Bow Tag and Special License for Elk??

[mtnhunter]

I am looking to get into bow hunting and have a question before entering for draws. I am set to be drawn in a good elk zone this year for the rifle season, and am wondering if I can use this tag to hunt elk with a bow in the same zone during the bow season. Can someone please help me out? I can't find this answer in the draw info.

Thanks!

[35 whelen]

Yes i beleive you can as long as same wmu. correct me if im wrong .

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by mtnhunter

I am looking to get into bow hunting and have a question before entering for draws. I am set to be drawn in a good elk zone this year for the rifle season, and am wondering if I can use this tag to hunt elk with a bow in the same zone during the bow season. Can someone please help me out? I can't find this answer in the draw info.

Thanks!

From what I understand...

If the bow season is on a draw and it has the same code as rifle then yes.

If the bow season is general...and the draw is for rifle, you need to decide which way you want to hunt.

The general and special license are 2 separate things and you cannot hold both.

If you post the WMU you might get a more solid answer.

LC

Originally Posted by mtnhunter

I am looking to get into bow hunting and have a question before entering for draws. I am set to be drawn in a good elk zone this year for the rifle season, and am wondering if I can use this tag to hunt elk with a bow in the same zone during the bow season. Can someone please help me out? I can't find this answer in the draw info.

Thanks!

Yup, you sure can.

[whitetailhntr]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

From what I understand...

If the bow season is on a draw and it has the same code as rifle then yes.

If the bow season is general...and the draw is for rifle, you need to decide which way you want to hunt.

The general and special license are 2 separate things and you cannot hold both.

If you post the WMU you might get a more solid answer.

LC

Wrong....
If the archery season is general then you may use your draw tag during that season as well as during the special draw season. If the wmu has a seperate archery draw then you need to choose which season to draw for. As well you can use any weapon of choice during the rifle season. So you could technically hunt the general archery season and then use your bow during rifle season as well.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by sheephunter

Yup, you sure can.

Have to be careful with saying YES.

Certain zones have general archery seasons prior to the draw seasons.

If you are successful in the draw you have to abide by the draw dates. The general archery season will usually run right up to the rifle draw season.

234 for example...general archery up to Nov 1.....but if you were successful in the draw you cannot hunt with your draw tag during the archery general season.

LC

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by whitetailhntr

Wrong....
If the archery season is general then you may use your draw tag during that season as well as during the special draw season. If the wmu has a seperate archery draw then you need to choose which season to draw for. As well you can use any weapon of choice during the rifle season. So you could technically hunt the general archery season and then use your bow during rifle season as well.

I don't think so....but please prove me wrong. (Ie. Show me where it states this)

General seasons and general tags are separate from special license seasons and special license tags.....for elk and other species you cannot hold both only one.

LC

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Have to be careful with saying YES.

Certain zones have general archery seasons prior to the draw seasons.

If you are successful in the draw you have to abide by the draw dates. The general archery season will usually run right up to the rifle draw season.

234 for example...general archery up to Nov 1.....but if you were successful in the draw you cannot hunt with your draw tag during the archery general season.

LC

Why not?

[Rackmastr]

Wow....this one goes round and round every year....and every year we end up at the same spot...lol

[banda]

If you can have general archery tag in that WMU than you don’t need to enter for the draw during the rifle season to hunt (if WMU is on a draw for rifle). That tag is still valid during the rifle season as long as you hunt with the bow. You can find this in the 2011 regs on a page 41.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by banda

If you can have general archery tag in that WMU than you don’t need to enter for the draw during the rifle season to hunt (if WMU is on a draw for rifle). That tag is still valid during the rifle season as long as you hunt with the bow. You can find this in the 2011 regs on a page 41.

This is not correct....a rifle draw is a rifle draw, you can choose to use a bow during a rifle draw season IF YOU HOLD A RIFLE DRAW TAG but it does not get you a "bye" into the draw season if you decide to use a bow....do you know how many moose I would have under my belt if this held true!

There are zones which have archery general seasons AND rifle draws seasons...we are discussing zones which have general and draws not the zones that are only general with no draws.

LC

[Lefty-Canuck]

I like to be wrong in these cases

Bowhunters with appropriate general or special licences may hunt
during the general seasons, archery-only seasons and primitive weapon
seasons. A Bowhunting Permit is required in combination with a big game
licence. In some areas of the province, hunters require special licences to
hunt certain species of big game – see season tables.

