Crossbows

[blackoak]

I voted no also

Comparing them to a rifle is a stretch, they are only accurate out to 40 maybe 50 yards then the heavy bolt drops off fast.

Also most of them I have seen don't have open sights, just a scope mount, We don't want people hunting with no sights, do we?

Most of your quality X bows will have either iron adjustable sights, or a low fix powered scope. I really don't think someone is going to try and use one of these without some type a sighting device.

 

[blackoak]

The same thing as a crossbow in my humble opinion. You look down the scope and pull the trigger.

I am a early season bowhunter and happy the way things are. What will allowing the crossbow into early archery season improve? They are already legal in the late season. Its not a question of whether its capable of taking game or should be legal durring the appropriate season. Yes on both accounts. I guess the real question is, when is the proper time to use them? Its not a bow, so I say, not durring early archery season.

A 30-06 goes bang and is a 600 yard weapon. An X bow goes twang and is the max a 50 yard weapon. I pull the trigger on my release when shooting my bow. When Indiana had it's first archery season, the weapon of choice was a stick and string. Now look what todays archery equipment has evolved into. I am a bowhunter who is willing to share the woods with X bow users.
I doubt seriously you will even notice them.

 

[trophy hunter]

the hardest part of bow hunting it setting up the shot..with a crossbow..all you got to do is cock it and point...i know i could at least triple the deer i have killed with my bow, if i would have used a crossbow instead.. guess i`m not one to like it easy...

 

[UTANICK]

I vote yes, especially to start the young hunters.

 

[Bosshoss]

Unless you are hunting with a longbow or recurve, shooting with your fingers and no sights from the ground you ARE doing it the easy way.

The thing about crossbows or any other weapon of choice for harvesting a deer is it is a choice. If you don't like a crossbow then stay with whatever you are using now. This has always been a hot topic it happened when compound bows came out ( I don't think P&Y honers bow kills with letoffs over 65% unless they changed this recently) or when in-line muzzleloaders came out. I heard people complain when handgun hunting frist became legal (They were saying that this would kill deer hunting that everyone would buy a 30-06 encore and shoot 300 yards and it would destroy the deer herd, look at the DNR numbers I think it was less than 1% of deer harvest was with a handgun)
Anyway if crossbows get more people out hunting I'm all for it.

 

[Mrmonte]

The thing about crossbows or any other weapon of choice for harvesting a deer is it is a choice. If you don't like a crossbow then stay with whatever you are using now. This has always been a hot topic it happened when compound bows came out ( I don't think P&Y honers bow kills with letoffs over 65% unless they changed this recently) or when in-line muzzleloaders came out. I heard people complain when handgun hunting frist became legal (They were saying that this would kill deer hunting that everyone would buy a 30-06 encore and shoot 300 yards and it would destroy the deer herd, look at the DNR numbers I think it was less than 1% of deer harvest was with a handgun)
Anyway if crossbows get more people out hunting I'm all for it.

Im all for expanding our sport with more ethical hunters too! Anyone who has become proficient with a bow is welcome to join me in the woods in October. If you shoot a crossbow, or your one of those guys with an inline ML, ill see you in the late season if I still have any tags left!

 

[blackoak]

Unless you are hunting with a longbow or recurve, shooting with your fingers and no sights from the ground you ARE doing it the easy way.

The thing about crossbows or any other weapon of choice for harvesting a deer is it is a choice. If you don't like a crossbow then stay with whatever you are using now. This has always been a hot topic it happened when compound bows came out ( I don't think P&Y honers bow kills with letoffs over 65% unless they changed this recently) or when in-line muzzleloaders came out. I heard people complain when handgun hunting frist became legal (They were saying that this would kill deer hunting that everyone would buy a 30-06 encore and shoot 300 yards and it would destroy the deer herd, look at the DNR numbers I think it was less than 1% of deer harvest was with a handgun)
Anyway if crossbows get more people out hunting I'm all for it.

+1 Bosshoss. Good post.

 

[trophy hunter]

Unless you are hunting with a longbow or recurve, shooting with your fingers and no sights from the ground you ARE doing it the easy way.

The thing about crossbows or any other weapon of choice for harvesting a deer is it is a choice. If you don't like a crossbow then stay with whatever you are using now. This has always been a hot topic it happened when compound bows came out ( I don't think P&Y honers bow kills with letoffs over 65% unless they changed this recently) or when in-line muzzleloaders came out. I heard people complain when handgun hunting frist became legal (They were saying that this would kill deer hunting that everyone would buy a 30-06 encore and shoot 300 yards and it would destroy the deer herd, look at the DNR numbers I think it was less than 1% of deer harvest was with a handgun)
Anyway if crossbows get more people out hunting I'm all for it.

i have done it that way have you?????
and yes p&y DO honor bow kills with bow over 65% let off fyi...
and what i hunt with,bow and muzzloader only.. longest shot with muzzy.. 60yrds.. bow about 22..

 

[Bosshoss]

i have done it that way have you?????

Yes I have done it that way, but not in a long time, and I still have my Bear kodiak magnum recurve (my 12th birthday present). We just moved this summer and I cleaned it up when we moved. I got the urge to hunt with it again. Maybe I'll get it out this spring after I am done bowfishing and see if I can hit anything with it.

 

[disengaged]

Yes they are. I think you may even be able to use them in firearms season.

You can use a crossbow during Muzzleloader & Late Archery, but not during Firearms (for whatever reason).

 

[greg]

Only way to have them in early season is with there own Lic.....We than can settle the crossbow issue for good by getting a license that defines it as a shooting tool of its own..........neither archery or firearm, a hybred.

 

[BK Deer Hunter]

I vote no. Maybe for handicap persons and late season.

 

[billyboyr6]

for physicaly disabled people only. early archery is quiet and not a hole lot of people out. when shotgun season opens everybody with a gun is in the woods tring to shoot something. i think gun hunters will just try to use crossbows to get into the woods earlier in the year. i dont know any archery hunters who would take one instead of their bow.

 

[SKSnut]

why is the poll closed?

 

[Misplaced Yankee]

why is the poll closed?

I was about to ask the same thing. I vote no, even though my vote is too late to count. They're fine for late season, but I like things the way they are.