...not looking forward to rifle season? I was talking to a colleague of mine today and we both discovered that both of us were regretting that we had to go rifle hunting this weekend. I have a friend who I have to take, and he has family he has to hunt with. Both of us wished we could be bow hunting instead. Neither of us would say this to our friends and family, as we don't want to run their fun.

Nothing against rifle hunters (I was one for a long time) but I'm looking forward to all the chaos and hoopla being out of the woods so I can peacefully bow hunt again.

i'm with ya

I shot my first deer with a bow this year. I've alway been and still rifle hunt. But nothing much better than that up close encounter with a deer and taking it with a bow.

But I realized that the thing I enjoy best about rifle hunting is Deeer Camp. Family, friends, sharing stories, giving each other a hard time for missing (usually me), tracking deer.

Why don't you bowhunt while all the others are gun hunting? You'll still have the chaos, but get to do it the way you want yet still enjoy the comraderie.

thats what i was thinkin, u just have to wear blaze instead of camo

I agree, I gave up the gun deal years ago...I will, take my Son out though so he can experience harvesting Deer and compare it to hunting.

If I had to chose between my deer camp time and my bowhunting, deer camp would win in a landslide. I love bowhunting but getting up north with my best friends and spending a week in deer camp is the best week of the year. I won't even think of taking a buck with a bow before rifle (unless it's a monster) because it would burn up my buck tag for rifle and our camps big buck contest.

I'll take bow hunting over the gun any day of the week. However, my dad is getting up there in years and only gun hunts now. So it's more of a family/tradition thing for me.

I am getting ready for firearm season. I love to bow hunt, and am very passionate about it. However, its getting to be freezer filling time. I think I'd like it more if I had one more week with the bow. Deer camp is the best. I don't know how many years my Dad has left to hunt, so I will always hunt during the firearm. I really don't care what method I use to take a deer, I just like to hunt whitetails. If I shoot one with a bow, it is all the more sweeter, however, shooting one with a gun is never bad.

I love to do both. After seeing deer out of range or not getting a shot, or getting busted just before a shot opportunity, it's nice to have the rifle in hand knowing I have some real firepower and won't have to track very far!

AMEN to that Fishermatt. I have started seeing bucks, but nothing close enough to shoot.

I love bowhunting but I still love rifle hunting that much more because it is how I started deer hunting, also deer camp is the best. I like how people say that bow hunting is up close and personal, in my circumstances my bow shots have been farther than most of my rifle shots. My first two rifle deer were less than five yards, only two of my 6 rifle deer were past 15 yards. my two bow deer were 23 and 27 yards, beating my rifle average. This year might be different as there is a fresh clear cut and I have the ability to shoot 200+

I really enjoy the rifle opener. We have a group of friends who all get together and hunt the opener. To me its another chance to enjoy the great outdoors hunting deer.

When talking about how far away we shoot our deer, my range is typically 150 yards and up to 350. I hunt an open alfalfa field and they can walk out or run anyhwere.

Taking one with a bow is tougher but I love stacking up deer so it just doesn't matter. I have shot a ton of deer with my bow and it may not be the thrill it use to be.

I'm not looking forward to it either but I'm biased because I don't gun hunt. It's fun to share deer camp with everyone though and help trail, drag, etc.

If I had to pick one wheapon to hunt with the rest of my life, the bow wins in a landslide. But like others have said deer camp is more for friends and family and the overall experience. And it is nice to be able to reach out and touch those bucks that are out of bow range. Some day I might leave the gun home and bring the bow out for rifle season, that way I still have the bow but I'm still at the shack with all the guys.