Bow vs crossbow vs rifle

[Walksalot]

[QUOTE=Gatehouse;1488301]

If proficiency testing was to become mandatory in order to hunt with archery tackle crossbows would be delivered to archery shops by the truck load.[/QUOTE

I guess that could be the first step to completely eliminating all the archery seasons. Not a bad plan if that is your goal.

Eliminating all the archery seasons is not my goal, my goal is to eliminate this holier than thou bullshit that seems to always be floating around. People, self professed archers, who point fingers at others for nothing more than the archery tackle they choose. The reason I mention proficiency testing is if these holier than thou archers were to have to prove their competence with their chosen archery tackle they might have to step off their soap box and re-evaluate their position on archery tackle and the use there of. I have been involved in archery for thirty years or so and have seen enough of this finger pointing to say "ENOUGH". Do not impose your values on others who choose a weapon deemed to be legal to use in archery seasons. An archer is far better to use a type of archery tackle he/she can shoot accurately, if for nothing else than to bag an animal with as little pain and suffering to the animal as possible.

[NorfolkBoy]

Of course there are big differences in how you shoot and hunt with different bows. Hell there are big difference between English war bows, Mongolian horse bows, and a tribal pygmy bows which are all very different from a fully decked out compound. It is strange to pick on one single aspect and say that is the essence of bow hunting (while disregarding all the similarities) and then advocate for hunting restrictions based on this manufactured basis.

Archery only seasons are a great way to get hunters interested in bow hunting and archery only areas are a great way to allow for hunting opportunity in areas where public safety is a concern. Crossbows are easier to learn especially for hunters with a firearms background. So you are advocating to take away what could be seen as a great "gateway archery tool" that gets more hunters interested in bow hunting because you don't have to draw it on game? I don't see the logic of this position. I don't know if this is exactly the appropriate saying but it sounds like a very "penny wise but pound foolish" proposition to make. Personally I prefer to advocate for hunting regulations based on firm science and stats with conservation concerns as their primary goal and not based on some persons whim and fancy about what is and isn't true hunting. This is true no matter the species or what tool a hunter chooses to hunt with.

There is a lot to be said for this, and perhaps it is an inherited bias from my usual online hunting peers. I would also like to think of myself as a science advocate, and I certainly would wish to share a hunting season with crossbows in the UK, simply because of the way the UK works, we don't have any weapon control seasons, just on and off seasons for taking the game that you own (if it's on your property), if it's legal to take game with, it's legal any time it's legal to take game.

Are there any good precedents or examples we can examine that say how many people take up crossbows, are there any issues or benefits from this, does it result in more archers?

[greybark]

Each of us with our weapon of choice is responsible to honestly acknowledge their limitations and practice it . Generally criticising weapon choices of others makes no sence and creats no worth while dialog . Look after your own and they will look after theirs .
Unfortunatley the trend of extreme long range shooting with rifles and bows as glorified on Wild TV create false impressions with their selective edits tends to take the hunt out of the hunt and one wonders whats on the cutting room floor .
Cheers

[aggiehunter]

Greyabark..I have no doubt what's on the cutting room floor...rifle or bow tv show.

[Walksalot]

Each of us with our weapon of choice is responsible to honestly acknowledge their limitations and practice it . Generally criticising weapon choices of others makes no sence and creats no worth while dialog . Look after your own and they will look after theirs .
Unfortunatley the trend of extreme long range shooting with rifles and bows as glorified on Wild TV create false impressions with their selective edits tends to take the hunt out of the hunt and one wonders whats on the cutting room floor .
Cheers

Friends are surprised that I do not subscribe to the Wild TV channel and I explain the reason why and it is simply that I do not subscribe to a channel which sensationalizes high risk to wound shots.

[brian]

Are there any good precedents or examples we can examine that say how many people take up crossbows, are there any issues or benefits from this, does it result in more archers?

The only evidence I have to support this claim is anecdotal, I don't know if any group or organization has bothered to track crossbow to bow crossover amongst hunters. More importantly I have seen studies that tracked hunter accident rates that show little difference between crossbows and bows. Both have very low accident rates. I have also seen harvest statistics and they were all within expected limits despite crossbows being included in archery only seasons. Here in BC we do not discriminate between bows and suffer no ill because of it. Alberta on the other hand for some reason restricts crossbows in their archery seasons.

[timbermilton]

with majority of guys, i think it's a matter of pride and what they think is fair. i stand on the side of being proficient at filling the freezer with what means you have, regardless of the method.

i once was challenged by some hunting buddies, to show me that my "primitive" longbow doesn't compare to "modern" wheelies and xbows. we met up at the local 3d range, 3 with xbows, 2 with wheelies, and there i was with my yew english longbow and back quiver full of WOOD arrows. they laughed and set out the rules; no points crap, kill shots only, regardless of angle, oh and i had to shoot from the same stake as them. but they would let me shoot last at each but, to give me time to rest between shots. lol. well after 20 targets, i was the only one to have 20 kill shots ranging from 10 yards to 50+ yards. they all but 1 claimed i cheated. cheated? how? how could i possibly cheat?.... perhaps in ones eye i did, i shoot everyday. thousands of arrows a month, i make my own wood arrow shafts with a shaft jig, this allows me to match my spine and weight exactly in every arrow for every one of my "primitive" bows. if any of them practiced as much as i do, they would have easily gotten more kill shots. i explained that to the lot of them, and then challenged them to a rematch and I'd use my ATLATL and darts. the declined, thankfully, i don't practice as much with it, but have been able to take dozens of rabbits with it.

i don't look less on them because of their method of putting food on the table, i will admit to trying to convert a good many of them to shoot "primitive" succeeded a few times so far. it's all preference. my wife has recurves, but hunts with a rifle. i still allow her to eat crackers in bed.

i find it ridiculous that people still argue over what should be allowed and what shouldn't. by definition of methods of hunting in the regs, there is no law against a man, or woman, useing a high powered rifle taking a bear at 1200yds, nor can i find a regulation stating that you can't jump out of a tree with a 100# rock onto the head of a bear to fill the freezer........which method is the best, or proper, or right? as long as your good at the method and practice alot. either scenario has a fair amount of risk. but both will get the job done. both will give you "bragging" rights. both methods would require serious confidence in your ability.

when i competed against the xbow and wheelie guys, we were all even halfway through, but by the 10th or 12th target, they were losing confidence, getting frustrated, annoyed, and i kept my composure. they wanted to beat me, i just had fun shooting. pride will get the better of you.

i see these types of threads on alot of forums, it's just like the ol' chevy vs. dodge vs. ford. come on, everyone knows CHEVY wins hands down!