Should the Airbow Be Legal for Archery Season?

Missouri has changed the number of tags available to bow hunters, and those changes coincide with the addition of crossbows to the archery season. I know that's not a terrible thing, but it is an example where the available individual harvest potential has been decreased.

 

Ohio has long allowed crossbows. It's a one buck state.

Also, If you are aware of a state that has included the "airbow" in the general archery or bowhunting season, I would love to hear about it. You stated "some places where air "bows" are now legal" so by this you seem to imply that its during a dedicated archery or bowhunting only season. Please list any and all states this is a true statement. I am aware of them being allowed in firearms seasons as well as small game seasons but you seem to have information indicating they have been inserted into archery/bowhuting only seasons.

But your airbow comment (seeking dats showing allowance has already caused "horrific" things) was silly on its face since the airbow has only just now been made available to the public so even if it were allowed in a bowhunting only season, there would not yet be data gathered on a new weapons type.

 

One need only look to satisfy any questions about how increased (ease of) harvest has the effect of reducing opportunity. (that's if they are sincere about learning)

 

Was the change specifically due to an increase in harvest percentage due to crossbows, or were other factors such as EHD and reduced deer populations also a factor here? Asking because I truly don't know - not being facetious.

 

When Roy Case petitioned the Wisconsin conservation Commission in the 1930"s to create the nation's first bowhunting season he did not seek to carve out space from another weapon's season. This company wants to take a human powered season and insert a stored energy, shoulder fired weapon. Not for the good of wildlife management but solely for the sake of creating a profit center.

Also, as you can see below, there is no state that allows the "airbow" to be used in a bowhunting only season so any such claims that I should be able to show the negative impacts of the airbow were silly at best.

 

There's plenty of one buck states out there that have been that way forever, and whose regulations had nothing to do with crossbows. Additionally, Ohio has a thriving deer herd and trophy potential on par or better than most other places in the country. You can harvest up to 6 deer in Ohio so I wouldn't stay opportunities are limited to put meat in the freezer.

To my understanding they haven't been added yet, and may never be. Who knows.

I believe it's a relatively safe assumption that the air bow appeals to the same demographic as crossbows since it offers roughly the same benefits. People have long feared the droves of crossbow hunters flooding the woods and slaughtering all of the deer once they became legalized - which to date has not happened. Call me crazy but assuming air bows were made legal in archery season I don't see that changing.

Lots of rampant speculation and fear mongering over crossbows ruining deer hunting yet none of it ever actually comes true. Imagine that.

 

It's possible it could be either one or a combination of both, I don't really know either. My gut feeling is that it has more to do with the potential harvest than EHD, as EHD is a temporary issue and I don't think they would create a long term solution for a temporary problem.

I will say that I don't think the tag reduction is a bad thing, if Missouri wants to produce trophy class bucks, they need to manage to do so. That's something they have never shown any interest in though.

 

LOL at "rampant speculation and fear mongering". The correct term would of course be diligence and watchdogging and protection and preserving the future of bowhunting. But this dialog is more about the "airbow" but like the airbow, other shoulder fired, stored energy weapons have to be considered if one hope to properly manage a resource like deer.

Thankfully there are state bowhunting orgs, Pope and Young and The professional bowhunting society that remain diligent and at the ready to defend bowhunting from the negative impacts of stored energy seasons. This is why WI was one of (if not the only) state to correctly structure a crossbow season separate of bowhunting and defeat the NRA's push for crossbows. WI is uniquely posed to capture the usage and harvest stats where other states made the mistake of lumping the xbow into their general archery season and those states lost the ability to filter out usage, harvest rates between the 2 different weapons. There are a couple resolutions pending in WI to shorten the crossbow season length after 3 seasons of harvest data has shown the crossbower has a higher success rate per person than not only bowhunters but even that of gun deer hunters.

Gun deer hunters now have no reason to take objection with bowhunters since we can show them the increased harvest comes from a stored energy, stocked, shoulder fired xbow and not from bowhunters.

 

So do you just make up your own "facts" as you go along?

Ohio Harvest Data - look on page 2 for harvest breakdown of vertical bow versus crossbow.

https://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/Portal...ations/hunting/Pub 5304_DeerSummary_FINAL.pdf

IL records these numbers when deer are registered, but unfortunately do not publish them.

