GMMAT

Honest to God, guys.....THIS is what "I" LOVE about being a bow hunter......

Someone said it here the other day......When you see a deer with a gun in your hands....the hunt's over. When you see them and you have a bow in your hand....the hunt's just beginning.

Now....you gun hunters can argue that 'til you're blue in the face.....but let's be honest (plus we're on a bowhunting forum).

The biggest deer I saw all year......I've seen twice. I had him at 12 yds and didn't get the job done. And....counting that first encounter (when he first came under my tree before offering me a shot) I've had him @ ZERO yds, twice ! (the last time ....I was peering through the platform slats of my Summit at him!)

ONLY in bowhunting.......He's still walkin!

Jeff

Killer_Primate

SB,
Do we really have to go down this road again? Go read my post, I didn't say anything controversial. I do hunt with a bow, therefore I am a bow hunter, by definition anyway. Can't I answer the question? Or should I just let you answer how I feel for me?

And I do have one correction, not to you, but whomever you quoted. Just because you're hunting with a gun, doesn't mean when you see the deer it's over. Over the course of one day of stalking one buck, I saw him about 15 times, and he probably saw me a 100 times, I didn't get him! I also saw about 20 other deer that I was not after, and I never fired a shot. It was a hard hunt, nothing easy about it. I'd love to tell you some of the really cool parts where he flanked me on a number of occasions, but since I was carrying a shotgun, you don't want to know!
Go sit in your tree!
See ya,
KP

rock_slinger

I had no hunting parents. I lived next to a farm on the edge of town. I got a bb gun and that was how it started. Sparrows and rats on the nieghbors farm.I have rifle hunted but it was hard to get access to land and I dispise the way some people hunt in our area. I picked up a bow and after the fist day out I was hooked!! I owe it to the nieghbor for letting me get a start on his land.

txjourneyman

I may alienate some people here but I am going to be honest. I am a convicted felon. I made some mistakes during my misspent youth. It is illegal for me to hunt with modern firearms so I took up a bow. I have hunted with a muzzleloader for years. That is legal for me as long as it is flint or sidelock percussion. I decided that since I had to get close with a ML maybe I should try a bow and get even closer. I also have to consider traveling with my hunting weapon. With a bow no problem I can go anywhere with it. With a ML I could run into a problem. Felon in possesion of a firearm. I have checked with the Beaureu of Alchoholl Tobacco and Firearms and was reassured that as long as I don't use a modern gun, (including in line MLs) I will be legal, however I wonder how many small town cops would understand.
So I started to bowhunt to stay out of jail and fell in love with it. I rarely knock the dust off my ML anymore with the exception of my Pedersoli double barrel 12ga. I use for turkeys. I often wonder if I'm alone in my reason.

mnbuckman

Everyone in my family is a bowhunter. We have been doing it since my grandpa started bowhunting is the 1960's.

Carroll B

I started bow hunting in order to spend more time in the woods with my son. He has bow hunted for 12 years. I always said I'm not that dedicated. He said it will make you a better hunter. I tried it, I enjoy it, and it has made me a better hunter. I've put over 80 hours on my stand this year so far. Taken a deer with the muzzleloader, slug gun, and first with a bow. The time God has given me to spend with my family is one of the most precious gifts I have.

Killer_Primate

Txjourneyman,
It took a lot of courage to give us your reasons, and I totally respect you for it!
Best wishes,
KP

rybohunter

My dad. I took to the hunting and outdoors lifestyle really young, but there was just something in my dad's face when he came home from an archery hunt that was different than when he came home from any other hunt. So then once I was old enough/big enough to pull a bow back and got to see for myself, I was instantly hooked.

rangerstud620

My dad got me into rifle hunting...in ND you have to be 14 to rifle hunt. After a couple years of that I decided a couple weeks a year deer hunting wasn't enough. So I decided to take up bowhunting. I only have one relative that bowhunts so I was basically on my own to get into it. My dad claims he was never a good shot with bow when he was a kid

GMMAT

Killer:

Don't flatter yourself. I didn't even know you'd posted on this thread.

Just being honest.

Jeff