RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I understand your skepticism and I am sure it's the same thing that people here thought. However, I honestly don't think it will be the case. I know it certainly hasn't had that kind of impact here. I don't think it will there either.

Again I have to reference Arkansas where we have had a crossbow season since the mid-70's haven't had any such laws.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

It’s truly sad that some of you don’t know what a bow is. A bow is a weapon that shoots arrows powered by the elasticity of the bow and/or its string. The technique of using a bow is called archery.

I still cannot use my crossbow for hunting.

What’s there to be afraid of?

Forty yards is the range that almost all experts consider the max for hunting. A crossbow bolt has something like a 13 foot arc at sixty yards and a deer can easily move 3-4 feet during grazing during that period. It’s extremely easy to wound a deer even if it’s not startled.

Keywords: 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.

I don't believe anyone will disagree with that in a week, you can teach a new compound shooter to shoot tighter groups than most traditional shooters can accomplish in a year of hard practice. The learning curve between a crossbow and a compound is a few days. With a bare stick bow the difference between it and either the crossbow and the compound bow is measured in months and every now and then years.

I’m from New York. It pisses me off.

I’m interested as to what your thoughts are on the Concept99 bow?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Flat Feet

I agree with you and like I said in my last post I think I am looking at it in the overall classification of the weapon vs how it is used in the hunt.

While it is used like a rifle and not like a bow it is still a bow and to me should be classified as a bow and put into the bow season if allowed. Afterall the compound bow while held and used like a regular bow is no way near to being the same as a long or recurve bow, but all are still bows right?

Again to all, sorry if I come across close minded, I do understand what you are saying and will be open to additional opinions as well.

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:

True HOWEVER its not enough to effect archery season in any way, shape or form (see AR, OH and GA stats). The archery harvest BTW is made up in your state almost entirely of compound kills, isn't it ? Imagine if they banned compounds ......... you'd get longer seasons and more liberal bag limits, wouldn't you ? (just reversing your logic)

Again, thats an old wives tale that has NEVER happened in states with crossbows legal in archery season.

Bottom line it never HAS hurt gun season - do you even CARE about knowing the facts on how crossbows hasn't made these impacts in AR,GA,OH ??

Gee, and the compound never opened those, did they ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Because by learning with a compound they will be allowed to hunt during archery season. If they shot a crossbow in the states I hunt they would be limited to firearm season only. Also, at the Sportsmen's club I belong to, they don't allow crossbows to shoot the 3-d targets or walk the course I love. Only bows are allowed. Also, they are not allowed in the indoor archery league I belong to, only traditional and compounds.


Call it BS all you want, they are still not legal. I would think BS would be more like arguing for crossbows to be legal during archery season when 47 states have made it illegal to hunt with them if you are healthy.


Additional Pro's-
Quicker learning/ramp up time for novices to become profeccient with it as a hunting weapon
Something "new" in a sport that doesn't change frequently
Quieter in suburban hunting areas, more public friendly
Lends itself to "ground hunting" better than a bow. Not requiring treestands to be as effective to cover excess movement.


Guys, I'm trying. I have added to your list of Pro's. They have merits for sure.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

List the pro or con about the effect that crossbow hunting will have on archery hunting.

Cons-

They do allow the taking of game after legal shooting hours to easily without being detected (not the crossbows fault, the hunters of course)
The further lowering of the standards of practice and training necessary to become proficient as an archer
Safety – being a loaded and cocked weapon makes them inherently more dangerous than a bow. Especially considering the treestand use of archery season
Dividing the sport of archery and hunters in general. This thread clearly shows the passion and division the crossbow has upon archers who shoot bows and those hunters who shoot crossbows.
The effect this will have on archery seasons in SOME states. In GA, AR and Ohio the sheer numbers and opportunities on deer allow for the additional weapons and hunters on the population. Here in NH we take about 10,000 deer a year, less than 2,000 during an archery season that runs 3 months. Our herds couldn’t take greater kills, so added pressure would require shortening of seasons. Today crossbow usage is limited to firearms season, if they were allowed to hunt the 3 month archery season the greater participation based on ease of use would require shortening the season. So adding crossbows would reduce archery season.
Allowing for even more advanced technology into the sport of archery hunting than exists today