Missouri harvest data for 2016/2017 - first year of legalized crossbows. They killed 2,000 fewer deer than the year before and 6,500 less than the peak harvest in 2012.

2016 - 47,550 deer killed under archery methods, 14,336 were with crossbows.
2015 - 49,759
2014 - 51,755
2013 - 50,507
2012 - 53,997
2011 - 52,671

 

No, we get it from the Wisconsin DNR. Thankfully they provide specific data for bowhunters and for crossbowers and firerams hunters so we can tell who is killing what and at what success rate per license sold. They (and we) use it as a foundation for resource management. The OH data cited does not break down the success rate for the crossbowers vs bowhunters. It makes the mistake of lumping them under "archery" Wisconsin did not make that mistake so we can specifically detail the success rate for the gun deer hunter and the bowhunter and that of the crossbower. The highest success rate is that of the crossbower. An "airbower" would certainly be even higher and would likewise not be included in the WI bowhunting season (if "airbows" were considered archery equip)

In states that made the mistake of lumping shoulder fired , stored energy weapons into their "archery" season, they could not sort out the effective rate of the "airbower" any more thatn they could the "crossbower". as such, gun hunters would have reason to take issue against "archery" hunters and their kills when in fact they would actually be taking issue with crossbows and airbowers and not bowhunters.

 

I'm not sure why the attempt to put WI in a class by itself, but Justin in correct in his data! Hell, even the little state of RI keeps track of vertical and cross bow kills. So much for WI being poised to uniquely capture data. RI has been doing it since 2011 when crossbows were added to our archery season. That does not strike me a unique. Now apparently we did not stun the hunting world by boldly announcing a separate season for the crossbow. We (foolishly, according to some), made it part of our archery season. Low and behold - nothing bad happened! We are still able to make adjustments to our harvest takes and season lengths if we so choose or if there is a need to adjust management numbers. And my personal opinion is that the air bow is a gun and not a bow. Will my little, unique state allow air bows? Don't know, but based on what I am reading thus far, I suspect it will fall into a gun category.

 

@ OP Just curious what your stance is on crossbows for the handicapped or for youth?

Also, at least where I am from, I see a lot of people who bowhunt. In the parking lots of public areas, at gas stations etc. I don't think I see this huge surge in people using them. Again, I'm speaking for my area. It just seems to me that your assumption that crossbows will have a significant negative impact seems a bit far fetched. After all, bow hunting survived the introduction of the compound bow. At the time I would be willing to bet it caught as much (or more) flak from the old school trad guys.

And one more thing.... I think part of the states big push (besides profit) for crossbow participation is the decline in hunters in general. Sort of casting a desperate net to appeal to those who are young or physically challenged. I could be wrong as I've not verified the data myself but it seems like I hear it a lot.

And finally, the last thing I'm worried about are youth and disabled (or just plain lazy people) putting a dent in the deer herd. Doesn't seem like it would add up.

FYI. I did use a crossbow for 3 years due to a broken shoulder. As soon as I could I went back to a compound. The use of a cross bow was cumbersome and annoying. They're big and heavy and in general just a P.I.T.A.

Ok I'm done now.


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Hunter success rate (kill per license type purchased) The crossbower kills bucks bucks at a rate higher than not only bowhunters but also gun deer hunters.



Crossbow buck kill and success rate since the formation of the new crossbow deer season in WI


2014 buck kill 61,204…..(19.45% success rate)


2015 buck kill 77,686…..(21.98% success rate)


2016 buck kill 95,680…..(21.85% success rate)


Each year the kill climbs and the crossbower has a very high success rate compared to that of gun deer hunters and bowhunters.


Meanwhile the bowhunter’s buck success rate for the last 5 years averaged 15.81%

And the 5 year average for the gun deer hunter killing bucks is 16.13%

The crossbower who uses an advanced weapon yet currently enjoys a season length that mirrors the bowhunting season has a far higher success rate. In an effort to equalize this and keep harvest on par and so as not to have a single weapon with a success rate far higher than even firearms, there are resolutions to reduce the season length of the crossbower. Had WI made the mistake of lumping crossbows in with actual bowhunters, there would be no ability to shorten the crossbow season without negatively impacting bowhunting.

