So crossbow are legal now......
07-20-2010, 12:04 PM
#501
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
Huh????? They are heavy, loud, cumbersome and deadly. The only one of those 4 things that is really relevant is the deadly part. Any disadvantage associated with them due to size, weight or shape is far outweighed by the fact that it is always loaded and can shoot immediately without movement. When hunting out of a tree stand having a bow that weighs 10 pounds (exaggeration) as opposed to 3 1/2 doesn't really matter. They may be loud but the speed the bolt gets there should eliminate any issue associated with the noise......unless someone is taking one of those 100yd shots.
I often stand holding my bow and even 4 pounds gets very heavy. The only advantage they have is getting people who wouldn't bow hunt to try bow hunting and that for the state means money. Money from tags and money from lobbyists. As a bonus they have people who are opposed to it to blame if anything happens. They will simply stick it to the xbow hunter and end the use of the weapon. They will even use the fear of eliminating it to gain more control.
Government is not the answer yet even in this the only common denominator of the whole issue is government. Government because of the abuse between hunters will loosen their belt a notch or 2. Both parties are doing their best to empower the State Of MD.
It's a business run by the government, nuff said.
07-20-2010, 12:05 PM
#502
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,583
BC brings up the fundamental point which makes a crossbow a effective killing weapon. No drawing, little movement and the unit can be held practically forever waiting for the shot. I hunt in a very cold climate and have shot compound bows when I was in my prime at 80 pounds. Having to draw something that approaches your max can be close to impossible in a cold hunting condition where your muscles haven't moved for hours. Note I did that once after shooting all summer at 80 pounds without any problems. Next time out I was stepped back to 74 pounds. Accuracy with any bow is the most important trait and the best shooter in the world can't hold at full draw for minutes at a time or shoot without moving to draw.
07-20-2010, 12:06 PM
#503
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,722
Huh????? They are heavy, loud, cumbersome and deadly. The only one of those 4 things that is really relevant is the deadly part.
Any disadvantage associated with them due to size, weight or shape is far outweighed by the fact that it is always loaded and can shoot immediately without movement.
When hunting out of a tree stand having a bow that weighs 10 pounds (exaggeration) as opposed to 3 1/2 doesn't really matter. They may be loud but the speed the bolt gets there should eliminate any issue associated with the noise......unless someone is taking one of those 100yd shots
Its just DIFFERENT trying to maneuvre a bow that wide, deer are so spooky anyway that the loudness of crossbows are a huge disadvantage ... and try turning around and making a shot behiund you or spot and stalk with one!
There is a reason the stat's reflect what they do - on a range, they're deadly, in the woods, they do have their disadvantages
07-20-2010, 12:13 PM
#505
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,583
When my bow gets heavy I hang it or rest it on my knee if I am sitting. When in a tree I always put in a bow hang and position it so I can have the bow resting on it and my hand is on the grip ready to slowly raise it off and take the shot. I seldom take long shots and can't remember the last time a deer ducked my shot. Early compounds had slow flight and were noisy. Sure take a 45 yard shot with a slow bow and the deer will hear and react to the shot slightly b-4 the arrow gets there. Todays modern fast and quiet bows are much better and have pushed the effective range out further. Even so I still hunt with a single pin and used that up to 35 yds. I limit my yardage by the locations I choose. I prefer deep dark swamps on the edge of staging areas going to or from the feed areas.
I won't disagree with that. Like I said before the jump from trad to compounds to xbows are simply a line in the sand. Levels and thresholds that people or F&G commissions use to determine seasons or what is legal to hunt with. I said I consider a xbow a bow and would like to see their use reserved for people who want to hunt with a bow but are physically unable to draw them. That is my personal line in the sand. I can understand why people would like to see compounds considered illegal since that is their line in the sand. It changes dependent on your personal views and how the F&G decides to go.
Champlain Islander those points have been known for a very long time, and they're valid, and they're no more so valid than comparing the difference in compounds vs recurves/longbows
Last edited by Champlain Islander; 07-20-2010 at 12:20 PM.
