Am I at fault???
10-22-2006, 10:44 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
Am I at fault???
Hey guys...I've had a name here before but its been a long time since I've been on here...ne wayz thats besides the point...everyone...I feel bad...I've been shooting a compound for a long time(bout 6 years)...I've never shot a deer w/ my bow but have w/ a crossbow (1st deer/doe). Now anyone please don't take this the wrong way but I'm not too terribly accurate w/ my bow...I've already lost a buck through those 6 years and don't get me wrong but I looked day and night for a couple weeks and never could find him...so here's the thing I wanna ask all of you...am I at fault for switching over to a crossbow because I want accuracy and a quick clean kill??? I feel that my confidence is pretty much shot w/ my compound...I just don't want to deal w/ that feeling of not knowing if my last buck is still alive or I wasted it because I'm a fool...I can shoot great w/ a crossbow but not so good w/ a bow...please help...switch or practice even harder??? ~RedBaron10~
10-22-2006, 11:01 PM
#2
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Camden County, Missouri
Posts: 1,019
RE: Am I at fault???
Your post asks for opinions so here is mine. If you don't practice or are not proficientwith a bow, you have no business in the woods. In my state the only people allowed to switch over tocrossbow is people injured or must have a doctors excuse. Not just because they don't want to practice or are inefficient.Everyone makes a bad shot over the years for one reason or another but it is not fair to the animal to take a shot when you are notsure or somewhat confident you can make a humane shot. Better to not take the shot at all than to injure an animal.Try lowering your poundage and practice more or you may have a bad bow or setup.
10-22-2006, 11:20 PM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
RE: Am I at fault???
Timbercreek...I appreciate your reply...I do see where you're comin from...but don't get me wrong I do practice I always take at least a dozen shots a day...I am just not steady enough...or how I'm releasing...I couldn't explain it to you but I can hold steady w/ a crossbow... like drilling shots out to 40 yds. no problem...I can barely shoot 20 yds. w/ my bow...my setup is hoyt cybertec 60lbs. and I have no problem holding the weight...maybe its a mental thing...I do hunt in Ohio where crossbow is legal...I'm not looking for an easy way out by any means...I just think the deer deserve a quick humane kill and I feel the only way I can do it is w/ a crossbow...so...I do appreciate the feed back...thanks a bunch...you did kind of motivate me to shoot a bit more and start tinkering w/ my setup...more than likely this is going to be a rebuilding year...thanks for the post timber creek!!!
10-22-2006, 11:20 PM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Baytown, Texas
Posts: 415
RE: Am I at fault???
Good point TimberCreek. There are many things that we don't have to practice but can have success, but bow hunting is not one of them. I try to practice through out the year and after deer season, we still bow hunt for hogs. We actually have a bow club about 8 miles away that is on 85 acres with a lot of trees. There is abow range for compound and cross bows with targets from 10 to 50 yards. They have competitions there once a month, but Idon'tdo them. I use it for practice when not at the lease and it is close by. It alsohas trails set up and various decoys set up from ground blinds to tower blinds.
But, the bottom line is practice is a must when bow hunting wether it is a compound bow or even a cross bow. And, all you have to do is purchase a foam block and mark off the distance in the back yard. Just make sure no dog, cat or person can get hit. You can even make your own targest and use a bale of hay, which I have done before.
One thing I know is no matter how good you get, when a buck walks out, you will get that "buck fever" and that makes it even harder to make a good shot. Not being practiced up added to the difficulty too and a potential bad shot.
But, the bottom line is practice is a must when bow hunting wether it is a compound bow or even a cross bow. And, all you have to do is purchase a foam block and mark off the distance in the back yard. Just make sure no dog, cat or person can get hit. You can even make your own targest and use a bale of hay, which I have done before.
One thing I know is no matter how good you get, when a buck walks out, you will get that "buck fever" and that makes it even harder to make a good shot. Not being practiced up added to the difficulty too and a potential bad shot.
10-22-2006, 11:29 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Newtonville, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,896
RE: Am I at fault???
Opinion number 2. If you unleash an arrow at a deer, fully knowing you are not "terribly accurate" you should be ashamed of yourself. Keep practicing until you are deadly enough to kill consistantly or go and start using a crossbow. Trouble is your judgement, it stinks, so you may not be good enough to be out there hunting. Feeling bad is a good thing but going out there like you do is not. I appologize for telling you what I did and if it sounds harsh it was not meant to hurt your feelings.
10-22-2006, 11:31 PM
#6
Site Bouncer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,099
RE: Am I at fault???
If you feel more comfortable with the crossbow and it's legal in your state then by all means shoot the crossbow. Good luck, I hope you have a very productive hunting life and pass it on to your children.
10-22-2006, 11:38 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 6
RE: Am I at fault???
