Why do you bow hunt?

[breederbuck33]

Its all about being close to me. Being right amongst them where I can hear them, see them, and sometimes even smell them. I enjoy sitting in a box blind watching 200 yards in 3 directions, but its just not the same as having them in your face.

[Hoggslayer]

When Clay was 11, he limited out with his rifle in his first 20 minutes of hunting that season. He has only bow hunted since then because he enjoyed the hunt more.

[DavidH44]

Longer seasons, hunting the rut in different states, ability to practice shooting in my backyard

[Shinesintx]

A friend told me once...When you see a deer with a rifle the hunt is over, when you see a deer with a bow the hunt has just begun.

It's just to easy to shoot one with a gun, haven't shot one since 1992 with a gun...

Agree completely....with a bow, it has just begun. Well said.

[RShockley]

Only reason I started was for the increased opportunity with a lot of local public lands being bow only and of course the extra month at the beginning. Now I have grown to primarily enjoy bow hunting even during gun season unless rifle is required.

[brokeno]

When I quit getting buck fever shooting something a couple of hundred yards away I put the rifle away.

[catslayer]

Cause I don't like shake anymore shooting then with a rifle... And I do with a bow.

I also like being CLOSE... If I cant hear them chew... It's just deer watching

[WalkieTalkie]

The challenge

[WalkieTalkie]

I like shooting deer with guns but I am much more drawn to the challenge of bow hunting

[Burntorange Bowhunter]

Because I am a bowhunting snowboarder. LOL.

Bow only since 88ish. Hadn't killed an animal with a rifle in 30 years until the last two years. I shot a hog last year and a doe the year before with one of my AR's...…..wait, with my only AR, lol. I did it so if asked why I "need" and AR 15 I can reply, to hunt and provide protein for my family.

[CrossTimbers]

I mastered the rifle hunt, so I needed the additional challenge. Now wind, scent, and stealth are so much more important. Plus I get an extra month to hunt.

[Hoss163]

Because I like being close to the animals in there habitat . There is nothing like setting there just counting every single hair on there body,seeing every little bump on a bucks rack without the aid of binoculars.And just setting there taking the time to get to know the animals and there behavior. I feel like I didn’t get that Rifle hunting . I just felt I was missing out on so much in the Woods rifle hunting not only did it feel like I was cheating these great animals I was cheating my self by not getting close and personal with them . It’s just a great rush basically being one amongst gods creations and trying to trick all there great senses !

[Phillip Fields]

I like being up close and personal is the reason I prefer hunting with my longbow. That being said, those that think hunting with a rifle is easy have obviously never rifle hunted in the areas I rifle hunted in. No baiting is allowed, you have to scout, locate bedding spots, feeding spots, etc and determine where to set up. You almost never see a deer out in the open. In order to shoot a deer you have to be able to pick small openings to thread a bullet through. Killing a mature deer under these conditions with a rifle is 10 times harder than sitting over a feeder and killing a mature deer with an arrow.

[cdorrell]

I bow hunt with a longbow due to the challenge that it provides. To me it's just the next step in the progression of the hunt.

[Razorback01]

I bow hunt because of the reduced cost, all public land. This year I'll probably have only $300-$500 in Whitney, LBJ, and Hagerman. No corn, no feeders, just me and the deer. I only get about 10-15 days of hunting in a year, can't see spending thousands on a lease for 2 weeks.