Just from an opinion standpoint, I would fall in the camp that says human presence is bad regardless of what weapon I'm toting. However, I do feel like the loud noise of guns shooting is more detrimental than not.
Case Study: Most of my hunting is done on a military base that has some "bow only" areas. Except for this season that just ended, those areas have been open every day of the season for years and years. And there's not a day goes by that someone isn't bowhunting in them (retired military guys apparently have nothing else to do but hunt, LOL) The gun areas are only open on selected days (normally weekends only), and even then are rotated around for the purpose of limiting pressure. Except for what I've just explained, there's no difference in the terrain, locale, food sources, nothing. But by mid-season those bow areas are absolutely loaded with deer, while all the gun hunters are complaining about not seeing any deer, even though the pressure distribution would seem to be at least equal (if not worse in the bow areas). And the perception is always that the big bucks are "hiding in those bow only areas" (and honestly, they do seem to be). So make your own conclusion from that example, but I think there's something less "pressuring" to deer about a bowhunting only area than a gun area.
