I hope they restrict crossbows next hunting season.

[Mrmonte]

I think the real argument is where crossbows fit into Indiana hunting, not whether they should legal to harvest deer with.

Im of the opinion that X-Bows are a better fit for firearm season. Hunters sit up in the tree and put that stock up to their shoulder, rest the front of their X-bow on the rail, look down the scope and pull the trigger. Seems more like a firearm to me.

Nobody has to agree with the regulations, we just have to follow them.

Disclaimer: im a ground hunter and I dont care if anyone wants to sit in a tree. Thats another topic itself.

 

[hammer24]

"My hunting is better than your hunting!"

"Hunting is a mystical, magical thing that only the enlightened can fully grasp, and those who are not like me are an abomination to our great sport!"

"Everybody should work as hard as I do at hunting or they are a slob, and doing it wrong!"

All of these are simply things people say to pat themselves on the back and make them feel better about themselves.

It is a form of elitism, and quite frankly most of these people would much rather have the number of hunters drop dramatically out of selfishness. These people have no vested interest in the future of hunting, nor the overall well being of the deer herd. What they are interested in is their own personal future in hunting and their own personal well being and ego.

 

[Mrmonte]

"My hunting is better than your hunting!"

"Hunting is a mystical, magical thing that only the enlightened can fully grasp, and those who are not like me are an abomination to our great sport!"

"Everybody should work as hard as I do at hunting or they are a slob, and doing it wrong!"

All of these are simply things people say to pat themselves on the back and make them feel better about themselves.

It is a form of elitism, and quite frankly most of these people would much rather have the number of hunters drop dramatically out of selfishness. These people have no vested interest in the future of hunting, nor the overall well being of the deer herd. What they are interested in is their own personal future in hunting and their own personal well being and ego.

Curious where you got all your quotes from. Did you just make them up cause your a dirty X Bow lover!

Take a deep breath and relax

 

[Willie]

I think the real argument is where crossbows fit into Indiana hunting, not whether they should legal to harvest deer with.

Im of the opinion that X-Bows are a better fit for firearm season. Hunters sit up in the tree and put that stock up to their shoulder, rest the front of their X-bow on the rail, look down the scope and pull the trigger. Seems more like a firearm to me.

Nobody has to agree with the regulations, we just have to follow them.

Disclaimer: im a ground hunter and I dont care if anyone wants to sit in a tree. Thats another topic itself.

Pretty simple.... They are archery equipment so therefore they belong in archery season.

 

[teddy12b]

Is anyone else not ok with crossbows being opened up to everyone for archery season? I understand how it was before with crossbows for people that could not physically use a regular bow. I think letting capable people use crossbows for the entire archery season is unfair to those that use a regular bow. In my opinion, a crossbow is for size purposes, is not unlike a short barrel rifle/shotgun. Wielding a regular bow takes more open air and more skill. If crossbows are going to be legal for everyone to use I hope that there is at least a different/shorter season for them. I'm sure some of you would say the same thing about my compound, but at least I still have to hold my draw until the proper shot is presented. By the way, I hunt from the ground fully visible to my prey.
Flame away.

The only problem I have is that we have divided seasons and we treat bow hunters like little princesses who get the prime parts of the season all to themselves and leave the gun hunters to the usually bitter cold and nasty parts of the hunting season. I'd rather see the hunting season open across the board with no favoritism based on the weapon used. Nothing against bow hunters, crossbow hunters or whatever, but I don't think anyone should get special treatment based on the weapon they use. Aside from letting the kids have a week to themselves I think we should all just go hunting with whatever weapon we use and not start crying if someone else uses something different.

 

[Mrmonte]

Pretty simple.... They are archery equipment so therefore they belong in archery season.

I thought I spelled out pretty clearly why it does not belong in archery season...

To each his own Willie.

 

[hammer24]

Curious where you got all your quotes from. Did you just make them up cause your a dirty X Bow lover!

Take a deep breath and relax

Not worked up at all really, I just get tired of this debate. And it is not really crossbows. Archery guys putting down guys that hunt with crossbows, or archery guys putting down rifle guys, then the insuing melee is an annual event. I just think it is stupid. Guys touting their way as harder, truer, better is nothing more than back handed jab at how others do their thing, and is really a cleverly disguised way of making themselves feel big, strong, and smart.

I love archery, I am a certified and active coach in the National Archery In Schools Program (NASP), and don't own a crossbow.

