Recurve only season
 

This is what I was thinking about. How about if there was a recurve only season for a week or two. Just like there is a muzzleloader season for those who are fermiler with gun seasons. This is just what I was thinking about tell me what you think.

Tbone 1187

RE: Recurve only season
 

I wouldn't be for it.

As far as muzzle loader season we are in a shotgun area and a muzzleloader has a better range then a smoothbore shotgun. These new things supposed to be primitive?

Why do you think recurves should get their own season?

One bad thing I could honestly see happening is people going out and buying one and not practicing as mich as you need to shooting one.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I was just saying, that a compound bow was easyer to shoot farther. Than a recurve bow that would make it a harder and a differnt season and, I do consider it a primitive class of bow wich I like about it.

Tbone 1187

RE: Recurve only season
 

So why would you need your own season?

It is harder to shoot.

I read some where that trad shooters make up about 5% of bow hunters that's why I don't see a need for another special season.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I think that should start right after spear season.:D

RE: Recurve only season
 

Why do they need a muzzeloder season anyways, in my opinion there all in the same tree thay both are a differnt way of hunting.

Tbone 1187

RE: Recurve only season
 

If we get anymore seasons in MO you will need a scorecard to keep track. I already have to check if I have to wear orange to bowhunt. We have a special urban doe hunt(GUN), a youth hunt(GUN), gun season, muzzle loader, and bow season. I think we have too many already.

RE: Recurve only season
 

Sure... do it... first 2 or 3 weeks of the bow season. I have a recurve, no problem. Think of all the new marketing and places to spend money.[&:]

RE: Recurve only season
 

Bring it. LOL Actualy they already have some units her in Oregon set up that way.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I wouldn't mind seeing it as part of primitive hunting season, but I'd also include longbows and selfbows. Here we have to shareprimitive seasonwith in-line muzzleloaders with scopes.

BTW, I'd be fine is they legalized spear hunting here in NY. In some states it never became illegal.

RE: Recurve only season
 

We do, its called Archery season!!! runs from Oct 1 to Jan 1, It used to begreat, now we have a special youth season in Sept, A special Handy Cap gun season in Oct, another Doe only season in Oct on pvt land, the regular 2 week gun season in Nov, A Black powder season in Dec, and another Doe only gun season in Nov, where in the He!! did my Bow season Go!! Now some Butt Whipes are trying to make it so we have to wear hunter Orange during what little bit of a bow season we have left. I use both Recurve and Compound, and see no reason for another SPECIAL season!

RE: Recurve only season
 

I currently shoot a trad bow.

I am NOT in favor of a trad only season and I'll tell you why.

Compounds and crossbows being legal in archery season has NOT led to a reduction in season, or tags being given has it ? If not ......... then the positives they bring to bowhunting (getting more people involved in our sport) far outweighs any negatives that might exist.

If/When compounds ever DO lead to a reduction in archery season or bag limits, then yes, remove them from archery season.

Tbone1187 understand that I can shoot at animals just as far as you can. Shot distance is the person shooting, not the weapon being used.

Now, that said, compounds ARE far more accurate, powerful and the distance one can keep accuracy DOES increase. No doubt about that and people are fooling themselves if they think compound bowhunting is equivalent to trad - it aint the same kind of bowhunting by far.

But really .......... isn't most animals killed 25 yards and closer ? So you can keep an 80 yard group ........ rarely if ever are animals shot that far, right ?

Muzzleloaders are similar, though I do think there is more of a case that primitive gun seasons are being limitedin days afield because of the technology of modern muzzelloaders. Thats a different thread though IMO


So no, keep archery open to compounds, crossbows, longbows, recurves .......... as long as there is no negative impacts to the herd and to bowhunting opportunitites, there is no way to justify one weapon being allowed and one not being allowed based on percieved "easy"

RE: Recurve only season
 

I think that having a recurve only season does not make sense, as an archery season is already long enough, and why? This debate reminds me of the ongoing debate between traditional ML'ers and modern/inline ML'ers. Traditional MN'ers in Minnesota want there own season, and I say why? There are enough woods for all of us.

RE: Recurve only season
 

At some point, there is a saturation, there is a point where there are too many hunters for a specific season, or the total number of deer killed is more than the G&F deems acceptable to maintain current herd numbers etc etc.

Technology makes hunting easier - and easier means more deer killed, which impacts the seasons and bag limits.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I get all of that Buster, and they are good points, but you either get an opportunity to stick something, (compound or recurve) or not. The opportunity is the same so it makes little sense to be picky about individual seasons

RE: Recurve only season
 

Why fragment and divide even further?

