Ma Jay,

I'm not picking on you I just think you are on the verge of a breakthrough. You have been very civil (probably more than me) If I understand you. You think a crossbow is more bowlike than a gun but can't bring yourself to allow them into the archery season because of the differences that they do have from the hand held and drawn bows right?

Well that leaves us with where to put them? Now because they are not firearms we can rule them out of the gun season. Yes I know some states have them in gun season and some states have them in archery season so thats a wash, fair?

So if not the gun season then where? Well there are only two other choices and that is 1. It's own season and 2. With the archery season.

The problem I see with crossbows having there own season is the bow hunters would have a fit if their season was shortened for crossbows. Could you imagine if the crossbowers were given the first two weeks of the season, having first crack at all of those big bucks you guys have been scouting all year? I can feel the collective blood pressure rise by just typing this. No wait, lets give them the first two weeks of the rut, again the bow hunters would blow their tops to know the crossbowers were out there when all of those elusive monster bucks stopped being elusive and started paying more attention to "what comes naturally". So when? Stick them at the end of the season when the rut is over but the food is scarce and the deer must feed longer into the mornings to get their fill and thus exposing themselves to the hunters? If I were to guess the last is what most would choose, afterall at least you all would have had your crack at all the good bucks and there would be nothing left but scraps for the crossbow hunters because after all they really aren't hunters anyway. No that's not too elitist is it?

Do you see the problem that some states would have? I am talking more about the states with very short (just two weekends) gun seasons like here in Illinois but it still could apply to most states.

Again the only logical season would be the archery season. Why do you ask? First because a crossbow is by it's definition a bow and because I have not seen any negative thing from the states that do allow crossbows in their seasons. So why would I expect to see it in mine?

But mostly I ask, why not? What do you stand to loose? This talk about a infusion of "slob" hunters is nonsence, it hasn't happened in the states that do allow them why would people think it would happen in their state? Too many deer would be killed? Hey by most accounts deer populations have been on the rise all over the nation and get this.....even in the states that have allowed crossbow hunters into the archery seasons. Go figure, how in the hell did that happen if all of those "slob" gun hunters picked up crossbows and marched into the woods as some of you would have us believe?

Again I ask...Why not?

"Well BigJ It's just not archery."

But the Websters dictionary says it is.

"It's not how archery was intended by the ones who started the bow hunting movement."

Neither were compounds but they were allowed to thrive.

"It's just not the same as pulling back your bow and holding it with your hand....errr release."

Yes it's not, but it still is a bow, just another form of one. Holding a shoulder mounted scoped rifle is not the same as a hand held pistol with open sights is it? I don't hear the pistol crowd saying rifle hunting should be separate from them because it's "just not the same" why, because they are both firearms.

"But BigJ, we can't let our pristine and sacred hunting fraternity be compromised by these "mouth breathing" cretins. How would that look when we are supposed to be the chosen ones in the hunting community?

Now we are getting somewhere! I bet most of you, when nobody is around to judge you are thinking just that.....sad but true, because as hard as you try, some of you just can't help it and it shows in your posts.