ORIGINAL: BuckAlley
I think the point on practicing is being missed here. Sit in tree's whole youth concept for the X-bow is becasue it takes less practice, and time to master it. As Bowtech 360 was making a point would anyone expect hunters to head to the field with a bow, and not practice? Of course not, nor would we any weapon.We all realize it takes longer to master a bow over a X-bow. For some its easier to master based on ones own skills, and type of bow.Regardless of how easy it is to master any weapon, the point is we all still need to take time to practice. We should all take the time, and to be responsible in that regards. But thats just one of the reasons why I'm not for the X-bow during archery season.Its that whole mindset being easier to shoot, its the same mind set many have in gun hunting. Sight it in the day before and call it good. That in my opinion is not what archerys about. Thats exactly the mindset I don't want in the archery woods. I'm not saying if the X-bow was ever legalized thats how all using it would be. But I fear it would be the norm. The last thingwe need as hunters is to give archery a bad name. We'veworked too hard to have what we do. I don't want to see it taintedby a weapon seen to take less time, and practice to shoot. Shoot the darn thing a couple times, yup its on, I'm good lets go shoot a deer, yee haa. Leave that mindset for the gun seasons!
So far as I'm concerned if a hunter doesn't have the time to practice with their weapons, they don't have time to hunt either. We owe the respect to every game animal we hunt to be totally proficent to the best of our abilities before we take to the field.
Good idea, there. I wonder...if we made all new xbow hunters take a bowhunter ed/ certification before they got their license how many would still take the time. Btw, I've been an advocate of this for years with general archery as well. If you can't pass an education course on shot placement etc, and then prove your reasonable profficiency at hunting ranges, you should not have the license. I believe this was a prerequisite for Doug's Treasure Lake hunt last year, and I like the idea. Seems more and more places are going to this requirement and this would be a good opportunity for the PGC to enact the same measures on all archers. No doubt that would have to dissuade atleast a portion of the gun only crowd that is looking at the xbow as an easy route to archery season. And if compliance with a bowhunter ed course and a requisite skill test forced them all to develop acceptable profficiency and learn their personal limitations prior to the hunt,I know I would feel much better about the whole idea. As I said...vertical archers, too. Far too many of them that pick up the bow a week before season and really should not be taking shots on deer without more practice. It is a special weapons season and if you don't possess adequate skill with that weapon, you owe it to the animals and the sport itself to be able to bow out. That said, it is highly unlikely that we will ever see that day that each hunter must pass a skill test with their chosen weapons, the PGC would have a hard time managing such a udertaking given their current inadequacies already. It is going to have to be only a decision each hunter makes in his own soul in regards to ethics..which unfortunately seem to be in low supply these days.[X(]