Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I happen to hunt with a crossbow, so I've been intrigued by all the posts on this board by hunters who run down crossbow hunters and consider crossbows as everything from unethical to illegal because they are too "easy" to take a deer with. So I wondered how those bow hunters that talk smack about crossbows would feel about someone dissing their bow kills because they chose to use something even harder...like a spear. So... yesterday I posted a "tongue in cheek" post about it...and low and behold its been taken down. Where did it go? If bow hunters can rip crossbow hunters to shreds on this opinion board, why cant a spear hunter share his opinions? Whats fair is fair, right? Guess not. By the way, I was only trying to prove a point. I have no hard feelings toward bow hunters in any way. In fact I respect and admire bow hunters a lot.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

It was probably removed for 3 reasons:

1, it was as silly and useless thread
2, this is a bowhunting forum, not a spear hunting forum
3, spear hunting is not legal

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

All true, double creek. But its not a crossbow forum either and there is plenty of talk about that allowed here.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Thats because this is the "bowhunting" forum.

Crossbows are legal in some states in the bowhunting season.

Thats why crossbow posts are OK allowed in this forum.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Spear hunting is legal in Alabama.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

For deer?

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

We are backwards down here in the South aren't we reylamb??:D

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Spears are legal for deer in Hawaii too.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I am suprised that you are not leading a contingent of Alabama bowhunters to make spear hunting illegal. Afterall, you don't have to draw a spear.[:-]

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Im thinking about killing a deer with a sling shot, get ya some of that[:@]

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

wow alot of fighting going on here crossbow is no means easy to kill a deer with but it is not as hard as a compound.. a compound is not easy to kill a deer but easier then a longbow or recurve hunting is hunting in my book there is skill involed.... iam not against crossbows iam againist people thinking that they can shoot 65-100 yards with crossbow.. i wouldnt care if they made crossbow legal during bow season but i would be afraid of people shooting exterme ranges with crossbows... i consider crossbow hunter to be bowhunters and this forum is for bowhunter to find imformation and to help other bowhunter and share stories..... so cant we all just get along:eek:

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Silent Assassin-- I feel just the opposite. Its bows that should be illegal because they are easier to kill a deer with than a bow. Knowing this, I dont know how bow hunters can feel good about their kills. If they have any self-respect they will petition to legalize spear hunting in their state and make all other weapons illegal. Until then they should all travel to Alabama where they can take deer they can be proud of.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

SA, you can remove your head at any time from the nether regions of your posterior, especially on items you know nothing about.
1. Spears are legal in Alabama in primitive weapon and general hunting seasons in Alabama, not in archery season.
2. Why would I fight to have a weapon removed from seasons that they belong in? I do not now, nor have I ever proposed to have crossbows removed from archery season here in Georgia.
3. I do not reside, nor hunt in Alabama. It would be very presumptios of a non resident that does not hunt in a state to make any efforts to change the laws in that state.

Yes, spears are legal for deer and all big game in 'Bama. There is even a legal definition of a legal spear over there, and if anyone shoudl want they can retrieve it for themselves from the Alabam DNR website, something about hand thrown, certain sixed point, not sure all of the rest, but it is fairly specific.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I don't give a rat's ass how you kill it. gun, bow, spear, crossbow, hand grenade, land mine, 78 ford f-150. It all tastes the same...MMMMmmmmm!!!

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

CC in west

I LMAO when I read your reply, too funny.:D

78 ford F 150 good sense of humor man:D

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Yes but, the meat gets a little too blood shot with the F150. Pluse it is a waste of a perfectly good Ford.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

LMao!! that is too funny!!:D I once killed a deer with a piece of piano wire. this one time, i killed a deer with a hershey bar, a needle and some tinks 69, when he came up to smell the tinks i poked him in his arse with the needle and smacked him in the head with the hershey bar!!:D

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Geez is this what happens on these boards when some seasons are over. This is crazy..now we start another thread crying about the same sh*t....geez maybe it's time for me to log out until next year.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I have been hunting them with my front bumper but them critters keep dodging me. When does car season start anyway? I also often think about digging a pit and lining the bottom with pungy sticks. Also I often daydream about smacking a nice buck in the head with a rock, that would be challenging.........

