buckforme - Yeah, well I'll stick by what I say because I know it to be true. Most (because there are always exceptions) crossbow hunters are using them because they are easy to use. Is that not true ? Gun hunters use guns because they're easier than compounds, compounds easier than longbows etc etc. I hunted with crossbows, I know what they are and what they can do. I also hunted with a compound, and I know quite a bit about them as well. I shot them well too. I also live in Arkansas and we've had crossbows for what, 16-18 years ? I know the people that use them, they are shortcutting learning archery to capitalize on a longer season. While this has had minimal effects on deer harvest, no effect on making the woods more dangerous and no effect on the length of the archery season, I do see the types of people who generally use crossbows.

buckforme - You can argue all you want, but that doesn't make it less true that people use crossbows because they're easy. People use compounds because they're easier than longbows/recurves too. Thing is, longbows/recurves and compounds require practice and knowledge of the weapons to at least some extent (exceptions apply). Not so with crossbows - anybody can use them with a few minutes practice. And its been my experience that the vast majority of those using crossbows do not practice with them because they don't want to - thus they use a crossbow and not a compound, recurve/longbow, and that type of person does not personify what Archery is all about.

Maybe I am glorifying archery more than I should. Perhaps I am putting archery higher than it belongs now days.