RE: using a crossbow?
 

Arthur P one doesnt go into an archery shop and buy a bow and BAM ! they are mr or miss ethical hunter!

I would agree more if you just stated hunting needs to clean up .

now i hunt with a bow but i don't call myself a "bowhunter" but i also hunt with a crossbow. but i prefer hunting with a rifle.
do i really condemn one for being proud to hunt with a bow? NO!
i get ticked at folks that get a attittude about bowhunting. i am just getting ready to start bowhunting for the year and yes i shoot when i can.
but i take my crossbow to. do i feel bad ? NO!

But we all have our hang ups. i don't like folks that hunt small tracts of gov't land. they never know where the boundrys are as a matter of fact i am going to get warrants for two that i caught trespassing on my leases cause they didnt know where the lines were . it's gonna cost them!
i call them ticks!

If a person hunts with a bow or crossbow it's ok with me . as long as they are good with the weapon. i believe that the two should be combined in season. i also believe that modern firearms seasons should be extended in my state. why ? cause most hunters are through now but folks like me that are hunting for more than just an average deer are still gung ho to hunt and when i see that more than average deer i want the best chance of taking that animal. and IMO that is with a rifle.

but anyway folks should stop pounding thier chests that there method is the best and just fight to keep hunting going.

RE: using a crossbow?
 

Really?? No kidding?!!? Who'da thunk it... Well, come to think of it, YOU got a bow and look at you. Still exactly the same as you were. Aint'cha.

Congratulations! Two brain cells finally rubbed together and you wound up with a spark of inspiration! You're exactly right. But, you see there's something you need to know. Just between you and me and the fencepost, 'cuz... and don't let this get around....THIS IS A BOWHUNTING FORUM! We talk about BOWHUNTING here. DUH!

And I get ticked when folks don't get an attitude... about ANY form of hunting they do. If people got the attitude, whether with bow, crossbow, rifle, muzzleloader... all our problems would be solved and there would be nothing to clean up.

If the attitude bothers you, then you're part of the problem.

Why the sam hill do you think people are pounding their chests in the first place?

Shallowenders... sheesh!

RE: using a crossbow?
 

O god, here we go again....

What do I think of x-bows..... well, I use to be entirely against them, but, now, I say to each his own. As long as the people practice, then who am I to question their choice???

As far as this whole.....

Rifle
Inline Muzzleloader
Slug shotgun
Smokepole
x-bow
compound bow
recurce
stick bow
spear.

ect........

What does it matter? How does it affect you personally? If we want to get a little crazy here, maybe we should say that hunting should only be done with bare hands! Then we could hold this "I am the best" attitude all we want.

There are differences between x-bows and compound bows, just like there are differences between compounds and recurve, like recurves and stick bows..... but, guess what, they are just weapons!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are made so you can go in the woods and kill the animal that you are after. They may achieve this goal a little differently, but, guess what, they serve the same purpose.

Like others have said, this petty bickering will get you nowhere! Okay, lets say that the compound/recurve/stick bow shhoters manage to get rid of all x-bow hunting, well guess what you just did...... you just shrunk the amount of hunters in this sport. Think about what would happen if the smokepole and inline muzzleloader hunters got rid of rifle season. That would knock a huge hunk of people out. But, it wouldn't stop there, then, the flintlock hunters would want the inline hunters out of "their" season. So, now you are down to one small group, which anti-hunting orginizations will have a field day with.

Nobody hunts the same, and guess what, that is fine. Hunt the way that you want to and don't worry about how others are hunting. If all you worry about on stand is what some guy is hunting with 4 states away from you, well, then you got problems.

We are all hunters, and we all use different tools. No one way is better than any other, no matter what people say.

Geez, it is funny how so many grown and mature men/woman can act like little kids when it comes to hunting...... "my daddy will beat your daddy up" :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

RE: using a crossbow?
 

BuckMagnet, the bickering is not about which weapon is BEST for cryin' out loud.

