Rifle or Bow

Rifle or Bow

We begin every year planning for our upcoming fall hunt. For many of us, it is hunting in our own state. If we are lucky and draw out-of-state tags, let the logistical planning begin!

Deciding where and what to hunt is as complicated as what to hunt with. Some

may hunt with a rifle, while others use a bow. Both methods can be as daunting to assemble. A bow is a customized tool fine-tuned to your arm’s length and strength. And that is only the beginning. There’s a wide variety of options for quivers, stabilizers, sights, and arrow rests. Depending on the bow draw weight, and what you are hunting, your arrow of choice is another story. 

A rifle may also be complicated but less specific or customized to the shooter. The rifle hunter must decide what they want to hunt and the caliber to use. If you have a rifle with a fixed sight, you will need to consider the scope quality, brand, bullet type, and bullet weight. 

Both require much thought, but lucky for us, both have professionals behind the counter who can help narrow the options. You might be able to sight in your rifle in one day at the shooting range. A bow can take several days or more to set up with the right components. If you buy a ready-made pre-assembled bow, you might be able to get set up in one day and still make it to the shooting range.

Being proficient and hitting your target is another subject. You will need lots of practice so your arrow flight is true and your bullet hits where you aim. Whichever you choose, be proficient. 

Alaska allows a person to bow hunt during rifle season, or I should say they are one and the same. We alternate hunting days along with our primary weapon of choice. So if it’s my day to hunt moose, I carry a bow, and my son carries the rifle for caribou or bear. Technically, we're both hunting; we do this so that there is no questioning who saw what first. The rifle is always there for bear defense. In Colorado, bow and rifle seasons are strictly two different hunts. 

Note: Alaska bow hunters: Beginning July 1, 2016, if you were born on or after January 1, 1986, you must complete and pass an approved bowhunter course to hunt big game with archery equipment. This requirement is also a requirement in other states, so be sure to check your state hunting regulations.

Many diehard bow hunters would rather go home empty-handed than use a rifle,

and I truly commend them. However, I still have that mentality of taking meat home. So, if the animal is of legal size and presents me with a shot, I’m taking it! 

This writing isn’t really about the detailed specifics of a rifle or bow, as it is a fantastic opportunity to shoot and hunt with either one or both. There is a vast hunting opportunity in a variety of seasons. Keep in mind that most states are more tag generous to the person who hunts with a bow.

Over-The-Counter Tags

Here are a few states that offer over-the-counter tags: Alaska, Colorado, Montana, and Idaho. This is the shortlist. Be sure to check your state for available tags for resident and non-resident hunters. Don’t overlook Eastern states and other species.

Planning Your Hunting (Season)

In my home state of Colorado, I can hunt various species, including elk, deer, antelope, and many bird species. I’m fortunate that Colorado offers over-the-counter bull elk tags if you have the opportunity to receive the once-in-a-lifetime big horn sheep, mountain goat, or moose tag. 

A problem for me is that bow hunting season in Colorado is all of September, which is also moose hunting season in Alaska.

Much of my decision-making begins with my work schedule, whether I’m looking to hunt our home state of Colorado or venturing out to other states or countries. I then look at the possibility of a conflicting hunt date. For example, hunting Alaska for moose and caribou is in the month of September. Some Alaska units have a 10-20+ day option for non-residents, with most during September. 

Our Alaska unit is usually the 20-day option. I choose the extended hunt date to give myself the best shooting opportunity and the best time for the moose rut. Which is generally mid-September

So, there is no local archery season for us in the years we hunt in Alaska. 

Here’s where we need to decide: rifle or bow? I hunt with a bow in Alaska and use a rifle in Colorado the following month or two.

I'm fortunate to have a son who enjoys hunting with a rifle and a bow. Since we both shoot the same bow draw length, we only take one rifle and one bow when we hunt Alaska.

We both like those beautiful autumn days of early September when the weather gradually changes from early morning cool temperatures to warmer days. The scenic beauty and changing colors of the quaking aspen are hard to resist. 

If you’re not fortunate enough to draw an early-season rifle tag, you’ll be hunting in November, when the nights and days can be cold and snowy. 

This is a frigidly cold hunt when your breath creates crystals that hang in the air like glistening diamonds, and your nose almost hurts to breathe.

So, rifle or bow, cold or warm, or a conflicting schedule when hunting another state. All are a major determining factor when picking a season to hunt. Growing up in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, I've learned to adjust to the colder temperatures. But when I exhale, and my crystalized breath looks like a fire-breathing dragon, I think of those warmer days of archery season.

Why do you use a rifle or bow?

We would like to hear your thoughts on this subject and learn more about what you would like to read. We don't profess knowledge of all that is hunting, but we genuinely use the many years of trial-and-error learning from others and our mistakes in life and afield.  

Hunt safe - Hunt legally, and good things will happen.