Bow only season... why?

[axisbuck24]

I can't believe that we've somehow forgotten to mention the fact that the bow only season has been a great tool to grow the sport of archery. There are many hunters who picked up a bow to get extra time in the woods. Now some of those hunters are die hard bow hunters and right there with us in defending our right to bowhunt.

T8, you see why people say defend our rights from gun hunters. Gun hunters aren't bad people, but even on a bowhunting forum you can find some who'd advocate eliminating the bow season or excluding us from the gun season. Can you imagine how many more you'd find on a gun focused forum?

Pablo

Very good points...Pablo!

Without archery I would have never experieced: The close encounters with nature. The feeling of "I better not move because he is looking right at me." The OMG... I can actually hear them eating the corn! The sounds that two young bucks make when they are fight. The sounds of deer grunts as they approach or the sound of a doe blowing to alert others.

Hunting at close range which is needed for archery has provided me with some wonderful encounters that I never experienced from my box blind. I am glad I picked up a bow because I would have never experienced these feeling sitting in my box blind. I am greatful that I was introduced to the sport of archery.

[BoneDigger]

Don't we all pay to hunt through buying a hunting license? Granted archery gets it's own stamp that you pay extra for, but we all pay to hunt.

And I agree, I don't think most archers are against gun hunting in general. Many give up gun hunting themselves, but most at least respect other's rights to hunt with a gun.

Todd

[bboswell]

Point is Mute due to MLD.

Our low fence neighbors can and do bring out the guns during bow season and usually manage to kill most if not all the bucks we have scouted out before it is legal to gun hunt without MLD.

[BoneDigger]

Very good points...Pablo!

Without archery I would have never experieced: The close encounters with nature. The feeling of "I better not move because he is looking right at me." The OMG... I can actually hear them eating the corn! The sounds that two young bucks make when they are fight. The sounds of deer grunts as they approach or the sound of a doe blowing to alert others.

Hunting at close range which is needed for archery has given me provided with some wonderful encounters that I never experienced from my box blind. I am glad I picked up a bow because I would have never experienced these feeling sitting in my box blind. I am greatful that I was introduced to the sport of archery.

Great post from both of you!

Todd

[Mike Javi Cooper]

I was hunting deer with a bow for a good many years before there was a bow only season and I didn’t care one way or another about the early season. Never had any desire to sit in a tree sweating rivers and swatting mosquitoes… September/October is for hunting doves and pronghorn, elk and mulies…

[ground level]

I do not think nor believe the Archery Only Season will ever be threatened by any group, due to tradition, discrimination and also a major hit in revenue all-around through many venues, not just to TPWD! Not only that, but it would eliminate the harvest of antlerless deer in those counties that require permits (LAMPS or MLD) during some portion or all of the General Season thus reducing the bag limit for many who bow hunt that can legally take antlerless deer without a permit during the Archery Only Season, they just need to be legally tagged off your license.

Also, why do so many people call it 'rifle season' when it is NOT a Rifle-Only Season, but a General Season where all legal Means & Methods (Archery equipment, centerfire long guns, handguns, shotguns, muzzleloaders and crossbows) may be used to take deer.

Hunting General Information

Open Seasons: Dates shown are opening and closing dates for the open season. The open season includes both dates and all days between.

Unless otherwise specified, the open season is a "general" season and all legal means, as specified in this guide, may be used in taking the species.

Where the open season is designated as "archery", only legal archery equipment/crossbow as specified, may be used.

Where the open season is designated as "muzzleloader only", only muzzleloaders as defined, may be used.

When a season is designated as a "youth-only", special regulations apply. See definition of "youth".

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/hunt/general/

[Txnrog]

I'll go about this a different way - I think the bow season should reopen after gun season closes for another month.

We're on an MLD Level 3 property, so I really have no dog in the fight, our season is Oct 1-Feb 28th, and we manage the harvest in that period (typically one or two doe hunts early, and then no more doe harvest till late jan-feb). I bow hunt all the way thru.

I think late jan-feb is a great time to hunt. Bucks are recovering from the rut and range is usually a little poor, so any foodsource gets pounded. Rifle hunters have typically tagged out by then, and does have kicked off their young of the year. It's a great time to be cleaning up on the doe harvest, and there are still some good opportunities for bucks. I've found that as soon as the rifles quit going off in the Jan timeframe, two weeks later, those nocturnal bucks come out of the woodworks again.

Only issue is late feb, you'll start to see some bucks loosing antlers, but in my experience, most don't drop till march-april.

[Shane]

I'll go about this a different way - I think the bow season should reopen after gun season closes for another month.

We're on an MLD Level 3 property, so I really have no dog in the fight, our season is Oct 1-Feb 28th, and we manage the harvest in that period (typically one or two doe hunts early, and then no more doe harvest till late jan-feb). I bow hunt all the way thru.