RE: Recurve only season
 

Thats what I am thinking Bob, as the opportunity/season is the same, so why bother.
What next? A left-handed, recurve only, using non-expandle broadheads made in America?

RE: Recurve only season
 

You know, after reading Busters comment and Red Lion's, I retract my vote. We already have a season for them. We too have too many special hunts screwing up the bow hunting. We have Youth Days for muzzleloader and regular firearms Youth days in October to spooke the deer. Then they throw in an early muzzleloader for every one else... it does mess the deer up. We got enough special seasons.... I agree, I don't want to see anymore.

RE: Recurve only season
 

now watch where we're going with this thread guys .......... what we're saying and agreeing on is that as long as there is no negative impacts to the herd, or to the seasons (days in the field allowed) that it shouldn't matter how high tech bows becomes - that really, its all about shoointg a deer at 25 yards, right ?

but most of ya'll will fight to the death to not allow crossbows - to fragment them, splinter them out, banish them etc etc.

Either the same rules apply or they don't, you can't have it both ways.

In Arkansas, and several other states, we allow whatever bow you want with no negative impacts to the herd, or to the season.

none

Because of that reality, in it I base my opinion on what should and should be allowed in archery season.

Now, if a season is deemed " traditional " or " primitive " then yes, technology should be strictly prohibited, but those are exceptions, like a small WMA or military base etc.

RE: Recurve only season
 

How about a season for every class of weapon and how the weapon is shot (release/fingers)?

No way! My Wis.Bowseason is already interfered with enough by special interest groups. I gun hunt, but my number one favorite is bow hunting. I'd also like to muzzleload hunt some time, but I don't want anything to interfer with my bowhunting. Example: Oct. T-zone hunt, a four day gun hunt for does only. If you hunt with a bow, you must wear blaze orange and only shoot does also. This hunt took place on the start of rutting activity weekend. The last Thurs. through Sun. in Oct. Tell me that didn't interfer with your bowhunting. At best I think that the special interest groups should have Aug and Jan. hunts. Not in the middle of the rut. That's the bowhunter in me talking![:-]

RE: Recurve only season
 

What makes up a special interest group? Sounds kind of negative to me.

RE: Recurve only season
 

ask yourself - what good would come of it ? Compound shooters would hate it, crossbow shooters would hate it. Recurve shooters already have all the archery season anyway, why do they need MORE ? If you want to base seasons on dificulty of weapon, start splitting it all out and cramming it into a 3-4 months window or less and see what that gets you.

archery season IS recurve season, and longbow season. Thats what it was initially for. Compounds got in later, as did crossbows in some states.

I see absolutely no benefits to a recurve only season.

Recurve/trad only WMA's, Parks, small zones etc for certain management reasons I can see valid I guess, but statewide no.

RE: Recurve only season
 

1) Anything that isn't archery and wants a special season that interfers with my bowhunting.

2) I am negative about all these special seasons. See #1.

RE: Recurve only season
 

1. Anything that isn't archery? I thought this topic was on achery.

Let's remember that in a point in time, not that long ago, coupounds may have been considered to beina "special interest group" that you mentioned.

Anyway, I wouldn't be in favor in splitting archery season into seperate categories depending on the type of bow used. What makes me wonder though isthe special muzzleloader season here in NY. Can't figure that one out. I could understand when only certain muzzleloaders were aloud without a scope.But to me these these inliners with scopes should be just part of gun season without a seperate season. What maybe nice would be as others mentioned a primative type season and include real limitations on equipement. Archery,muzzleloaders, and even primitive crossbows included. Time of the year doesn't matter.

But hey there are bigger things that need to be worked on IMO.

RE: Recurve only season
 

Someone wrote an article about this very idea in Traditional Bowhunter magazine not too long ago,I want to say the Oct./Nov. of '06. The idea was not a seperate season for trad equipment-longbows, recurves or selfbows-but users of trad equipment would be allowed to hunt as long as any season was open for the game animal in question. In other words the trad season would run concurrently with any open season, modern archery, gun, muzzleloader, whatever. The trade-off? Those wishing to hunt traditionally would forfeit ALL other hunting licences. Essentially you buy the trad license, you hunt trad or you don't hunt. Don't know if I would do it, but it does present an interesting spin.

RE: Recurve only season
 

There are enough tradional archers to warrant having a traditional archery magazine?

RE: Recurve only season
 

yeah, there are a few around:D Actually if you can get past some of the anti-everything but traditional opinions, it is a really good magazine.