My quotes were direct quotes from "Archery Guy." At least that's how I hear it in my head!

 

[Willie]

I thought I spelled out pretty clearly why it does not belong in archery season...

To each his own Willie.

When you show me how to chamber a cartridge in my crossbow ill agree with you. Until then it is archery equipment...and we know where archery equipment goes, don't we?

 

[Mrmonte]

I love archery, I am a certified and active coach in the National Archery In Schools Program (NASP),

Glad to hear that, I might need your help!

 

[trimman83]

Just for S***'s and giggles, I looked up "archery" in Websters.....this is what it said:

"1: the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow" I can practice all I want, but I think it requires no art or skill. Well, I guess that settles it. I will no longer entertain the thought of taking my good ol' crossbow out in archery season. It is definitly more suited for firearm season. You bow guys are right. My Les Paul has 5 strings, but that doesn't make it archery equipment. I see the error of my ways!

 

[singlestacksig]

Just for S***'s and giggles, I looked up "archery" in Websters.....this is what it said:

"1: the art, practice, or skill of shooting with bow and arrow" I can practice all I want, but I think it requires no art or skill. Well, I guess that settles it. I will no longer entertain the thought of taking my good ol' crossbow out in archery season. It is definitly more suited for firearm season. You bow guys are right. My Les Paul has 5 strings, but that doesn't make it archery equipment. I see the error of my ways!

look up crossbow;

"a bow fixed crosswise on a stock"

 

[HICKMAN]

I think people should earn the right to hunt, not simply go to the store and just buy it.

how long did you serve in the military for?

 

[HICKMAN]

weird, I've never had a deer "jump the string" on my gun.

Never really had to pass on a deer more than 50 yards away

The only advantage I have with a crossbow is not having to have 4 different bows with different draw lengths and poundage for the whole family.

Sorry for you traditionalists. The skill isn't the 30 yard shot you make, it's getting the deer that close.

 

[Bosshoss]

OK since the OP and several others have admitted they have selfish reasons for disliking crossbows. Right now it’s over, the time to complain was the last couple of years when it was being discussed at several of the meeting held around the state. I don’t really care what you use to hunt with and care even less what you think I should hunt with.

I had several interesting things happen the last few months while looking at several shops for a crossbow. Before I let them know what I was wanting to look at I asked their opinion and thoughts on the crossbow thing. I realize that they are making money selling crossbows, but here are some things they said as best I can recall.

ALL of them said they were selling MORE crossbows than compounds. One dealer said it was like 10 crossbows to every compound. I know they are new this year but it is not to much of a stretch to see crossbows out number compounds in the woods in a few years. I was there in the late 70’s when compounds were just getting popular and the “REAL” bowhunters said it wasn’t right and wasn’t fair and too easy and all the arguments I’m hearing on here about crossbows.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing I got from the dealers was the NEW people it was bringing in. One dealer was excited that he had women come in and buy bows that said they couldn’t get proficient enough with a compound or pull and hold the weight back to hunt before. Some of these women were there by themselves NO husbands and NO boyfriends. He also said they asked a lot of general hunting questions and some very important ones like asking for tips on following bloodtrails and such that very few if any of the males that come in ask.

KIDS was another group that crossbows are bringing in to ARCHERY and deer hunting.

If you have never hunted with a crossbow PLEASE don’t tell me how easy it is. It has it’s own challenges and skill set.

I mentioned this to a couple of the dealers and they said that yes some would wait until the last minute to practice or buy a crossbow but he hadn’t seen any more of that than regular archery. He said every year he has several come in the week before archery season and buy a new setup, and some of them say put it together and sight it in for them and they will pick it up a couple of days before season starts.

So this kind of stuff happens all the time with all the equipment types. Just visit the shop the week before season opens and look who is in there and what they are buying.

There is plenty of room in the woods for everyone. The more we have hunting the more voices we have when it comes time to defend hunting.

To make a long post even longer I shot trap 30+ years ago and several of the trap shooters I shot with on a regular basis thought NO ONE needed a semi-auto rifle or handgun. Some of my friends shot bolt guns at Camp Perry and despised AR-15/M-16’s and thought NO ONE needed them. I still have friends that collect guns and they think NO ONE needs a handgun that hold 10 or more rounds.

This goes on in many areas guns, archery, etc. but I feel it is important to remember:

UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL.

You are entitled to your opinion as am I but no one really cares what it is.

Take someone new hunting and enjoy the sport.

