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First, I am a bow guy, even worked in archery industry for a few years. However, last year my first serious hunting for season was on October 31st. We had a lot going on in October and I couldn't get out. Saw a good number of deer that day and had 2 deer down by November 7th. I really think it helped to stay out of woods, except for the couple quick scouting trips I made until the rut is close or going. What do you guys think? I would still bow hunt, even in gun season.

I think it all depends on where you are hunting. I have access to a small area that is surrounded by houses and people. The deer and other critters although wary are accustomed to people passing through the woods. Another area is far more isolated. Although there are a couple of farms the deer seldom have people tramping through the woods. Any area can be over pressured/ over hunted. I have noticed the deer moving into and onto the land where houses are. The isolated area has a farm on two sides of it where no hunting is allowed. Guess where the deer go after the first shots are fired. Deer are smart and they know when hunting season opens. I swear they can read the no hunting signs also. Good luck this season.

I'm going as much and often as I can. I don't care the weather or rut phase.... but that's just me, I love it and always have. I don't see me skipping any kind of hunting season.

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Over the years I've come to have bow stands, and I've got firearm stands. The bow stands are little more than early season scouting stands for the most part, as I have them on the outer edges of my property, and only hunt/scout from them with favorable winds and very sparingly at that. I try to narrow down where the does are concentrated(maybe a group of 6-8 max anymore), and use this info to prepare for ML and rifle days. I think it has helped with my kill #'s as well as quality of bucks I've taken. Before, when I would wear the property out hunting during bow season, my sightings were more sparse, and I attribute that to deer coming off their summer pattern and into their Fall routine, and then picking up on the scent that I had laid down the prior 5 weeks all thru my place, and then moving from where they would have likely been concentrated to an area void of human intrusion, namely the property that borders me. This is just my personal experience. Now I still look for an opportunity to kill during bow season, but my hopes aren't sup er high, but I'm content using that time to not only hunt, but to gather as much Intel as I can about the local deer moving thru my property for a chance at seeing something within ML or rifle range later on. Oh, and my property is a little over 50 acres of a 120+ acre family farm.

jdbintn,

The previous posters really hit the nail on the head when it comes to answering the question about whether bow hunting reduces success during later MZ and gun seasons. And the answer is, "It depends." For the those who hunt from primarily fixed stands (permanent, treestands, shooting houses, ladder stands, strap-on stands) on one property from bow season through gun season, yes bow hunting can significantly reduce deer sightings from those same stands later in the season. But as several posters pointed out, there are ways around this. Some of the best strategies include:

1) If possible, hunting different properties during bow season versus the firearms seasons.

2) If hunting multiple properties isn't possible, then try hunting the outer perimeter of a single property during bow season, and then hunting the core of the property during the firearms seasons.

3) Be as mobile as possible and try not to hunt the same stands more than just a few times per year. That's one of the real strengths of climbing treestands--they are so easy to move around.

4) Hunt different patterns between bow-season and the rut season, focusing on hunting food sources during the early seasons and rut and post-rut terrain and habitat driven travel patterns during the firearms season.

I'm very lucky to have access to a club which is several thousand acres. I mainly kill does on this property. I can kill one buck a year on this place but haven't killed a buck yet in about ten seasons. I have let some fine bucks walk too. It's hard to do for an old meat hunter like me!
But during bow season I hunt the food sources. They really come to the white oaks and pin oaks too. It's not uncommon to see 10 to 15 deer per evening! I really enjoy it!

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Thank you for all the good input. This will be beneficial information and confirms it with multiple folks experience