bigcountry

I guess to get people to understand. Lets start here.

Would everyone agree that a crossbow is 3 times easier than a compound and a compound is twice as easy as a longbow. And of course, just about anybody can kill with a rifle?If you start there, it may be more clear on why the stance is took.

Compounds have presidence, bottom line and was allowed. Thats the reason there wasn't a uproar when they hit the scene and bow hunters was a small crowd. Its not anymore and have a huge voice. If longbow/recurve shooters were the size that all bow hutners are, then compounds would have faced the same opposition as cross.

For my stance, I am going backwards in life. So its easy for me to say all this. I wish hunting should be about the feel and tradition. Not just about the kill. And I was very much opposed to crossbows in MD during the regular season but very much for disabled people using them. Anything to get them in the woods.

I see so many people use "absolutes" to defend crossbows for all. It just doesn't work very well. If it did, then why not have weapon of choice for the whole hunting season whether it be pistol, rifle, blackpowder, longbow, etc.

awshucks

Windwalker 7: Thanks for the nice post. I want to relate the following to you. I shot a stick bow when I was a kid, then kinda didn't shoot for a long while. One day in the late '80's I was at friends house checking out his state of the art new compound w/ over-draw and all the bells and whistles. He let me shoot it at 25 yd target. I barely got the first shot on the target, being as how it was the first time I ever used a mechanical release. I then shot 3 arrows into a 3" group, granted off the bulls-eye I was aiming at, but that would have been a simple sight adjustment if it were my bow. I had to shoot right handed, and I'm a lefty.

I currently shoot two Excal crossbows, daily, and have hunted w/ one last season. They are extremely un-weildly, very limited in range of movement in a stand, and are not really all that much of an advantage over a compact compound. A gentleman named Jim C. has conducted tests where he put lazers on compound and crossbows, and had archers try to hold them on the "X". The compound wins every time.

IMHO, the hunt consists of getting near enough to the game to take an ethical shot. For me, that is within 30 yds. On the rare occasions where a bow hunter actually does this, it's really immaterial what he/she uses to put the broad-head through the vitals and make a clean kill.

I'm sure there are many hunters that leave their equipment in the closet until a day or two prior to season opening. That's unfortunate, but in my 59 years, I've come to believe there is always a bozo on the bus.

Dnk

Big country, nice to see some reasonable words and please do not think that I am upset at your post. I do not see it as an attack.
I shoot my compound with more accuracy than my compound. Last weekend I had 3 bullseyes at 40 yds out of ten shots and one robinhood at 20.
It is reasonable to say there are no absolutes in anything in life.
Don't you think we hunters should encourage, not just the disabled but all to hunt? Shouldn't us hunters be pleased to see more in the fields? Aren't we stronger as a bigger group to defend our right to hunt? Isn't the popluation of deer in most parts of NA growing out of control? Aren't we as hunters being more ethical by using an efficient tool, just like using sharp broadheads as opposed to dull ones or using a big enough gun. Should women and the younger crowd who are not strong enough to pull back a legal bow be excluded from hunting?
Again this is not an attack but it would be interesting to know from what you experiences with in regards to your comment about a crossbow being like a rifle comment?
I think that a man who wants to make a statement about the validity of anything should do so with as much knowledge as possible. Please go an try to hunt with a crossbow for a bit and if you are not hooked please tell us why and how easy it was to slaughter an amazing amount of deer so easily. I think you may change your mind. I hope so.

lemoyne

I really think about 90% of it is the same kind of stupid prejudice as the anti-gun peopleand the people that don't like the color of your hair or skin or religion display. Lee

Dnk

lemoyne, Stupid may be correct in some cases but I still think its just plain miss-information rather that lack of intellegence, I hope anyways.
Guys check out what the source has to say about hunting with a crossbow its post #363 but the whole thread is pretty futile. Some people can never loose tunnel vision and will be wearing blinders for ever.http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=326294&page=10
I am amazed that a human can hate an inanimate object with such lust.

BuddyBo

I am amazed that a human can hate an inanimate object with such lust

I love that saying Dnk. It about says it all about crossbow haters.
If you don't like my Chevy S10, then don't buy one! If you don't like my 7mm rifle, then don't buy one! If you don't like my Ten Point Crossbow, then don't stand in front of it!
BBO

