RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I don't need to re-think anything. Here in Texas its gun season. And now I think I'll go debate my fence post on the pros and cons of mechanical broadheads.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

So your not going to tell me how a crossbow is MORE like a gun than a bow?

The way I see it besides the fact that you shoulder it like a rifle and can keep it cocked, there are no more similarities. Every other similarity like sights, trigger etc... that you can say about a crossbow you can also say about a compound can't you now? So you are going to rest your argument on TWO similarities when there is probably a half a dozen differences and I mean BIG differences between a gun and a crossbow?????

In your way of thinking there are only two differences between a compound bow and a gun. You can't shoulder it and you cant keep it cocked....other than that a compound bow is JUST like a gun right??? See how silly that sounds.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

This will settle the entire question about crossbows.[8D]

Here's what Ted Nugent says:



Q- Do you agree with allowing crossbow use during bow season?
A- I believe crossbows should be legal for all legal hunters from the opening day of firearms season 11-15 thru the end of all deer seasons.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Ted Nugent is a freak of nature vc1111. He's the one that also said ..........

"SEATTLE, THE NORTHWEST, LIMP-WRISTED (BLEEPS)!!! CAN'T STAND MY (BLEEPING)
EXISTENCE, CAN'T EVEN GET MY SONG TITLES RIGHT, PUT QUOTES AROUND MY WORDS
THAT NEVER CAME OUT MY MOUTH, LEFTIST MINDLESS... !!!

"IT'S ALL THOSE PEOPLE FROM SAN FRANCISCO AND LOS ANGELES WHO MOVED UP THERE
AND PERMEATED THE MEDIA!!!

"SPINELESS LEFT-WING TREE-HUGGING VEGETARIAN ANTI-GUN ANTI-HUNTING NUTS!!!"

"I NEVER USED THE (BLEEPING) WORD 'MEXICAN' ON STAGE. PERIOD. THIS WAS A
(BLEEPING) LIE! HERE IS A QUOTE FOR YOU! READY? 'IF YOU CAN'T SPEAK ENGLISH,
GET THE (BLEEP) OUT OF AMERICA!' "

"I BELIEVE HE'S DOING LESS THAN ADEQUATE! I MEAN, HE'S DOING OK. WELL, I
DON'T HAVE 'OK' TECHNICIANS, I DON'T HAVE 'OK' MUSICIANS. IF YOU'RE 'OK,'
YOU CAN'T WORK FOR ME!"

"THE PEOPLE IN AIRPORT SECURITY, I WOULDN'T LET THEM SHOVEL THE DOG (BLEEP)
IN MY KENNELS! THEY ARE UNPREPARED AND UNQUALIFIED TO PERFORM ANY SECURITY
DUTY!"

"MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED WITH BRICKS AND (BLEEPING) FISTS AND AUTOMOBILES
THAN (BLEEPING) GUNS!" Ted says. "GIVE ME A (BLEEPING) BREAK! IF SOMEBODY
COMMITS A (BLEEPING) CRIME, PUT THEM IN A (BLEEPING) CAGE!"

======= no, wait, thats the Ted I love ......... here, these are the ones I meant to use to discredit him .......


On Racism:
"I'm a fun guy, not a sexist or a racist…. I use the word nig ger a lot
because I hang around with a lot of nig gers …."
--Detroit Free Press Magazine

On Dating:
" I met a couple guys in line yesterday who go, 'Write something to my
girlfriend, she won't let me go hunting.' I wrote her something and I said,
'Drop dead, bitch.' What good is she, trade her in, get a Dalmatian. Who
needs the wench?"
--WRIF FM Radio, Detroit, Michigan

On homosexuality:
A "despicable act" performed by "guys that have sex with each other's anal
cavities."
--Hannity and Colmes




why did I post this ? I'm still shaking my head

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I don't know what to say... Damn thats funny.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Gitter Done!

