Bow Season In 2 Weeks? It's Still 90 Degrees!

[ctltmp]

That's pretty comical Eugene!

Gotta say there must be a bumper crop of deer from last year, and every doe I've seen has twin fawns with her. I always take a big doe for the freezer.

Trophies are nice but could never seem to get those horns tender enough to eat no matter how I fix them........

[clm2112]

I think PA is going to be in the same situation... season opens Oct 1 and it is still in the 80's around here. Going to skip archery season this year (I didn't bother getting the extra license.) Just fall and spring Turkey along with regular rifle season for me this year.

[Slim140]

That's pretty comical Eugene!

Gotta say there must be a bumper crop of deer from last year, and every doe I've seen has twin fawns with her. I always take a big doe for the freezer.

Trophies are nice but could never seem to get those horns tender enough to eat no matter how I fix them........

If I'm putting meat in our freezer I prefer a big doe, I give the big buck meat away. I don't care what anybody says, a big doe is harder to kill with a bow than a big buck. She will bust you before you even know she's around.

[Slim140]

I think PA is going to be in the same situation... season opens Oct 1 and it is still in the 80's around here. Going to skip archery season this year (I didn't bother getting the extra license.) Just fall and spring Turkey along with regular rifle season for me this year.

Same way here, been too hot. I let a friend borrow my crossbow opening day cause his exploded, told him keep it long as he needed it I wasn't going anytime soon. It's too hot for me to get in the mood. I been gearing up for muzzle loader season here.

[ctltmp]

Old fella kill a big 11 point on the hill behind work this morning. On a stool out in the wide open. Go figure. I'll post the picture tomorrow. One of the other guy's saw the guy with the deer and has the picture.

[ricky racer]

If I'm putting meat in our freezer I prefer a big doe, I give the big buck meat away. I don't care what anybody says, a big doe is harder to kill with a bow than a big buck. She will bust you before you even know she's around.

I'll agree with you regarding the difficulty in hunting a big doe, but only for a few days a year. That's when she is on lockdown with a buck during the few days she's in heat and receptive to the buck. At that time only, she's almost impossible to connect with. Outside of that, i can fill a pickup with does while a mature buck continues to elude me. I pass up a lot of does and little basket racked bucks every year. A mature buck in high pressured areas like Michigan are one of the most difficult animals to kill in my opinion. That's what fires up the drive to succeed trying to out wit an animal that continues to show me that I have no wits... That drive has pushed me to progress from hunting with center fire rifles to compound bows to long bows and recurve bows. I've eaten venison for decades and honestly cannot tell any difference between a mature buck or any doe. I think it's all in the way it's handled and prepared.
Anyway, we all hunt for different reasons and are driven by different stimuli and we all need to do what makes us happy (as long as it's legal). My neighbor is looking only to fill his freezer with meat and has only hunted the last two years. He goes out behind his house and shoots a doe with his gun on the first day of gun season and he is happy. Often times I'll hunt heavily the whole season passing up quite a few deer and end up with nothing because I either didn't see anything I really wanted to shoot or I couldn't get a decent opportunity to take a shot. Come on October 1st!!

[ctltmp]

I agree with all of that. Hunting big bucks takes dedication, especially with the bow. I hunted with the bow exclusively for a lot of years. I've missed a few opportunities. A couple stupid mistakes, and a couple just not enough light left to shoot. It's hard to watch a buck you've tried all season to have a crack at slowly walk away knowing it's probably the only time you'll see him all year.

We have "big nasty ". I've seen him twice in two years, both times crossing the lane I park at to hunt before daylight. Only chance for this old boy is bow season. Once gun season comes in (thanksgiving week)I don't think he moves in daylight at all, and the rut is over for the most part. Halloween week has always been the best week of rut for me. A few years back I let 6 bucks walk by on Halloween morning. One was a really big 9 pt. I probably should have taken the shot on him. All had nose to ground not far behind a does.

Rick I noticed you have 2 B model j.d,s. I love those things. Love to hear them run. One for sale here close by, price is right but I just don't have space right now.

Best of luck to all our hunting friends!

[Slim140]

If I'm putting meat in our freezer I prefer a big doe, I give the big buck meat away. I don't care what anybody says, a big doe is harder to kill with a bow than a big buck. She will bust you before you even know she's around.

I'll agree with you regarding the difficulty in hunting a big doe, but only for a few days a year. That's when she is on lockdown with a buck during the few days she's in heat and receptive to the buck. At that time only, she's almost impossible to connect with. Outside of that, i can fill a pickup with does while a mature buck continues to elude me. I pass up a lot of does and little basket racked bucks every year. A mature buck in high pressured areas like Michigan are one of the most difficult animals to kill in my opinion. That's what fires up the drive to succeed trying to out wit an animal that continues to show me that I have no wits... That drive has pushed me to progress from hunting with center fire rifles to compound bows to long bows and recurve bows. I've eaten venison for decades and honestly cannot tell any difference between a mature buck or any doe. I think it's all in the way it's handled and prepared.
Anyway, we all hunt for different reasons and are driven by different stimuli and we all need to do what makes us happy (as long as it's legal). My neighbor is looking only to fill his freezer with meat and has only hunted the last two years. He goes out behind his house and shoots a doe with his gun on the first day of gun season and he is happy. Often times I'll hunt heavily the whole season passing up quite a few deer and end up with nothing because I either didn't see anything I really wanted to shoot or I couldn't get a decent opportunity to take a shot. Come on October 1st!!

I get what your saying Ricky. I'm saying it's harder to get a mature doe in bow range than a mature buck, she will bust you and blow at you so fast. I can fill the truck with does all day too, but mature does is a different story. I always say "they don't get big being stupid" that goes for bucks and does. Rifle season changes everything, lol.