Thoughts on using an archery tag during firearms?

[Neven]

I've thought about this and I found out the other day I'm not the only one. But what if archery hunters who haven't used an archery tag prior to firearms season be allowed to hunt with a BOW only during firearms? Hunt on an unused archery tag and still the "one buck may be taken until after firearms" clause, then you would be allowed to take the second buck after firearms was over on the left over archery tag. Not much would change. Darren if you read this maybe you can do more with it. Just a suggestion for now. I only bow hunt as do many others. Most of the years a firearms tag gives me a chance to hunt with a bow during gun season and I take no deer. Just a chance to get out with a bow, but I have to buy that firearms tag to do it and most every year not use it.

Neven Mikic

[dhaverstick]

Neven,

You might contact Jeff Scott, our MDC liaison, to see if he can give you the reason behind the current deer tag setup. This may sound a bit jaded but I suspect it all comes down to money since archers are forced to purchase firearms tags if they want to hunt during firearms season with a bow. What doesn't make any sense is that you use the same firearms tag to hunt during muzzleloading season but you can bowhunt then using your archery tags.

I feel your pain but I doubt anything will change.

Darren

[Neven]

I hope it's not just a money reason. But I remember when muzzleloader season was the same way, but a bit different. You had to buy a muzzleloader tag for firearms and had to hunt with it during firearms,(if you wanted to hunt during firearms) so you could then hunt in the December muzzleloader season. I believe it was something like that. I see your point too Darren. Maybe something just to think about for now.

Neven

[Tom Dickerson]

I could see a couple of reasons it could be a problem.

Some people would use it as an excuse to take another deer with a firearm. I bought my bow tags but didn't fill them before so I will fill them with my rifle.

Trying to determine a legal bow kill to an illegal firearm could be time consuming for agents.

If they just change the tags to X number of deer taken by any method we could loose some bowhunting time? Possibly? Already losing time to all the extra firearms seasons now in some parts of the state. Unless you like hunting in orange with guns blasting in the area?

I would like to see you be able to use a bow as a legal weapon on a firearms tag during muzzleloader season. That would give Neven and others like myself a chance to try to fill your unused firearms tag. Here I am still trying to fill 1 bow tag this year and still wanting a chance to fill others. I did use my bow for most of firearms season. If I had been using a rifle it would have been done the first morning but just didn't quite get the shot for my bow. No regrets but still trying to put a deer in the freezer with 2 days left!

Tom