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Do any of the anti-crossbow people actually have any facts to back up the claims that are being made concerning them and hunting with them? I notice the same way of thinking from people that would like to make firearms and hunting all together illegal, despite the fact that there isn't anything truthful to support their claims. Have any of you actually shot one? What does it matter to you what bow somebody shoots? Are they preventing your success? Are they restricting your hunting time? Are they preventing you from hunting with your bow? Why can't archery season consist of all bows? Firearms season includes all firearms doesn't it? Who would force anyone to use a crossbow if they didn't want to?

What if your youngster desired to begin archery hunting for the first time? On the other hand, they were just attracted to crossbows. Even though you strived to get him/her to use a bow they were not interested. He/she would rather sit in the house watching television the entire day other than shooting a bow. Would you rather have him/her in the house or out hunting along with you taking pleasure in the hunting experience with the crossbow? Bear in mind this could possibly be your only opportunity to bring in your child to hunting. By the way, virtually every crossbow made nowadays is obtainable with a cocking device that permits even scrawny people to cock a 185 pound crossbow should they need one. They could achieve the same velocities as some compound bows made for larger stature people.

The bottom line is that, in the states where they’re lawful throughout archery, participation is extremely high and the success rate is similar with vertical bows. Besides that, it’s called freedom of choice!

How does legalizing crossbows HURT you?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Yawn...

Besides the fact you shoulder it like a rifle , rest it on a steady rest during the shot , aim through the scope , turn safety off and fire your shot? Oh and all of the above can be done just by picking up the weapon when game is approaching because it's already cocked and loaded just like what? Yeah a gun!:eek:

Pretty significant similarities huh?

Hey Bucky , nobody is trying to make crossbows illegal here!

#1) Yes
#2) Doesn't make a difference to me what weapon anybody shoots during the respective season!
I'm not an advocate of "BANNING" crossbows! I'd just like to have a seperate season for them or keep them in gun season.

Umm no! We have a seperate blackpowder season and a seperate shotgun/rifle season.

No problem! They could hunt during the seperate crossbow season.:eek:


Really? "participation is extremely high"? "success rate is similar with verticle bows"?
Does that mean that if Wi bowhunters harvested 70,000 deer last year without crossbows that allowing crossbows would bring the harvest up to 140,000? If participation is extremely high?:D

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

It’s unintelligent to call a crossbow a gun. It demonstrates an entire lack of understanding pooled with a rabble-rousing statement intended to put down that part of archery equipment and while I didn't offend you, your opinion is stupid and that is without doubt demonstrated. Every archery organization in the US includes crossbows such as IBO, ATA, and so forth. None of the firearms associations include crossbows such NRA, USPSA, etc. Every mail order retailer lists crossbows in their archery section. Retailers sell crossbows in the archery department, not the gun department. There are no federal firearms ramifications to selling crossbows. Each and every one of these specialized organizations rejects your belief and your view is not supported by either common sense or facts.

You want them illegal for bow season.

Why not in bow season? Why would anyone use a crossbow during gun season? Countless traditionalists consider that this "primitive season" should only consist of a bow that offers the hunter his utmost challenge. Most do not use sights or other accessories on their bows. They don’t want to use any unnecessary technology to pursue game. They like to shoot at game using their gut feeling. Many traditionalists believe other archery equipment; particularly compound and crossbow are too mechanically sophisticated to offer much of a challenge. They feel that these bows, when in the hands of skillful shooters, will launch an arrow with unquestionable accuracy and consistency, and at greater distances than their primitive weapons. Where is the challenge here?

Moreover, an inline muzzleloader is tolerable, but a crossbow is too modern?!

I knew you would have said that. Why shouldn’t recurves and longbows be separate from compounds? If compounds are not separated then why should crossbows be?

That isn't good enough. I WANT IT DURING BOW SEASON!

