they were added - something you've already talked about. Ammended to, added to, rules and regs changed to allow them into a primitve season.
As I understand it, time was added to the hunting season specifically for archery. Nobody using any other weapon lost even one day, or had their season changed to accomodate archery season.
C'mon man, distant records are set with trad bows and compounds, not crossbows. The type opf person shooting a bow can be holding ANY bow in their hand, responsibility doesn't follow the shooter does it ?
You can't simply point and shoot a bow in a split second. You don't carry a bow around locked, cocked, and loaded with only a few lbs. pressure from one finger required to launch the arrow. The one guy's comments about his crossbow being his "jump and shoot bow" really worried me, and still does. We know there are stupid people in this world that shoot at shadows, sounds, movements, etc. The few seconds it takes to get a string back could mean the difference.
I do, we got 'em and you see more compounds in the woods than crossbows. Go figure huh ?
My main point from the beginning has not hadto do with the effect crossbows may or may not have on the season. It's simply that crossbows are not bows, and do not belong in thearchery season. I also mentioned that if the market gets opened up, and the money starts pouring in, it's very likely we'll see advances never thought about--just like we've seen with compounds in the last 10 years.I don't think the market has been big enough for thebig money to be poured into them yet--and even with the limited market, go back and read what Matt said about them--how much they have advanced just lately.
If they're legalized for everyone (remember they ARE legal right now in MS) they will not affect your hunting any.
Bull. First, they are only legal for a slim minority (disabled and elderly, two groups who don't generally hunt a lot to begin with). I already told you one way it will effect me--there will be folks that don't know or care to learn about the weapon, other than how to load, aim, and pull the trigger--taking them to the woods in droves. Adults to lazy to bother, and their kids that they won't teach. We need to bring in a bunch of folks that think a crossbow is a "jump and shoot" weapon, without knowing squat else about it. I figure most will give it up eventually, once they find out that crossbows aren't magical, but at what cost? I figure that 99% of those that care a bit about hunting already hunt.
The fact is Big Duane... You can't go back and take away a weapon once its been established(ie. the compound).. I agree that it may not be a huge difference between a tricked out compound and an xbow, but you have to stop the innovation at some point... Since we know our state would never do away with compounds, we draw the line at xbows...
That's the main reason I won't even give my opinion on compounds--it won't mean anything anyway. I will say this--compounds started out innocently enough--I bet that anyone who is decent with a recurve, especially one with sights, could out-shoot someone with any of the early compounds--not to mention how heavy, noisy, and unreliable they were. I have an old Hoyt that's less than 20 years old--old, but not nearly one of the first--I believe my longbow is more efficient.
Who could have predicted how much, and how fast, compounds would advance? That camel is already in the tent--nothing can be done about it. We can try to keep the crossbow camel out though.
But like I said, the #1 reason we fight xbow is b/c we dont see it as a bow and letting it in the season sets precedent for other weapons.
Again, my point exactly.
DC goes on to make more excellent points. We are the most vunerable--nobody is going to take anything away from the gun season--there's too much money to be made. Money will continue to push and eat away at our archery season as well, unless we take a stand. We only got the crumbs as it is--and nowsome folks are trying to steal even those from us.
Chad