The only reservation I have about crossguns in bow season is the magnitude of people in the woods during an otherwise peaceful time to hunt. I think alot of guys would buy one because it is somewhat easier to master, similar to shooting a gun, and hit the woods. I enjoy bow season for the peaceful time to hunt deer in their normal patterns and habits. I think that the guys who would get a crossgun to bowhunt with were the gun hunters that didn't want to put the time in to master the form needed to accurately take a deer with a bow. Effective range may be similar but the time spent to become proficient cannot be compared, really. I think I would stop short of fighting against it though because at the end of the day we are all the same hunter, just a different tool to do the job. I would adjust I guess.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

from Scrider1

You are exaggerating. How many of those who posted on the crossbow thread actually said unethical and illegal? The gist of the debate on that thread is whether they are truly a bow or essentially a gun, and hence whether they should be allowed during the bow only season or during gun season or their own season.
While you may mock spear hunting, there are some of us in here who hunt mainly for the challenge, and as a result are serious about spear hunting, as crazy as that may sound at first glance. As said in many previous posts, this is not the spear hunting forum (but maybe someday there will be one?) and your thread was appropriately deleted.
Hope everyone enjoys the last few days of the deer season.......

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

no such thing as a perfectly good ford, go Duramax

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

you beat me to it man...
oh yeah, and car season is year round man, no bag limit either. sorta gets expensive though...

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Amen.
This thread prolly should be deleted too.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

So bows should be illegal becasue they are easier to kill deer with than bows????????????? Got to admit you lost me there.

Why would you fight to have any weapon removed or try to keep it from being legalized in the first place. Also, what makes you feel like you have the right to decide for everyone whther it belongs or not. What is your rationals behind it? What is it hurting and what are the negative affects of allowing it?

I think it presumptious to do that in any state when it is not only forcing your views on other hunters but also potentially keeping people from entering the sport.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

SA, that is a fairly simplistic view there. Let's face it, the fact is every day, in every aspect of our lives someone forces their views upon us. Whether it is the speed limit, huting regs, or whatever else, someone somewhere has determined what is the "correct" things for society to do. Bowhunting is a "society." Prior to the introduction of crossbows there was nothing stopping anyone from going down to the local wally world and buying everything they needed to join the sport of bowhunting. And yet they did not. There was no public outcry in the state of Georgia from anyone stating give us crossbows and we will be bowhunters.

Contrary to what some may believe, the introduction of crossbows into the archery season, in Georgia, did not have any effect on the numbers of bowhunters in this state, at least from a statistical number. many bought crossbows and hung up there compounds, reason being, from those I encountered at my local bowshop, crossbows are like my rifle and easier than the compound. The others that began hunting in bow season were predominanty already purchasing the "all weapons" license because it came with the WMA stamp, cheaper than buying seperate WMA stamps and big game tags. The state did not see a statistical increase in the numbers of bowhunters.

The introduction of crossbows is potentially the beginning of a slippery slope for bowhunting. I know for a fact legislation will be proposed this year to eliminate the archery season altogether in Georgia. one of the many reasons cited is that constituents of a goldne domer have told them bowhunters can not kill enough deer with bows and crossbows. One of the offending legislators has hunted with a crossbow and has the same view, we need to have a year long gun season to get the herd in control. Now, truthfully this legislation will never make it out of committee, but the mindset is there. The introduction of a weapon that is a cross between guns and bows is but the beginning.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

What you seem to be missing is that if 50 people started bowhunting this year that wouldn't have otherwise then it is worth it. These people may crossbow hunt for a couple of years and then go to compounds and then wind up passing the tradition on to their kids who turn around and pass it on to their kids. When if that door hadn't opened they may have never even entered the sport.
Well if that's the case then crossbow hunters should help your cause not hurt it. If you were in trouble with out the additional deer kill numbers that crossbows added then letting crossbow hunters in seems like a plus.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Wow, this and the crossbow thread sure has been interesting!

At first blush i thought no way to crossbow in archery season. However, after reading more and understanding things better...i see the crossbow is just another tool.

I see it more as a bow than a gun however. We've made a bow function like a gun. We've taken the unpredictable nature out of it. We've made a consistant anchor and it's pre-drawn. Yes it would seem we made a bow that could more reliably and humanely take game within normal bow ranges. It makes life more convenient. Less practice required etc. means more time for other things.

I think i would adapt. You still have to respect anyone who does it with a compound bow, just like those guys respect anyone who does it with a traditional bow(i do anyhow). It all comes down to what personally satisfies you for a tool. One year it might be a compound bow, the next it might be a crossbow, heck ya might wanna try a recurve after that? Maybe a gun after that?

I still think a shaft with a sharp broadhead on it propelled by springy limbs and a string still has pretty much the same limitations on game between a crossbow bolt or a regular arrow in terms of killing effectiveness and penetration etc. If it takes the bow to the next level, like compounds did to the recurve sort of thing, then by all means...allow it in the archery season. There are still cons to the crossbow imo. It is a bit unwieldy to move around and i imagine a second shot would be far harder, slower and noisier to come by than with a compound bow?