These are the Cons “I” see after thinking for about 3 minutes on what adding crossbows to archery hunting in my state.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

2 wrongs does not make a right :D


I realize that OH and AR have had xbow seasons fro 30 years now. BUT, back then I would imagine xbows were hard to come by, not very common in stores, etc, remember no internet back then;) Culture and economics dictated that traditional or compounds be used. That culture has not changed, atleast for AR. OH, IMO has some alarming stats that do scare me. Alabama just passed xbows in archery season last year, I would be interested to see the effects it will on their herd, which resembles ours very closely, even down to the seasons and liberal bag limits. If I see no ill effects over the next few years, then I may give a little.

I would suspect my state will be legalizing xbows within the next 5 years.. It's a constant subject and almost got passed this year.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

A recurve isn't the ultimate quiet night time shooting bow ?


BWWHHAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAA !! Compounds don't do that, do they ?


How many bowhunters have been killed/hurt from compounds vs crossbows ?


Negative towards COMPOUNDS, not crossbows

Not a con - a fear, an unfounded one based on nothing

You want your easy, but no one else can have their



Cons are things that are TRUE - not fears that are unfounded and based on nothing. I spanked you - why do you come back for more ?? :D :D :D

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Hey Ethel, shut the light off... it's time to put it to bed.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

When they pass a conceal carry bill for crossbows in New York, this is the piece that I will be packing:

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

To datamax and all the rest of the crossbow zealots it's pretty simple. It doesn't matter if a crossbow is a gun or not. Nothing matters but one, it's not a bow and arrow. It's not a legal weapon.

You are promoting the use of a weapon during a season it is not legal. Quit crying and read the rules. If you don't like them, go where you do and dry your tears.

One is a bow and arrow. One is not a bow and arrow.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Jack Ryan - unlike you, I like discussin the WHY's of how things are. Not only is this a crossbow discussion, its also on one level a discussion on just how far archery equipment has come - and where it will and when technology will get to the point that its not archery anymore.

Remember, someone bucked the rules bigtime to get your compound allowed. Someone promoted the use of the compound when it wasn't legal. It wasn't a bow until they made it legal - do you wish they'd have never fought for your compounds ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Well put Jack! Let them have their own season, just like Gun, Muzzleloader and Archery! I don't see it as archery one bit!

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

How about their own Forum as well??? JMO

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Longbow hunters should not tell recurve hunters they should not be in the woods. Recurve hunters should not tell compound hunters who shoot with fingers they should not be in the woods. Compound hunters who shoot with their fingers should not tell release hunters they should not be in the woods. Hunters who shoot compounds with 65 % let-offs should not tell compound hunters who shoot compounds with 85% they should not be in the woods. And none of us need to mouth off about some guy using a crossbow in the woods.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Hell yes ! We'll lop off 3/4 of the archery season for real bows (recurves and longbows) since compound have such huge difference, and 1/8 of the current archery season we'll give to compounds and 1/8 to crossbows.

Lets petetion and try to change it, shall we ? I mean, compounds and crossbows bring in HUGE numbers of archers and they kill the vast ammount of deer - makes only good sense to rope most of the current archery season off for MY CHOICE of bow, doesn't it ?

Trad hunters have a forum, compounds have a forum ........... trad hunters should have their own season, compounds should have their own ......... yeah, I see what you mean !

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I knew you would

Longbow, Recurve and Compound = Handbow. A crossbow is not. Why do you insist a crossbow season during archery season? Why not during gun season? A crossbow is shot like a gun, is it not.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Well, no, they are no where NEAR the same kind of bows. Held in hand ? Well, yeah, I guess, but there the similarities end at best

Is not what ? A bow ? Why hell it is, look up what a bow IS. Hand held ? Yessir, it IS hand held. Its got a different mechanics to how it works - but hey, a compound does to vs recurve/longbows.

Because crossbows not allowed in archery season except for handicap people makes no sense. Its a rule that most states have ...... for no valid reasons. Read the past 40 pages and its quite clear

I think ANY harder weapon should be allowed in general rifle season. If rifle season is open, shoot your compound, your recurve, your muzzleloader .......... so it already IS allowed in rifle season, isn't it ?


