Datamax, I seriously doubt allowing crossbows in archery season will bring in new hunters. The hunters who do not shoot a bow use a firearm anyway. Those firearm hunters that want to hunt in firearm season might try the crossbow, but all this is doing is selling more permits and not gaining new hunters.

I think we should take a look at the number of bowhunters in a given state. Those states that possess higher bowhunting numbers DO NOT need to add crossbow hunters during archery season.

In addition, part of the reason I don't gun hunt for deer is the overcrowding and more dangerous situations created during this season. lf I have to endure the same kind of situation in archery season that takes place in firearms season............it sure isn't going to be as much fun.

Someone quoted a study in one of the other forums that said between 91 and 01 we lost 1.3 million hunters from the sport, which equates to roughly 10%. Well guess what. We are already a minority. If we keep losing members and or running them off then we are going to be an even greater minority and that's not going to be good for any of us. So rather than thinking with your typical tunnel vision try to embrace the fact that anything we can do to being more hunters into the sport is a good thing for all of us, rather than "I am tough guy because I shoot a compound and and you don't shoot one so you can't come play in "my" sandbox"[:'(] The number of crossbow kills in the state is absolutely insignificant statistically speaking. However, if it brought 10 young people into the sport and maybe a couple of women that were unable to draw legal hunting weight or allowed someone to come back to the sport that may have perviously left due to shoulder problems etc, then I am all for and I think it's a great thing. Afterall, some of those kids that might not have been brought into the sport otherwise may get their kids involved and so on and so on or they may wind up being a senator that is going to help shape the laws facing the hunter in the future. Anyone that is willing to take this oppurtunity away from people (including women and children) needs to re-consider their priorites because if you are willing to take an oppurtunity away from others, when it will have no effect on you, just because "you don't like them"[&:] then I think you need to re-evalute what all is involved. I think it's sad. I'll be the first to admit that I have an "elitist" attitude when it comes to bowhunting but I would never let my elitist attitude lead me to imposing that attitude on others.

Well said silentassassin! Datamax, you won't get any hard negatives on crossbows because it is all emotional. Just be glad you can hunt in a state (Arkansas) that still considers them legal during archery season.

For the crossbow enthusiasts, lets ask this a different way. I believe that the folks who want the change need to justify the change, it should not be the folks already included need to stop the change. So, why should crossbows be allowed IN archery season? As mentioned, they offer little to no advantage, other than drawing and moving aspect, compounds can be quickly learned to be effective shooters. So why should crossbows be added?

Lets set some boundary rules:

- there are always rules restricting archery gear in place, many times restricted by draw weight, arrow weigth etc, so just arguing they are archery gear won't fly IBO, NAA and NFAA all have crossbow divisions.

- including more hunters? Debatable, should be up to F&G if this is desireable (more hunters means more kill).

So, why should they be added to archery season?

--Bob

He's from Arkansas.....Shoots traditional..............That above qoutes sounds very familiar!!!


It just hit me datamax=Stealthycat!!!!


Stealthycat, while a great guy, has always been a staunch compound basher!!! IMO, this entire thread is just that, bashing compounds, basically saying there is no difference b/t compound and xbow and that recurve is the god of all archery.

Is this something everyone knew except for me?

Fieldmouse - The question was on how crossbows in legal archery season are a negative to archery. The danger factor is no more with them than they are with recurve/longbows/compounds

Prove that theory. I would hazard a guess that as many gun hunters shoot compounds as they would crossbows. Two season hunters are what Fred Bear created - and its not a bad thing either, is it ?

Okay, lets say i agree with that. How then, do compounds affect archery season ? Can they not be credited with making up 90% or more of the archery hunters ? Can they not be credited with dominating the kill stats, and pushing the number of bowhunters as high as they are ?

Of course they can -


Double Creek - Let me be very clear on something - I DO NOT care what bow you choose to use. I shot a recurve and a longbow and a compound all last year. I also muzzleloader hunted. What you might percieve to be compound bashing is not. i am fully in favor of compounds - geeez man, just look at what they have done to the sport of archery ! They have led to a boom in archery participation, archery seasons and the gizmos/gadgets and all the stuff that came with them. Compound are hugely responsible for the popularity of archery, are they not ?


And they were fought hard 40 years ago because they were different in the way they worked. The archery of old fought the archery new because they feared compounds would lead to shorter seasons, killing all the deer, crowding the woods and they felt that compound just WASN'T archery equipment. Fancy that - its the same argument today except a whole 'nother generation of compound hunters are fighting the same battle that was fought then except they're on the other side ! Its like taking candy from someone, and feeling all good about it and then when someone does the same and takes candy from you you complain. Irony at its finest !

But once again, I can point to not a single negative thing that compounds bring to archery. They do not negatively affect herd numbers, they don't increase the dangers of archery hunting, they do not lead to shorter seasons ........ they actually INCREASE bowhunter participation and compared to recurfes/longbows they are arguably better hunting weapons. the same exact thing argument fellows, except compound can be replaced with the word crossbow.

datamax,

You keep pushing the issue, what is your angle?

"NEVER" Crossbows may have a small following but they will NEVER have the impact of the compund bow in the archery industry or hunting. [:'(]

A crossbow is NOT archery.

Datamax,
You just keep ignoring that fact.
Spin your argument all you want, and ignore all of our opinions and facts if you feel like if WE as ARCHERS do not accept a crossbow as archery gear, which it is not.........your wasting your time.

Longbow,Recurve,Compound (if all are hand draw, hand held) = Archery
Crossbows= NOT Archery.

How much more simple can we get?
Archery is not point, remove safety, and shoot.