Dont have the Stats but from the many Ohio bowhunters I've talked to over the years. (At IBO shoots and I've got relatives in OH)
Their opinion is that the woods became swamped with crossbows and it has detracted from the bow season. At least for them.

charlie p-you can get a crossbow permit in texas with a hang nail. you have to have a upper body disability that limits your being able to pull back the string. that permit is allowed after you get a doctors letter stating that you have the disability. know where does it say anything about a hang nail.everything you say about a crossbow can be said about a compound bow.

The "point" i see here is the fear of allowing crossbows in other states during the archery season because of unethical hunters wanting an extended season. The point was made that alot of gun hunters would take up the crossbow just to give them an extended season. This relates to laziness in ther preparation and basically wounded deer. In other words they would not respect the true sport of bow hunting. I agree with you here. So i would assume the problem here is the "un ethical" hunter in the woods rather the type of bow used.

The outdoors is yours, treat it with RESPECT!!!

Stealthy - Here's a rough breakdown, state by state.

Legal in archery season: Arkansas, Indiana (late season only), Ohio, S. Carolina, Wyoming

Crossbow season: Kentucky

Disabled in archery season: Alabama, Connecticutt, Delaware, Georgia, Illinios, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnestota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, N Carolina, N Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin

Legal in general (gun) season: Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii (private land only), Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, S Carolina, Texas

Not recognized as a hunting weapon: Maine, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, W Virginia

Dep, The hangnail comment was tongue in cheek,ok? You stated that you need an upper disability to get a x-bow permit in Texas,right.How many of the guys that have them get them and don't really need them.It happens all the time,a guy goes to his doctor and says I'm haveing problems pulling back my bow for whatever reason they come up with.The unsuspecting Doc writes them a scrip so they can get a permit.

I've had four back surgeries do you think I could get a permit in Texas?I have a permanent 50% disability that involves my upper body.You know what? I don't need to use a X-bow, I can still shoot a compound with no problem.Even with titanum cages in my back.Do you understand where I'm coming from?

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>everything you say about a crossbow can be said about a compound bow. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>


Your totally wrong here.If I let go of the string (fingers or release) the arrow shoots,right? I have to hold the string back,myself it doesn't stay back with out me holding it.You can try and compare the trigger on a release to the trigger on a X-bow, but the argument doesnt hold water.

If I bring my arm forward with out touching off the release the string will also come forward, right?

After cocking a X-bow what happens when you remove your arm from the cocking device? That's right absolutely nothing.It remains cocked all day.

I'll say this again. I think people should be allowed to hunt with X-bows,just not in the archery only seasons.

Buckforme, I think you hit hte nail square on the head. Imagine with our hunter numbers here in Pa if that happens. Turning back would be very difficult if that happened here. That's the main reason I advocate seperate seasons, very limited in scope at first. If the worst fears don't materialize then I think many bowhunters, and so far the anti xbowers are a LARGE majority here, might be willing to bend.

Charlie, Texas doesn't issue crossbow permits for the disabled. All they have to have is a doctor's letter. A problem with your back, even a shoulder, doesn't qualify. It has to be an upper limb disability. Here's the regulation:

&quot;ONLY a person with an upper-limb disability* may use a crossbow to hunt deer and turkey during the Archery Only Open Season, provided the person, while hunting, has in their immediate possession a physician?s statement certifying the extent of the disability.

An *upper-limb disability is a permanent loss of the use of fingers, hand, or arm in a manner that renders the person incapable of using lawful archery equipment.&quot;

Probably a lot of guys ask their doctors for letters and the doctors never read the regulation.

Arthur, Thanks for clearing that up.Dep had posted
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>you have to have a upper body disability that limits your being able to pull back the string. <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

I know a fuy that hunts here in NY that pulls the string back with his teeth.He has a tab on the string that allows him to do it.He's taken quite a few deer with the set-up.Disclaimer: I only mentioned this because I find it interesting.

did not mean to say permit. it is a letter from a doctor that has to be carried at all times with your regular hunting license. it has to be updated every year.

Arthur P - Excellent - THAT was what I was looking for.

My point is, people argue that its not the weapon that makes the hunter what the hunter is, its the ability to get close ( these people are crossbow shooters and very high techy compound shooters) but in the same breath they don't want a short ranged handgun shooter hunting their archery season, or a flintlock shooter, or a shotgun, buckshot only hunter. So see, its NOT about shooting range, its about the weapon, isn't it ? Yes it is, there, lets all say it together now ...

ITS ALL ABOUT THE WEAPON AND NOT ABOUT HOW CLOSE WE CAN GET TO GAME ...

thank you