RE: Recurve only season
 

In your avatar you're using a compound I see ? You know that bow wasn't originally a part of archery season, right ? Archery season was founded on recurves and longbows - not compounds. Your compound is likely > 65% letoff, once illegal in most states and not recognized by P&Y. You likely use a release - not legal in many states at one time. Mechanical heads maybe ? You understand the point I'm trying to make I'm sure - your choice of bows is just that, a choice, and your choice doesn't define what is and isn't archery, its simply your choice and nothing more.

Fact - compounds being legal in archery season has no negative impacts on seasons or herds.

Fact - neither do crossbows



Understand that maybe I don't consider compounds "archery" ......... assuming this, should I take your stance and say I don't think they should be allowed in archery season ? Your view is exactly that ...... that because you don't personally shoot a certain weapon, disqualify it but geeeeesh don't group your choice of bow in there huh ?

www.m-w.com ....... look up what a "bow" is and you'll find a compound really doesn't fit the definition at all. Interesting huh ? I saw recently that the new AR bow has 8" limbs ............ 8" limbs ? No WAY those limbs account for the energy being delivered to propel the arrow - its the cams doing all the work, and thats not what a bow is , is it ?

But thats irrelevant in my world, because Arkansas allows compounds, crossbows, recurves and longbows. We have a 5 months season. No one ever complains. I rarely see a crossbow in the woods, always compounders. And good for them, they're hunting witha compound doesn't affect me one way or the other, and if they hada crossbow in their hand ? Wouldn't affect me at all either.

RE: Recurve only season
 

Well said. I was about to post how ridiculous this thread is and then I see a light amoungst the darkness. All the "united" bow organizations and we see a thread like this. Being a long time traditional shooter and only recently converting all full time to my compound, this thread upsets me as well as the "traditional" guys jumping on the bandwagon. And for one, it wasn't good enough to have an exclusive season with just recurves, no he wanted longbows and selfbows, lord forbid they be excluded but it's okay to exclude other means. How sad in this day and age that we still cannot unite for the better of us all?

Okay, reading past Buster T's I see Red Lion's, again, thank you for a voice of reason. And the Bob, and I'm glad to see davidmil come around and change his vote, kudos brother David and then GregH, always a man to listen to unless he's being a smart alek...j/k Greg, your birthday not listed but I bet we shared the same number of seasons and you could still take me, j/k brother.

But then I come backto BobCo....he still wants exclusivity even though it's probably because of compounds, recurves and longbows alike that keeps power where power is needed to save our archery heritage. If it were not for the numbers included with the compound uses, I could see a defeat of archery all together. The money's generated by ALL ARCHERS regardless of weapon keep it alive, If I could read the future, the majority of compound users wouldn't pick up a traditional bow, they would vote to eliminate or at the least advance the guns into the archery seasons more and more, think about that Bob and I say that as a kindship as I once stood as you stand.

And then I read on and see BusterT change his stance just to be argumentative with GregH who actually backed what he said in the begining and now it's turning into a we vs you, traditional vs modern. I read a thread where BobCo said archery season was founded in recurve and longbow but going with what I said above, archery would have likely folded if not for the compound. The majority of compound users today would likely not picked up a stick bow, unfortunate but true, that would change the power to the wrong hands, those hand being either anti's or my way is the only way gun hunters. Either way, we need each other, we need the recurve, self, compound and longbow hunters to embrace each other for the good of the season, not bicker against show diversity and animosity which shows weakness and vuneralbility in the ranks.

My vote goes against any division in a recurve only season as well as a vote against any compound only season.

Thank you.

RE: Recurve only season
 

Raxxmaster what chaps my butt is this - most compund shooters (I was one of them) are all gungho about not seperating archers ......... but they HATE crossbows and the concept of allowing them into archery season. And the reason ? Selfishess.

I see posts and its "my bowseason" or "interfere" and its all a bunch of phooooey - crossbows, compounds, recurve and longbows .......... all archery equipment and all should be allowed in archery season until the time comes when any of those weapons becomes a negative to bowhunting.

All trad season would mean all the woods to me .......... but archery and bowhunting would be at risk from the ARA's because of lack of support. Splitting trad, compound and crossbows again weakens bowhunting, and divides the sport. Not good.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I would much rather see an archers shooting skills test, than a special season for Recurves. Like 3 out of 5 shots in a football size kill zone at 25 yards, befor you can purchase a deer tag!!!

