Return of the Archery Only Season in December?

[bowriter]

It seems to me, if you want to kill a buck during the peak of the rut with abow, why not just pick up your bow and go hunting? I know several people who do and they don't seem to be all upset.

If it were up to me, as I have said many times, I would have one season from Oct. 1-Jan 1 and you use whatever equipment you want.

Bingo!!! Bowhunters are always wanting their own seasons?

Of course. All hunters are always wanting their own seasons. So, give it to them. Have one season and let the hunter choose the equipment. Isn't that what we do during our rifle season? Nothing new or earth shattering about that. You have X number days to hunt deer. You have a specific bag limit. Now, go hunt with whatever equipment you want and make it whatever season you want from day to day.

 

[Knothead]

Man that would really suck Bowriter if they did the season you propose. Everything would be nocturnal by rut...even the squirrels lol! The woods would be a ghost town during daylight time.

I agree. That would be a nonsense move, for sure.

 

[bowriter]

Man that would really suck Bowriter if they did the season you propose. Everything would be nocturnal by rut...even the squirrels lol! The woods would be a ghost town during daylight time.

I agree. That would be a nonsense move, for sure.

Then why are the bucks not nocturnal in Dec. now? Pressure is what makes deer nocturnal, not the sound of a gun. I'm sure there are many out there who, as I have many times at rifle ranges, had to stop and let the deer walk across. Pressure a deer with a bow and it will become nocturnal just as quickly as one pressured with a gun. What hunters need to understand is what constitutes pressure to a deer. It is often different things.

 

[Toxophilite Phil]

I'm with you Buzz.

 

[Beekeeper]

Man that would really suck Bowriter if they did the season you propose. Everything would be nocturnal by rut...even the squirrels lol! The woods would be a ghost town during daylight time.

I agree. That would be a nonsense move, for sure.

Then why are the bucks not nocturnal in Dec. now? Pressure is what makes deer nocturnal, not the sound of a gun. I'm sure there are many out there who, as I have many times at rifle ranges, had to stop and let the deer walk across. Pressure a deer with a bow and it will become nocturnal just as quickly as one pressured with a gun. What hunters need to understand is what constitutes pressure to a deer. It is often different things.

Yep.

 

[Knothead]

Man that would really suck Bowriter if they did the season you propose. Everything would be nocturnal by rut...even the squirrels lol! The woods would be a ghost town during daylight time.

I agree. That would be a nonsense move, for sure.

Then why are the bucks not nocturnal in Dec. now? Pressure is what makes deer nocturnal, not the sound of a gun. I'm sure there are many out there who, as I have many times at rifle ranges, had to stop and let the deer walk across. Pressure a deer with a bow and it will become nocturnal just as quickly as one pressured with a gun. What hunters need to understand is what constitutes pressure to a deer. It is often different things.

Perhaps several reasons you may not see it ( nocturnal movement in Dec) is that by December, a lot of the gun hunters have put up their weapons. They have used their vacation time, they are now being summoned by their 'anchor' to hang Christmas decorations, help shop for the gifts, cook meals, whatever. Maybe it's too cold. Maybe many gun hunters just don't have the appropriate cold weather gear. As a result, there are less people stomping around in the woods. Less people=less pressure. There could be a host of reasons, but I suspect that you are not seeing nocturnal deer in December because the pressure has been lifted due to the reasons I mentioned above, as well as several others.
That said, if there was a break in the gun season to allow for the woods to "quieten down", would we see the daytime deer movement increase? I would like to think we would. But those who would see that would be the archery hunters.
Interesting conversation.

 

[bowriter]

The study of what and how of things affecting deer is an interesting study. I "mess" with the deer here at the house sometimes to just how they react to different things. Last fall, I wore them out with a box turkey call. They quickly reached the pont that as soon as they heard the call, they fled. I have often wondered what they did in the woods.

Deer can regard almost anything as pressure. oddly enough, apply enough "pressure" without anything adverse happening and they quickly become accustomed to it and ignore it. Perfect examples are big, easily visible ground blinds or shooting houses. Put them up in the spring and by hunting season the deer ignore them. Another is man walking in their woods. Do it enough in a calm, non0threatening manner and they begin to ignore you.

 

[stik]

Another is man walking in their woods. Do it enough in a calm, non0threatening manner and they begin to ignore you.

that is why i want the deer to know i have been there in a nonthreatening manner. they'll just stand there and watch you walk by.

 

[horn master]

I'm a bowhunter and I kill deer in December now with guns going off all around me. Don't know how much of a difference it would make. I would probably kill less deer without gun hunters running deer to me. I would rather see the season open a week or two earlier. When you can set your watch by them.

A couple of years ago AEDC had an early hunt and it was the easiest bowhunt I have ever been on. Killed a beatiful 7pt. that days earlier I took my oldest boy out there to show him the deer I was going to kill. Then called him to help me drag. He said it was to hot to hunt! Lol

 

[bowriter]

Too Hot

The second biggest and oldest deer I have ever killed in the Southeast was killed on opening day bow season (AL) on a full moon and 90 plus-degrees. He was rattled in and weighed 205 (fd)and was aged by two biologists at 5.5 or more.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Too Hot

The second biggest and oldest deer I have ever killed in the Southeast was killed on opening day bow season (AL) on a full moon and 90 plus-degrees. He was rattled in and weighed 205 (fd)and was aged by two biologists at 5.5 or more.

In 2007 I killed agood buck on October 8th or 9th and it was 91 degrees.

 

[Andy S.]

In 2007 I killed agood buck on October 8th or 9th and it was 91 degrees.

Evening buck I am sure. Do you remember time of day? Earlier in the evening or right at dusk is more along lines of what I was wondering?

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

In 2007 I killed agood buck on October 8th or 9th and it was 91 degrees.

Evening buck I am sure. Do you remember time of day? Earlier in the evening or right at dusk is more along lines of what I was wondering?

later in the evening I watched him fall and got pictures done before dark.

 

[Andy S.]

Thanks HH.

 

[bowriter]

I kiled mine at 7:13 in the morning. He was the seventh buck to come to tine tickling.