Bow hunting before rifle hunting on same property.

[d2wing]

I have been hunting on a friends land for a few years. Last year his grandson killed a deer the day before gun season on the same patch we hunt. I shot a small buck and the kid shot another deer but the rest of us saw nothing. This year the grandson and his wife shot two deer and the landowner also bow hunted the few days before gun season. The rest of us did not see any deer during gun season. They claim it didn't make any difference. We have filled out in previous years . What do you think? Of course it is his right to allow whatever he wants. I am thinking I need a new place to hunt.

 

[buck460XVR]

Hunting pressure will most certainly affect natural deer movement. Just how it is. Still, in many areas, deer are pressured back in during the gun season,from neighboring properties, but if the property does not include any good escape routes or heavy cover, this might not happen. You are fortunate at this time that you have a friend that lets you and you kid hunt. No matter how close of friends you are, you'd have to admit, his grandson should come first. Hardest thing for today's hunters is finding a good spot to hunt. Many settle for a so-so spot as opposed to no spot at all. You have to decide for yourself what to do, but as long as you don't own it, you have little control.

 

[sage5907]

Every deer hunter longs for a unspoiled hunting place where the animals aren't wild and the animals move around without being afraid to go about their daily habits. Bow hunting is one of the quickest way to completely spoil a good hunting area because it makes the deer wild and they quickly move to other areas. I am an experienced bow hunter and rifle hunter and use my hunting areas in a manner where the animals are least impacted by hunting activity. I always hated other hunters who would spoil their primary hunting place and then want to move to another place because they were seeing no game.

 

[mcb]

We hunt our property all season long from the early buck in velvet and youth hunts in August all the way through the antlerless extension in mid January. All of the big bucks taken off the property have been taken during muzzle load (early Nov) and rifle season (late Nov-Early Jan) which in TN occurs after the earlier archery only season.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Hunting pressure is a real thing but there is no reason it will mean the difference between tagging out and not seeing a deer all gun season.

If your the only one who hunts a spot then I say hunt all season. Other people are wild cards though and may help, hurt, or have no effect on a property.

I once had a raggedy buck run by me without offering a shot. A minute later a doe came by and stopped so I shot it. The next day I was I. The same stand and that same raggedy buck came by and I shot it.

I guess he didn’t get the memo hunters were in the area.

If you like the spot your hunting then keep hunting there. If you have a different place lined up already maybe give it a shot.

I go to MI every year to have a good place to hunt at least once a year. There are 4 people bow hunting that 60 acres before gun season. Doesn’t seem to affect anything in that particular spot.

 

[d2wing]

Hunting pressure will most certainly affect natural deer movement. Just how it is. Still, in many areas, deer are pressured back in during the gun season, from neighboring properties, but if the property does not include any good escape routes or heavy cover, this might not happen. You are fortunate at this time that you have a friend that lets you and you kid hunt. No matter how close of friends you are, you'd have to admit, his grandson should come first. Hardest thing for today's hunters is finding a good spot to hunt. Many settle for a so-so spot as opposed to no spot at all. You have to decide for yourself what to do, but as long as you don't own it, you have little control.

Very true. I am fortunate to have a place at all. I guess I am just venting. Over the years I have lot a few good spots due to owner change or a few other reasons. But yeah, a spot where my son and now grandson can hunt is a big factor. I think another buddy would let me hunt with him but only alone. I guess putting up with each others family is worth something. I guess we will have a couple three ring circuses in one tent. A nephew just bought a property in that area but he doesn't have room for a whole another family either. Since we live over three hours away it's a production for all of us to go hunting and I am not in shape yet to go by myself.
If fact I am very lucky I could go at all.

 

[d2wing]

Hunting pressure is a real thing but there is no reason it will mean the difference between tagging out and not seeing a deer all gun season.

If your the only one who hunts a spot then I say hunt all season. Other people are wild cards though and may help, hurt, or have no effect on a property.

I once had a raggedy buck run by me without offering a shot. A minute later a doe came by and stopped so I shot it. The next day I was I. The same stand and that same raggedy buck came by and I shot it.

I guess he didn’t get the memo hunters were in the area.

If you like the spot your hunting then keep hunting there. If you have a different place lined up already maybe give it a shot.

I go to MI every year to have a good place to hunt at least once a year. There are 4 people bow hunting that 60 acres before gun season. Doesn’t seem to affect anything in that particular spot.

It depends on the spot and how much pressure. It used to be 4 guys, now it's 5 guys and 2 wives were added this year on about 40 acres in a travel zone.

 

[Sniper66]

Of course it makes a BIG difference. Start looking for another place to hunt. It is always better to hunt where no one else does....always. I'm missing out this year one my favorite places because the owner's grandson is bow hunting. But, I always have other places; the more the better.

 

[Berserker]

Depends on amount of deer.

Does you hunting on day one ruin day 4? As long as different stands, I think it comes to how many deer there are. Granted no activity is better. But deer run off, and come back.

It is a debated topic about gut piles and predators. My feeling is, deer and predators will not occupy same space, so it depends how long it is there for.

But it is his land, and you can always go elsewhere if you like.

 

[JDeere]

Am I reading this correctly? 7 Hunters on 40 acres during gun season plus the bow hunters before gun season? Add that scenario and depending on the deer population that's way to much pressure. Traipsing over the same trail and sitting in the same spot day in and day out is a recipe for not seeing game.

 

[FL-NC]

Its easy to burn out one stand. Fortunately, where I hunt only 2 of us hunt there (friend's property) and we have 4 separate stands. It is only 50 acres, but each stand has a small food plot and a corn feeder. Also, we are adjacent to a hunt club that sees a lot of pressure.

 

[Sav .250]

Your not family.............

 

[mcb]

Depends on amount of deer.

Does you hunting on day one ruin day 4? As long as different stands, I think it comes to how many deer there are. Granted no activity is better. But deer run off, and come back.

It is a debated topic about gut piles and predators. My feeling is, deer and predators will not occupy same space, so it depends how long it is there for.

But it is his land, and you can always go elsewhere if you like.

I have pictures on my game cameras of predators (coyote, bobcat, and even hunters) and frequently in less than half an hour and sometime mere minutes later deer or turkey enters the same area. I have one sequence where there are deer (including fawns still in spots) grazing in a food plot, they leave, 10 minutes later a bobcat pass through the food plot, less than two minutes later the deer are back in the food plot grazing. At least on our property predator and deer frequently occupy the same space.