A bowhunter who obtains an Antlered Moose Special Licence, Antlerless Moose Special Licence, Calf Moose Special Licence, Antlered Mule Deer Special Licence, Antlerless Mule Deer Special Licence, Antlered White-tailed
Deer Special Licence, Antlerless White-tailed Deer Special Licence,
Antlered Elk Special Licence, Antlerless Elk Special Licence or
Landowner Special Licence may, if an early archery season is offered,
hunt under the authority of that licence during the archery season but only in the WMU specified on the licence and only for the type and species of
animal for which the licence was issued.

Bowhunters are reminded that, in some situations, archery-only seasons for some species may be in progress at the same time as primitive weapon and rifle seasons for other species in
the same WMU.

I stand pleasantly corrected

LC

[Rackmastr]

Well, that took a shorter time than I though it would!!

Good on ya for finding the info Lefty...often this goes back and forth for a couple pages lol....

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Rackmastr

Well, that took a shorter time than I though it would!!

Good on ya for finding the info Lefty...often this goes back and forth for a couple pages lol....

I have always aired on the side of caution....but like I said I am pleasantly corrected in this case!

LC

[TBark]

Looks correct now.
Confusion comes into play when people say a " bow draw " and a " rifle draw " or tag. The draw is the draw, the weapon has the particular season, and bow may be used in rifle season.

TBark

[mtnhunter]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

I like to be wrong in these cases

Bowhunters with appropriate general or special licences may hunt
during the general seasons, archery-only seasons and primitive weapon
seasons. A Bowhunting Permit is required in combination with a big game
licence. In some areas of the province, hunters require special licences to
hunt certain species of big game – see season tables.

A bowhunter who obtains an Antlered Moose Special Licence, Antlerless Moose Special Licence, Calf Moose Special Licence, Antlered Mule Deer Special Licence, Antlerless Mule Deer Special Licence, Antlered White-tailed
Deer Special Licence, Antlerless White-tailed Deer Special Licence,
Antlered Elk Special Licence, Antlerless Elk Special Licence or
Landowner Special Licence may, if an early archery season is offered,
hunt under the authority of that licence during the archery season but only in the WMU specified on the licence and only for the type and species of
animal for which the licence was issued.

Bowhunters are reminded that, in some situations, archery-only seasons for some species may be in progress at the same time as primitive weapon and rifle seasons for other species in
the same WMU.

I stand pleasantly corrected

LC

Thank you LC and all who took the time to respond! I am relieved to find that I can hunt during bow season in this WMU with my drawn special license. All the best to everyone in their draws this year!!

[bb356]

Originally Posted by mtnhunter

Thank you LC and all who took the time to respond! I am relieved to find that I can hunt during bow season in this WMU with my drawn special license. All the best to everyone in their draws this year!!

[Dalton]

Sorry, I'm a little confused about this. Say I'm hunting mule deer in WMU 224 with bow from September 1 to October 31 (which is general), could I still hunt mule deer with my bow from November 1-30 in the rifle season (rifle season is on draw)? As long as it's with a bow? With a general tag?

I was told we couldn't hunt mule deer in November without a draw tag. I'm with Lefty, I would rather error on the side of caution, but would be pretty excited to find out that I too, was wrong.

Originally Posted by Dalton

Sorry, I'm a little confused about this. Say I'm hunting mule deer in WMU 224 with bow from September 1 to October 31 (which is general), could I still hunt mule deer with my bow from November 1-30 in the rifle season (rifle season is on draw)? As long as it's with a bow? With a general tag?

I was told we couldn't hunt mule deer in November without a draw tag. I'm with Lefty, I would rather error on the side of caution, but would be pretty excited to find out that I too, was wrong.

You could if you had a draw tag...with a general tag nope!

[banda]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

This is not correct....a rifle draw is a rifle draw, you can choose to use a bow during a rifle draw season IF YOU HOLD A RIFLE DRAW TAG but it does not get you a "bye" into the draw season if you decide to use a bow....do you know how many moose I would have under my belt if this held true!

There are zones which have archery general seasons AND rifle draws seasons...we are discussing zones which have general and draws not the zones that are only general with no draws.

LC

I misinterpreted the rules. Thanks for correcting me.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Dalton

Sorry, I'm a little confused about this. Say I'm hunting mule deer in WMU 224 with bow from September 1 to October 31 (which is general), could I still hunt mule deer with my bow from November 1-30 in the rifle season (rifle season is on draw)? As long as it's with a bow? With a general tag?

I was told we couldn't hunt mule deer in November without a draw tag. I'm with Lefty, I would rather error on the side of caution, but would be pretty excited to find out that I too, was wrong.

In order to hunt during the draw season you would NEED to have been successful in the draw, no matter what weapon you chose to use (bow or rifle).

A general tag would only apply during the general archery season, not during the draw season.

Your first thought is correct. You must have a draw tag to hunt in the November draw season.

LC