# Bowhunting During Rifle Season....



## tatonka (Sep 1, 2006)

How many of you bowhunt during the general rifle season? Do you find that there are too many rifle hunters around to make it worthwhile?


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## AdamFisk (Jan 30, 2005)

If you're spots aren't completely inundated with rifle hunters, it could very well be benefical to you.

Two things a bow hunter has going for him during rifle season; rut and pressure moving deer around.

So yeah, it can be very worthwhile, IF you have the right spots.


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## Recurvenator (Aug 6, 2010)

Most NoDaks that rifle "hunt" just drive around and shoot out the window :eyeroll: :eyeroll: :eyeroll: So bowhunt where no one can drive near you and you'll be fine.


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## tatonka (Sep 1, 2006)

ND sounds a lot like this part of MT...... The only hunters I usually see out on foot are pheasant hunters. I can count on one hand the number of people I've seen this year who have been out of their vehicles on foot hunting deer. It's different in the mountains and the Missouri River Breaks....more guys are actually out hunting there because it's tough to hunt from a pickup, but there are still a lot out there trying. I think we need stiffer penalties for road hunting... This is big country and the wardens have miles and miles of country to cover, so very few people ever are caught shooting from a road.... A very stiff penalty when they do get caught might help. I'd like to see road hunters lose their hunting priviledges for a minimum of 5 years......that would hurt them more than any $$$ might (or at least it sure would me).

I've thought about trying some bowhunting in ND as it's not all that far from where I live here in Montana, but after I went there and killed some of your monster bucks you guys would probably tar and feather me!!! :sniper:


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

ND rifle season is the worst 16 1/2 days of the year. It brings out the biggest collective bunch of idiots of the year (besides NR waterfowl opener  ).

I hate it. Trespassers, cut locks, fiddling with stuff that doesn't belong to them, 50 mph "sneaks".

Ive decided this year trespassers will not be confronted. Their tires will merely be slashed.


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## jonnyr7 (Jan 5, 2010)

If you think it's safe, go. My advice is to sit as long as you can. The gun guys typically get out of their stands at 9 or 10 in the morning, so if you can stay out till noon, they push the deer around a lot when they all come in. Last year 90% of the deer I saw during and after the gun season were between 10 and 3, so I say give it a shot, for sure.


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## bearhunter (Jan 30, 2009)

barebackjack said:


> .
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> Ive decided this year trespassers will not be confronted. Their tires will merely be slashed.


 thats NOT a good idea. even if i was tresspasing, if i found out someone slashed my tires... i guarenee you you'de be missing some teeth :wink:


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## kvernum3 (Aug 8, 2005)

Keep them on the roads, fine with me..


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## texcl (Oct 6, 2007)

I had trespasser issues within 1 hour of the rifle opener, unbelievable. They even had the nerve to ask what I was doing there.


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## honker85 (Mar 12, 2008)

bearhunter said:


> barebackjack said:
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> 
> > .
> ...


bearhunter, good luck with that one in court!!! as for bareback +1 !!!!!!!!!!!


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## bornlucky (Jul 24, 2007)

Look at it this way. Do you want to bow hunt during the pre-rut and the rut? If so, you have to bow hunt during the rifle season. I missed a buck Monday night chasing a doe in front of my stand. I was on unposted land. If you don't have stands up, it is too late for this season. You can't go in now to a doe bedding area and make a bunch of noise. But you can find a cattail slough and sit on the edge. I had a nice buck at 10 yards last week. Passed him up because I knew the best part of the season was still coming up. Too bad I missed the other night.


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## Kitz (Aug 15, 2010)

Absolutely. I've seen a ton of deer over the past 2 weeks, and some great bucks (not within bow range though....yet!) and alot of those were pushed by gun hunters. I find it unsettling and annoying when what sounds like machine gun fire goes off in close proximity, and worse still when I see a deer who's obvioulsy been shot pass within 20 yds of my stand and no hunter comes by tracking it (I checked to see if there was a blood trail, and it was very trackable). But missing out on the rut and great opportunities is too much. I'll be back in the woods all weekend. Hopefully I'll be posting pictures soon


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