Traditional vs compound
 

I'm no bow hunter, but i have always been amazed at many bow hunters attitude about crossbows. The compound bow that they love to shoot and say is more traditional then the crossbow was invented in 1966. The earliest records on the crossbow show it being used in seige warfare around 305 b.c.

Now taking that into consideration, wouldn't that put the crossbow into the "traditional" catagory of bows, given the historical age difference between them?

If you can understand the arguement of the compound vs crossbow with over a 2000 year difference, please explain it to me.

I personally have no problem with crossbows, its just another tool at our disposal. I believe the "compound is more traditional than xbow" argument is due to the fact that you still have to draw and aim roughly the same as a traditional bow. However, crossbows are more "modern" only in that they take less skill to aim and shoot than compound or traditional bows do.

My argument against the Xgun is not about whats traditional or not.It's the fact that you can keep it ****ed ready to shoot and use a rested aim.

Firearms are much older than compound bows also.

I have no problem with crossbows. I just have a problem with them being put into the wrong season. Call them what you want, they are not "bows". Some ancient models were designed to hurl rocks instead of bolts. You can fire an arrow with a slingshot (there's a bowfishing rig designed to use a slingshot to fire the arrow), you can fire an arrow with a converted rifle, you can hurl an arrow (dart) with an atlatl--that doesn't make any of these devices a "bow".

IMO, crossbows belong in the "primitive weapons" season, not the bow season.

Ok, with that being said, couldn't the same arguement be used in the role of the different bows, at least to a degree. Even though I no longer hunt with a bow, i noticed that i could hold my compound bow ready to shoot much longer then i could hold a recurve or a longbow. In fact it was much easier to even pull my compound to full draw vs my recurve bow.
Now days with the aid of fiber optic sights, releases, fall away rests, and all the other goodies that people dress their compound bows with, it can be said that it is much easier to aim, and shoot a compound bow vs it's traditional cousins, thus making it also "****ed" and shot with a much more rested and sight aided aim.

Certainly the high let off allows you to hold much longer but that's a lot different than not having to hold anything plus you still have a fair chance of being spotted when you draw a compound.I have always preferred my longbow and recurve over my compound but I have far less against the compound.It wouldn't bother me in the least if I could only use the compound during gun seasons.Fact is for years I hunted with my trad bows during all the gun seasons anyway.Big game,small game,spring and fall turkey.Didn't matter to me.

Thanks to everyone who posted on here. This subject is one that for as long as i can remember has always made me wonder. I really appreciate the fact that everyone who posted did so in a mature manner and gave honest opinions. Thanks to you all for yor imput.

In the end
 

what we use in hunting will be regulated by how we harvest. If an item were too efficient at harvesting, reductions of hunting time would occur. Many states have seen a reduction in hunters and that affects the efficiency of the hunting tool. The tool doesn't rule, if the game hunted starts falling in numbers.

A rifle is more efficient than a compound bow; a crossbow more efficient than a compound or traditional bow; a rifle more efficient than a flintlock musket. The art is to have so much efficiency and not too much to endanger the hunted animal population.

No, problem, I can explain it. Selfbows today are about the exact same was 100's or 1000's of years ago. And are of course traditional. Crossbows of today are nothing like 500AD. If one wants to hunt with a sightless X-gun, with a wooden prod, I say that could be traditional. And I know a few guys who hunt with a medieval crossbow. You of course can't hold the bow at tension very long even with a sinewed prod of elm.

So if a fella has a traditional crossbow, I have very little problem with it. But its a far cry from a 350fps x-gun with laser dots.

kinda like this COMPOUND that can be drawn in the morning, hung by the string all day and shot in the evening? LOL


compound, crossbow,recurve,longbow, selfbow...shoot what ya want, wont affect me in the least.

Well you're half way there.Now try shooting it with a rested aim :happy0001:.

So by this attitude, you believe it would be best to make deer hunting, "weapon of choice". Gun, bow, whatever? Wouldn't affect you any?

I carry my bow even during shotgun season here, so to answer your question, yes.

dont start with the "lets just add guns to bow season" argument. The wildlife agencies set gun seasons and lengths to manage the herd(they do 90% of the work). A 3 month gun season would decimate the herd the first year.

What BillyBob uses on the next 40 has no bearing on my hunt as long as he's following the law and bag limits.



I belive its Primos that has an arm rest to use when shooting a compound, add that to the above bow...no different than a crossbow
imo

what about 350fps compounds? with halo sights? TRIGGER release? Scope? Bow mounted range finder?

crossbows have NOTHING over todays compounds. thats the only point Im out to make.

I am not asking if you carry a bow in gun season. We almost all do that.

They can still manage the herds with season of choice. Its called tags.

Its either about tradition of bowhunting, or its about animal management. DNR should have no part in making a market for various hunting weapons. That is not thier charter.

Many places have weapon of choice. And they do fine by managing with tag numbers. I am sure you don't want that. Look up the tradition of bowhunting seasons that started by Roy Case and others in Wi. There was a reason, thier club restricted crossbows.

What about compounds? Are we now talking compounds? Two wrongs do not make a right. We even teach our children this.

I am all for seasons being about preserving tradition, that includes limiting compound seasons, and separate to trad seasons. If not, make it season of choice. At least they wouldn't be hypocrites.


But what it shouldn't be about is protecting hunting weapon industry.

our opinions differ

I preserve MY tradition by passing it on, not by limiting others in what may be or may become THEIR tradition. There really is room for all to have their own "ideals" without infringing upon others.