Dnk...no hard feelings...I do see where you are comin from too...Maybe I need some input like that to kind of whip me in to shape ya know?? I just don't want to give up but at the same time I feel the deer deserve much better...
10-22-2006, 11:43 PM
#8
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: El Dorado, Arkansas
Posts: 2,174
RE: Am I at fault???
OK. , I guess I don't understand. But I will give my thoughts on this matter, as I understand it.
Crossbows, if legal in your state, are fine. There is nothing wrong with using a crossbow, for whatever reason. The only problem is that they are no more accurate than a compound bow. I speak from experience. I started bowhunting in the early 80's with a crossbow. I shot a PSE starfire. The idea that they are like shooting a rifle is bunk! The are still very limited by range. They still suffer from the effects of wind, shot placement, and deflection amongst other things. You still have to sight them in. You still have to practice with them to be effective and fair to the game. So your reason for switching to a crossbow is beyond my understanding. If you did not practice with the compound bow, what would make you practice with a crossbow.
You still have to aim the bow. You can still screw the shot up. You can still aim too high, too low, too far back, or ping a shoulder. So with both bows you still have to aim and release the arrow. Your reason for switching still doesn't make sense.
If you hit with a compound bow, you are not guaranteed a quick clean kill. A deer can run off and die, as we have all been reading so much about lately. If you hit with a crossbow, they can still do the same. Both bows kill by the same method. Shooting a razor sharp metal cutting edge through the deers vitals, shredding as much meat and muscle as possible, causing massive internal hemmorage thus causing the deer to bleed to death. I have to ask you, isn't that what they both do? So how does that improve, by swapping to a crossbow, if they both kill by the same method?
I feel that you might be using the accuracy think as a crutch, to justify a want to , not a have to do. You could practice with the compound and get better...... If you wanted to. But sometimes we get lazy and take the easy way out. But I would really like you to answer one question. What are you going to blame it on , and what are you going to switch to , after you make a shot on a deer with the crossbow and lose that deer?
A crossbow is no more of a sure thing than a compound is a less effective method. They are both bows, subject to all of the same physical laws, limited by the same issues, and killing by the same method.
Just say you didn't like the compound bow, it was too much work for ya, and you decided to get a crossbow.... I would at least believe that.
Crossbows, if legal in your state, are fine. There is nothing wrong with using a crossbow, for whatever reason. The only problem is that they are no more accurate than a compound bow. I speak from experience. I started bowhunting in the early 80's with a crossbow. I shot a PSE starfire. The idea that they are like shooting a rifle is bunk! The are still very limited by range. They still suffer from the effects of wind, shot placement, and deflection amongst other things. You still have to sight them in. You still have to practice with them to be effective and fair to the game. So your reason for switching to a crossbow is beyond my understanding. If you did not practice with the compound bow, what would make you practice with a crossbow.
You still have to aim the bow. You can still screw the shot up. You can still aim too high, too low, too far back, or ping a shoulder. So with both bows you still have to aim and release the arrow. Your reason for switching still doesn't make sense.
If you hit with a compound bow, you are not guaranteed a quick clean kill. A deer can run off and die, as we have all been reading so much about lately. If you hit with a crossbow, they can still do the same. Both bows kill by the same method. Shooting a razor sharp metal cutting edge through the deers vitals, shredding as much meat and muscle as possible, causing massive internal hemmorage thus causing the deer to bleed to death. I have to ask you, isn't that what they both do? So how does that improve, by swapping to a crossbow, if they both kill by the same method?
I feel that you might be using the accuracy think as a crutch, to justify a want to , not a have to do. You could practice with the compound and get better...... If you wanted to. But sometimes we get lazy and take the easy way out. But I would really like you to answer one question. What are you going to blame it on , and what are you going to switch to , after you make a shot on a deer with the crossbow and lose that deer?
A crossbow is no more of a sure thing than a compound is a less effective method. They are both bows, subject to all of the same physical laws, limited by the same issues, and killing by the same method.
Just say you didn't like the compound bow, it was too much work for ya, and you decided to get a crossbow.... I would at least believe that.
10-22-2006, 11:52 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Newtonville, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 3,896
RE: Am I at fault???
ORIGINAL: RedBaron10
Dnk...no hard feelings...I do see where you are comin from too...Maybe I need some input like that to kind of whip me in to shape ya know?? I just don't want to give up but at the same time I feel the deer deserve much better...
Dnk...no hard feelings...I do see where you are comin from too...Maybe I need some input like that to kind of whip me in to shape ya know?? I just don't want to give up but at the same time I feel the deer deserve much better...
Much of that does not exist on a good crossbow if you do what you are supposed to do. Ohio has tons of crossbow hunters and ain't nothing wrong with it either.
Take your bow and arrows to a good proshop to see what is wrong or join a club and get help.
If you have questions about Xbows go to the crossbow forum, they are great people.