OMG ............ is that the best you can do ? Its HELD like a rifle, other than that its got 2 limbs, a string, the energy is released into the arrow that it propels .......... and its been around for centuries as a bow too.

Compounds have sights, triggered release .......... why aren't they rifles ??

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Where the hell do you get your info!!! What did you do , go shoot a $200 crossbow and base your opinion of their effectiveness on that?
I had the opportunity to shoot a 10pt crossbow. From what I was told then it's the top of the line. I could very easily sit and shoot at spots the size of quarters at 40yds and stack the bolts in there ALL day long. Dont know what type of kinetic energy it produced or what speed it was shooting but I do know that a 40yd hunting shot with that particular crossbow was a givin! And from what I could tell 50yds would also be effective.

Thanks for the lesson! Go back and look at the differences between the two (compounds/recurves vs crossbows) when concerning hunting situations. Thats what we're talking about here!;)

Right now? We cant use them in any season unless disabled. I would love to see a seperate crossbow season and/or allow them during gun season. Then the "youngster" could hunt with a crossbow.


If we're going to take statistics into account lets eliminate AR from the equation. I dont know about GA or OH but AR has had legal crossbow use in general archery season since the 70's? Wasn't the 70's the booming age of the compound? So realistically speaking , most of the archers in AR (todays archers) knew no other way. So it's pretty hard to put AR into the equation of what might happen today in states where a crossbow was never allowed during bow season and the impact it might have if suddenly allowed.
That leaves two states out of fifty to base our success/failure info on. Guess I want more substantiated proof.

Still curious.:eek:

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Bowfanatic,

Above are two of my last posts, please tell me if I am wrong (and how) in my thinking vs yours in how to categorize a crossbow as a weapon. The reason why I am so adamant about it's catagory is this will tell us what season to put it in.

Again just to sum up I feel you should look at ALL of the aspects of the weapon and not just a few in order to label it a firearm or a bow.

What do you think?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Oh it is? Is that another one of you just because YOU say so declarations? Kinda like the "just give me one blah blah blay" then you declare every response you don't like not a valid reason. You offered up your opinion. I'll give mine. I'll let the moderator determine if it's in the correct thread or not.

If you have a concern with my comments being on topic you should take it up with the mods. I'm sure if there is any validity to your claims the situation will be corrected quite quickly. Other wise your opinion smells just like everyone else's.
The never bucked the rules to get anything of mine nor anything for me. I read the rule book. Learned the weapons and the seasons they were legal to use them in and then made my self proficient with the weapon appropriate for the time and animal I chose to hunt. If you'd rather just be a whiner than buck up like everyone else, feel free. You are free to whine and cry around all you want in this country. If that's what you chose to do, expect to get called on it.

Holding your breath and stomping your feet is not "fighting".

A crossbow is not a bow and arrow. It's got no business in a season intended for use of bows and arrows.

Your first post ask for just one negative to crossbows? Right here is one over 30 pages long. Crossbow cry babies crying like spoiled little girls and pontificating like they were Nelson Mandela has got to be right up near the top. Dry your tears and get over it.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

My position on classification is all based on the hunt. I would be an idiot to deny the facts you pointed out. It's all true! Again , my point is strictly focused on what takes place during the actual kill.

Speaking of "classification". The city I live in and two neighboring townships consider a bow a firearm.

I've asked the question a couple of times now and have only been answered in sarcastic questions but I'll ask again.
Is there anything wrong with (for states who dont currently allow crossbows) having a seperate crossbow season?
Pro's and con's?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

BOWFANATIC - I didn't know you'd hunted with all 3 (I Have) ? If you have, then you fully realize just how difficult recurve/longbow hunting is, how easy compounds are and arguable better hunting weapons than crossbows.

Jack Ryan - calling it like I see it. You could say a CON of a crossbow is that they weight over 10 pounds. Hey, thats not a CON, its just a silly little detail. Much like everything else that you and others have posted.