Why don’t you want to bring in new hunters?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

After 30 some pages it appears time for a refresher.


http://www.newyorkbowhunters.com/pics/rifle.jpg

http://www.newyorkbowhunters.com/pics/xbow.jpg

http://www.worldcrossbow.com/bowley1.jpg

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/upfil...n378109723.jpg

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

edited

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Oh yeah?? Well your opinion is stupid!!

Move along Bucky!

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

The sport wouldn't have benefitted anything but that is irrelevevant first of all because she wasn't able to do it. So practicing was a moot point. Second, just because she was unable to shoot a bow very well she was very capable of judging yardage and making good shots with a crossbow and she had been gun hunting for a couple of years quite successfully. So in her situation all she needed to do was get proficient with her weapon to be ready to hunt. She already had the bullet placement, yardage estimation, and general hunting skills to be successful. So again what was bowhunting going to benefit by putting her off becasue she wasn't capable of pulling legal hunting weight?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I'm not, nor have I ever been a crossbow fan. I've bowhunted for years, but in all fairness, cannot provide any negatives regarding their deployment in archery season.

After reading a fist full of these posts, I have made the following determination;

Datamax is certainly no junior operator... archery & other matters alike.

Even tho I do not know him, I do believe that many have missed what he originally presented.

What's truly sad is reading archery hunter(s) ramble about their own proclamations - defending definitions like 3rd graders in the principals office. Suggestion: read his post once more and stop reading into what he asked for.

Define Crossbows = firearm status? Aren't one of you PA boys LE? Perhaps that's a loaded question, in that we're not looking for the criminal rating of an implement as a weapon capable of serious bodily injury or death. We're talking of archery tackle and not firearms by definition.

All these panties are in a bunch for what reason? Take it outside. He made a valid inquiry, not a flame. It's that simple.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Like I've posted before - and like ya'll have ignored time and again, these boys aren't bowhunters in your opinion, are they ? Had it been YOUR way, they'd have never bowhunted and killed their first archery deer. Had it been the anit-crossbow's way, these boys wouldn't have been in the woods bowhunting. Likely they'd have been at the TV playing video games.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

They look like a couple of dandy archery hunters to me. Yessir. :)

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Why couldn't those kids been in the woods, there is a lot more to hunting than shooting deer? My way .. which is the way it is in almost every state in our country has those boys waiting till ML or a firearm season to shoot those deer. They could use their crossbow then, if legal.

Those little guys are definitely hunters, but in my opinion .. and my opinion only, they are not bow hunters. They won't become that until the can hunt with a bow.

It appears that we are wrapping up this thread, and I'll say after many posts read, that I am even more clear on my own personal feeling about the subject of crossbows than before it started. I passively felt that crossbows should have their own seperate season, but was ok with them being legal only during firearm season, now I am even more convinced and would voice an opposition to their inclusion into archery season should that come up in my state. Datamax and others have made the point so WELL that technology continues to improve and change each year ... where does it stop? Look at how far they have gone with the concept of a pair of limbs and a string ... but going so far as to let a different weapon in, and even easier and more advanced one at that, has to be where archery stops, and crossbowing begins. Where it is amazing what they have done to a simple bow in the hands of engineers, where do you think they'll take crossbows now that even 3 states allow their use during archery season? Let's be honest guys, crossbows really only recently started to be even considered a viable hunting tool again .. where they are going to take these things will be downright scary. They have already got concept crossbows with in excess of 250 lb draw weight, the 2 bolt crossbow is already in development ... hell, a repeater!

Guys have asked, where do you draw the line .. the line has to be (in my opinion) where the limitations of man's strength and effort allow them to draw and hold back an arrow. It's the only thing that holds compunds from craziness .. because there is only so much you can do with that 70 lb draw on a bow where guys can pull and hold. Take that away . and you have a crossbow. A whole different ball game, and gladly still illegal in almost every state for healthy people.


And for all those guys looking for that one reason why crossbows are considered by many to be more firearm like then bow like, read Silents post. Here is a person who could not shoot a bow .. not even practice with one due to lack of strength. But she could grab a crossbow her husband cocked and loaded for her and go and shoot deer. That's what makes them so "gun like".

