Crossbows are bad to me....if you cant shoot a real bow for hunting during archery only seasons....but want to shoot a crossbow. have at it...just dont call it bowhunting and do it during archery seasons.
hunt with it during the general firearms season...afterall it has a stock, a trigger, and most are mounted with scopes.
crossbows are not meant to be used for hunting during archery only seasons....
use them all you want...just not for bowhunting as they have little in common with a hand held, hand drawn vertical bow. The compound of today has gone way too far with 90%+ let off, scopes, laser range finders built into sights, etc....
have to draw the line somewhere and I say keep xbows out of archery season...period.
have you pro technology guys forgotten that archery only seasons and the true muzzleloader seasons were enacted to give people shooting primitive weapons a head start on hunting without competing with the rifles and shotguns. That the challenge was in getting close and using skills, woodsmanship, and close range tactics in getting an opportunity (not a sure thing).....it took dedication aside from some that were lucky...but to be consistent you had to work at it.
now with modern blackpowder you shoot sabot rounds with pellet powder that is breech loaded with scopes on top and shotgun primers that are accurate over 200 yards and is nothing more than a single shot rifle to be honest. same with compounds....with the 90%+ let off....auto range finding sights, lighted nocks, 350+ fps speeds on ultralight arrows with expandable heads....guys are taking 70yd shots on a regular basis with quartering toward shots at 30-45 yards common in magazines and television. Also a far cry from what it was in past.
Once again...it is not about how far you can shoot...or how many animals you shoot at...it is about challenge, woodsmanship, dedication and seeing how you fare against animals within their danger zone of 10-30 yards for whitetail...being WOLF CLOSE where they are their most alert.
when television and magazines show over and over the young person or first time hunter and they are taken and get a Booner or PY buck that would rival 90% of what we have shot after a lifetime...yeah it is exciting but is it setting that person up for life of disappointment or temptation with more technology as they strive to beat that first rush of the record animal their parent or outfitter found, filmed, patterned, and then put them there to shoot when it came by the stand? how much better would it be for them to sit the stand with a parent...take a doe or cull buck for their first...learn how to track and read sign...learn disappointment with not playing the wind, not practicing the shots, not making good choices...to be rewarded with a nice doe or small buck after some work. Then having to work out their own stand and animals after that on their own...learning both successes and defeats?
We are cheating our youth and ourselves by allowing technology to replace skills and emotions felt and learned over thousands of years....by turning the killing of an animal into more about long range shooting and technology than the intimate, emotional, killing experience it can be when successful...or the frustration when things dont go right but you never give up.????
No xbows in bow seasons....I think industry is driving modern bows and xbows...and that is why it is so popular with television personalities being the primary driver and the ability to do little more than sight in the xbow and then go hunting the same day if you want just like most hunters do with rifles already. I think we will lose the battle and xbows will be allowed in the P&Y as an official bow for book animals...too much money being thrown around for it not to happen...just like P&Y giving in to raising the letoff above 65%....and how they seem to be leaning for allowing lighted/electronic nocks....all because someone shot a potential world class animal and it cant be listed.
Proves it is all about how much money and recognition you can get as an org or person...and not respect for the animal or the skills to get close and make it happen as the seasons were intended when first enacted in 50s and 60s.
Topic: Crossbow usage up in MI. Good or bad for us? (Read 8073 times)
