bwhunter501

Well, there is a post going on about this in the bowhunting forum but i wanted to see what fellow illinois guys thought about the subject. Do you think crossbows should be legal? IMO i think they shouldnt.

Cougar Mag

They should be legal for disabled sportsman, the same as they are now. No, I don't think crossbows should be allowed in archery season.

Wolfhound76

Personally I think they should be legal. I don't own one, and don't care for em though. I've always liked my compound bow. This situation is too much like the bias in muzzleloading. It gets hunters fighting hunters. Legalize everything anyone wants to hunt with, who really cares? I'll still hunt the way I hunt now.

duramaxlt

Wolfhound with that attitude why not just let everyone hunt with a rifle from october to jan. i think they should stick with crossbows for disabled hunters.

Wolfhound76

It'd be fine with me. I wouldn't use a centerfire rifle, but if someone wants to hunt with one why not? Personally I'd like to see the season so you can hunt with anything you want. Just totally remove all the special seasons and equipment limits and go with one season. Give out a fixed number of tags and adjust the number and type depending on how many deer need killed to maintain zero heard growth. Kill your deer with whatever you want. If the deer don't get killed in the alloted time, just lengthen the season.

All these special seasons just cause resentment among hunters. Anyone ever look at all the divisions amoung hunters? Most are equipment based. Eliminate those equipment rules and hunt how you like.

Don K

Crossbows are not Archery equipment and IMO do not belong in the Archery season unless your handicap (like they are now). By allowing crossbows in the Archery season you are going to have more people int he field and add to the crowding that alot of the public lands have problems with.

In Illinois we are in for ALOT of changes in the coming year.

Theres talk of allowing crossbows in the Archery season.

They are going to eliminate the deer check stations.

Theres going to be changes with the NR deer tags. Talks about lifting the cap, jacking up the tag prices to 4 or 500 dollars to the NR's who are already paying to much (IMO).

Theres other things being tossed around and things will be coming out in the next week on exactly what we will be facing.

Get ready its going to get interesting.........................

bwhunter501

WOW, they are evening thinking of eliminating checkinstations?! man i always liked to stay for a minute or to and chat with the locals and see what all big bucks have been shot or checked in yet, thats going to be a shame. and as for crossbows not being apart of archery equipment i couldnt agree more.

Cougar Mag

Personally I liked archery check stations. Of course there are always going to be a few who take their deer home and cut it up without checking it in. But why does the state think it will be any different by calling them in by phone? Most archery check stations are meat processors and archery shops. It sounds as though the state is so broke they can't afford the paper for tags.

duramaxlt

this is starting to sound more like ga. {except for the outrageous nr fees} they don't care what you kill them with are how many you kill they just want lower deer numbers to please the insurance co.'s.

wrongway

I think it should stay the way it is, or give them a weekend somewhere.
If they want to kill off a few more deer, they could make the season from Sept. 1 thru Jan. 31.
I think that some states run like that.