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Yeah, well I don't think you're a bowhunter until you can drop the training wheels and learn how to shoot a real bow.

What do I base that on ? Easy - the same exact reaons you used to judge those bows.

BTW - those kids taking deer with crossbows were FAR more accomplishments that adult men taking deer with compounds IMO. I wish every kid could do what these two did.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Also, it's precisely whats makes your argument one of complete selfishness. To hell with the folks that aren't capable as long as it fits your needs?:( The only negatives that you can come up with about crossbows are ones that threaten the "elitism" of your fraternal boys club. Some how in your mind it's OK to descriminate against other hunters and think the sport is going to benefit from it. You can't tell me one way that you or the deer heard would be negatively effected by a crossbow. Your just afraid that the other folks that you have fooled into thinking that you are doing something really special by killing animals with a bow, won't think your so special any more. Your motiviations are completely motivated by greed. The sport will certainly not benefit from excluding people or from building obstacles that people must climb in order to see if it is even something they will truely be interested in. My view point is an inclusionary one that has the best interest of the sport in mind. Yours is an exclusionary one that has your own best interest in mind. You have clearly shown that you don't support the inclusion of the young, the weak, the partially disabled, or even the disabled because they don't fit your definition of what a bow hunters should be (of course it's OK to shoot resleases, drop away arrows rests and use range finders, expandable broadheads, glow in the dark fiber optic sights, 80% let-off etc. etc.):eek: We get the picture. I have no doubt that you are even stronger in your conviction because you don't appear the type to take the oppurtunity to look at things from another perspective or willing to change and or adapt. I personally have that problem though more so in the past than now. I have found that to be one of my biggest weaknesses and therefore I have learned to overcome it and get both sides of an issue and then make the right decision rather than the one I am lead to during a knee jerk reaction. I used to feel the same way about crossbows that you do. However, after stepping back and thinking about it and weighing out all of the pros and cons, I admitted that my point of view was naive, descriminatory, and ultimately detrimental to the sport. Therefore, I altered my opinion accordingly. Ultimately I came to realize that though I thought I was protecting the "integrity" of the sport I was actually doing more harm than good. Ultimately, I was going to hurt myself in the long run because hunters need to recruit every man woman and child that they possibly can into the sport if we intend to retain this way of life that we now enjoy. IF we keep turning folks away from bowhunting then they aren't going to be there to support your rights or your seasons or anything else. Even if those folks don't leave hunting and they just turn to gun season it's going to hurt us in the long run. Eventually those people that have been turned away and wound up gun hunting will start to lobby the representatives for longer seasons and more animals during the gun season etc. and they are going to outnumber the "bowhunters" by a large margin and guess where they are going to take it from? Do you really think you are doing anyone else a favor but yourself by forcing your views on everyone else?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

How many guns do you know of that shoot arrows? How many guns do you know of that use limbs and a string? How many guns do you know of that use cams? How many guns do you know of that are only able of killing an animal up to 40 yards? How many guns do you know of that shoot projectiles traveling less than 300 fps? How many guns do you know of that if you miss guess the yardage by five yards will have a tremedous impact on whether or not you hit the animal?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I do, a Ben Pearson take down recurve with 52 lbs at my draw length. I love shooting it and hunting with it. I also love shooting with my compound, and though I shoot instinctive with my recurve and use sights with my Mach10 .. almost every other facet of my form is identical.

BTW, I think those kids hunting with crossbows is a great intro to the wonderful world of hunting. I think crossbows are a great way to introduce youngsters and women to the sport of hunting. It's ok to not "agree" that crossbows and bows are different. Hey, getting kids is hunting is great .. that's why so many states have youth weekends before the regular firearm seasons. Those weekends before regular gun season would make prefect times to take little guys like these out into the woods with some crossbows! Plus, perfectly legal!