Dnk

Now that was funny Buddy!
Dan, record that for the sayings list! LOL

Hotburn76

I think alot of it comes down to ignorance and jealousy bottom line. Some of the people in statesthat do not have the CB are scared to death that if you allow the CB the deer heard will drop and then hunting will be harder for them. Ohio has proved this wrong with their deer numbers only climbing every year, when I started hunting deer in Ohio you could only kill a buck, now in all of the state you can kill a buck and a doe and in some parts of the state you can kill three, so this is where the ignorance or lack of understanding comes from. The other I believe is just plane jealousy. Here in Ohio I very rearly hear anything about using my CB. The only time I do is if its from and old timer that was hunting before the CB was leagalized. About half of the guys I work with all use a CB and the ones who dont never say a word. Its been almost thirty years here in ohio since the CB was started so all of the myths have died and just about all of the jealousy has disappeared to! TheCB is acepted as another weapon just like the inline ML compared to the Flintlock. Im in Ohio, Im lucky! In the states that do not have the CB I truely believe they are jealous that some young guys or the less devoted guys will be able to pick up a CB and start killing monster bucks just like them, Kinda like DJH artical on fear of loss. I will admit that I think the CB is easyier than the Compound. But if I had to score it I would say the long bow is by far the hardest at a 0 on a scale of 0-10 and the compound is 8 and the CB is 8.5. Sorry this is long but I feel those are the two main reasons as to why the CB gets the flack it does. Also guys try not to let others post in reply to the main question suck you into an argument, sometimes I think people come in and try to stir the pot in a soft way only to turn a post into a big argument and make us look unfriendly and lookbad, it does not help or cause. Also to the main question, get a CB you will love it!

bigcountry

But accuracy really isn't the bottom line when the ease comes with a crossbow. A crossbow is nothing more than a gun where you have a general limit of shots under 50 yards. I shooting my compound equally as well. In MD we have had the crossbow for over a year now. Now on all the lips of kids now under 18, they want to learn a crossbow. Kinda sad IMO. Any reasonable person will tell you crossbow hunting is much more easier. You can easily shoot the crossbow from a sitting situation, with only movement being aiming and pulling the trigger. Other than breath control, and trigger control, not much skill is involved. And yes I have tried it.

Not an attack here, but I ask then if you take that stance, where does it stop? Pretty soon, hunting has no spirit, no heart, just a tool for the DNR to keep animals in check. If you take that stance, then why not weapon of choice for the whole deer/elk/moose/etc seasons. My stance, is why not give the "high road" weapons first crack, longbow/recurve/compound. I added compound in there because most places, its there, and here to stay. Would be a moot point to exclude it. Then second crack to the easier weapons like muzzleloader/crossbow. Lastly rifle.

I have shot and killed with both? Not sure what to tell you. It used to excite me with both.

Listen, first off, yes, I will use a longbow this year for all my bow hunting. When I was a teenager, it was important to me to just get a deer on the ground. Maybe just for a kill, maybe insecurity wanting to drag something back to camp. I am not on a high and mighty stance because I switched to a longbow. I have always thought the more difficult weapon should have first crack at unspooked deer. But last year, I killed4 deer,2 boarwith a old PSE. Excitement wasn't there like it used to be. One was a fine buck. Still, I wasn't shaking in that stand, with excitement. It lost its spirit. So I switched up. I am so excited about shooting a deer with a old wood bow and cedar arrows. It would be nice for everyone to feel that.

I didn't really know how I felt about crossbows. But then started seeing the outcome here in MD. Didn't like what I saw. Everybody was at odds about the issue. You had hardcore bowhunters on one side, and mostly proshop owners and rifleman on the other. We cannot cout on hunting to be the total source for deer reduction. Its a well known fact that urban spraw is the issue for overpopulation.

I just took a good look at the hunting world one day when I was at cabelas. Its out of control. We hunters take the bait for anything these days. I see guys out buying 100's of lbs of corn for deer hunting, thier compounds looking like a weapon out of star wars.

It has nothing to do with ignorance and all that. Hunters know better. I see battles everyday where people are upset with people calling hunting a sport. I hear the "how is that a sport, the opponent is unaware its in the game".

Dnk

Ok this is my last post on this thread. The last thing I want to do is have long AT style debate on crossbows.
You've shown your lack of experience with crossbows by saying that crossbows are nothing more than a gun. First it shoots an arrow, 2nd the time between releasing the string on both instruments is identical to each other and no where similar to a rifle (a gun too if you will). Third, what is wrong with kids hunting with a bow, horizontal or vert? This smacks of jealousy that a "kid" will take your trophy. Your statement of 50 yard is rediculous and irresponsible at minimum. Fourty is stretching it. Sixth, spirit comes after the respect for the game we hunt after all we are the ONLY tool game managers have.
It sounds like you got bored of hunting with a rifle, compound and crossbow. Why impose your limits on everyone else?
Yes there are lots of "stuff" out there like compounds, bait etc and still the population of deer is still out of control.
You traditional bow hunters are pretty amazing when you take a deer without doubt. I wish I could say that I took a deer with a string and stick but after taking a deer with a long bow, I would get back to my 300, savage ml, compound, handgun and anything else to put meat on my table. I certainly would impose my limitations on others.
Why don't you leave these guys and gals alone and stick with our traditional archery, be proud of your achievements and stick together with everyone else to thwart the tide of antihunters? One more crossbow hunter means one more against antis and one less possible anti. Why be so narrow minded? Why don't you and your associates go out and encourage others to hunt with traditional equipment instead of bashing other forms of archery. In other words it is far more contructive and productive to encourage and enlighten then to criticize. BTW you never said you hunted with a crossbow, you did elude to that fact but I must say some of your comments about the comparison to "guns" and the range shows that you either did not hunt with a crossbow, you were not properly instructed or you are irresponsible. I will say that from you posts you appear to be intellegent so I doubt it was irresponsibility.
Again sorry I will not post on this thread again, neither will I read this for obvious reasons.