Bow hunting changes I've seen. LOL

[jbeck]

Ok guys it's time to show our age, some of the changes I've seen in my 33 years of chasing whitetails with a stick and string.

Compounds used to be illegal

release aids used to be illegal

first cam bow I remember was a Jennings Fork lightning cam, I remember a guy shot right through a deer's shoulder with it. couldn't believe it.

Pennsylvania archery used to go out the end of Oct.

Baker climbing tree stands, LOL they were the ones your chest was scared for life after climbing a shag bark Hickory

nobody knew how to score deer, and didn't care. it was either you should put that on the wall, or that will be good eating. they were the only 2 classifications

Jump in some of you senior bow hunters let bring back some memories

[Tominator]

Season always used to open on the first Saturday of October, and end on January 31. Lately, Ohio has started in late September and gone into February.

When I started hunting in 1987, no open season on does, and only 1 buck.

Next season you had to apply for a doe tag.

Next season you could buy a tag and tag either a buck or a doe.

Next season you could buy 2 tags, but had to be in a certain area to kill 2 does.

Those might not be exact, and if they aren't Ohiobucks will correct me--he likes doing that, but that's the jist of how liberal Ohio has gotten with deer harvest. Now, if you play your urban areas, and zones right, you can tag 6 deer.

Those are the biggest changes I've seen. Equipment regulations in Ohio have been pretty consistent over the years.

[dbHunterNY]

i'm just a youngin' at 28 yrs old.... i know nothing. lol

[Rhino]

Well...I remember some of the same things you're talking about jbeck. I don't recall what the 1st cam bow was...just looked like a weird contraption with cables going everywhere. I recall the 1st Baker stands too...had one of those death traps. Then along came Amacker wit a stand that wouldn't slip.

P&Y has gone through several changes with their rules for allowing compound bow kills. More recent changes have been related to trail cams providing real time photos.

Shooting fiberglass arrows for deer hunting was an in thing when I started.

In the old days it was wrong to kill a doe. Any buck at all was OK but to be labeled as a doe killer was like a slap in the face (at the very least).

Some that pertain to Mississippi:

Believe it or not MS used to issue deer tags. We used to get 5 buck tags. Does were protected for the most part so tags were limited but I can't recall the specifics on numbers. Somewhere around the late 70's MS went to the honor system and it's been that way since then.

Lets see limits started with 5 bucks (at least 3" spike minimum) with very strict limits on does (certain days)..,then we went to 5 bucks (an antler must break the hair line) and 3 does. Then we went to 3 bucks (4 point or better) and 5 does. Then it was 3 bucks (4 point or better) and 3 does plus 2 extra does during bow season. Then MS went to 2 zones with different seasons using the same limits. Now it's 3 bucks (main beam AR's that are 15" where I hunt in Zone 3 and 13" main beams in the other 2 Zones) and 5 does period. Confused yet? Well last year they also opened a special early primiive weapon antlerless only season that runs during the last 2 weeks of our regular bow season. We can still shoot bucks at that same time with our bows though.

Bow season has always opened on Oct. 1st but we used to get a late bow season after the regular gun season ended. Then the late season was changed to include primitive weapons. Then it was abolished altogether. Then it was opened again as a late bow season but changed to include primitive weapons a couple of years later.

That's all for now.

[swohiodave]

haha baker tree stands. When i first started hunting my dad had an old baker. I started out with a (I think it was) TSS. It was merely a wood platform similar to the baker. what a joy to use but i shot deer out of it just the same! Looking back i am surprised i never fell out of it. I was only 12 or 13 and i used to fall asleep sitting on it.

[Naildriver]

Also had a Baker. This brought back memories. After the Baker, I had a wooden platform climber that had a metal band you pulled on up in with your hands. Everyone else hunted out of wooden ladder stands(wimps!!) I was going to show'em. went out into a clear cut, found one good tree, got up about 20' and the wooden base took a ride and so did I! Lost my grip on the metal band and down I went. When I got to the bottom of the tree, feet still attatched to the bottom part of the stand, chest bleeding, fore arms ate SLAM UP!!! I heard something coming down the the tree after me! it was the metal band ratcheting down the tree on its own. Anyway, I gathered up what was left of my pride and climbed about 10' and hunted.

That night my hunting buddy asked me if I heard that tree fall out in the clear cut!!! He said it sounded close to me. Of course I said I didn't hear anything.

Next morning I was back in a wooden ladder stand!

Funny Memories, But I thank Jesus for keeping me alive and improving deer stands!!!

God Bless all and good hunting.

[jbeck]

I think every guy that hunted bow in the 80's has a baker or TSS tree stand story. LOL I just can't believe I'm looking at my 33rd year of bow hunting this year. Good to look back sometimes.

[swohiodave]

When i was about 13 i was sitting on the TSS platform drinking a coca cola and eating a granola bar thinking no more deer were coming. While climbing up a small 9 point with a funny looking rack was watching me and ran off. 30 minutes later he came back. I sat down my coke and shoved the granola bar in my mouth and shot him with my crossbow. Hung it back up and went back to drinking my coke. That was the first deer I shot by myself.