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Now you can spew your bull**** all you want about stocks and sights but in the real world the bows perform the same. You fixate on irrelevant differences to make separation since you recognize that there’s no rational reason to reject one bow from the archery season while tolerating the other.

Alright, I will quit beating the dead horse. Why should people’s enjoyment of the season be dictated by you? How does it HURT you if somebody else chooses a different, but no more effective bow?

Well, I guess what you’re saying then, is that you would rather leave your youngster at home watching television than taking them alongside with you on a hunting outing with a crossbow. That is just truly heartbreaking.

Shall we limit firearm hunters to single shots only, since pumps, lever actions and bolt actions are unfair?

This is allowed in archery seasons:

Gyro

and this . . . Concept99

and you can use this . . . Range Finder

So why not this . . .

Phoenix

Does archery gear offer a humane way of harvesting game? Isn't this the battle we archers should be battling, and in disagreement to the people who are demanding to take it away from us. Technology that improves archery equipment also increases its capability to humanely harvest game. How can the traditionalist or the anti-hunters have a problem with that? Technology is used in opposition to the anti-hunters, and yet countless people are opposing it.

A woman’s perspective:

Is There a Crossbow in Your Future?

The Vixen by Excalibur

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Well, Mississippi just voted down the allowed use of xbows during archery season. However, they did legalize their use during the firearm season.

I for one support that decision. I do not personally believe that letting xbows into archery season will result in increased number of hunters. What I believe will happen is increased man days in the field while hunter numbers stay pretty much constant. Sure, there are isolated cases such as Silent's wife and a kid here or there. But the only true increase that I predict would be man days, which IMO is not needed. To be honest, I don't support kids using xbows. I don't think they are mentally mature enough to make the right decisions required for shooting at game with an xbow. I could handle 45-50lbs at age 10 or so, but my Dad knew I wasn't ready to start flinging arrows at game and he was right, heck I was barely ready at 13 when I did start bowhunting.

Just my 2 cents.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Buckmaster,

I made this point seems like a thousand times before and nobody listened then and I doubt they will now.

I have asked this question seem like a thousand times before and nobody has answered it yet and I doubt they will now.

The bottom line is this a crossbow is a form of a BOW and not a form of a FIREARM. For the life of me I can't believe that grown up adults can't see the BASIC and EXTREME differences between the two. You can state all you want about cocking and safeties and sights and so on...... it's still a bow. A S&W model 29 revolver (as with most double action revolvers don't have a safeties does that mean they are not guns?????

You people are splitting hairs about COMPONENTS of a firearm or a crossbow or a compound bow. It still does not change the BASIC fact that one is a firearm and the others are bows

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Bucky... why is the ONLY answer give them a crossbow? Take the kid with you!!!! Let them help scout, hang stands, read tracks. So they have to shoot a deer with a crossbow during archery season ... which is illegal in 47 states to learn hunting? Bull crap... let them shoot their crossbow in crossbow season (like in Maryland) or during firearm season like every where else.

Guys, no one is arguing that a crossbow IS a gun, and hard as you try and you can't make a crossbow a bow. They are different. All this theoretical crap aside... ask the guys in Mississippi what is archery equipment is. Here in New England? .. yup, you guessed it .. BOW ONLY!!!

So you can tell all of us people who "don't get it" we rot all you want... you STILL DON'T GET TO USE THE DAMN THINGS DURING ARCHERY SEASON!!!!!! You can rationalize it a thousand times that they "should" be allowed, but at the end of the day you'll still get fined or lose your hunting license if you drag one into the woods during archery season.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

BigJ
I agree with you...............kinda.
A crossbow is a form of a bow yes, but come on, do you see how more simular it is to a gun, when used for harvesting an animal? I see both sides, it's effective range is the same as a bow. When you use the crossbow to hunt with, it is far more simular to a gun. Lifting, sighting, resting, not having to hold the force at all times, please tell me you guys see that as a differance in the two?