IT'S ABOUT WHAT WEAPONS SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN WHICH SEASONS!

RE: using a crossbow?
 

Actually it means just he opposite and you're too blind to see it !

Okay, lets make THAT the question. They are very similar critters ... or very DISsilimar from recurve/longbows. There, easy enough, right ?

There you go, you get it now. As a crossbow is different from recurves/longbows/compounds, so too are compound different. If you have an argument against crossbow, that VERY same argument, be it letoff, sights, release aids etc etc can be applied to - and rightly so - to compounds.

I am NOT saying ban compounds - I am saying theres little difference in them and crossbows in the grand scheme of things and you gotta allow one if you allow the other. Not doing that is hypocritical, which is where I see almost all bowhunters (those who are against crossbows in archery season)

bogobble - You cannot regulate lazy. Theres a lot of compound hunters who don't practice until a week before season too. Your argument makes no sense - as its based on "I practice more than they do" - right ?


That use to be my argument too until I realized that it has nothing to do with the weapon. For every slob crossbow hunters theres just as many slob compound hunters, recurve hunters and rifle hunters. You cannot blanket statement the quality of crossbow hunters without making the same genralized comments about compound shooters - impossible.

I am still waiting for that 1 reason, that 1 negative that crossbows have when allowed in general archery seaosn. Is it so hard to come up with 1 valid reason ? Yes, it is, or we'd have seen it by now !

RE: using a crossbow?
 

The one negative? Heck, I'm still waiting for the one POSITIVE!

Look at Ohio, where there are more people hunting with crossbows in bow season than compounds and stickbows combined. I certainly do not consider that as a positive. But I'm sure folks that promote crossbow hunting do.

The bickering is caused by guys that want their crossbows in a season where: 1) they do not belong. 2) they are NOT welcome by the vast majority of bowhunters 3) they had absolutely no part in getting the seasons established to begin with.

It's easier to try and hijack an existing season than it is to get one established for themselves - reference Ohio again. And let's face it, they ARE trying to hijack the seasons. If you have any doubt of that, whatsoever, then you need to read what some crossbow fanatics have written:


And from another person:

These are not isolated comments. I've seen them dozens of times. Now, as a traditional shooter yourself... Does that sound like people that are trying to come in as friends? Are those the kind of people YOU want to share your time in the woods with?

Why are they attacking trads? Because they can't say our equipment is comparable to their's, in any strech of the imagination. If they can dispose of us, then it makes it easier for them to waltz in.

If you need something more negative than that....

RE: using a crossbow?
 

st read Arthurs above post...... and the quotes enclosed...


As far as the comments... I too have seen plenty of people that do not belong in the woods.... I watched a compound shooter just last week walk in the archery shop with an old Bear Whitetail hunter he just bought..... had about 12-20 arrows...... 3 POS broadheads from K-Mart.... said he "wanted a new rest because he was going hunting with the bow tonight" I did my best to perswade him to test the bow - sight it in with broadheads, remove all the pins but one or 2 and take no shot longer than15 yards IF he could hit a 4" bullseye every shot.

I watched a guy the same day walk in - buy a crossbow and said he was hunting in 2 days and wanted to try it....

I watched a cross bow shooter blaze away at a target a month ago who was going hunting in the morning... he was a worse shot than half the archers I have seen...

I too have watched stickbow shooters (one in my friends yard) shoot at 15 yards and miss the target.....

MY POINT :

I think every bow hunter should have to get a test as mentioned to qualify to hunt with all three weapons.... Trad, Cross, Compound..... because its easy to miss period !

I will say that it mainly boils down to a hunters attitude..... he either does what should be done and take only ethical shots (read -shots he is CAPABLE of making at the given distance) OR he can just head out and take hail mary shots without regard to the consequences ofbad shots due to his lack of skill....... I wont say what I call these type but those are the ones we need to worry about - not crossbow hunters........
I shoot a compound, and now have a stickbow.... would I hunt with my stickbow ? No way right now...... and I will not until I know I can hit the mark with my first shot..... just like my compound.... if I cannot..well Ill stick to my compound for hunting, the stickbow for fun.....