One mustnt rely on government or seasons to preserve tradition. Thats done from the heart and soul, not legislation

Ok, so now you agree with season of choice. If you believe what you wrote. Deer can easily be managed by tags

With season of choice, you can "preserve MY tradition by passing it on", and "not by limiting others in what may be or may become THEIR tradition". And as added bonus, you wouldn't have to "rely on government or seasons to preserve tradition".

But if you think the seasons should be separate as they are throughout the US now, then your post above contradicts this greatly.

i really dont care if they are seperated or not. I never felt the need for all to do it my way or not at all. I believe my very first reply said as much when you asked the first time. ill quote myself in case you missed it..
I carry my bow even during shotgun season here, so to answer your question, yes.

But again, I, nor anyone asked if you carry a bow during shotgun season. Nobody, nor you are asking to do it your way or my way.

Its has entirely no bearing.

You made a few statements that were in error, one that 3month anything season would decimate the herds. Totally bogus.

Its either about tradition or herd managment.

you seem hell bent on an argument

Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you

It just gets old, people come in and out, without logic or reason, and make statements like you did. Your not the first, and sure not going to be the last.

it does grow tiresome

Longbow, recurve, compound or crossbow all have limited range. It's truly not a much of a debate beings most hunters use these for hunting closes up and personal. 30 yards a long shot for a longbow or recurve for most. 50yards is a long shot for compounds and cross bows for most. Some can use either to extend that range but most fall in those categories. I say let them use whatever they want in any season. I personally would choose either a recurve or a compound, crossbows are cumbersome if your stalking. I currently shoot a compound.

lol I enjoy the entertainment usually

I say keep the compound and crossbow out of the Bow season........:wave:

Personally I have no problem with crossbows. I look at it like this. A recurve/longbow, compound, and crossbow would be equivalent to a firearm hunter using a flintlock, percussion rifle or open sighted centerfire rifle. All of these weapons are effective, each to a 'better' degree. But if its legal and you want to use it, be my guest. Just don't go telling me what I can use. Its as simple as that. If you are angry that a cross bow shooter can connect with a deer at 40 yds and you can't with your recurve, then practice more until you can. I don't use a xbow. But I do use recurves and compounds. And I know what my limits are and stay within them.

To me, it's simple. Weapons that are not bows should not be allowed in the bow season. If it's a "limited range weapon" season, call it that. If it's an "anything goes" season, call it that.

We are all told what, when, and where we can hunt, and what we can hunt with.

Chad

So you agree with me then.....:wink:

simply put - greed is what makes people want to "ban" certain kids of archery equipment


now, understand there is a HUGE difference in shooting a crossbow with sights etc and shooting a decked out compound vs shooting a recurve/longbow .... the latter is much more difficult

but that said, we all have the same number of tags and statistics show crossbow hunters aren't that much more successful than compound hunters ...... both more successful than traditional hunters

so other than having your easy but not wanting someone to have theirs, what IS the reason for not wanting crossbows in archery season, or compounds either?

there are no reasons - crossbows have NEVER been a negative to archery season

I don't know that compounds have either



compounders HATE crossbow shooters because crossbows are easier but when recurve shooters point out compounds are easier than recurves, compounders don't understand that view

funny huh?

Might be the case for some, not for me. Like I said, I'm opposed to weapons that are not bows being allowed in the archery season, at least unless that weapon is more difficult--i.e., spears, atlatls, etc.

If it's not archery season, then call it what it is and let whatever weapon be used in it. Our "primitive weapons" season is a joke.

Chad

Two wrongs do not make a right. Never have. I totally disagree with the assessment that x-gunners have not had a negative impact. Check it out in 20 years. My eyes have seen first hand the impact in a few short years.

The only saving grace I have seen is, I notice x-gunners generally approach the season like they do thier weapon. And are not out there as much as serious archers are.

You have beat this drum for years, and why? Because you are using one now. You have always had excuses and problems shooting other weapons. Probably gone thru 20-30 trad bows looking for one you can shoot. Probably tried 10 different broadheads, finding one that you can succeed with.

It is like driving a car, if you can not drive a stick you should not have a license. If you can't shoot all three types of bows good enough to hunt, you ain't no Bow hunter. Odd where these posts are from. I hunted Maryland for about 12-15 years, both Bow and occasionally a day or two of rifle. I quit there when they came up with the crazy multiple tag rule. I hunted public land (Indian Springs area). Between the early inlines and the pigs that had to kill everything they could with their compound, the place was wiped out. There was a late drop one year and I personally saw a guy carry out a doe with spots on it, not streaks but spots. The first day of rifle the last year I hunted there I heard 3 fast shots around 12:00 and that was all I heard in that valley that day.
What the compound and the crossbow did was bring people into bow hunting that should not even be there. There was an Archery only season in PA. for along time. When the compound came along in the early 70's suddenly everyone wanted to "Challenge themselves" hunting with a bow. When in-line muzzleloaders became legal, everybody and his brother ran to Cabelas to buy one so they could "Challenge themselves" with one shot. Now crossbows are legal in bow season and the state is loaded with people that used to hunt with a "Bow" but now they have back problems and need a crossbow. Never mind that you could apply for a special crossbow permit with a doctors note for the last 30 years. What it comes down to is a bunch of lazy bull****ters that want to be known as hunters with out the work involved. Period.