If they bring more hunter to the sport than I am ultimately for it. No it is not what I would perfer to use, but even people that don't hunt can see the differance in using the two in a hunting situation.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

MA Jay ... but allowing the same youngster to shoot a compound (way easier to use, trigger release, high letoff, vastly different device from a real bow) is okay ?

Why ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Because he has decided for everyone else that that's OK. I am sure he will say "becasue 47 states say that it's OK" but we both know that's a BS answer.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Yes I do see the similarities between the two and I believe a crossbow is as close to a rifle in the way that you hold, aim and shoot, as a bow could be. But that's where the similarities end do you not agree? Now compare a crossbow to a compound bow and you will find it is more similar to it than a firearm. The basic function of a crossbow is and always will be the same. It uses limbs that store the energy that propel an arrow/bolt by use of a string. A firearm uses ignited gunpowder to propel it's bullet. That will never change so it is more like a bow than a firearm.

Yes it's different that a compound bow anybody can see that, but if you want to split hairs and that's what I think many (not you) are doing you can say that compounds should not be classified the same as long bows or recurves because they are also very different no?

Where do you draw the line as to what is a bow and what is not? For me it's in the basic function.

A house cat and a lion are both feline. They are VERY different but both felines right, both in the "cat" family right?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Who's not listening? Your "point" has been clearly debated "a thousand times" already! And because we dont agree with you "we're not listening"?:eek:

And "for the life of us we cant believe you dont see" the BASIC similarities that puts them both in the same category.

It's not!!!! We dont allow crossbows during archery season. They are more than welcome to learn with a bow and join and enjoy the season , we have a 35lb minimum requirement.


First , it may not "hurt me" in particular. I'm concerned for the sport of bowhunting and bowhunters in general , NOT JUST ME!!!
Second , dont even try and tell me or ANYONE here that a crossbow is no more effective than a compound bow!! I've put in my research and I know damn well what their capable of.

Big MISTAKE to try and "guess what I'm saying" pal!
Here in Wi kids must be 12 years of age to legally hunt AFTER taking hunters ed. Most 12 year old kids I know can handle 35lbs of draw weight and if they cant I'd still take them along as my father did with me.
Is that what bowhunting is all about to you? Just plop any weapon in your kids hands as long as they get their KILL?
What's truly sad is that in this day and age yall are too dang lazy to get off your arse and teach these kids how to shoot a bow. Just plop a xbow in their hands as long they get that first blood.[:@] It's truly sad that everything that I learned (and many others here) about HUNTING in general (not the kill) will be totally lost in 20 years!


YES! Archery gear offers a humane way of taking game! So your saying because of the slobs who dont bother becoming proficient with their recurve/longbow/compound we should make it as easy as we can for them to appease the antis? How about GETTING ON THEM? Educating them?


Just curious what datamax has to say about that concept??:eek:

Also curious where Buckmaster9 and BigJ12 come from? It seems so far the biggest supporters of crossbows are those from states who already allow them.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

BigJ

I do agree, that is where the simularties end. Everyone that has entered anything bad about crossbows on this thred is saying. It is not that they are so different to any bow. It is when you use one to hunt, the crossbow is more simular to a gun when harvesting that game than a bow. So some people think that crossbows should be used in a season that uses like weapons, being ones in the same manor. Refering to gun/crossbow shouldering sighting, staying loaded. Verses common bows one of my compounds, longbows, or recurve that I have. Just trying to clarify some thinking on a level headed conversation when people get hot headed it is hard to see to other side. BigJ thanks for the good conversation. Russ

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

It's not the first time that was stated! It was exactly my (and others) point to begin with. But BigJ12 keeps going back to the "their closer to a bow than a gun" arguement saying that we're not responding to his opinions. We HAVE! We're NOT talking about limbs/strings or whatever. We're talking about the actual hunting situation.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

What in particular are you concerned is going to happen?

