A crossbow doesn't have limbs and a string???? Are you sure about that?
Yes a crossbow has limbs and a string, but it is NOT held at full draw by a person. That is why they are not considered bows.
Are you saying they all adopted the compound at the same time? If not then your point is irrelevant because if we have this conversation 10 years from now 100% of the states my adopted crossbows at which point I can say "not one single state failed to adopt them" at which time you will think that argument is pretty weak. Just like I do now
Perhaps 100% of states will allow them during archery season... BUT, the fact they have been around for hundreds of years, are legal already during firearm type seasons but still have made almost no in road into archery season, I'll assume you'll need more than 10 more years to hold that over me.
They may be a choice in your state soon. Will you call them archery equipment then? But the real issue is whether they can use them during the archery season. Why are you trying so hard to keep archery season all to yourself? Do you think you are helping the sport? You say you agree to a seperate season? If so do you agree to taking the archery season splitting the time between archery and crossbow season? That would only be fair wouldn't it? Or deserve more rights because you shoot a "special" bow?
Silent, do you actually read before you type? I say this because you assume there must be a correlation between "Archery Season" and "Crossbow Season". If you feel that there will be such an influx of new hunters and interest in a crossbow season it will of course need to be weighed into each states management plan. Why you insist that crossbows must be considered the same as bows is beyond me .. and frankly is not in the best interest of crossbow hunters. With your own season you could weigh the impact of your sport on the herds and hunter participation, validating all this fuss. I will be the adult that breaks the news to you, the world is not always "fair" to all people. Gun hunters don't get as much time in the woods as archers because their numbers and success would be detrimental to the deer herds. Since crossbow hunters have at best a weak and small following they may not generate the interest or need their own season, which leaves them hunting with firearm hunters in 47 states. Now should that change, and they grow in popularity, they may warrant their own season with state set guidelines.. which MAY or MAY NOT equal the time archery hunters get. Fair has absolutely nothing to do with it. Regardless of whether they hunt during rifle season, muzzleloader or archery season.... they will not be considered "archery" by me.
Crossbows don't make people stupid ...... they just prove it.