Rack-attack

IF a Crossbow is SOOO much like a Coumpound - then Why do only " gun" hunters use them in archery season?????? IF it was really an Archery impliment and those shooting them where really archers- these people would already have bows and hunting in the bow season.

CAJUNBOWHNTR

I' m sorry but I cannot consider hunting with a crossbow the same as a compound or recurve,longbow.Yes they both shoot arrows err bolts.But you and I know that the hardest part of bow hunting is getting the bow drawn and holding the weight of the bow.I agree with AP that the lines between compounds and crossbows have blurred some.But it is a big difference still.If Indiana is having a problem with numbers they should increase the bag limit or import a few Cajuns we can take care of dem deer cher.Boni ami err boni pettite

Arthur P

I agree with that, to a point. However, you know as well as I do that there thousands of ' bowhunters' that are NOT archers. Probably the vast majority. They come out of the woodwork immediately before opening day and totally disappear the day after closing day. They sit in their stands with all the equipment and accoutrements, but they' d just as soon be sitting there with a rifle or shotgun.

The ease of use that everyone harps about with crossbows is practically equally applicable to compounds.

Now, if mechanical releases were confined to the use of the handicapped, then we' d see a big difference. That blurry line between crossbows and compounds would suddenly be VERY clear. Hand drawn and hand hand held would be a lot more meaningful if we also said HAND RELEASED.

GTBuzz

Agreed. Just like there are thousands of gun hunters that are NOT shooters. I' d venture to say the average gun hunter is far less of a good shot than they think they are. I am amuzed a couple of weeks before each season to see some guys pull out their rifles for the first time since last deer season and proceed to shoot paper plate sized groups (from a bench) at 50 yards and think that is " good enough" . I suspect there are many bowhunters that would fit into that category as well.

Rack-attack

Take two newbies - give one a top of the line compound with all the goodies and the other a top of the line crossbow with all the goodies and see wich one shoots a 20 yd 5-spot 300 first.

I guess the Crossbow shoots one in about a week and the compound shooter about 2-5 years.

And I do agree with you -to a point, but lets face it the only reason crossbows are being introduced into Archery-Season is to draw in the gun hunters. If they wanted so bad to be bowhunters/archers they would of had a bow already. They are not nor will they ever be " Bowhunters" they are " rifle hunters" with a longer season.

Now, with that saud I have nothing against gun hunters - I am one also (for a few days of the year), my father has been one for 45 years, and much of my family is - I love and respect all of them. Just not hunting in archery season with there crossrifles

kevin1

Actually Rack I view my crossbow as a stepping stone . I could afford the $130 it cost at the time , but my budget wouldn' t allow for a good quality bow . I know there are inexpensive bows , but I hunt with the best equipment that I can afford like anyone else . If I like " archery hunting" as much as I think I will , I' ll certainly start looking for a " real" bow . Crossbows require many of the same skills , and in their own way are just as challeging according to people I consulted who own both . I could have bought the more expensive " real" bow first , but what if I didn' t like it ? Then I would have wasted money I could have spent elsewhere . I happen to love shooting my crossbow , even if it' s only at targets , and up until now I couldn' t hunt with it because I' m not disabled .

kevin1

CAJUNBOWHNTR ,
as I pointed out to Rack Attack leaving a crossbow at full draw contiuously can damage it . That means I still have to draw if I don' t want risk having my prod break when I fire it . I also have to feed the noisy aluminum bolt through a very small opening and only then take aim . Add in faster drop , shorter range , less KE , and I think you' ll agree that it ain' t as easy as some less informed folks would have you believe . I didn' t say it was the same , only similar .

J Pike

Crossguns are not Archery tackle, with a bow you must draw, Hold at full draw, and aim in the presence of live game, If the animal unexpectantly stops behind a tree for more than a minute or 2 the archer must let down, ( animal probably will be gone) where as the crossgun hunter can just sit there patiantly waitng for the game to take another step to steady the cross hairs on the vitals. Bow hunting wasnt meant to be easy, and many crossgun shooters say they just dont have the time to be or stay proficiant with a real bow, but this just a weak excuse, they have all year to practice and during the season if the person cannot take a couple extra minutes before the hunt or after the hunt to take a couple practice shots at stumps on the way to or from their stand they probably dont have time to be hunting anyway. Last fall a couple of days before the start of the PA. ARCHERY season, I was shooting at my archery club and a husband and wife pull up, She had an injury and received a crossgun permit ( nothing wrong with a diasbled person using a crossgun) She had shot a compound and recurve for years but because of her injury she had to use a crossgun last season, neither her or her husband had ever shot a crossgun before and after only 15 minutes she was shooting better groups than she had ever shot with a recurve or compound!!! ( And most of that time was spent making adjustments to the scope) I have no problem if crossgun hunters want their OWN season, they have every right!! ( But that would be too much work) But they should not be allowed in the bow season we have fought tooth and nail for many years to get and keep our bow season, fight for your own season, or use them were they were meant to be used, GUN SEASON. I dont understand why crossgun hunters are trying to divide our hunters and weaken our ranks, I just dont understand why they cant put the time and effort necessary to lobby for their own season, instead of wanting to have ours, But I guess that would be just too much work and require too much effort huh? Pike

BOWFANATIC

By golly, I think I have the answer that will please everyone!


Since the majority of the hunting brothers dont feel the xbow belongs in archery season and certainly doesn' t belong in rifle season , and we certainly cant compare them to primitive firearms like muzzleloaders (with in-line muzzys and all) , and most states have a minimum of at least a month or two of archery season , how about we give up half of our archery season to those who' d like to use a xbow?

Rack-attack

LOL.......Over my dead body

1/2 hour maybe - 1/2 season...NEVER