Crossbows in archery season

[greybark]

Hey Walksalot , Again with due respect I know of several rifle hunters who did poorly in regards to wounding and quit hunting.
I have always thought the better compound shots always made better traditional shots because of the reason of form and mental disapline being pounded in as you say over and over . I enjoyed my rifle hunting , then enjoyed my compound bowhunting and now enjoy traditional bowhunting. With the increasing number of crossbow hunters and the increase of harvest I feel threatened by as Willyqbc puts it a bunch of hunters who don`t give really care and are in it just for the kill.
As far as sticking to-gether goes crossbows have the potencial to cut back and eliminate some bow seasons, Then we will have nothing to so called sticking to-gether for.

REMEMBER - Keep Your Fingertab On

[Walksalot]

Hey Walksalot , Again with due respect I know of several rifle hunters who did poorly in regards to wounding and quit hunting.
I have always thought the better compound shots always made better traditional shots because of the reason of form and mental disapline being pounded in as you say over and over . I enjoyed my rifle hunting , then enjoyed my compound bowhunting and now enjoy traditional bowhunting. With the increasing number of crossbow hunters and the increase of harvest I feel threatened by as Willyqbc puts it a bunch of hunters who don`t give really care and are in it just for the kill.
As far as sticking to-gether goes crossbows have the potencial to cut back and eliminate some bow seasons, Then we will have nothing to so called sticking to-gether for.

REMEMBER - Keep Your Fingertab On

Greybark, your shooting and harvest stats are outstanding. You are obviously a good shooter and a good hunter. Would you say you were more accurate with a compound than a traditional bow?

I tried a traditional bow for a year and at the end of that year I set up a McKenzie deer at twenty yards and flung thirty arrows at it. Ten arrows were good kill shots so I deemed this totally unacceptable and sold the bow and went back to my compound.

I guess why I softened my opinion of crossbows is because the older I get the more prone to injury I seem to get so if the time ever came when I could not draw my compound back I would look at buying a crossbow.

[greybark]

Hey Walkalot , Definetly more accurate with the compound.
My friend Marc makes the traditional bows for Chek-Mate and yet hunts with a compound , Like you he knows what his limitations are. I wish more bowhunters were capabile making the sound and logical desicions the two of you did and I admire your "give it a fair chance attitude". I fully understand the getting older thing and would not hesitate to use a crossbow under an age or medical regulation.

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingetab On--

[Nails]

Well heres my point of view, I want to change peoples opinion I dispise the warm and fluffy talk about crossbows for the Archery Only hunting season. I say NO. The GOS crossbows can be used. They are a very effective as stated over and over. You can be hunting with a loaded weapon, I know some instinctive shooters are pretty quick at drawing and shooting. The average instictive shooter will have a reduce range then that of a crossbow. The compound shooter generaly needs more time to shoot. If I were a betting man the crossbow would harvest more animals. Greybark has a valid point when it comes to crossbows used in the archery only seasons. If more people were to use crossbows in the archery only season their sucess rate will increase. I believe that point has been shown. This is going to have the govt officals review the archery only season re: harvest numbers being reduced, possible shorter season( which is way to short already). I know there is not going to be a rush of people running out to buy crossbows this minute and will be hunting this fall. My perspective is to protect the archery only season I don't see the crossbow within that perspective. Crossbows are not archery tackle.
I would allow them at 3D shoots.

[houndogger]

I hunt with a longbow and it doesn't bother me a bit that the crossbows are in our season. Mainly because archery doesn't have any seasons. I go out the hole gos with my bow and never bat an eye. But what do I know maybe I don't get out enough.

If they allowed crossbows on a 3d course I would quit going to shoots. Makes ya cringe enough when ya here those compond miss and arrows smacking trees.

[willyqbc]

This is going to have the govt officals review the archery only season re: harvest numbers being reduced, possible shorter season( which is way to short already). I know there is not going to be a rush of people running out to buy crossbows this minute and will be hunting this fall. My perspective is to protect the archery only season I don't see the crossbow within that perspective.

Unforunately that puts us into something of a catch22 situation. I understand your desire to protect the meagre archery seasons we have now. I too want to protect what we have, and even expand on them signifigantly. However, if we as archers and more importantly as hunters decide to stand against "one of our own" so to speak we are in effect providing the "divide" for those who would wish to divide and conquer us. Any push to remove a weapon that now enjoys status as a legal means of harvest is a step in the wrong direction in my opinion. And one less archer (wether you belive X-bower's are archers or not) is one less voice behind the push to improve our seasons and protect what we have now. Personally i don't think there is much of an impact from X-bows at all, they are a legal means of harvest here yet MANY, MANY more choose the compound or stick over them every year. I see no reason to believe that more generous seasons would change that. After all, most of us started into archery for hunting reasons and still chose our bows over the
X-bow, I see no reason that trend wouldn't continue.

Chris

again...another good debate...keep it rolling!

[greybark]

I hunt with a longbow and it doesn't bother me a bit that the crossbows are in our season. Mainly because archery doesn't have any seasons. I go out the hole gos with my bow and never bat an eye. But what do I know maybe I don't get out enough.

If they allowed crossbows on a 3d course I would quit going to shoots. Makes ya cringe enough when ya here those compond miss and arrows smacking trees.

Hey Houndogger , Come up to a bowhunt during the GOS and try to rattle in a Whitetail buck. If you are lucky you will do more than"bat an eye" , You will find your self framed in the optics that sit on top of a 300 mag then you will have to change your pants. (I know I been framed several times). If you are unlucky I get first dibs on your dogs.

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[Walksalot]

Hey Houndogger , Come up to a bowhunt during the GOS and try to rattle in a Whitetail buck. If you are lucky you will do more than"bat an eye" , You will find your self framed in the optics that sit on top of a 300 mag then you will have to change your pants. (I know I been framed several times). If you are unlucky I get first dibs on your dogs.

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

Greybark, I must disagree. If one get off the beaten path and into the bush half a mile you leave most of the hunters behind.

[greybark]

Hey Walksalot .In the past I have taken several steps to get away from the rifle hunters , Even to the extent of placing false treestands and fording a raging river (try this at night returning from your treestand). One time i found myself doing the breststroke when it was minus 25c , Try it -first you can`t breath then any body function is on a 5 sec delay then you can`t stand up then you crawl out onto the bank. Then follows the weirdest run/stagger for camp before you freeze solid, It only works untill the rifle boys figure that if a traditional bowhunter can get his deer in a certain spot then there must be one heck of a lot of deer there and they readily come to the call and glass with their scopes. Too many bad memories of conflict. In the Christon Valley you can run (walk) but you can`t hide!!!!

REMEMBER -- Keep Your Fingertab On --

[Nails]

I love hunting plain and simple. I hunt with bow. I support all forms of legal hunting. I have hunted with a buddy who hunts with a crossbow. I have thought in the past that crossbows are archery tackle because I never gave it much thought. I have to say that is not the case now. I look at how they operate.
I saw a ad (some may have seen it) for a rifle that shoots bolts. It was pretty bizzar. I don't think they sold many.The two have many of the same key principles for operation aside from the gases from the cartrige that propel the bolt, the cocked limbs propel the bolt. Aiming and firing mechs are the same, both can be carried loaded. One might consider this the evolution of crossbows minus limbs.
This is a great way to pass time on the nightshift, Like I said before I would support all legal tackle.