personally im fine with the fact that we can use muzzleloader and shotgun in handgun only season, i think the main reason the are doing it is because of overpopulation and too many people are going for the trophy buck and not shooting doe's even though im not saying goin after that thophy buck is a bad thing.

Things evolve and times change, certainly, and not always for the better. The very fact that crossbows can be compared so favorably with compounds today is less of a reason to accept crossbows than it is a condemnation on the amount of technology that's been allowed to take over the bowhunting woods. As Kevin pointed out, I do remember Hollis Allen's arrow launching dee-vice and, fresh out of high school, I was very involved in the effort to keep those bastardized hunks of machinery out of the woods. Each and every argument made on behalf of the crossbow is exactly the same as those pro-compound arguments 35 years ago. It didn't take a crystal ball to see where that contraption would take bowhunting, and that place is exactly where we are, right now. With crossbow advocates at the gates with a battering ram.

Again, this is not about keeping other hunters from persuing this passion WE BOTH care so much about, it's about insisting they use conventional archery equipment and not crossbows. It's not that hard! Heck, I had my first bow kill when I was 3 years old! It was a sparrow. I spent the rest of that summer shooting sparrows and rats around gramps's chicken coop. If a 3 year old can pick off sparrows and rats with an elm selfbow and willow switch arrows... Kinda blows that BS about kids and women being excluded from bowhunting right out the window, don't it. You don't have to hunt deer to be a bowhunter.

Ohio proves you wrong. Nobody saw many guys with crossbows in Ohio in the first 10-15 years they allowed them either. Now look at where they are. Over 50% of all archery season harvest is made with crossbows. The crossbow crowd swears their kill rate is no greater than that of the compound so, statistically that would mean more than 50% of the total number of people participating in archery season are using crossbows. Bowhunters are a minority in their own season, and I find that appalling.


And, Kevin, I am very thankful for what others worked so hard to provide for me. Luckily, I was brought up in a time when many of those old timers were still with us and many of them were my heros. What I am doing is trying to prevent people like you and silentassassin from taking what they worked so hard for and giving away. Who's next on your list of deserving recipients? Handgun hunters with iron sighted revolvers? Their effective range isn't any greater than that of a skilled compound shooter. They wouldn't have any direct effect on MY hunting. Why not allow them as well? Who's next in line after them?

Research project: Why were crossbows expressly banned from archery seasons in the first place?

Arthur P, you're way off base. Since when are principles and discipline part of the hunting implement and not the hunter? That's like Wrongway insinuating (at the start of this thread) that crossbow hunters are less ethical than other hunters. This is the same argument the anti-gunners make when they say it's the GUN that is the problem (e.g. semi-autos, handguns, whatever).

Therefore, I'll tell you the same thing I'll tell the antis: If you don't like crossbows, don't own or use one, but don't tell ME what I can own or use.

You are not superior because you use a compound, or any other kind of bow for that matter.

Well im really going to sit here and dis other people but im just saying that i think in Illinois that the crossbow should only be limited to the disabled IMO because unless you have a disablility and can't pull back a bow you should be using a regular bow anyway right? but im not saying crossbows are bad im just saying the personally i wouldnt like to see them here in illinois.

Arthur, so you aren't going to answer my questions? How am I less of a hunter than you? Why are you afraid to give any answer other than "I don't like it?" If you don't have any better answer, then you don't have an answer. Have a nice day.

Beebecl said in one paragraph what took me four ,
but the sentiment is unchanged . We who choose a different tool are no less bow hunters than you , we buy the same licenses , hunt the same animals .

Arthur , we're not asking you to give away anything , only to share . According to your very own words your kind welcomes more hunters with open arms(assuming of course that they hunt in only the approved way) . We use a fastly forward moving string to propel a ballistic missile just like you . The form of the tool is different , yes , not the ballistics . A pistol in an archery season ? No , you and I would agree there , bows and guns don't belong in the same season together . Now , tell that to the hundreds of thousands of bow hunters in many states who hunt during firearms seasons with bows . Can you say hypocrite ?

Once again I'm faced with the same old tired , and I might add very lame excuses for common indefesible prejudice . Your kind fought for what they wanted , why would you deny me the same priveledge ? Who the hell are you to condemn me because of the tool in my hand , or tell me what's right or wrong ? I have never questioned your choice of tool , and quite frankly I find your absurd prejudice toward it far more appalling than your horror of an innocent weapon that has never done anything to reduce your personal opportunities or interfered with your hunt in any way . Sad , I never thought of you as a snob before today ...

I know I'll get flamed for this but why don't we all just call them horizontal bows then everybody can be happy.LOL

I'm glad that the majority of ILLINOIS residents that have posted here and on other sites on this topic, as well as our State BOWHUNTING Org leaders (IBS and the UBI), share the same opinion on the subject! That is simply, they have NO place in IL's archery season!!!

Why would an able bodied hunter want to use a crossbow in an archery season? There must be a reason.

(1) Because they are more fun to shoot?
(2) Because a crossbow is already cocked and ready to fire?
(3) Because the hunter cannot shoot good enough with a compound, recurve, or longbow?
(4) Because the hunter will not take the time to learn and practice to become good with a compound or traditional equipment?

There is nobody that can tell me they get more enjoyment from shooting a crossbow UNLESS they absolutely cannot shoot traditional or a compound bow proficiently. I just wish more people would admit this.

It won't do much good at this point but I for one am calling/writing my local legislators tomorrow and voicing my displeasure at the thought of legalizing crossbows for the regular archery season.

Does anyone from Ohio have some facts to back that up? How do you register your deer? During archery season do you have to state which weapon you harvested your deer with?