What do you guys think about the crossbow explosion that's going on. I would rather see a kid out there hunting with some kind of bow weather its a crossbow or compound. At least the have the thrill of bow hunting. Here in west virginia its illegal unless you are disabled and have a permit that states you can use it. Does your state allow them?
In Iowa its illegal also unless you have the disability permit. I dont see a problem with crossbows but the right person has to be shooting. There are idiots who pick up any other weapon to hunt with and shouldnt be able to hunt. I've seen some scary stuff.
Yea me to I have seen some dumb people do some dumb things. My cousin took out his dads 20 gage and was shooting at sparrows with several houses around and all his dad did was tell him to go in a field. They live next to a hospital doesn't make any sense to me
Not legal here in Wisconsin unless you have a disabled permit. I'm on the fence and see both sides of the issue.
Crossbows are legal in Arkansas for anyone during archery season. I don't have a problem with crossbow hunters.
Just made legal last year or two ago here. I don't view them as archery gear, and coming from an already crowded state, I detest the addition of any more people in the woods. That said, it does allow my Dad to keep getting out during our archery season, because he's too old to climb trees, doesn't do the blind thing and has difficulty pulling back a bow, especially without spooking a deer.
You know what we say about West Virginians.....:D And you cousin and his dad (not your dad to by any chance??? :D ) just proved it.... Sorry Bro, couldn't resist such a classic opportunity.... I've taken a few people to the woods with my crossbow. I've only ever shot it maybe 50 times or so, and never hunted with it, but it's enabled a couple kids and 5 adults to have opportunities to be in the woods that they wouldn't have otherwise had.... It's been shot twice at deer and killed on deer in it's ventures out there... But the second kid I took out with it decided he needed to shoot a "real bow" and I got him set-up with a "real bow" and his first shot ever at a deer produced this result.... He doesn't look very happy, but he was, he was just tired because he dragged the little thing ALL BY HIMSELF nearly 1/2 mile
In Indiana it's currently much of the same, illegal without a permit. However, there is a lot of talk to open up that law and allow them at all times just like a bow. I personally am not that big of a fan. I look at the first archery season as a priveledge to us few hunters who make this a sport and are rather passionate about it (ask the girlfriend how upset she gets about it). Once you get into rifle season, well anyone can put a shell in the chamber and shoot the first thing that walks by, some just get lucky and have a huge buck (i can't lie, i did a few years ago). I just look at crossbows just as i do guns, At least with a bow you still have to draw, be steady and make a good shot under intense pressure. I just look at the first archery season as a way for us bowhunters to get to use what we work so hard to achieve and we don't need a bunch of point and shoot people getting in the way.
Legal here in TN as well, disabled or not. Now people that don't know how to use a real bow get to play as well, easy 100yd shots with Xbow a lot of them think and no practice either......
I'd second that. I am bitterly opposed to the introduction of new hunters to the sport (in areas where the # of hunters has already surpassed the saturation point). We have so many people in the woods already (Pennsylvania), that it's become unsafe. In that regard, where the crossbow attracts newbs, I could do without it. On the other hand, I got the thrill of spending a couple days in the rut in a tree with a kid with Cystic Fibrosis, and watched him arrow a doe with a crossbow. He called it his first "archery" deer. I wouldn't call it "archery, but I didn't want to rain all over the kid's parade. He had fun. Crossbows are supreme weapons. There is no skill and little maintenance required. Just point and click. It is what it is, I guess. They make even the most advanced compounds look like tinkertoys. If you're a bowhunter that shoots 50% (kill to miss/wound) or less, then a crossbow is probably a good purchase. With the limited resource that we're hunting, I'd rather see the shooting percentage nudge closer to 100%, and leave a few less deadheads laying around the woods. Kill the first thing you shoot at, fill your tag, and get out of the woods. Is it archery? Unequivocally no. Is it effective? Unequivocally yes.
This is an interesting stance. As a whole, people are always talking about getting more people involved in the sport. In fact, the antis are saying that clearly hunting should be banned because less and less people do it every year and that only like 5% of all people hunt. On the other hand then there are people with your position that want the whole woods to yourself and the less hunters involved in the sport the better.
I know where Joe is coming from , a real Bow would be a Longbow or maybe a Recurve would fall into that catagory . I know what OHbowhntr is saying , just a minor correction .... well done to the young man on dragging her out alone ... Kudo's
