quote: "I will ask a question and I mean NO disrespect what-so-ever. Do you think the pre-concieved notion, to the uneducated public, that it's just a rifle that shoots arrows, leads to a lot of these misses or wounding threads?

I mean I go into the local sporting goods store the night before the opening day and I see them filing out with new crossbows so they can hunt in the a.m. Now I know you guys take your sport serious, but don't you think you get many more people who think it's the easier road, coming in and soiling your reputation? They just don't know and it's you guys that need to police the ranks and educate them that this is a learned discipline just like compound or traditional bow"

Good points, and we don't call it hi-jacking much, lol We all do it. What you describe is the "last minute flurry", all too common regardless of weapon or season. As far as xbows go, some do there homework here and on other xbow forums, some don't. Here's my take on it,the guys that think it's just a point and shoot choice and are going to use an xbow to get in on archery seasons are usually gun hunters previously, be it shotgun, M/L or rifle. This is one of the vert crowds big fears. These "new" archery guys usually don't do too well. No stats to back this opinion up w/, but IMHO, it takes far longer to learn how to hunt deer close like any archery demands than it does to master either a compound or an xbow. You don't have to play the wind game or be as scent free to gun hunt, kinda like preaching to the choir here, lol. The gun guys that have mastered these two prime requirements are probably already in bow seasons anyhow. We have members here constantly trying different choices in arrows, b-heads, mfgrs, vanes/feathers, stands, blinds,even bow strings, lol, all to maximze their chancesto close the dealright. I would guess that the recurve vert crowd has the toughest time preparing due to the practise their choice demands, and my hat is off to them.

As to your policing the ranks comment, we try to help those that ask. The old joke comes to mind."What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?" "I don't know and I don't care" Personally, I enjoy your posts and your user name says alot!