And yeah, its because I say so. :D

:D

SO in other words, rules should never be changed, even though they were a couple of decades ago to allow YOUR crossbows to be legalized huh ? If you're true to your beliefs then you should hate the fact that compounds were once lobbyed for and allowed in archery season.

I'll tell you what threads like this does. A lot of people read them, see the difference and the similarities and peoples minds change. They've always heard how bad crossbows are, how evil they are - and threads like this point out clearly that they are NONE of those things and its based on factual information.

Why, actually it IS a bow and arrow. The definition of WHAT a bow is ......... hey thats what a crossbow is ! And if you want to be picky - a compound pushes what a bow and arrow is.

Why can't it be like it use to be ? A bow and arrow is a stick and string. No compounds, no crossbows .......... deal ?

Theres no reason to. Allowing them in archery season would have no negative effects. Its like asking for a handgun season, an inline muzzleloading season, a caplock season, a 12 ga shotgun season, a 20 ga shotgun season ......... its grossly unneccesary.

But yeah - lop off 3/4 of the archery season and give it back to the trad hunters. 1/8 of the orig arhcery season could be for crossbows, 1/8 for compounds.

Yeah ........ I'll go with that concept.

Hey - whats wrong with a seperate compound season, right ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Why when you write something is it gospel, but the rest of us post it is considered "silly little details" that don't matter? Dude, have you forgotten that you are the one fighting for the change? Right now ... no matter how hard you want it to be true, the major negative about crossbows is they are illegal during archery season.

What's your new tact all about? Don't you think trying to get a crossbow accepted as legal archery is going to be tough enough? You want to try and split the ranks or archers by dividing them by bow choice? Hey .. did you check out the olympics this past summer? Guess what .. they allow both compounds and traditional bows to compete for archery medals .. they didn't allow crossbows though!!!

You asked for Con's .. and I gave them to you. And the only response you had was that "compounds are bad to"... I have tried to carry on intelligent discussion with you. I have accepted some of your points, and proven others wrong .. but you can't win a forum debate. Whether you admit it or not, there have been a few, not a lot mind you, but a few different negatives brought up against crossbows. You are so steadfast in your opinion that you don't see them, but that is ok. Many here have .. and after all the back and forth debate, you have definitely shown that you can lead a crossbow hunter to water ... but you can't make him drink.

I may think about this thread this fall in Iowa, or NH or Mass or Maine or Ct when I am in a treestand during archery season, and regardless if I bring my recurve or compound I'll smile knowing that crossbow hunters will have to wait their turn to hunt with the firearm guys, where they belong!

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

That has nothing to do with the weapon and like I have also pointed out it's no harder to do with a compound and as data pointed out, trad equipment is the easiest to shoot after dark so that isn't a valid con.

Are there standards in place? I wasn't aware of that. I have seen guys come in and buy compounds the night before season with the intentions of hunting with them the next day, on several occaisions. I don't think they knew about the standards. So again the level of skill is not measured by the choice of weapon but rather by the person yielding that weapon. If that person is capable of making killing shots consistently that's all that really matters. But that gets back into the boys club thing and people thinking you're special doesn't it;)

All weapons are inherently dangerous that's why they are called weapon. If you don't load them until you intend to shoot then they are no more dangerous than anything else. But I would like to see some research that backs up your assertion. Again, I live in a place where it's legal and in a bow only zone and I don't ever know of anyone being hurt by a crossbow.

You guys are the ones being devisive. Crossbow enthusiast are asking to join the club and you guys are the ones saying "no you aren't special like us":eek: Crossbows don't devide people. That's like saying that black people shouldn't have asked for the right to vote because the issue devided people. No, their own stupid predjudice devided them, just like here;)

Well that's purely speculation but let's run the numbers anyway. Let's apply Arkansas numbers to NH. In Arkansas (after 30 years of intergration) approximately 2.7% of the deer killed in the state are killed by crossbows. In NH that would amount to approximately 270 deer. I don't really see that making a difference in your season. But, I thought there wasn't going to be any new hunters added by allowing crossbows???????? So there shouldn't be any more deer killed should there? Aren't people just going to switch one weapon for the other? If what you say is in fact the case then you just made my arguments even stronger that crossbows are a good thing at getting people involved in the sport. In which case it again means your just being greedy and you again would rather benefit yourself than see the sport benefit which will (I can guarantee you) bite you in the ass one day.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Well actually jacko, they are legal where I live and what I am trying to promote is that sometimes being hard headed and closed minded hurts everyone.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Bobo,