Anyhow, i've read and took it all in. I support it. To me its just a bow...not a gun. Its not a projectile propelled by gunpowder at thousands of fps. Its a compound bow made to shoot like a gun, not a gun made to shoot like a bow. Heck, if they legalized it up here in our archery season i might be able to get my old man back into it?

B

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

My state rep has personally told me that many of his crossbow hunting constituents have asked for the removal of the season restrictions. Granted not all, but some are. If only 1 tells their state rep that bowhunting does not work they have tried it for 2 years, the damage to bowhunters and the future of archery season is in jeopardy.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I agree and I applaud your willingness to get involved and fight for our sport. I disagree with the fight against allowing crossbows but I still applaud your effort and willingness to get involved.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

SilentAssassin, thats funny because I seem to recall it was YOU who started a thread a while back called "This Should Heat Things Up" or something like that, that used this same argument. You were talking about guns instead of crossbows but the argument was the same. Basically, you said you dont respect gun kills because guns are too easy to use. My point is that many people on this board feel the same way about cross bows and are allowed to express their negative opinions about cross bows and cross bow hunters as much as they wish. But when womeone tried to make the same point about bows being too easy compared to spears, somehow that argument is unacceptable on this board and the post was removed. The only point I was trying to make is if its OK to look down on another hunter for his choice of weapons, everyone, including bow hunters, should be subjected to same criticism from others who use more "difficult" weapons. Where does it stop?

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

Yea but my point is that, if you will go back and re-read you compared bows to bows. You said bows are easier to use than bows are. Did you mean crossbows or was there supposed to be some distinction made there. I do think crossbows are easier to use than compounds and compounds are easier to use than trad equipment and compound kills deserve more respect than gun kills and they should all be legal. I don't have any problem with someone criticizing or debating a particualr hunting method. I am all for it and I will jump right in on which ever side I happen to be on. What I have a problem with is when people try to take that opinion to the extreme and support laws that are bad for or could potentially be bad for hunting.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

The fact is that bowhunters ARE put on a pestadal in the hunting community and that makes us the target of the "other" weapons users.

Gunners believe that we are successful b/c we get extra time, which in my state is the worst time to be hunting. They fail to realize that our sport makes us better hunters.

Most of the bitching about crossbows I hear is from gunners wanting to get into bow season. It's my opinion that even if allowed, they would be unsuccessful for the most part, not due to weapon, but due to lack of hunting skills.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

SilentAssassin & Double Creek...
Silent: OK, I re-read that other post of mine and I meant to say "bows should be illegal because they are easier to kill a deer with than spears". Now all that was said in such an admittedly outrageous way just to make a point that by some peoples' logic (that gun hunters are less respectable than bow hunters, for example), bow kills should be considered less respectable than spear kills (where legal).
DoubleCreek: unfair to throw all bow hunters into the "better hunters" category just because they carry a bow. You and I both know there are plenty of gawdawful hunters out there who carry bows. Heck, dozens of them post here every week talking about how they wounded animals with marginal shots (at best), or lost them due to non-existent tracking skills. My point is, excellent hunters choose to use all types of weapons--including crossbows, and so do others who have no business ever taking aim at an animal with anything.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

I started reading this thread thining it may be an inteligent debate but man, I just barely made it through the second page. ROTFLMFAM! Post season depression setting it. You are all killing me. Work picks up and I miss out on all the fun. :D:D

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

My feelings are, to each his own. I hunt with what I want, you hunt with what you want. I must ask a question, why in some states is it illegal to hunt with a crossbow? Being illeagal in some states says alot about that weapon. If it is leagal and you choose to hunt with it by all means go for it, hell, it wouldn't matter to me if you tried to scare a deer to death. How do you guys feel about fishing with dynamite.:D:D:D:D:D

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

i can't believe anyone would kill a deer with a bow or a spear, don't seem very sporting to me all i ever use is a four foot switch (four and a half on big bears), i mean with the switch at least theres some action, shoot'em or hit'em with anything else and they just run off and die, with a switch sometimes you can fight a good size buck for the better part of a day, even a doe will fight for a couple of hours.

now thats what i'm taking about, thats sporting

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

:D:D:D I admire your spirit.

Blakleyboy, yours was an excellent post also. Well said.

RE: Bowhunters' double standard?
 

when most people even non-hunters hear cross bow they think of someone that can't pull a compound back and hold it , there for cross bow that remains cocked. i think that if an arrow is used then thats bow hunting. as far as gunners....... every city boy with a gun is in the woods and that week or ten days is the only time that they are in the woods. bow hunter are held to a higher standard. the thing that gets me is most hard core gunners hate bow hunters (in the woods way to early and mess up the gun hunting)