sproulman, You say that with crossbows there is no need to practice to get proficient with. Well come to my neck of the woods in NJ and see how many just shoot a compound bow and take it out a couple days before season if not the DAY before the season and shoots at a paper plate at 20 yards and say I am ready. Last year I had two hunters do just that and asked if I would help them find there deer and I said sure. I asked where they hit it and how far the shot was and they told me under 15 yards and I shot it in the HIP. [:@] I asked if they practiced and they said yup yesterday which was the day before season opened. SO don't just tell me its crossbows. It makes me sick even in my own club where I beg and plead with them to make some kind of qualifying to be able to hunt our club property just to show proficiency. out of 5 hunters last year who hunted our property 3 deer where never recovered. NOT very good for a total of 5 deer shot at and only 2 recovered. I was not part of that as I didn't hunt our property. So its not just what you think about us crossbowers just picking up a crossbow and go hunting.
Oh one more thing. You compound bow hunters should not be allowed to hunt in archery season either as its not REAL archery. Pick up a long bow and then you should be allowed to hunt archery. Compounds have an unfair advantage over the long bow. you don't have to hold back all the weight so its so easy and all those fancy gadgets such as releases, fiber optic sites, levels, stabilizers,. etc, also the speed of the compound bow shoots way faster than a long bow. I bet most compounds are shooting a hunting weight arrow over 300 fps or is VERY close to it. Long bow under 200 or very close to it. How the heck did a compound bow get allowed in a REAL archery season. Heck you guys with compounds are shooting at deer over 60 yards I bet with all these technological advances in archery. I remember guys I have talked to who said the same thing you guys are saying now 30 and 40 years ago when the compound came out. They didn't want you in THEIR archery season but you snuck in. I bet a compound bow would of or should of been for ony disabled hunters so they didn't have to hold back the FULL poundage of the bow to make it easier. You only had to make that initial draw then when those HORRID cames turnd over you would be holding a lot less lbs. THis is not to belittle anyone please don't take it as that but its what I see as a new crossbow user. Us crossbow users are going through what you guys went through years ago. So please stop complaining about it. will you see an increase in hunters maybe, but I bet its the ones who couldn't get a medical permit in the first place and now can get out, or who had to leave archery do to being older and not being able to shoot a vertical bow, long bow or whatever.. OR you will see some of your compound hunters trying a crossbow to see what its like. But I wonder if there will be a way to see if there has been a increase in deer taken or not. I STILL wish PGC would have a manditory checking stations for accurate calculations of deer being harvests just like the bears are checked. They need accurate numbers to say the least and not just a mail in option.
Breaking barriers is always tuff and this is no different. I just hope we all can be friends in the end and enjoy whatever weapon we hunt with and we always be ok with it.
I know my best friend a my club will be using one do to his MS and was unable to get a disabled permit to hunt with a crossbow. Its a great day for him that NJ is allowing him and me to use one next year.
I am done with this not worth my time.
FORMER HOYT TRYKON shooter and traded in on a STRYKEFORCE crossbow
Brian