I worked in a shop that sold crossbows for a couple of years and I setup no telling how many of them. I bought one for my wife that I shot several times. I have pretty much been around them my whole life. They are simply not as accurate as a compound especially when fired from the standing position which is what I was comparing and if you think they are then I will bet you the title on my Z71 to a box of doughnuts that I will spank you with my compound and you with your crossbow from 40 yards, anytime you want to take the bet.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

First of all jacko, I dont' even hunt with a crossbow. Second of all jacko it is legal here so there is nothing to get over. Third of all jacko you may need to look in the mirror when you talk about a group crying like a little girl. However, it is pretty sad to see how narrow minded, stubborn, and uneducated some of you guys are. You guys making claims to that crossbows are going to do this and they are going to do that and then ignoring the states where they have been introduced is retarded. It's like you claiming to be an expert on big foot though you have never actually seen one. Well guess what. I have seen it. I have lived around it for 30 years and I am telling that you fears are unfounded and irrational.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

It's funny, I've been following this thread for more then a week and yesterday I got an email from a hunter activist who also frequents this site with a heads up that the State of Maine has approved the use of crossbows and are pushing regulations through to have them added to the archery season.

http://www.scruggsreport.com/in_augusta.htm

I'll fight like hell when it comes to the antis but I can't in good conscious fight against fellow hunters. The arguement is that with increased hunters killing more deer the expanded archery season that are in place to control population will no longer be needed. I guess if this passes we will see. I may have to dust this post off after the upcoming season to report back the effects of crossbows in our archery season. I'm very curious to see if this is a big hype about nothing.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I can unequivically guarantee you that it won't have any effect on you. It's a big ado about nothing.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

So what did it look like? Big, tall, hairy, stinky breath..... [8D]

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

We shall see. To my untrained political eye it appears to me the bow hunters have not been reducing the herd to the Dept of Inland Fisheries and Wildlifes liking and they decided to push for additional management tools. It also will mean more revenue for archery and expanded archery tags.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Yea, but I am not absolutely sure it wasn't my brother in law. [:-];)

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

hmmmmmmmm. Good question. A side by side comparison of "bows" will show you which details are big ones and which are little silly ones and those can be correlated to Con's and Pro's. That a crossbow is held differently isn't a huge deal because the way the bow works is essentially the same. Well, no, it isn't, but then neither are compounds and how they work, huh ? :D

MA Jay -

I think about a lot of things on the stand too - one of the greatest things about bowhunting IMO. I don't disagree that crossbows are different - they most certainly ARE different.

My point is, that as they are different (being the way they're held, the way they're drawn, the mechanics behind the energy in the bow itsself, the way they're sighted, the letoff, the release etc etc) so too are compounds. The analogy's hold true - you love the lion being lose but the tiger you confine because he has stripes that make him look a bit different. He's the same beast with cosmetic differences.

Compounds ARE everything that crossbows are. They bring more people into the archery season, they are easy to use, the have great letoffs, speed, they're quiet, high tech - everything that a crossbow is to a compound a compound is to recurve/longbows.

I'm not the only one seeing this - and oddly enough those who do understand are those who have firsthand knowledge of crossbows and what they bring to an archery season. The ones against crossbows ? They know of wives tales, they know what the PBS and the P&Y Clubs have said, but they have no firsthand knowledge of crossbows in legal archery season.

If they did, they'd realize that crossbows are NOT a negative to archery season in any way, shape or form.

adams - if you're related to Chuck PLEASE tell him thers a guy in Arkansas that has a shrine erected in his name :D Oh, and if crossbows become legal in Maine in general archery season I can gaurantee it will have NO IMPACT at all on your archery season. There will be a few more hunters - but thats a good thing - we can use all the bowhunters we can add to our ranks.

