Crossbows are considered the same as conventional bows here in Ontario. I have owned a couple and yes they can be easier to get the first shot off accurately but they still have the same short range effectiveness as a compound. If they allow a person to get out and hunt, make a clean and humane killing shot and still impose the exact same HUNTING skills as a longbow ( scouting, stands etc.) needs then what is the hangup about crossbows? You still need to do your field work and freeze your nu@@ off in a treestand and take a shot within 30 yds give or take a few. Is a compound less sporting than a recurve, a recurve less than a longbow? To follow that line of thinking then we should use only longbows with home made cedar shafts and flintlock rifles. Look the hard part is getting a shot. The shot should be as effective and lethal as the law allows. I would wonder how many of the purists who look down on crossbows use .300 magnums with 14x scopes to shoot 125 lb deer at 60 yds? An open sighted 3030 would kill also wouldn't it? To try and prevent people from hunting is a slippery slope boys, use what you like but stop worrying about the guy down the road who is perfectly legal also. Save your energy and nasty thoughts for the people who want to stop all hunting, they are your enemy not the guy who lives in an apartment and has no place to practice with a bow.