freakin idoit
New Member
I hunt a area south of libertyville and it gets hunted very hard in the shotguns seasons and i was wondering if the shotgun season pressure will affect the bow/muzzleloader seasons and if so what should i do?
hunting pressure
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Daver
PMA Member
IMO even if an area is hunted hard during the shotgun seasons it can still hold really nice bucks during the bow season. A couple of key variables though are:
1. If by "hunted hard" you mean that many small bucks are shot by the gunners, then you are at a disadvantage. This practice will reduce the number of "survivors" annually.
2. If the gunners are not that efficient or effective, then their constant presence will not necessarily translate into the taking of mature deer and their activities may end up helping you in the long run. How... if they hunt it often, but poorly, they could push mature deer elsewhere or into a lockdown, nocturnal mode that could cause them to survive to the next year.
So the answer is... it depends. Hopefully they are not shooting the 1 1/2 year olds, that is the key to me.
BTW, I drive through Libertyville on the way to my farm in Davis County. It seems like a nice town. I have seen some very nice bucks out and about south of Libertyville, so they aren't all getting shot!
1. If by "hunted hard" you mean that many small bucks are shot by the gunners, then you are at a disadvantage. This practice will reduce the number of "survivors" annually.
2. If the gunners are not that efficient or effective, then their constant presence will not necessarily translate into the taking of mature deer and their activities may end up helping you in the long run. How... if they hunt it often, but poorly, they could push mature deer elsewhere or into a lockdown, nocturnal mode that could cause them to survive to the next year.
So the answer is... it depends. Hopefully they are not shooting the 1 1/2 year olds, that is the key to me.
BTW, I drive through Libertyville on the way to my farm in Davis County. It seems like a nice town. I have seen some very nice bucks out and about south of Libertyville, so they aren't all getting shot!
dbltree
Super Moderator
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I hunt a area south of libertyville and it gets hunted very hard in the shotguns seasons and i was wondering if the shotgun season pressure will affect the bow/muzzleloader seasons and if so what should i do?
[/ QUOTE ]
I think most areas in Iowa get some pretty heavy pressure during gun season, but mature deer are pretty amazing "survivors". I've watched them a time or two evading drivers, so don't write the area off becuase of pressure from gun season. Just hunt where the does are in bow season...the "big boys" will be checking them out!
I hunt a area south of libertyville and it gets hunted very hard in the shotguns seasons and i was wondering if the shotgun season pressure will affect the bow/muzzleloader seasons and if so what should i do?
[/ QUOTE ]
I think most areas in Iowa get some pretty heavy pressure during gun season, but mature deer are pretty amazing "survivors". I've watched them a time or two evading drivers, so don't write the area off becuase of pressure from gun season. Just hunt where the does are in bow season...the "big boys" will be checking them out!