 

[Willie]

,

 

[Hookeye]

Wonder why X bows were not allowed sooner since they've been around for so long.
And why the season is called an "archery season", not a "primitive season" or "early deer season".

There seem to be two camps............hunters of deer who use bows, and those who use bows and hunt deer.

 

[Hookeye]

Poooeeeyyy!

One does not have to "shoot for years" to adequatley master a compound well enough to blow off cobwebs in a matter of weeks, if not days.

BTDT many, many times....

Without an ingrained shot sequence it's much more likely to have an error occur (esp when stressed). Practice over time helps with that (excluding those afflicted with the disease of Target Panic)

"adequately master" now that's funny

Nobody is a robot, but solid skills developed over time, through proper practice make one more like a robot.

Of course we've all heard about the Jimbobs, who can't shoot paper or foam worth a darn, who drag their gear out a week before season and start flinging, and by golly when there's fur behind the sightpin they're just deadly.

Do think with sights and release the learning curve fast. And with sights and release the relearning curve even faster.

Yup, Joe Average can get a few baseball sized groups at 20 and maybe 30 yards, with minimal practice or experience. But most don't shoot that good.

And with that group size at 20 we already are seeing decent variation (IMHO). Shooting over time, developing a shot sequence, focus and muscle memory should reduce overall variation and the chance of a spike.

My money is on the folks who rattle shafts at 50 yards. Cobweb dudes that do that, I bet have shot for a while

 

[jmiller676]

This is another OC/CC debate. Are crossbows legal for archery? Yes, but the problem is many don't feel that crossbows are considered archery equipment and others swear they aren't related to firearms. Saying this is not about money is a complete lie. How many stand alone gun hunters have *****ed for the last decade because they're "screwed" because part of the rut is out of gun season? You don't think that the .gov thought "hey, lets open up crossbows in archery so we can get more licenses from people who mainly gun hunt." This was strictly money not about "rights". What pisses me off is the people that go buy a crossbow, clothes, all the gadgets and gimmicks 2 days before season. Then on opening day start trespassing thinking they can walk where ever they want. They don't have respect (the people described in the previous sentence) for woodsman-ship and skill. When you don't have a respect for those things you don't have respect for your fellow hunters and when that happens the SHTF. You hunt how you want, and I'll hunt how I want. But, we do not need to sugar coat and be politically correct saying it's allowing more hunters in the sport. I don't see crossbows as the problem I see the mentality behind using them (in archery season) a problem. It's a give me this and give me now world. Very little work and effort goes into crossbows and even compounds. Maybe it's the fact I do instinctive archery and I don't see the need for all the other stuff. I have encountered too many people in the woods that show absolutely zero respect for other hunters and the outdoors. I see crossbows as providing more of those types of people to hunt. Those are not the type of hunters we want. Why did hunting have to turn mainstream.

 

[bubba31]

Just my 2 cents worth,but I've hunted 3 different states over the years,and I've killed a good many deer with everything from stickbow to rifle,only thing I haven't got one with is a handgun,and that's because I've never chosen to hunt with a handgun,mostly,anymore,I use my compound bow and my muzzleloader,why? Because they are what I like to hunt with anymore,from my experience,a crossbow,due to the shorter limbs and draw length,has no more power,range,or killing capacity than a compound bow,they ARE easier to use in that they are held different,but that's it,I've actually found them to be more awkward to carry in the woods,I still need that deer within 20-30 yards or less to be effective,can I hit point of aim at 50-60 yards with it? Sure,very easily as a matter of fact,but you still have to judge range and adjust for arrow drop,and the arrow or "bolt" doesn't get there any faster,actually,my compound is faster than my crossbow,I think a hunters ethics matter much much more than whether they use a stickbow,compound bow,or crossbow,but that's just my opinion

 

[Bosshoss]

What pisses me off is the people that go buy a crossbow, bow, or gun, clothes, all the gadgets and gimmicks 2 days before season.

FIFY
Crossbow hunters are not the only one doing this.
I dealt with this every year when I had a FFL. I have probably shot 2000 or 3000 slugs thru new slug guns sighting them in for customers. Some looked shocked when I told them that they needed to check it out after I sighted it in and that they would have to adjust the scope for them. The last thing I would do the night before gun season opened was grab a .22 rifle and shoot a box of shells thru it to get rid of the flinch from getting hammered from slug guns in the last week.
In my post above it appears that is also happens with conventional Archery equipment as well(at least that is what the dealers told me FWIW)