07-20-2010, 12:15 PM
#506
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 1,498
Thats because they don't. I can easily make a 60-70yard kill with an arrowgun. I guarantee it. I cannot with a compound. Only under excellent, I mean excellent conditions. KYbuck, have you ever held a compound for 30sec, even 1 min, maybe longer? Have you ever hunted in extreme cold after several hours, and tried to pull back and hold your compound at a deer at 50 yards? One of my biggest problems in extreme cold is my bulky clothing.
An arrowgun shooter can just sit there and take his time. Put his arrowgun on a rest. Slowly pull that trigger. No fatigue. No shaking. For me, this is just common sense. Mr. Islander on here even agrees. And we don't see eye to eye on this. But you want to take his experience, and mine and believe anything on the net you want.
But I am sure you and stealthy will both standup and say you never had these instances happen. And I hope you do for the audience reading.
My argument has been consistent all throughout this. I still stand by it. Sure, there are secondary arguements that strengthen my beliefs, but the bottom line is why archery season came into existence. The guys who worked for it. Thier arguement to state gov on why they need such a long season. If its not about tradition and doing something a little tougher than others, then make it open season. You don't like that ideal. You think its lame. Fine. I don't.
An arrowgun shooter can just sit there and take his time. Put his arrowgun on a rest. Slowly pull that trigger. No fatigue. No shaking. For me, this is just common sense. Mr. Islander on here even agrees. And we don't see eye to eye on this. But you want to take his experience, and mine and believe anything on the net you want.
But I am sure you and stealthy will both standup and say you never had these instances happen. And I hope you do for the audience reading.
My argument has been consistent all throughout this. I still stand by it. Sure, there are secondary arguements that strengthen my beliefs, but the bottom line is why archery season came into existence. The guys who worked for it. Thier arguement to state gov on why they need such a long season. If its not about tradition and doing something a little tougher than others, then make it open season. You don't like that ideal. You think its lame. Fine. I don't.
Yes, I have had hard times getting my bow back before in the cold. I've struggled to hold it back at times. That doesn't happen often but it does happen. The xbow does have an advantage on this for sure. But I could care less if someone else has a challenge different that what I do. It's not up to me to say what challenge is right for everyone. I have bow hunted 30 years so I'm not a rookie either. I'm sure you and many others are more technical experts on the in and outs of a bow but as far as hunting goes I'll stack up pretty well.
07-20-2010, 12:41 PM
#507
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: defiance,ohio
Posts: 557
i've had deer drop on shots at 35yds and they've run away away without the arrow hitting them. my xbow shoots about 308 fps and my single red dot scope that is not magnified is set to 40 yds. so to be taking shots at deer 50-60-70yds out is just dumb and unethical imo. shooting at a target that far out is one thing(which i don't do) shooting at a deer that will move that far out is another(which i have never done). bc you seem to think all crossbowers shoot that far. well we don't, in fact i would bet that most don't
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Last edited by noidurism; 07-20-2010 at 01:00 PM.
07-20-2010, 12:45 PM
#508
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: On an Island in Vermont
Posts: 22,583
No I haven't. I have shot them on the range a lot and they are indeed fun. Since I am an able bodied person with a self imposed ethical limit to what I chose to hunt with I don't use them for hunting. I have a buddy who use on last season and he scored on a decent buck. I was glad for him but didn't view it quite the same as if he used a bow. i can understand that relationship as it applies to trad as opposed to compound. just my line in the sand. got to run going out to eat.
07-20-2010, 01:28 PM
#509
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,722
I said I consider a xbow a bow and would like to see their use reserved for people who want to hunt with a bow but are physically unable to draw them. That is my personal line in the sand. I can understand why people would like to see compounds considered illegal since that is their line in the sand. It changes dependent on your personal views and how the F&G decides to go.
I was glad for him but didn't view it quite the same as if he used a bow. i can understand that relationship as it applies to trad as opposed to compound. just my line in the sand. got to run going out to eat.
07-20-2010, 01:43 PM
#510
Guest
Posts: n/a
I can respect that, but from a G&F point of view, they have to maximize the resources for their paying sportsman ....... and allowing crossbows generates more people hunting and more revenue with minimal impacts - that's why they're allowing them, that's why they allowed compounds and its why the technology keeps being allowed too
