peakrut

Yes because in my opinion if I can hunt with my choice of weapon who am I to say someone who wants to use a crossbow shouldnt be able too.

(I couldnt find a poll on here using the search forum) Working right?

AR Bowhunter

I voted yes, I will not vote no, their are people that have to use crossbows an their are those that want to use crossbows to hunt with an one day we willmore than likelybe using crossbowsagain when our shoulders want allow us to use compounds.

Arthur P

Well, PEAKRUT, you left things a little too wide open for me. I mean, what if someone wants to hunt with a machine gun? I'm not about to say he should be allowed to use it, just because MY choice of weapon happens to be legal for the season. [:-]

I vote yes because the preponderance of evidence shows that, even with the few functional differences between crossbows and compounds, those differences are moot. Hunter success statistics are practically identical for the two, hovering in the 35% range. Hunter success rates for traditional bowhunters are in the 12-15% range.

That's where overall bowhunter success rates were, some 30 years ago. Where there used to be an argument to be made against allowing crossbows, ever evolving compound technology has made the compound every bit the crossbow's equal in ease of use. So, with a slight amendment to his orignal statement, PEAKRUT's right on target. Nowadays, between the compound and crossbow, it SHOULD come down to hunter's choice.

Just as an aside, when looking at scores from 3D tournaments where crossbows are allowed, I've not once seen an instance where a crossbow shooter posted high score for the shoot. I've never even heard of such a thing happening.

davepjr71

I agree with Arthur.

The argument used to be that the crossbow's higher speeds made it a more dangerous weapon. However, compound bow technology has caught up and you now have bows on par or faster than the crossbow.

Another point used to be that you shoot a crossbow like a gun and therefore it is more accurate. That's really always been an untrue statement and holds little water. Maybe for a person that's never picked-up a bow they would be able to shoot a crossbow more accurately in the beginning. hHowever, after shooting for a little bit and learning good form the compound bowshooter will be more accurate.

I think they should only be used by people wit hhandicaps though. You always have people bucking the system that do not want to put the time in with a crossbow. However, if you have a bad back, serious shoulder issues, or any other handicap that would not allow the use of a bowthecrossbow is the only choice you have left. Crossbows were around way before the compound bow. So, for anyone that would use the arguement about crossbow's technology they need to think about that.

Paul L Mohr

I voted yes but it really doesn't matter either way to me. The biggest argument I hear on the subject is that it makes it easier for slob hunters to go out during archery season. Well I don't agree with that, I see plenty of slob hunters using bows anyway. Lazy hunters are lazy hunters doesn't matter what weapon they use in my opinion.

I have owned both and I personally feel the modern compound bow is better than a crossbow. I wouldn't hunt with a crossbow unless I was forced to, just too many draw backs in my opinion.

I used to live in Ohio, and now live right across the border in MI. Crossbows are legal for archery season in OH and are legal in gun season in MI now. I haven't seen where it made a big difference in either state to be honest.

I am really shocked this is coming out the way it is. I would have figured it would have went largely the other way. We have some real crossbow haters here, or at least we used to anyway.

Paul

Red Lion

I do not own a crossbow and have never shot one. The only three advantages that I can see to it for hunters would be, not having to hold at draw like a compound, a shooter can aim more like a firearm thus the average shooter can be more accurate and you do not have to practice anywhere close to how you should fora bow. I think that they should be legal.

Tbyrnzy82

Of course they should be leagal to hunt with. However they should have there own season. I would not qualify them with archery hunting and I would certainly not qualify them with gun hunting. Just crossbows... I think that the current Illinois rule if fair, being that only a person with a certian handicap is allowed to use them.

SoggyCereal

My grandpa just got a crossbow. But he had to get a permit saying he wasn't able to use a compound bow. I think they should do it more like this. It's not gonna add tons of bow hunters like most are afraid of, it's just gonna keep some.

They're still hard to be accurate with though, they're really heavy.

teamster284

Look at Ohio where crossbow's have been legal for years. Deer heard is healthy and no problem with using them during archery season. probably more crossbows than bows in the woods truth be known.

Sportsfann

Well said I agree 100 percent, dont mind cross bows but they should have their own season.