OK, I will bite. The only real difference between the two is the action/movement it takes to shoot it. Effective range etc, is roughly equal to a compound, infact a compound in the hands of a GOOD shooter will have a slightly longer range due to the ballistics of a short/heavy crossbow bolt.

the one major difference, is you don't have to draw it while the deer is there. This is the single hardest thing to do bowhunting. How many of us actually got to full draw the first few tries? How many of us get busted every year trying to draw? At a crossbow hearing several years ago, the Horton rep (who was pushing the deal) said the reason he switched to a crossbow was he was tired of getting caught drawing the bow. People make a counter argument about high letoff etc, but this doesn't remove the fact that you still are drawing the bow while the deer can see you.

I will admit this is a somewhat weak argument however.

Now the "real" answer. Whether or not a crossbow should or shouldn't be allowed as a weapon in archery season should be up to: the biologists. The facts are that allowing it will bring more hunters into archery season (you can debate whether it belongs there, I could care less). IF and here's the catch, the deer herd can NOT handle the deer kill being raised, then NO it they should not be allowed, just as ANY other change designed to raise the deer kill should not be allowed. In many states the deer herd needs more being shot, in some, such as NH, it can't handle it, our herd is BELOW capacity and below the F&G goals and they are trying to grow the herd and have over the last several years taken action to reduce the kill (talk about political hot potato!).

If the herd needs further reducing, then crossbows are a viable option to raise hunter numbers. Whether you add a "crossbow season" or just include them as a bowhunting weapon alternative is a different debate.

--Bob