RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

The truth is BigJ, it doesn't. Just as it doesn't affect me if 2 county's away that person has a shotgun, ML or rifle. If there were to be a Crossbow Season and it over lapped with Archery Season, that would happen. Just as it happens when I hunt with my bow during ML season.

As far as splitting the archery season and allowing 1/2 for crossbow use, if that allowed for the management of the deer by that states DNR, then so be it. I'd hate to see it go .. in fact would probably buy a crossbow to be allowed to hunt during that time. I guess I don't see it though. I've never seen a guy hunt with a crossbow .. even during rifle season when they are allowed. I've never been to a bow shop and heard a guy "want" to hunt with a crossbow and not a bow. I also have never been to an archery shoot, 3-D match or shot an indoor league and had 1 person say they'd rather shoot a crossbow if they were allowed. If the big PLUS to crossbows would be they attracted "new" hunters, not hunters who already hunt, but true "New" hunters .. and they could populate a season with guys who choose to use crossbows over bows .. then I could and would see the benefit. But if they don't get people into hunting who wouldn't go if they can't use a crossbow .. then the group who benefits most is crossbow manufactures, as they are milking more money from hunters who would shoot them ONLY to get into the woods. Which is why I say allow for overlapping but seperate seasons ... so that you don't force hunters to have to buy new equipment to hunt. You see, I don't think a crossbow is a bow, and because of that it's not archery. They have similar characteristics to be sure, but they are different. I also think a person who hunts with crossbows deserves and should be able to hunt with them. Factors determining their season should be on their popularity AND the goals of the DNR since those 2 things are intimately tied. More Crossbow hunters means more deer killed, and that needs to be factored. It's exactly the same way they work the ML and rifle seasons in the states I hunt. They know the approximate harvest details and use time as the controlling factor. Crossbows work exactly into that scenario, and depending on participation and harvest data they should control the when and how long they are allowed in the woods. If that happens to mean they absolutley don't add hunters and they kill at the same rate as archers, their season would be exactly the same, essentially a wash. If they add new hunters and success varies at all from archers, they should be adjusted accordingly ... even if that affects archers, ML hunters and rifle hunters, because that is most fair.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

But they are also set up as a mangement tool and while your argument is correct in part there is also an inverse correlation. By moving compound and crossbow hunters out of the picture for a longer period of time, even less deer will be taken rendering archery season useless as a mangament tool and ultimately unnecessary. However, since none of the methods in and of themsevles are effective as a mangement tool and will ultimately have no impact on the deer herd; the most fair thing to do, for all is involved, is give everyone an equal amount of time in the woods. I am not an advocate of descriminating against anyone be they compound hunters, trad hunters, or crossbow hunters nor do I think any one group deserves more access than the others.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

What is the range of a crossbow?

My uncle has a bad solder and shoots a crossbow. He said he wishes it was ok for every one to use it.Then my anut would beable to kill a deer with it.

The deer he killed last year was 85 yards from MY STAND he was in.Put a scope on a crossbow and they are much longer ranged wepion than a bow. Yes my bow can kill at 85 yards but the bow in not made for most people to be that acrate.I have been setting beside him when he has made VERY long shots on yotes 100+ yards.

The crossbow is no difrant than the cock lock for a bow.I think if they make it ok to use them we will loose bow hunting as it is.

I did use a crossbow in city limets in rifle seasion the range on it is WAY better than a compound bow.The scope and trigger make it where ther is no movement.Puting it aginst your sholder make it VERY steady so you can shoot farther.

Useing bouth I can tell you they may be made with the same plan BUT they are in no way the same to hunt with.

I for 1 hope they do not make it ok for every one to use for deer hunting.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

You can't blame crossbows becasue some people are uneducated and take unethical shots. A crossbow will probably drop in the neighborhood of 80 inches (maybe more) on an 85 yard shot. So anyone that takes a shot that far with one is either uneducated, unethical, or and extremely good shot. However, for every person that you can show me that is capable of making that shot with a crossbow, I can show you 5 that are capable of making it with a compound. However, at the end of the day, the guy behind the string is the one responsible for the killing, the wounding, or choosing when to shoot. Apples to apples your average compound shooter will shoot circles around your average crossbow shooter and an exceptional compound shooter will shoot circles around and exceptional crossbow shooter.

