Well archery hunting doesn't allow baiting everywhere for one thing. Also is it fair to the Archery Hunters? I mean with the summer foliage still in full swing, all the bugs etc, and no rut Its very difficult. For instance when the leaves are so thick it can be almost impossible to find a shooting lane. I'm not that serous when I say that- I'm only trying to point out that people will always look at the grass on the other side of the fence. Archery guys (I hunt bow and rifle) could just as easily say, look at our reduced range and percieved killing ability of our platform, the rut should only be open to archery. I don't think its about unfair or other advantages. I think its about the personal reward of our favored methods, and the personal challenges we undertake with the style of hunting we adopt. LOng range hunters get a lot of flack about "that's not even hunting, it's just shooting" Archery guys are often divided ridiculously, as to whether a compound bow should even constitute archery, and God forbid you mention crossbows. I think that we as sportsmen should adopt styles, methods and platforms that we can accept as ethical, and provide the level of personal satisfaction and challenge that we are looking for. Be it rifle, muzzleloader, archery, guided, or unguided.

Both 175rltw/steve182 both have the "answer" to this one.
Your compairing "apples" to "oranges" here and it comes down to one thing RANGE. You tell us is 40yds. against 400+ yds "stacking the odds in favor" of one or the other.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Bow hunting is much tougher to harvest a deer than firearm. Have to be much closer and a lot has to go right. Archery tends not to stir them up like firearms. I love both. It will not work the other way around especially in high hunted areas. After the opening day or 2 of firearm season here in WI deer tend to completely change their habits and almost exclusively turn nocturnal. Even after they settle, they are still highly jumpy and would make archery painfully hard. Which is in itself not all bad, but it is quite hard already.

I agree with huntcamp once the shooting(with guns)begin and they(the deer) feel all the pressure with all the hunters moving around the deer in michigan are in the thickest stuff they can find and they do not move very much during daylight hours,with bow hunters the deer aren't effected that much,you don't have as many hunters and most bowhunters don't move around when they hunt.As far as range no comparison

No! It is much harder to harvest a deer with a bow than with a rifle. In most states the rifle hunters have the rut taking place and that is obviously the easiest time to harvest a good buck. You don't have the insects to deal with in gun season as mentioned by 175rltw and of course the range restriction. I believe that the early season is a sound game management strategy and a good use of the limited hunting season.

I agree it wouldn't work the other way around, just the sheer number of hunters during gun changes everything. I don't even gun hunt anymore just when I take my kids. The Bow is the real deal, it's almost cheating with a gun. Just Kidding!!!
I haven't expearianced buckfeaver sence I was young, till I started Bowhunting again. I'm a fanatic.
As far as crossbows go I have thought on it for awhile and I would be happy if they could be used during muzzleloader, or by handicaped people during bow. But then again I have a buddy who's whole family uses crossbows and it don't seem to help them any more then using a bow.

With a bow you can't shoot out to 100yds with rifles you can shoot out to 1000yds, you can sit on a mountain and shoot deer that are on the other mountian! In bow hunting you have to get realy close , most guys don't shoot past 40yds.
If I were you ,like clay sead get a bow! Bow hunting is much more exciting tha gun hunt'in . Have a great season!!!!!

YOU SAID IT BROTHER NYhunter!!!

A bunch of crying wimps setting around the television watching things happen while those of us are outdoors making things happen and if you don’t like a bow, get’ya a Cross Bow no shame in that and stop your sniveling!!!!

Seems some people can't hang with us "gettin' close" guys and gals, and are a little jealous?

when i was a novice hunter, i was always suspect when the older(more experienced) guys said..."bowhunting is where it's at,..way better". I never believed them or knew what they meant. Now, i agree completely and echo that statement. As you become a more successful(competent?)hunter, it's only natural you'll gravitate toward the purist pursuits. Love it!

OK, well I will condescend to the guys that never shoot anything close, everything is well over 150, 200, more even. If you can't ever get within 100 (or 20, or 10) yards of your prey, you have some considering to do.

here in Mississippi, the bow season start Oct. 1, and it is still HOT. I've been bowhunting the past few years, but haven't taken anything with it yet. It is just hard to get out there as hot as it is and just sit there.

now, when rifle season opens up in mid-November, i do get out there more often. I hunt with a Marlin .30-30 most of the time, and shots of 100 yards are few and far between. Most of my kills come from 50 yards or less. Mainly because i know where the deer travel on the land i hunt, so i can set up close to their main avenues of travel. That doesn't necessarily mean i always get a good shot, but i do get a chance to take the shot.

as far as baiting goes, a new law was passed just two years ago. you can set up feeders, but cannot hunt within 100 yards of them, and cannot be within sight of them either.

Hunting with Archery equipment makes you a better rifle hunter!