I have hunted with a crossbow for three years now. This is after hunting with a compound for about 20 years. I was anti-cross bow before but now, due to my accident, I have had to gain an open mind if I wanted to hunt. One thing I learned - regardless of the wepon used - you still have to hunt! The deer don' t just start flocking up to you because you have a cross-bow.

To answer your question on differences:

Crossbow -
- usually very heavy (I have completly loaded rifles that weigh less)
- cumbersome to get through the woods
- very loud (nothing you can do about it either!) (like smaking a 2x4 aginst the tree)
- short power stroke (usually 11 - 15 inches)
- the arrows (bolts) are short and loose thier momentum pretty quick
- their fast (typically the good bows will shoot 290 - 300 fps) anything advertised above 300 fps is a lot of hype. You see advertisements of 325fps. This is with light arrows. When you read the fine print, these light arrows are not reccommended because you will most likly bend the axles. Trust me - you will bend the axles!
- the learning curve is very small.
- they are very, very accurate at the distance you sighi it in. Due to the short bolt and the loss of momentum, you must hold over or uner for other shots. There is a large arc with these
- usually create a high KE.
- shot distance is about the same as with a compound (about 30 yards max). The bow is very loud so the deer is going to move at the shot. Most good compound shooters can shoot farther than 30 yds anyway.
- you don' t have to draw the bow.
- broadhead flight can be real difficult.

If ther were two main differences that seem to cause a lot of problems with compound shooters it would be
1. the learning curve is very small. About 1 hour. (which was the same issue traditionalist had with compound shooter in the past)
2. you don' t have to draw the bow.

BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HUNT. NO WEAPON WILL BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD WOODMANSHIP OR HUNTING SKILLS!

They are really not much fun to hunt with. If they allowed them during the regular archery season I think you would see a big influx for the first year or so. Then people would start dropping out because they are a pain-in-the-A$$ to hunt with. I am personally thinking of giving up archery because I am not having as much fun.