RE: Recurve only season
 

BobCo19-65 and Buster T,

I don't know if you understood my first post or not. To make a long story short. I AM AGAINST ANY SPECIAL SEASONS THAT DIRECTLY INTERFER WITH MY BOWHUNTING SEASON. Whether it is a T-zone hunt, muzzle loader hunt, X-bow hunt or Recurve (primitive) hunt. To ME, there should be two seasons..... Gun and archery...period. I personally hunt both. A muzzle loader is a gun and a Recurve is archery. If someone needs a special season other than that.. do it in Aug. and/or Jan. for does. The last thing I want is guns blazing right at the start of the rut (T-zone) or some recurve only season that keeps me out of the woods. I mentioned before that I am biased towards bowhunting, hence the negativity.

BTW, you guys need not remind me of the history of bowhunting, I know the history.

This is me BC. (before compounds)

RE: Recurve only season
 

Saddly, that would eliminate many traditional shooters that are diciplined to never shoot beyond 20 yards knowing their limitations and that too would not be fair to a good breed or archers.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I have no problems with that, but to be fair, 25yds for the barebow recurve shooters is similar to 50+ yds for the compound guys. As long as we keep it fair, no problem with me.

RE: Recurve only season
 

Actualy there is such a test to hunt on Sub Base Bangor in washington state. When I was in the navy we had to shoot 5 shot in a 6 inch circle at 20 yards in order to get a permit to hunt on base. piece of cake with a compound. tuff with atrad bow but do able

RE: Recurve only season
 

If they did open a season in NC.....I'd learn to shoot the longbow. We have it SO good, right now. We have first access to the deer woods EVERY year (1st...in front of gun hunters).....and I don't take that lightly. I get a FULL TWO MONTHS of the woods to myself before the guns start blaring.

We ARE talking about a slippery slope here......discussing this, though. There ARE those out there that would love to see DEER SEASON. Period. ANY weapon.....legal. Be very careful what you are so quick to scoff at.

Jeff

RE: Recurve only season
 

Ohio is nice in that you can hunt archery throughout gun and muzzleloader seasons, but you do have to wear orange. I like the muzzleloader season b/c it actually makes hunters focus on that one shot. Too many jokers around here shoot their shotguns like they are automatic rifles. I see no need for another season.

RE: Recurve only season
 

As someone who builds, and hunts with homemade longbows, I find the desire to have a seperate recurve, or longbow season to be absurd. To suggest that we need a seperate season, is to suggest that we are somehow handicapped, which I find to be insulting.

Back when Ihunted exclusivly with recurvebows I never felt the need to have a seperate season. In fact, often times I would fill my tags every year, while many of my compound shooting friends would not. It had much more to do with hunting skill, than with the weapon we used.

A bowhunter should hunt with the weapon that best fits his hunting style. For me, that was a recurve, or longbow. I have shot compound bows, and did some hunting with them, and found that they were not a magic weapon. In fact, it is my opinion that a compound requires more perfect shooting form to shoot accurately, than my longbow. Considering that compounds are heavy, limit shooting in low light, and require knowledge of yardage, they in my opinion are not the best weapon for me to deer hunt with.

Add to that the fact that if there were a special season for recurves, or longbows, my compound hunting friends would be robbed of time to hunt, and I find that unfair. Personally I feel that seasoned, and successful traditional bowhunters are not behind such ideas as seperate seasons, because they do not use their choice of weapon to justify poor success in the field.

It is the vocal minority who calls for such seasons because it allows them to be a big fish in little pond, rather than a little fish in a big pond. I think the best way to remedy this situation is for those of us who choose to use recurves, and longbows, to spend our time scouting, shooting, and honing our woodsmanship skills, rather than using our weapons to excuse failure.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I agree. I would never support separate seasons..... We are all archers first, equipment choices are secondary in my opinion.

RE: Recurve only season
 

I'm against a special season for recurves too. Like others have already stated, we already have special season for youth gun hunts, weeks of early and late MZL hunting, crossbows being included for 4 weeks of the bow season, along with all the other regular gun seasons. The actual weeks where you can bowhunt without other "special" seasons interfering are alreeady limited.

If you want to bowhunt with a trad bow during archery season, go right ahead. No one will stop you. I hunt during all the guns seasons using just my bow. I accept the fact that I'm handicapping my chances by trading the long range I get out of my gun for the shorter range I'm afforded by the bow, but that's the chances I willing to take. This year, I could've easily killed a very nice 10 point (along with other bucks and does) during gun season, but they were out of my effective range with my bow. My choice.