RockinChair

I'd just like to everyone offer the unique challenges that crossbow hunters face. I know personally I've heard such sayings like, "It just like gun hunting" "Its not bow hunting." "All you have to do is pull a trigger" etc. I strongly believe that we are bowhunters.

So I just wanted to see what challenges us crossbowhunters face as opposed to compound users.

I think of crossbows being heavier, louder, more bulky and difficult to carry, and a a majority of the time you are limited to one shot due to the time it takes to re-cock.

I'd love to hear everyone elses thoughts.

8orbetter

All those you mentioned plus the crossbow limbs will make a shot behind your tree impossible. Its not just bulky and heavy carrying it in but in the stand as well. Another challenge in using one is convincing others that its not a magical weapon. With most shooting no faster than the top compounds and having the same effective range.

907Alaska

In threads that pit XBows against compounds and the other way around, I don't have much to say other than I use both XBow and compound and recurves, and I consider myself a archery hunter when it comes to using all 3 weapons. They all have their place and their pros and cons, and I am sure as this thread progresses on they will be mentioned. There is not one person on HNI that can convince me that a Xbow is not a archery weapon, just as all of my other bows are archery weapons. You could compare traditional archery to compounds, and compounds to XBows...but when compounds made their way into the archery market, were they considered archery weapons or not...well...sure they were.
Others will dissagree with this I am sure, but so be it, they are entitled to their opinion. I use all of my weapons equally in the pursuit of hunting.

Cossack

I've stopped explaining things other than to ask: "Have you hunted with one?" Not one-including the person who derided me for hunting turkeys with mine ("It's just like a rifle")-has even shot one. At 67 years of age, I have no need to justify my politics, religion and, esp. how I hunt, to anyone.

coyote170

[quote]ORIGINAL: Cossack

I've stopped explaining things other than to ask: "Have you hunted with one?" Not one-including the person who derided me for hunting turkeys with mine ("It's just like a rifle")-has even shot one. At 67 years of age, I have no need to justify my politics, religion and, esp. how I hunt, to anyone.
Beautiful post Cossack,at 69 years old I agree whole heartly,thanks for
putting it so plain and simple!

Lower Forty Boy

Me to at 68 I can't hold the conquest 3 I had almost cried when I sold that one but it has a good home course I can't hold the Excal up either but I can put a prop under it. You aren't gonna change the hard core anti's I have sadly just left them to their own designs but I have quit supporting a lot of their functions. I still shoot my 38 lb. longbow Imade it myself in the barn tbat was another thing I noticed when I quit buying their bows and equipment the boys in the booths weren't nearly so friendly so they do have an agenda well beyond hunting

TRG3

I've noticed that those who tend to speak out against crossbows also have strong opinions on other topics whether they have any knowledge about it or not.They are not open to reason but just expect your unquestionning acceptance of their position. They are usually loud andvoice their opinions through verbal intimidation. They always have a self-justified reason why their position is not only the best one but the only one. While they think their opinion is sought after, most of ustry to avoid them and are uncomfortable in their presence; however, for some reason,these fountains ofmisinformationoften have a small following that seem to hang on their every word, as if they are incapable oftaking their own stance. Me...I try to go the other waywhen I see them coming!

kmtpr

TRG3, Your observations are so very sad, but true!! I am in NJ and we have kicked around the idea whether to allow xbows in bow season for the past 2 yrs, or so. The anti xbow side do get loud and offensive and resort to personal attacks, which is getting quite old; however, xbows will be included in the 2009-2010 season. We, on the pro side , just point out the myths keep putting the facts out there.

Moonkryket

Most of the vitreol originates from the so called PBS and state bowhunting organizations that have
the notion that THEY are the ones to draw the lines where they want to and force that down everyone else's throats. What we have here is a few thousand bowhunters that want to dictate to millions of bowhunters what they can and cannot use to bowhunt. State by state now that havelooked at other states that have made the sensible decision to allow crossbows into bowhunting seasons, have very good information to fall back on to repute the nonsense being spewed out by the greedy and elitist bowhunting groups. In actuality, THEY are anti-hunting and are so clouded by their hatred they obviously can't see it. Too bad. The good thing is that they are now being recognized for what they are.

RockinChair

Hey guys I appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments.

But I was really targeting this thread to the challenges crossbows present to us while hunting.

Other than those I mentioned in my original post.. can anyone else think of any others?