RE: how can a crossbow be easier ?
 

Bob,
Mines a simple recurve Barnett 150#. So it might be easier than the fancy new ones but I was suprised at how close field points & broadheads flew & thought they would all shoot like that. Still tho, like you said, once set up theyre easy to shoot relatively speaking anyway. I supose someone who never shot a gun but always shot a bow might not feel the same but just picking 2 people off the street who arent familiar with either & giving one a bow & one a xbow, my moneys going on the guy with the crossbow. ;)

RE: how can a crossbow be easier ?
 

Bob H in NH - I disagree with your opinion obviously, but let me ask this. Since your state needs fewer deer killed, what are your suggestions in how to achieve this ? Maybe banning compounds would go a long way ?

RE: how can a crossbow be easier ?
 

Bob,
Wherebouts in NH are you?
I'v a camp in Stratford up in Coos county I'll be going up to this weekend.
Your sure right about theres not many deer there. Seen way more Moose than deer & never had the time to hunt deer up there proper. I buy a license up there every year but usually just walk the woods with my son hoping to see a deer. So far no deer but we see alot of other things. Sure is beautiful country.

I think the deer numbers issue up there is more complicated than alot of places.
Here in CT the only thing that limits the numbers is hunting & highways.
Places like northern NH mother nature takes a toll on the herd without our help.
IMO it just naturally has a less dense whitetail population. Makes a more challenging hunt to be sure.

Speaking of hunting, I think I might go sit in my blind for the last hour or so of light.
Later. ;)

RE: how can a crossbow be easier ?
 

Datamax, its clear you have your mind made up but ok, I'll bite. If you look at the NH numbers, yup, banning compounds would make a small difference, but not that large, we have UNDER 2K deer shot with bows of all types, most of those are compound I would bet (they don't track it). But since you asked what I think should be done:

- move to doe permits issued by area, right now each area gets x number of either sex days per season (bow, muzzleloader, firearms). Moving to doe permit better controls the overall doe kill per zone, right now given early snow we get a high doe kill and hunters can move zone to zone to chase the doe. Hunting license comes with a BUCK tag, the doe permit turns this into an either sex permit. All weapons.

- Shorten muzzleloader season IF the above doesn't work, looking at deer numbers this is the season that has had the most percentage of deer kill change. More and more people are using the modern muzzleloaders to shoot a doe. Typcially the state is mostly closed to doe hunting during gun season, muzzleloader is typically open to most/all of the season for doe.

- remove the second archery tag, though statistically this is insignifigant with only about 200-300 used yearly.

- remove the last two weeks of archery season (Dec 1-15).

Do this for 5 years and adjust as needed.

LeverDude, I live just south of Manchester and hunt alot in areas J, M, D

--Bob