RE: using a crossbow?
 

Well then maybe you should just think of the "bow " and crossbow season running togather!
Then you can make your little brain think your still special!

My attitude about hunting is to enjoy it period! no matter what i take afield with me.

I think maybe a crossbow forum is in order . i wonder if crossbowers would bash like bowhunters?
heck for that matter in any forum why should one bash another? makes me wonder if that basher would do that to the bashees face?
It's amazing how a computer screen makes one BOLD! oh well nothing to get upset about.

RE: using a crossbow?
 

One positive is that the sales of crossbows and accessories generate tens of thousands of dollars. Another positive is many get to enjoy hunting, get introduced to the sport. Another positive is strength by numbers. Theres 3 right there.

Why not ? because they compete with you ? Do you want hunting season all to yourself ? Thats SELFISH, thats what that is. I bet you really hate the gun hunters huh ?

Arthur P - Compounds "hijacked" archery season long ago - didn't they ? the SAME reasons you use right now against crossbows were used against compounds. To be against one you must be against both to stay consistant or you come across hypocritical - which is it ?

As for the trad comments ... if they are true, even MORE reason to allow crossbows - because in ya'lls opinion crossbows are so easy to use, the success rate would skyrocket and we'd all have filled tags. Right ?

BTW - Theres been reports done on wounding rates ... the falacy that trad hunters wound more is not fact, its fiction.


Again I ask - one negative to crossbows, where is it ? nothing has been put forth yet to validate crossbows being a negative when allowed in archery season. Not one thing

RE: using a crossbow?
 

soarkrebel...Seems to me we've got a gun hunter here who only dabbles in bow and crossbow hunting, but feels fully qualified to bash bowhunters (who have a bit more than a casual interest in the endeavor) for wanting to maintain the integrity of their season.

You want a crossbow forum? There's one over on the Excalibur crossbow site. The guys I quoted above? They hang out there. One of their favorite hobbies is going to bowhunting sites to kick up a crossbow stink and then report back to the assemblage on their adventures. You'd probably enjoy the place.

Z - The fact is that the greater majority of those tens of thousands of dollars will be spent by slobs, and that the greater majority of those who 'get to enjoy hunting' and will give us 'strength in numbers' will be slobs and will cause us more problems with the public than we've already got.

IT'S THE FREAKIN' PEOPLE THEY BRING IN THAT ARE THE NEGATIVE! Like I said above, there are some people that choose to hunt with crossbows that are ethical and responsible. The vast majority will simply see the crossbow as something that they can go 'bowhunting' with, at minimal effort on their part.

Haven't you noticed that every time a tame park duck is found impaled by an 'arrow', it always hits the 6:00 news? About half those kinds of incidents they've put on the tube around Dallas, the duck has been wearing a crossbow bolt and, whether arrow or bolt, the arrow ALWAYS has a field point. Haven't you noticed that it's always a 'bowhunter' that's blamed for the cruel deed?

Interestingly, these ducks are NEVER impaled with a cedar arrow or a feather fletched arrow.

Fortunately the local Fox channel as a viewers' voice segment and my rebuttal to such things has been aired several times - That such people that do those things are NOT bowhunters, but are instead slobs and criminals.

I have to admit that I went through a couple years of living with the defeatist attitude you are afflicted with. I was even on friendly terms with a couple of crossbow guys. But when I read those comments I quoted above, from the very guys I'd been friends with, then I found how quickly they would betray someone to further their own ends. Their comments showed me that they would just as soon kick my traditional shooting arse out just to make room for themselves.

If that's the kind of people you want to promote to 'strenthen our numbers' then you need to closely re-examine your premise.