Where do you get your info from? I guarantee you they aren't as accurate and they don't carry the KE either. I have been around them for a long time so I think I have a pretty good grasp of them. Where do you get this info to the contrary?


That's probably because we have seen the fact they they have had no negative effects in our state. We aren't just speculating about what might happen we have seen for ourselves that there are more positives than negatives associated with them.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

In an actual hunting situation you still have the same capabilites with a crossbow that you do with a compound as far as range and judging yardage etc. that in my opinion makes them very similar. If they are nearly identical in their range KE etc. and they have no effect on you yet may offer others the oppurtunity to be in the woods with a weapon then what is the negative?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Let's have a pro's and cons segment. List the pro or con about the effect that crossbow hunting will have on archery hunting. I'll start

Pro's

Could bring more people into the sport.
Could allow those with physical limitations to hunt during the bow season. If they aren't hunting in the rgular bow season then they aren't going to be considered archers and they aren't going to be on your side when laws are being passed.
Could bring additional revenue both in the way of license purchase, WMA permit purchases that will both benefit wildlife as well as increased revenue for Outdoor related retailers who typically help promote the sport as well as put money back into the sport.

Con's

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Stop silentassassin! You're making to much sense! My head is hurting! [8D]

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

BOWFANATIC and all you other anti-crossbow zealots - the next greatest compound bow that comes out, the next greatest gadget to take your compound shooting ............ you better damn well ste up and fight it in the name of making bowhunting easier, and better and making compounds LESS and LESS like a "bow" every year.

If you don't ............. well, you know full well already that a compound isn't anything like a recurve/longbow and how it shoots, how it performs, how it stores energy etc etc anyway, don't you ? But your argument against crossbows, while you don't accpet that they apply to compound all to soon they'll have to because technology WILL NOT STOP. Bows will become more accurate, more powerful requiring the shooter to do less and less to achieve greater and greater results.

And compounders will eat it up. They'll buy whatever it is all because it'll make them better with less effort - the very same thing that they hate about the crossbow.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

While I can agree with you and Datamax on many points, this is why I fight xbows in archery:

A. An increase in man days during bow season will 1) increase the harvest and 2) put more pressure on the herd. That will in turn piss off the gun hunters(THE MAJORITY OF HUNTERS) and they will lobby to shorten or do away with bow season. Many gun hunters would like to see that happen right now. I've heard those sentiments on several different boards, especially in my state. While many gunners may elect to hunt with a xbow, it will never replace their love and choice of the gun, thereby, IMO, cancelling out any support gained for archery. The bottom line is this, if it hurts the gun season, it will not be supported by the main stream.

B. Opens the door to other weapons and a future of multi weapon seasons across the board.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Con's (from a compounders point of view)

They're easy to use, although my bow is easier I don't want anyone to have easier than my easy
They'll bring more people into archery season and I want it all to myself
They might result in more deer being killed and I want thos deer for ME to kill
P&Y and PBS says they're evil

4 of the most common reasons right there - not sugar coated just the plain truth.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Bowfanatic

Ok, I see your point.

If all you are talking about it the way it is held and shot then YES it is more like a rifle than a bow.

My contention is however....you must look at the the overall function of the weapon ie: type of projectile, type of energy used to propel said projectile, it's capabilities and effective range as well as a half a dozen other items not listed AS WELL AS how it is held and shot, in order to place a weapon in a certian classifcation.

I think if you do that then you will see that a crossbow would be classified as a bow before a firearm.

Now for the hard part.....if allowed, what season should it be allowed in? to me it's logical.....the bow season, only for the reason that it falls into the classification as a bow and no other.

For the record I live in Illinois where a crossbow is only legal to handicapped. The season is the same as the regular archery season and the kills count as archery kills.

Also for the the record, If allowed I see no example in the states that do allow them that they would have a detrimental effect here in Illinois.

And the last for the record, If legal I would still use my compound bow.

I do not mean to fight with you or others and I do sometimes come across wrong, I am only debating.