RE: Crossbows?
OH_RedNeck ,
I find your stance surprising considering that you come from a state where the crossbow has been legal for all since the mid Seventies . It all comes down to personal preference , but why denigrate a tool that has proven itself so well in your own state ?
According to your state's F&G 2003 Harvest Summary , which I have a copy of , crossbow hunters accounted for more archery kills last year that vert bow hunters . They acheived this feat with very few accidents , and contributed to acheiving the state's goal of keeping the deer population in check . That sounds like a very efficient and practical tool to me .
Granted , that fool at the range could use some "hunter education" , and hopefully the park police did just that . [:@] Nobody likes a slob .
One thing that I've never understood is the typical bow hunter's stance that a tool has to be difficult to use before it's acceptable to hunt with . If you want your own hunt to be hard then more power to you , but why should someone else be forced to hunt your way ? I'm also puzzled by the typical stance that a crossbow shouldn't be allowed in the regular archery season , but should be relegated to the gun season . I've never seen a crossbow that can fire bullets , only bolts(arrows) .
The handicapped hunter is more than welcome to hunt with whatever they can take game with as far as I'm concerned , but the able hunter should be able to choose from a wider array of tools if they can handle them responsibly .