That's simply untrue. Crossbows won't shoot any faster than many of the modern compounds and they certainly won't produce the KE that modern compounds will. You have to remember that even if they reach the speeds of the compounds they aren't shooting as heavy an arrow. At IBO specs an 80lb allegiance is shooting 92 foot pounds of kinetic energy. How many crossbows can do that and which ones are they? Also, if they can't hit the specs and therefore range of the modern compounds (which they can't) do you also advocate that we get rid of compounds or make changes to the laws that would somehow limit thier range?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

MA Jay - crossbows don't effect harvest much in the great scheme of things .......... G&F commissions I believe would gladly allow them except that compounders are rabidly against them. You don't here many people asking for them because they're not allowed - in AR they ARE allowed and funny thing ....... the majority of people still hunt with compounds. Why is that do you reckon ?


If they were allowed there WOULD be new hunters, there would be more revenue, there would be more intrest etc etc - ALL of that being good things for archery and there has never been a negative come from crossbows in legal archery season.

Almost sounds like win/win doesn't it ?


In most states archery is NOT a big management tool Still 80-90% of the deer kill is rifle kills. Archery is somewhat management but mroe about maximizing recreational opportunities for hunters.

I'm just tossing around ideas. I think archery season is for bows and crossbows, compounds, recurves and longbows should be in there.

many compunders kill at distances like that. Your point was ???

So Arkansas, Ohio and Georgia have lost bowhunting ? Ohio is one of THE premier states to kill monster bucks - how can you think they're hurting with crossbows legal ?

I used a compound during my hunt in Kansas and it was WAY better than a recurve.

What was your point again ?

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

It dose not take much KE to kill a deer.Just about any crossbow at 85 yards has that much.


I am an avrage bow shooter. Put a crossbow in my hands I could shoot a 3 in goup at 60 yards eazy.SCOPE is a big difrantce and puting it aginst your sholder to sturdy it.


My wife can bearly shoot 55# bow but she can dang shure shoot my crossbow at 60 yards and hit a 3 in target.The little girl up the street allso shoot my crossbow at 60 yards and baged the heck out of the target.SHE can hit crap with the bow. They are in no way the same.


I do not think it is ethical to shoot deer out to 100 yards BUT the cros bow can do it every day.

I would love to shoot aginst bow hunters with my crossbow.I would even let the wife shoot.

Here is some reasion why that are passed up.

Try to lay down with your bow and shoot.

You can use things to strurdy your self with a crossbow. {JUST LIKE A RIFLE} TRy to put your bow aginst something to sturdy it and see what happens.

TRY TO SHOOT YOUR BOW OUT THE WINDOW. This one is bad the crossbow is one of the main pouching tools now :{ AND NO I DO NOT SHOT OUT THE WINDOW! This is a reasion why it should not be aloud.

As I said they may be made the same but in NO way are they the same to hunt with.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

Datamax, just b/c a few old men smoke 3 packs a day, eat eggs and bacon every morning and live to be 100 doesn't mean it's a good idea for everyone else to follow. I think just assuming that since AR, OH, and GA have not had any ill effects does not automatically assume each state will follow suit. You must consider terrain, deer herd, hunter numbers, season lengths, bag limits, etc.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

If it dosen't effect you then you should have no problem allowing crossbows into the archery season not just during the crossover period but all the time.


MA Jay

This is the crux of the problem, unfortunatly not all hunters would take the high road as you just stated you would. Sure there would be others like you who to themselves would not like the idea but go along with it and maybe even buy a crossbow. But I feel many many more would fight the thought of making there season shorter.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I for one would not like it at all.

But as ma jay posted earlyer I do not think it would benifft any one but the places selling crossbows.I think all would happen is people that LOVE to hunt would buy crossbows.

So to me it just looks like you are trying to make the croosbow people more MONEY.

RE: please tell me just one negative to crossbows
 

I'll take that bet all day every day. You may do it but I'll bet my hard earned money that you can't. I guess that's why it's called gambling. ;)

Like I said the first time. I got a stack of hundreds that says none of you can shoot 3" groups at 60 yards with broadheads consistently. Now if you want to make it a little more interesting I will give you 5 to 1 odds that you can't do it shooting off hand.

Like I said earlier so can compounds and even more cleanly than crossbows since they typically have more KE. So what's your point?

I will be happy to take your money at any time and I am not even real good. I bet there are some ol boys here that are that would absolutely LOVE to take you up on that offer.

You mean like this Steady Ready

Hmmmmmm so crossbows cause poaching and guns cause crime. Interesting perspective coming from a hunter. A poacher is going to poach and if they choose, they are going to use a crossbow whether they are legal or not. I can accomplish the same thing by setting in the back and the super shorties (30" ATA) can accomplish the same thing from the cab of a pick-up.