I think late jan-feb is a great time to hunt. Bucks are recovering from the rut and range is usually a little poor, so any foodsource gets pounded. Rifle hunters have typically tagged out by then, and does have kicked off their young of the year. It's a great time to be cleaning up on the doe harvest, and there are still some good opportunities for bucks. I've found that as soon as the rifles quit going off in the Jan timeframe, two weeks later, those nocturnal bucks come out of the woodworks again.

Only issue is late feb, you'll start to see some bucks loosing antlers, but in my experience, most don't drop till march-april.

Great idea. I started having dawn/dusk pics of bucks again a week after the guns quit going off. Would be nice to bow hunt again through February.

[bowhuntntxn]

But how would that be fair with 2 archery only seasons, with a combined total time much less than general season?!?!? Not gonna happen. Sadly.

[ground level]

We're on an MLD Level 3 property, so I really have no dog in the fight, our season is Oct 1-Feb 28th, and we manage the harvest in that period (typically one or two doe hunts early, and then no more doe harvest till late jan-feb). I bow hunt all the way thru.

That is not entirely true since Level 2 & 3 MLD season is the Saturday closest to Sept. 30th instead of Oct. 1st each year.

There are MANY individuals that are Level 2 & 3 MLD, but as you mention above, they will only take a very small amount of antlerless deer once the MLD season opens instead of removing the amount of antlerless deer that they were given permits for thus having those antlerless deer already bred and carrying young when they choose to take them in late January or the entire month of February.

Take them early and be done with it to concentrate on buck hunting.

[das7777]

Once again someone from another state who doesn't understand all the problems that bowhunters went though to get a season. Problems such as a wounding loss report put out from a department head (Horace Gore) of Texas Parks and Wildlife,wound 2/3rd's more game than they killed. That bowhunters were just hap-hazard sportsmens that shot arrows independently at animals. Do you think rifle hunters or the NRA came to table to question the report that was put out, no only the LSBA came to Texas Parks and Wildlife to ask questions because it did not match the kill/wounding report that is collected each year by the Texas Bowhunting/Bowfishing Report, (TBBR). It was found after much digging into reports, and memo's that the wounding report that Mr. Gore put out was his/their (TPW personal) agenda and not facts.
How about when PETA came out along with Adrian Benke, (patent holder of the POD) and filled suit on the bowhunters of the state of Texas and TPW claiming the broadhead was not an ethical weapon for bowhunters, once again did the NRA or Texas rifle hunters come forward and helps us, NO, it was the LSABA, we spent many hours working to stop this nonsense and keep our archery season.....This bow only season is a right that we have in Texas because we (bowhunters) worked our tails off to get it and to keep it...!

[Mike Javi Cooper]

That is not entirely true since Level 2 & 3 MLD season is the Saturday closest to Sept. 30th instead of Oct. 1st each year.

There are MANY individuals that are Level 2 & 3 MLD, but as you mention above, they will only take a very small amount of antlerless deer once the MLD season opens instead of removing the amount of antlerless deer that they were given permits for thus having those antlerless deer already bred and carrying young when they choose to take them in late January or the entire month of February.

Take them early and be done with it to concentrate on buck hunting.

I'd be killing them does early on and leaving the horns to you folks what like em... they don't eat worth a darn.. complete waste

[jacobm24]

I got into bowhunting for the challenge and the excitement of being 1/10th the distance from the animals as normal gun hunters are. The extra month is nice but I dont think it is necessary. I think Texas is trying to promote bow hunting through this extension and it seems to be working. JMO

[VorTexan]

Texas has the most liberal gun season in the nation (sorry guys). Nov-mid January and as mentioned above in some cases MLD February.

Being a gun hunter most of my life (cuz it was too hot to hunt in Oct!) I knew we always had a long season and peak of the rut to boot. Then I sniffed some fletching glue (not literally) and got hooked on the bow and someone invented the Thermocell! If and I say If the gun hunters pursue Oct, and yes to some extent they have advanced into it (again MLD) may we all should look into other states and what they do that seems to work. Limiting the time for gun hunters and or method. I don't think anybody in Texas wants to be told "no more long range rifles" and "only 2 weeks". We have a system that I think we all can "get along" with right now. Now that my county has antler restrictions I'm good to go no matter the weapon but as mentioned above, the quietness of bow season is something special not only to those that participate but less stress on the animals as well and the extra revenue is icing on the cake for the state. Oh, and it helps some guys in the industry (bow shop owners) make a living doing something they love. Don't take that away.

[Landrover]

I think the bow season should reopen after gun season closes for another month.
I think late jan-feb is a great time to hunt. Bucks are recovering from the rut and range is usually a little poor, so any foodsource gets pounded. Rifle hunters have typically tagged out by then, and does have kicked off their young of the year. It's a great time to be cleaning up on the doe harvest, and there are still some good opportunities for bucks. I've found that as soon as the rifles quit going off in the Jan timeframe, two weeks later, those nocturnal bucks come out of the woodworks again. .

Ding ding ding!!! I would be willing to actually give up two weeks in early October for that plan!!!

Great idea. I started having dawn/dusk pics of bucks again a week after the guns quit going off. Would be nice to bow hunt again through February.

Yes it would!!!