Missing out?

[03mossy]

I would like some more opinions on a conversation me and a buddy of mine are having about bow hunting. We live in MN and our bow season starts Sept 15th, rifle/shot gun Nov 7th, and the ML season isn't until the first Saturday after thanksgiving. With that said the issue we are discussing is are we missing out on the action since we don't bow hunt. I have a bow but have never really hunted with it. It seems like all the good stories you hear about rut action are by bow hunters before the firearms seasons. Most of the pics I see of truly big deer in MN are with a bow again before firearms. Any bick buck ive ever seen shot with a gun has been on the opening Saturday of the gun season. Are these bucks going nocturnal after the barrage of gunfire on that opening Saturday? Is our best chance at a good buck before this happens? And for our post rut ML season, when I hunt the most, I have never seen a buck. All the bucks I have killed with the ML are during the firearms season.

Bad part is we are allowed 1 deer a year in MN, if we commit to bow hunting and shoot one then the ML's stay in the safe for the season. But would it be worth it for more action in the woods?

 

[Al-53]

Mossy ...In my state the top deer are bow kills...they get prime time during the rut...our bow season is on right now...it ends right around thanks giving...then 12 days of shotgun and then muzzy season...but we can hunt with a muzzy during the shotgun season...

The rut here is just picking up real good now..some nice deer being taken...Now if you want to possibly get a nice trophy or at least a nice buck then bow hunt...I can hunt with a Xbow due to a bad shoulder..I have scouted a few places right out my back door and the activity has really picked up..I been busy so have not been out yet...but will this week end..

If I had a chance like you to bow or muzzy hunt and can only take 1 deer...i would opt for the bow hunt...If no success you still have the other seasons to hunt...deer do go nocturnal after a lot of traffic in thier areas and also after lots of gun shots...it happens here also...its good if you can hunt private land with very liitle human presence...i hunt my own land

we are allowed 3 deer here ..so I just bowhunt and muzzy the rest of season...

 

[bestill]

I love my muzzleloader season.
Yes i bow hunt hard during rut here in Indiana first two weeks of November then guns start and all go nocturnal. But come December and cold weather sets in you can start patterning bucks feeding to recover from rut and then muzzleloader is a great choice

 

[Tannhauser]

I hunt bow, ML and rifle so I can hunt as much as possible. Of course here in VA, I have 6 deer tags. However, even if I could only take 1 deer, I would hunt all three seasons, I'd just be a little more picky. If you tag out early in the season, maybe look into a DIY hunt out of state.

Edit: fixed "autocorrect"

 

[Widude]

Yes, out of State is an option, as able with location and cost. Many States have opened up bow season to the crossbow, could be an option if one is interested.

Some depends with who you may hunt with, gun hunters or bow, should you have a group.

Most in-state tags and licenses don't cost much. If one has the time and such, maybe buy both, hunt, and see what develops. When going out of state the cost becomes much more of a factor, then spending time away from home.

 

[BuckDoeHunter]

I'm not familiar with MN regs, if you don't fill your tag with a bow, can you still gun hunt?

If yes, then I would be out during bow season. I'm not much of a tree stand hunter so my bowhunting from the ground is very challenging but I usually see the biggest bucks bowhunting and get shots every now and then

If I had to choose only one, I'd be gun hunting, it's just what I like the best.