ORIGINAL: Screamin Steel
The first year will be the indicator as to if the three day gun hunters all run out and buy one. I wonder, too....will we see these guys buying a crossbow the night before bowseason, like Walmart before gunseason, always some fruit buying a rifle and a scope, obviously going to mount it himself and not even fire the da#n thing until he sees a deer. I'll keep tabs with my buddy at his archery shop to see if the xbow sales increase noticeably. One thing in our favor.....a first time xbow hunter still needs to learn technique, understanding wind, scent control, stand placement...things that take years to master, that lead to success at close range. No doubt some will get lucky, but most will realize quickly that it ain't gun season for sure.
Well if there is going to be as many hunters in the woods as many are crying about, All those factors above you mentioned probabally not going to matter and will be like gun season. Besides that,I think most the new hunters with Xbows will shoot what ever they see to try the new weapon out. I hunt for the meat,Not a racked up buck.
If your in a tree stand on a deer trail,Again I don't think wind or scent is going to play much of a role. It is like people who buy scentlock suits to only sit up camp down wind in a tree stand to shoot a deer up wind? Not to bright some are.