Here's a look why crossbow hunting has become so popular and opportunities continue to boom across the country. The post Why Has Crossbow Hunting Become So Popular? appeared first on Bowhunting.com. Continue reading...
the not-directly-mentioned answer to this question is that people who would previously only hunt with a rifle are now afforded the opportunity to hunt during earlier, less crowded, and warmer archery seasons. That overlaps with introducing kids to the sport and keeping senior hunters in the woods for more seasons. Kids (and parents hunting with their kids) and old hunters are generally not big fans of the cold or the crowds that come with gun season. My old man and my uncle would have quit hunting 10-12 years ago if it weren't for crossbows. And my first and only 2 tries to get my nephew to go gun hunting were cut short in a grand total of 2 hours due to cold. I can't help but think he'd have enjoyed it if it hadn't been so cold.
Just got back from taking mine in for new strings. He said they really weren't that bad. I was nervous about the freying and being the original strings many years old and used yearly. It has saved my late season bow hunting. For that is the ML season here and COLD!. It also allows me to hunt pieces of my land that would be illegal in gun season. Extends my bow season when my old shoulder is screaming at me. So there are many benefits to using a crossbow . I also enjoy chuck hunting and turkey hunting with it.
Not implying anything here but some time ago I ask people why they hunted with a crossbow and not a compound or traditional bows. The 3 most common responses were : it's like shooting a rifle , it's so easy , and I don't have to practice. One other response that should be disturbing to all of us.......see how far you can shoot with those things . We've all seen the commercial where a crossbow is on the rifle range shooting 100 yds......that sends a terrible message. BTW.....yes , I've heard the stories of a few compound shooters taking ridiculous shots as well.
Crossbows definitely have given hunters more opportunities to hunt and be more successful. They are easy to shoot, require lower skill set to enter the game, and increased accuracy at longer ranges. If crossbows help hunters make cleaner kills and less wounded animals that is a good thing! Definitely removes some obstacles out of the way when taking a shot, that you need to consider when using vertical bow.
I would far rather someone take a long shot with a crossbow than with a compound. You are kidding yourself if you think that most compound shooters don't stretch their lethal range when the opportunity arises. Most guys that don't spend a lot of time with their weapon will wound far less game with a crossbow in my opinion. I shoot both weapons. They both have their place. A crossbow is in fact very easy to be proficient with. Even if it is your first shot of the year. That is the honest truth. That being said, not everyone makes shooting a bow their life's ambition. Not everyone has the time to shoot archery all year. Not everyone cares to shoot thousands of rounds with a bow. The crossbow allows for the older, younger, handicapped, family man, coach, businessowner, commuter, to have the time and ability to enjoy the outdoors and have a reasonable expectation for success. I am not afraid to share the resources with crossbow hunters.
I agree with this - and we actually wrote an article about it. https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2018/01/31/crossbow-marketing-harm-good/
Just be careful about making a statement about wounding since that plays right into the anti-hunters hands.
I bought my crossbow after having issues drawing my bow after sitting for hours in 0 degrees. the idea behind my crossbow is essentially super cold days, outside of that I plan on my bow.
I used one for a couple yrs after a broken shoulder. Would have been 2-3 seasons sitting the bench without it. I’m thankful they were legalized for disabilities back then. Now the laws are much more liberal. While there is an ugly side to this with the lazy, slob hunter argument, there is a silver lining as well. I definitely don’t think crossbows have had the devastating impact that die hard vertical guys said it would have. In fact when I talk to a lot of guys who shoot crossbows I don’t hear too many stories of wounding deer. A lot of killing. The opposite is true with compound guys. I hear quite a few “was a touch back” or “I dropped my hand” or “ I couldn’t see my pins” stories. Then there is the youth, elderly, guys with little time argument. I would rather have a guy that can finally break away and get one hunt in the woods after having to work 80hrs/wk and not practicing with his compound all year wielding a crossbow instead. I’d rather have a youth who are so consumed with technology and social media in a ground blind with a crossbow for once rather than making tik toks at home. I’d rather that arthritic old guy, who will be me one day, still out enjoying nature and a hobby he loved his whole life. I sold my cross bow when I could draw a compound again, but don’t think for one instant I won’t go back to one if that’s what it takes to keep me in the woods. Don’t think I won’t get my kids using one if they don’t seem to take an interest in a compound. Whatever it takes to keep people hunting. Our numbers are dropping we need all hands on deck.
OND my opinion favors crossbow use. Wouldn’t think you would dislike that. My verbiage is a little confusing with all the double negatives lol
The wounding argument is a main factor in throwing shade on crossbow users. Most of the folks that strongly oppose crossbows use the reasoning that the users will take extra long shots and wound more game. I would argue that the crossbow makes for a much more proficient weekend warrior than the compound and everyone deserves the opportunity to be in the woods with the weapon of their choosing or comfort level. Wounding game is part of hunting and always will be. It is our moral and ethical responsibility to limit the chance of wounding as much as humanly possible. For some, that means grabbing a crossbow instead of a compound. For all of us, it means taking only those shots that are more or less a slam-dunk. If we want to take away the wounding argument from the Anit's........we need to stop taking shots that are beyond our proficiency level and use the best weapon for the job. Ignoring the term or argument will not make it go away. If we don't police ourselves, there will always be someone else that is glad to point out our failure to do so.
That was a fat finger mistake! ...LOL Ps. ..Im a post and run person, thus such errors not caught until later. Thank You for pointing that out in a polite way.
