Are Crossbows archery equipment?

[Walksalot]

The fact crossbows are easier to shoot makes them perfect for the hunter who has limited time to practice. Crossbows are not all plus, plus. Most of the time an archer has one chance with a crossbow because to get it ready to loose another arrow is a bit of a procedure. A well tuned crossbow is an accurate weapon so this may well equate to less wounded animals in the field. Form is till important as the key to accuracy is having every motion the carbon copy of the previous one.

How many traditional shooters practice enough to become and maintain the learned skill of instinctive shooting. I have tried traditional equipment so I know the dedication to practice required to become and maintain excellence in instinctive shooting. Every morning I face East and give praise to a higher authority for giving me the insight to sell my recurve. It makes me shake my head when I hear purists deem others as lesser individuals because of their choice of weapon.

How many compound shooters do the practice required to be an accurate shooter and competent in estimating distance. Once the pins are set for a compound bow the use of a range finder allows the shooter to be accurate at longer distance. Is this not an aid in achieving greater accuracy with the result being less wounded animals. Hey, any compound shooter who uses a range finder should have their head shaved and be taken out and beaten.

It's sad to think the only time we will come together is when the writing is on the wall for the demise of our sport. Unfortunately it will probably be to little to late.

[huntwriter]

Now that right there is a A1+ post.

[Onesock]

I'm glad you saw the humor Bow Walker

[Onesock]

However, we all have our opinions on this issue and nothing will be resolved by this post other than realizing we all have our opinions. You guys that think x-bows are archery gear just all have the wrong opinion. And you are entitled to that!!!

[huntwriter]

However, we all have our opinions on this issue and nothing will be resolved by this post other than realizing we all have our opinions. You guys that think x-bows are archery gear just all have the wrong opinion. And you are entitled to that!!!

In other words you're right and all others that don’t share your opinion are wrong. Wow!!!

[Gateholio]

J-T – I put very little value in what archery clubs have to say about the crossbow. The reason being that most clubs display an elitist agenda. The same goes for the Pope and Young Club.

]

That's an understatement!!


Look at the states represented. IS there some sort of conservation concern with all of them? Nope! Many of them have reasonably liberal bag limits.

[OOBuck]

However, we all have our opinions on this issue and nothing will be resolved by this post other than realizing we all have our opinions. You guys that think x-bows are archery gear just all have the wrong opinion. And you are entitled to that!!!

Thank for clarifying that for us.. Signed the wrong opinion gang.

[Bow Walker]

Great discussion guys. Lots of information - most good, some crap - but lots of info being exchanged. Now to my thoughts on various posts that jumped out at me.

I suspect the perspective is a question of your involvement in archery/bowhunting. In BC, crossbows are legal archery tackle.

If you spend a lot of time within the archery community, bowhunting purist or 3d FITA shooter, then the crossbow will likely not fall into your definition of a bow. Are crossbows allowed at Federal FITA shoots? Are crossbow harvests allowed in Pope & Young? Are the first questions that come to mind in our quick judgement.

If you are a hunter and archery is not your first love, and you are looking to take advantage of an additional hunting opportunity, within BC, we are fortunate to be able to use the crossbow within the bow only seasons. In this instance we will likely not see the subtlties of the differences.

While we have an educational issue for first time bowhunters, in BC there is lots of country and normally lots of animals. Adding crossbow users to the bow only season has little negative impact on the bow hunt and maximum impact on supporting our collective want for hunter participation.

Many jurisdictions do have to manage the number of hunters on the landscape and they draw the line for management reasons excluding crossbows from bow seasons.

We quite often use data from south of the boarder in our arguements on here. For some perspective, I've attached the position of a number of "bowhunting organizations" from the south.



Crossbows

To Whom It May Concern,
.....Crossbows, on the other hand, are locked at full draw by a trigger, utilize a rifle-like stock, have rigidly controlled internal ballistics, can readily be shot from a rest
and typically use a telescopic sight. A crossbow’s characteristics are so vastly different from those of conventional bows that summit attendees agreed that crossbows would negatively impact bowhunting seasons if allowed in archery-only seasons......

J_T
1. I think it's the other way around...people who spend a lot of time in and around Archery get to know (and become familiar with) all types of archery equipment - including the Crossbow.

2. Talk about "elitists", "narrow minded" "stiff and unchanging"....Pope and Young are at the top of the list.

3. VERY well put.

4. I really doubt that the reason for Crossbow exclusion from Bow Only Season is for "management reasons". The total number(s) of game harvested by archery tackle is minuscule when compared to that of guns.

5. I'm sorry, I must be missing something here, but what the hell are "rigidly controlled internal ballistics?"

The fact crossbows are easier to shoot makes them perfect for the hunter who has limited time to practice. Crossbows are not all plus, plus. Most of the time an archer has one chance with a crossbow because to get it ready to loose another arrow is a bit of a procedure. A well tuned crossbow is an accurate weapon so this may well equate to less wounded animals in the field. Form is till important as the key to accuracy is having every motion the carbon copy of the previous one.

