sticking with the bow

[eshoremd]

ive decided to not use my ml this year. why go hunt with yahoos on gun properties when i can stay on good bow only public land? half of those bow hunters will be out ml anyway and leave me alone with all the deer. its close, produces, and ive already seen that monster in my area. im sure hes not the only one. this property im hunting has a sign in sheet and you must sign in, out and right down what youve taken plus call the state park. ive only seen or read of three other does being taken. i think everyone walks in too far. all the deer are by the road!

[Buckfever]

eshoremd,
The one buck that I am hunting, beds in a thicket, that is pretty much impenetrable and butts up against a bluff. He stages just off the thicket and crosses the creek to another thicket along the road, which is boardered by a 6 foot high barbed wire fence. He beds and stages in that thicket too. He then leaves the thicket running right along the road and under the bridge along the river and comes up through the only opening in the barbed wire fence, in the tall grass and he comes through the tall grass along the fence all the way to the corn. Except for when he leaves the thicket to get under the bridge which is 20 yards he is never exposed and never runs through the mature timber.

There is no doubt that what you are observing is very characteristic about hunting public land. Once you educate yourself on how the deer are responding on public land, it's like you have all the good areas all to yourself. And then once you get there, yeah definitely you'll come to prefer parks that in someway protect the bucks. Either bow only or antler restriction or earn a buck, because that will increase your odds tremendously.

I'm really impressed at how quickly you're ramping up. I know you can do it and I know you can do it this year.

[Twanger]

I'll be taking up the ML next week, some fellows from Vermont are coming down to visit - grandfather, father, and son. We hope for the son to take his first deer.

[indianadan]

I'm thinking of doing the opposite. LOL

For the past 5 years I have been bow only, but have been thinking about picking up the MLr during the gun season just long enough to put a couple does in the freezer.