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Bow hunting after gun season

BigBassLJP

BigBassLJP

New Member
Im just curious how many of you brave the weather after the gun seasons and bow hunt if you havent filled your tag. With time winding down, I still havent filled my bow tag. I plan on continuing up untill first shotgun, but I was just wondering how hunting is after the gun seasons are over?
 
The ground I hunt gets pounded during the two shotgun seasons. If I don't fill my tags before the opener I'm pretty much done with the bow.

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I'm sure it can be done. We usually do not step foot onto our farms until after xmas to kind of give the deer a break after the orange army raises hell. If we get the good cold cold weather it can be productive, or if your in an area with little gun pressure you should be just fine
 
I've done it a few times.. It definitely gets tougher that time of year. But, I figure what else do I have to do and I have the next 10 months to warm up and sleep in (that is when I'm not going fishing)
 
I've done it if I hadn't filled my bow tag. It's very hard to draw on the deer that late in the year, but it definitely can be done.
 
I am curious as to what time of day the most movement is on a typical cold day. Still AM and PM or will they get up much mid-day to move around in the cold weather.
 
We've done it with success. In my opinion you need ground with a solid food source. We only bother with PM hunts. I love how still and quite it can get in the late season but it can make it hard to get drawn and often over food you have a lot of eyes to contend with. It's nice to be able to set up on a heavily used trail to the food as apposed to being right on the field for a bow.
 
Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on keeping the bow season open during the gun seasons? Maybe its been discussed here, but I wish they would keep it open. When I lived in MN you could bow hunt during the gun seasons, you just had to wear orange. I know a lot of people wouldn't bother, but the ground I hunt does not allow any gun hunting, only bow. It is like a sanctuary during the gun season, and in those years that you get really mild gun seasons, I would definitely be out there with a bow.
 
Some of my best days bowhunting have been after shotgun. They get back to a reasonable pattern and if you can find a travel route you're in good shape.
 
I totally agree with Blakesburg, late season bowhunting is great, if you have a good food source. I cant wait untill this breeding frenzy is over and the bucks get very predictable to pattern on a good food source, but forget about treestands and do groundblinds in the pm only. If its good and cold with snowcover, hunt noon untill dark. In the mornings when its cold they are bedded by daylight, waiting to feed during the warmer part of the day. Yeah I wish we could bowhunt during gun season too.
 
I would agree with the others, the food source especially if it gets real cold is great. Downside is lots of eyes on you. The pm hunts worked well for me last year. I took my buck last year the first week of January. It gets a little colder and can be different shooting with lots of heavy clothes on too.
 
Thanks for the positve comments guys. I just started bow hunting last year and this is my first year in Iowa. Two years in and I still havent killed a deer. It gets a little frustrating, but I keep trying to tell myself that You hunt all season for that one shot a nice buck. I am hitting the woods tomorrow moring and all weekend as well.
 
some years your on and some years your off.. the past three years the latest I've had to hunt was the 13th of november. now Im down to my last 3 hunts with tomorrow being my last day due to some unfortunate prior obligations this weekend.
 
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