If (and I highly doubt it could ever happen) the airbow were to be a legal weapon in WI to hunt deer, it could not be allowed within the bowhunting season and I doubt it could even be included into the crossbow season. As a firearm, it could however be included in the forearms season (I would have no beef with that)

As to the uniqueness of WI, KY has likewise done a good job of separating actual bowhunting from crossbowing (or whatever that sort calls what they do) but many states folded and included crosbowing into their archery season. Those states would be the most impacted by “airbow” inclusion. My comments about the crossbow are in regards to the "Airbow" being allowed into what is commonly understood to be an archery deer season since it relates since the "airbow" and crossbow are stored energy, shoulder fired and very effective weaponry vs human powered tools of the bowhunter and what it would be reasonable to expect if the "airbow" or any other non-human powered shoulder discharged weapon be lumped in with bowhunting. Some hope to turn this into a crossbow thread. I hoped to make the most recent comparison to advanced weaponry inclusion into human powered bowhunting seasons.

Personally I don't have a beef with the crossbows (nor would I of the new "airbow" ) if they are known to be crossbowing or airbowing. Since the term "bowhunting" and bowhunter" have a very specific meaning that some are trying to coopt without actually being a bowhunter. Roy Case coined the term bowhunter to mean a very specific thing and its not subject to revision. If one has a desire to be known as a bowhunter, take up the sport of human powered archery for the purposes of taking game.

 

Arrowguns will not cause a destruction of anyone's deer population. Arkansas allowed xbows many years ago and have more deer today then probably ever. More deer are most likely to be killed by cars than hunters.

Every deer season people buy bows, crossbows muzzle loaders and guns and hit the woods to bag a big buck. Some manage to even get one, while some just wound deer but most never even see a deer. Some stay with it and others sell the gear and give up. Years ago I sold an old xbow to a guy who wanted to bow hunt because the season would allow him better chances to hunt. Today he hunts with a recurve and wooden shafts. Very few of us were born into an archery only hunting family. Most of us have and do use many different methods in hunting and fishing.

Regardless of projectile it is a gun just like my .410 that shoots arrows. Which is not legal in any season in Kansas.

 

I talked to a couple of pro shop owners in KS after they allowed crossbows during the archery season. They indicated that sales of crossbows had gone up slightly, but they also said that most people change their mind and stick with stick and string once they find out the effective range isn't increased any.
I wasn't thrilled when the law changed, but it hasn't effected me a whole lot in my area. If I start seeing a lot of wounded animals, or start finding a lot of skeletons that have been shot, you can bet I'll be calling KDWPT.

 

Its pretty simple. The number of deer to be harvested and number of tags issued is based on historical data and success. If we do not meet the harvest goals, tag numbers will be increased, if that still doesn't meet the goals, additional hunting will be added until the numbers of deer harvested meets the desired goal.

In WI since they opened Crossbows to everybody, the total "archery" kill has increased from 81,000 in 2014, to 87,000 in 2015, to 88,000 in 2016. During the same time the "Bow" numbers have decreased from 54,000 in 2014, 53,000 in 2015, 48,000 in 2016. Even though total "archery" tags has been pretty stable. The WI DNR threw another variable into the equation by keeping Archery season open during the 9 day gun hunt.

With only three years data it is hard to tell what is the trend. If we assume as more crossbows or maybe arrow guns in the future come into use, the effectiveness will also increase which means in order to keep the harvest consistent, the only options are to issue fewer tags, or shorten the time period in which the issued tags can be filled. Over the next couple years these numbers need to be watched to see what the trend actually is.

 

Yes, there are those following this data closely in WI and already moves to shorten the xbow season.

 

Hopefully they don't jump to any conclusions. Even with the crossbow, we haven't set any records in deer killed. The high number was 116,000 back in 2007, even the 94,000 of 2012 hasn't been reached. One number that is missing is the number of tags issued. They have the number of licensed hunters, but that isn't the same. I know some years I've had different number of buck and antlerless tags.

 

If I can get my .270 WSM to shoot arrows should that be a legal weapon to use for archery season? Does simply calling something a bow...make it a bow?

 

That is why buck tags are the standard for usage and harvest data keeping since antlerless tags fluctuate annually. Everybody that buys a bowhunting license gets a buck tag, Everybody that buys a crossbowers license gets a buck tag and both tend to focus efforts on killing bucks. There are areas of the state that prohibit killing antlerless and wild swings in allowable antlerless tags from year to year in other areas of the state so using antlerless kill data is a poor indicator of success rate per hunter.