No, that would be Alice Joella Stanford ........... I date her in high school [:@]

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Very well written points there Data. In fact you have won me over that crossbows are NOT evil or wrong, even though I never thought as such. I guess I agree 100% in that a compound and a crossbow are similar if not exact in their effective range and lethality. But instead of calling it "archery" why can't we call it crossbowing? or something else? We agree they are different, but similar. We made the point that their effective ranges are as closely matched as a muzzleloader and a shotgun, as similar and yet as different as they .. but they have their own unique hunting seasons. Why not have their own seasons? They could overlap, like Maryland .. and maybe they do bring in more hunters, a good thing of course. But why do they have to be the same? You want "Archery Season", I say give them "Crossbow Season". I haven't said or asked that they be excluded from hunting, just don't try and call a Tiger a Lion to use your analogy.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

This is a point the we differ and I realy have no problems with that. I would only like to say that there are other variables that effect the process and ability to make the actual kill that make the crossbow and compound similar. One would be the limited distance at which you are effective. The other would be the type of broadhead selected for the job. I feel both are very important during the actual kill and both are inherent to bows.

I will try to answer this question.

While I am sure there would not be nothing wrong with a separate season. The problem is when to have it. Would you like it if they shortened the bow season to allow for a crossbow only season? Do you think the gun hunters would like it if their season was shortened for the crossbow only season? I know here in Illionis the slug gun hunters only have two weekends a year to hunt, one three day and one four day weekend that are about three weeks apart, a total of seven days only!

So here in Illinois when would the separate season be? Also add to the mix that in Illinois the hadicapped can use crossbows during the entire bow season. If a separate season is formed it would greatly shorten their hunting time.

So in Illinois as I'm sure in other states when to have the season is the problem and to me is a big Con for having a separate season for crossbows only.

Now that I have answered your question, (and not sacasticlly) please try to answer one of mine.

If you are in your tree stand with a compound bow and two counties away someone is in their tree stand with a crossbow how does this effect you or your hunt?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I have answered the question aready but I will answer it again. I have no problem with a seperate season so long as they are given an oppurtunity to hunt. I would prefer a combined season but if other archers insist on a seperate season then I think the archery season should be split right down the middle and half of it given to crossbow hunters. That way it's seperate but equal. Should compound and trad hunters get more rights that crossbow hunters? It's obvious why archery season is so much longer than gun season because (in my state) gun hunters kill double the amount of deer opening day that bow hunters kill all year. In a roughly one month season gun hunters kill approximately 10 times the deer that bowhunters kill in a 4.5 month season. However, since there is no difference statistically in the number of deer killed by crossbows as their is by compound and trad equipment then they should be allowed as much time as other types of archery equipment. Personally I would prefer to just share but either way I think crossbows hunters have the right to every bit as much access as anyone else does during archery season.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Can we call it compounding then too ? And have compounds in their own season ?

Exaclty - a compound is not a bow compared to a recurve anymore than a crossbow is a bow compared to a compound

silentassassin - why not truly take archery season back to what it was, giving the bulk of what is now archery season back to recurves/longbow and then giving a few weeks to compounds and a few weeks to crossbows ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Well for one it's not a very effective management tool as it is and it would be even less effective then. I don't have a problem with seperating them by equipment as long as everyone gets equal time. I don't think one group deserves any more time than the others. Again, I prefer we just have a combined season but for those that insist it should be seperate then I say it should in fact be seperate. Have a seperate season for each different weapon and give each group equal time. I personally would hunt all 3 seasons though it would require the purchase of some additional equipment. I would rather see all three seperate seasons than see a group shut out completely.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

silentassassin - seasons are set up by how much "impact" they have on the herd while at the same time maximizing the ammount of enjoyment of the hunters.

Trad hunters are not many in numbers comparatively speaking, so they would require the largest chunk of archery season plus their stats are low too. Compounds and crossbows would have large following and their accuracy/succcess rate much greater, thus they each would need a much smaller part of the pie.

Compounders hate that concept but its exaclty what some are asking for - seperate archery weapons seaons based on # of people that use the given weapons and how successful it makes the archer - aren't they ?