True. Sad, but true.

But the very fact that they are considering a muzzleloader season concurrent with your archery season should be sending up flares, sounding warning klaxons, waving red flags....If the game commission feels archery equipment has progressed so far that muzzleloaders hold no advantage over it, then you're looking at the beginning of the end of your state's bow season. Most of the guys shooting compounds now - even the ones hollering they want the crossbow - will skip right over crossbows and go directly to muzzleloaders.

Sales of archery gear will fall like a gob of mud on a flat rock. But, on the bright side, you'll find out for sure how many people truly WANT to hunt with a crossbow.

I can tell you a little about that. Crossbows have been legal for hunting in general season in Texas for about 20 years now. In that time, I've only seen two people using crossbows in general season. Myself (suprized?) and one other guy. Not much demand for crossbows when people can choose firearms instead. Come to think of it, you can say the same for compounds. You find out who the real hardcore bowhunters are when you're out in general season. The vast majority of bowhunters I come across in general season are using longbows or recurves.

So, IMO, the biggest danger to bowhunting is not PETA or other anti-groups. It's coming from within, from all the technology. Once bowhunter success rates are equal to gun hunter success rates - and they are getting closer every year - you can kiss bow seasons goodbye.

Well, that's when the traditional guys will begin lobbying for their own special traditional-only bow season... no compounds and no crossbows.