How many traditional shooters practice enough to become and maintain the learned skill of instinctive shooting. I have tried traditional equipment so I know the dedication to practice required to become and maintain excellence in instinctive shooting. Every morning I face East and give praise to a higher authority for giving me the insight to sell my recurve. It makes me shake my head when I hear purists deem others as lesser individuals because of their choice of weapon.

How many compound shooters do the practice required to be an accurate shooter and competent in estimating distance. Once the pins are set for a compound bow the use of a range finder allows the shooter to be accurate at longer distance. Is this not an aid in achieving greater accuracy with the result being less wounded animals. Hey, any compound shooter who uses a range finder should have their head shaved and be taken out and beaten.

It's sad to think the only time we will come together is when the writing is on the wall for the demise of our sport. Unfortunately it will probably be to little to late.

Walksalot - I believe that you'd be very surprised at the level of commitment demonstrated by the hunters who choose to hunt using archery equipment. Sighting in your pins and then using a rangefinder does not equate to accuracy in any way. Just because an archer can hit the bulls eye at 20 yards does not mean that using a rangefinder, that same archer will hit the bulls eye at 40 yards.

Saying that shaved heads and beatings are the norm for hunters who want to increase the possibility of a quick kill (while being comedic in a sense) is just ludicrous. But - from what I have seen and read from you I suspect that your tongue was definitely "in cheek".

I'm glad you saw the humor Bow Walker

However, we all have our opinions on this issue and nothing will be resolved by this post other than realizing we all have our opinions. You guys that think x-bows are archery gear just all have the wrong opinion. And you are entitled to that!!!

"huntwriter" replies to "Onesock"...

In other words you're right and all others that don’t share your opinion are wrong. Wow!!!

That's why they're called "personal opinions". Like 'em or not, they belong to only one person. I've got mine and lord knows Mike has his...





Keep up the verbal barrage guys - we'll wear down the nay-sayers with volume if not content.

[J_T]

Just to add then to my comments. Perhaps give them a bit more substance.

1. I think it's the other way around...people who spend a lot of time in and around Archery get to know (and become familiar with) all types of archery equipment - including the Crossbow.
(I'll split this with you, by and large, those who hunt with a bow in BC accept the Crossbow as a bow, those that have an interest with a foundation in target archery - having not seen crossbows at competitions - are more likely to flip to the "no" side of the debate. There are other reasons, but this was the simplicity in mine.)

2. Talk about "elitists", "narrow minded" "stiff and unchanging"....Pope and Young are at the top of the list.

(Well, I have to think, without Saxton Pope and Art Young, we might well have a very different definition of archery. If any definition or knowledge of it at all. A life with the bow in hand to Pope and Young, was a way of life. The way it is to many. "A lifestyle, rather than a sport".)

As far as the Organization goes. When we start recording statistics, standards must be maintained to ensure fair evaluation. The difficulty is that when we hold to something, adhere to a particular standard we are judged - usually in a negative sense... different, unique, elitist)

3. VERY well put.

4. I really doubt that the reason for Crossbow exclusion from Bow Only Season is for "management reasons". The total number(s) of game harvested by archery tackle is minuscule when compared to that of guns.
In my opinion, as game is managed, there has to be attention paid to all parts fo the equation. Hunters being one. If consideration is being given to implementing a new opportunity, a part of that decision is based on how many participants it will have. In the States some jurisdictions manage harvest numbers by managing weapons type/use.
The implementation of a bow only opportunity is in part based on the number of hunters likely to participate and the percentage that will harvest. (IE estimating the harvest is the key). For example: We have the potential to implement a bow only whitetail deer season, based on what we know today. As the opportunity increases in popularity more hunters will start up, or cross over (from rifle as an example) to participate. In the example in the States that I am reflecting on, (i just forget the jurisdiction, but I'm sure GG, or FD will help out) a bow only season was implemented and it included crossbow, after three years running the number of participants had increased 3 or 4 times. That meant the harvest went up.
When they analysed it, the found that the increase was due to crossbow use. IE, rifle hunters crossing over. The resultant action, was to remove the crossbow from the opportunity, rather than risking a greater than anticipated harvest or removing the opportunity altogether. What they found in addition to the increase in bow hunter numbers, was the effective range of the crossbow increased harvest exponentially by moving the advantage to the hunter. And Wildlife management officials wanted to maintain the balance.

As I previously stated, this is not an issue for the most part in BC.

5. I'm sorry, I must be missing something here, but what the hell are "rigidly controlled internal ballistics?" This would be a term used to describe how a person comes to terms with inflamatory bowel disease.

[sealevel]

I stopped at boormans in new west today . Ron boorman is telling a customer about a crossbow these are his words .... A crossbow is easy to shoot i would just take you down stairs a couple shots and you are ready for hunting... This is to a guy who new nothing about archery..... I walked out right then