" Shotgun: 10 gauge or smaller shotgun using one ball or one rifled slug per barrel (rifled shotgun barrels are permitted when using shotgun slug ammunition). Straight-walled cartridge rifles: All straightwalled cartridge calibers from a minimum of .357 to a maximum of .50 (includes .350 Legend)"
We just call it gun season....
Doesn't affect / bother me one iota... I hunt 480 acres of private land. I very rarely even hear a gunshot from the "neighbours". The concentration of hunters around me is low to non-existent.
Normally I do not dread rifle season in Kansas. This year with the mega drought and haying/grazing of Crp in the western 2/3rds of the state there is not much cover. Western Kansas age class bucks will be harvested at a disproportionate rate. This vicious cycle of more tags and less deer needs to end here. Especially after drought years
I pray for nine days in Wisconsin. My prayers were left unanswered as the top buck around was taken out opening day.
Big8 did you congratulate the hunter? I mean you did have 2 months to shoot him before the guy with the gun.
Well, I rifle hunted public forest land in WI. Opening day I heard 2 shots. So, not really blasting the whole herd up going on here. I know there were people around, just no deer to worry about shooting!!!
Firsty - Times are a changing, this was just released from the ODNR, which I had not realized:
"Straight-walled cartridge rifles have become more popular since becoming legal for deer gun hunting in 2014. This year, straight-walled cartridge rifles were used to harvest 55% of the deer checked during the seven-day gun season. Shotguns accounted for 38% of the total. In addition, 5% were taken with a muzzleloader, 1% with archery equipment, and less than 1% with a handgun."
https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/safety-conservation/about-ODNR/news/Successful-Deer-Hunting-Week
It's funny, the local walmart has a pile of 350 Legend ammo on the shelf, but I don't know anybody who uses it. Not legal here, and rifle hunters in nearby states have tons of better options. That 'straight wall only' rule seems to be a midwest thing only.
(I do own a 45-70, for fun and bears ;-) )
