WV Hunter ,
since my state now allows them for all , if only in a limited way , disability is not the issue . As I replied to Rack I never said they were " in the same ballpark" , only similar , and not everyone wants one . The hunter should have a choice of any legal equipment , and that equipment should be used in any season where that tool is legal to use . Both fire an arrow/bolt that performs in similar fashion , both projectiles are subject to wind and drop , both use a string under pressure of a bent bar to launch the projectile . These are some of the fundamental elements of archery regardless of the device used . As others pointed out , many archers use trigger activated releases , you can now scope a bow , and the modern compound bow is far from primative . I don' t know if you' re old enough to remember the fuss in the 70s when compounds first became legal , but the arguments against them from the bowhunting community were eerily similar to many of the posts on this thread . " Too modern" (Crossbows are at least 1,500 years old , and predate firearms) , " Not a real bow" (Really , a stick with a string launching a feathered stick) , " Less skill involved" (Have you any experience with them?) , " Not real archery" (See previous) . Remember , the modern compound bow was originally advertised as a " modern arrow launching device" , which is probably what stirred the pot in the first place back then . You don' t have to like or shoot crossbows , but they have a right to be in the woods just as much as you do if that' s what hunters want and DNR agrees . DNR' s primary responsibility is to the resources they manage , but the wishes of the hunting community as primary supporters of them must also be considered .