Are Crossbows Becoming Too Efficient for Archery Season?

Are today's crossbows becoming too efficient for archery season? Do they deserve a season all their own, beyond the regular archery season?... Read more...

The post Are Crossbows Becoming Too Efficient for Archery Season? appeared first on Bowhunting.com.

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Oh man BHOD is stirring the pot with this one.
Everyone knows my opinion on this. So I'll hold off on the dislike fodder

 

The marketing of the x-bows really does not help.

 

SCANDAL

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Shots fired sub MOA from a 100 yards away with the new arrow-shooting rifle.

I should be in marketing.


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Ive been using a crossbow for three years due to a shoulder injury. I'm seriously thinking of returning to the compound now that the shoulder is healed up. I like the challenge of drawing on an animal at 10-20yds. But I also do alot of ground hunting where I'd never be able to draw on an animal. I also have never lost a crossbow shot animal. So I'm torn and may use both this season depending on the conditions. I definitely would like to put a compound back in my hands in a tree stand.

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Every crossbow in Ohio comes with a corn pile and buck bomb.

I am against crossbows in archery season... and bait piles if we are keeping score of that too.

 

Are 300 plus yard muzzleloaders too efficient for black powder season? Are range finding scopes and custom rifles capable of shooting over one thousand yards accurately too efficient for elk season? Are 370 fps compounds too efficient for archery season? Are shoot-through blinds too efficient for harvesting turkeys? Maybe each category should be broken down to get the woods to themselves for three or four days each year and you just pick the season you qualify for. That way, nobody has to get their feelings hurt and comparable egos can stay within their own clique.

Maybe we could further divide the ranks of outdoors users and make the entire experience distasteful to new recruits.

 

I thought this was a bowhunting site? Let's stay in our lane here.

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I knew you wouldn't like those analogies. They are solidly on point with the topic.

The only reason anyone can have to not allow a fellow hunter to enjoy archery season with a crossbow is because they are afraid that the crossbow shooter will have a better chance at success. So what. If it is a real problem, then maybe you are willing to give up half of the regular archery season to crossbow only. Outside of the perceived advantage to shooting a crossbow, give a solid argument for not allowing an archery tag to be filled by one.

 

You are 100% wrong on why I do not like having crossbows in our archery season. I have a lifetime of experience with crossbow hunters in my state. It has nothing to do with the weapon, but rather the crowd they attract. I could not care less about how a deer is shot.

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I've long said that we, as hunters, are far too emotional when it comes to making decisions about how best to manage our seasons and herds. I believe the inclusion of crossbows should be based on harvest goals and statistics, and nothing more. Each state has a DNR or Game Commission that estimates herd sizes and determines a goal for the number of animals that should be harvested while attempting to meet a goal of either reducing or growing herd size. If crossbow inclusion into archery season does not adversely affect those goals, then, by all means, have at it. Crossbow away until your heart is content.

I couldn't care less what anything thinks about the use of a crossbow in terms of how difficult it is or it isn't. Cry about it all you want on message boards, Facebook groups or to your buddies. Makes no difference to me.

Now, if we find that harvest totals, age structure, and buck:doe ratio start getting out of whack due to an increase in crossbow harvests, then we can revisit their inclusion into archery season. I'm open to exploring options for alternate season dates/lengths, harvest limits, etc. But until there's a problem, or an indication of a problem on the horizon, I'm not going to worry about it.

 

So, Iowa should not have a shotgun season because of the crowd it attracts?

We can use either crossbows or vertical bows for archery and I can promise you that more deer are crippled by vertical bow shooters that are slobs than those carrying crossbows. I would rather a slob tote a crossbow, because they are going to hunt either way and at least the crossbow gives them a chance to actually kill a deer and fill the tag. So, are you willing to split the archery season 50/50 with them? Or, since the crossbow attracts a lower form of life, should they be forced to hunt the end of the winter?

 

Spot on, though not to many on here will admit it.

Remember guys, a deer killed with modern archery gear is still considered a trophy....wait...so every bowhunter who kills a deer get's a trophy? let that sink in.

 

I do not gun hunt, so I have no opinion on the the details or regulations the State(s) should or should not place on those seasons.

I do not expect you to understand the intricacies of Ohios archery season and the crossbow issue. I do know that I have no clue on the issues Iowa deals with in their archery season. This is why I do not comment on it.

However, I am very familiar with Ohios issues and the crossbow crowd is out of hand here. We absolutely have dumbasses with vertical bows, 100% fact... However, the dumbass ratio is off the charts here with the crossbow crowd. There are great guys and elite hunters here that use crossbows also. I am not implying crossbow = slob. Far from it.

If Ohio wanted to allow anyone over say 50 years old and those unable to shoot a vertical bow for various reasons the option to hunt with crossbow, I'd 100% support that. This free for all ****show we have here needs addressed.

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We all form opinions based on what we have been personally exposed to. I get that you may have had poor experiences with crossbow shooters. I have absolutely zero experience with Ohio, so I am not qualified to comment on your state or what is good or bad about crossbows there. I just get irritated with all of the generalizations of hunters on hunters and their methods. Crossbow shooters seem to take a LOT of crap from vertical bow shooters and it normally reeks of elitism or irrational fear.

To be clear, in Iowa, you must be a senior or have a medical condition to qualify for a crossbow permit. That being said, it would take you all of ten minutes to find a doctor that would be happy to sign the form that gives you the right. I got a crossbow permit last Fall after breaking both wrists. The doctor asked why I marked the "temporary" box. I said, because I have every hope of using the vertical bow again. He wanted to change it to "permanent" just in case. I refused. Crossbows were a novelty at first, and the fad has passed. I could not care less, as the deer herd has continued to expand and the crossbow has allowed for a few more people to enjoy the outdoors. The state gets to sell a few more tags and the money goes to managing the wildlife. Win-win.

 

The difference that you all choose to ignore is shotgun, rifle, muzzle all have their place and season. I hunt private there for don't give a sheet but when you lump crossbow into archery because of semantics you create a distinction that the other do not.
Sorry boys but when looking though videos online I pass right by gun hunts and cross bow why... They are different and not what I'm into. We each get a opinion, mine is crossbows are awesome... For children, anyone that's injured , or can't pull back a bow. You never see a wounded warrior or a person with disabilities taken in the woods and handed a compound or recurve. They are handed a point and click scoped crossbow. And honestly thank God for all of those experiences. But let's not call it ice cream if the dog $hits in a bowl.

 

Fletch I have to ask what company is making a 370 fps compound bow?