Opinions On Crossbows?

[deerslayer37]

my opinion is if your a true bowhunter, you wont get one. its pretty much cheating and take away all the excitement in the hunt. its like saying shotgun week we are all aloud to use rocket launchers. its just to easy.

["String Music"]

Couldn't agree with you more...People will say that the same argument was made when compound bows were introduced....It's not even in the same ballpark to compare the two.... Compound bows still use the same technology (Just more advanced).... You still have to manually draw the bow, unlike a crossbow....This topic has been beaten to death.... But we are all men and if you want to be the wuss that will use one than go ahead....If you are older and have trouble drawing a compound or are disabled...Than by all means buy a crossbow.... Sorry I can't even believe I called it a bow...I meant Crossgun:thdown:

[R & R]

My opinion is .... If you look down on fellow hunters, for the weapon they choose , your a $@#&^#@*.

[Ole 20 Point]

Ho hum...same arguments on all the forums. It comes down to yer either fer em or agin em. And in either case, so what...THEY'RE LEGAL...deal with it.

["String Music"]

My opinion is .... If you look down on fellow hunters, for the weapon they choose , your a $^#&$^%.

I Think most people on this forum already think that about you!

[TroutSlayer]

I will never use a crossbow but i will never bash someone for using them. The same people that complain about crossbows are the same ones using scoped slug guns and in line mzl. The bottom line is we are all hunters and we need to support one another.

[njbowhunter]

I am not for them but dont care if you use them. My question is why did you post this in the bowhunting forum. should be in the gun forum or crossbow forum

[R & R]

I Think most people on this forum already think that about you!
You have got to stop trashing FELLOW HUNTERS. The sport does not need ppl. like yourself.

[zone25hunter]

Im guessing that these cross guns are going to thin the deer even more. I think that all the gun hunters that dont have the skills or patience to bow hunt will now be able to take 2 or 3 more deer while still taking their limit during shotgun. We have soo many greedy hunters in this state and adding another tool for them was foolish. We have all seen the headless carcass or the pile of bodies in the woods during shotgun...well now its going to happen all year. I hope you all like turkey hunting because that is all that will be left to hunt soon. I wont call either argument DH's but I do disagree with Crossbows and this is just my opinion.

[stephenf]

Im guessing that these cross guns are going to thin the deer even more. I think that all the gun hunters that dont have the skills or patience to bow hunt will now be able to take 2 or 3 more deer while still taking their limit during shotgun. We have soo many greedy hunters in this state and adding another tool for them was foolish. We have all seen the headless carcass or the pile of bodies in the woods during shotgun...well now its going to happen all year. I hope you all like turkey hunting because that is all that will be left to hunt soon. I wont call either argument DH's but I do disagree with Crossbows and this is just my opinion.

Any one that cuts the head off and leaves the meat is not a hunter but a poacher! a criminal , I feel they should allow crossbows as they are called but not during the bow season except for those disabled . I feel the state missed the boat , they made us take another class and buy another permit for muzzloader so they could collect the fees and keep track of the impact on the herd they had . by not setting the crossbow up this way they are lumping us all together. i feel the state is partial to the gun groups and in being that way they will allow the gun seasons to be changed and the archery reduced by saying the bow guys are killing all the bucks. the other issue is i have heard a few guys talk about driving deer with crossbows , i feel this is dangerous while there is still foliage on the brush and trees.

[bowtechman1966]

i agree wit troutslayer:thup:

[deerslayersean]

[quote=stephenf;25824]Any one that cuts the head off and leaves the meat is not a hunter but a poacher! a criminal ,

tell this to the state trooper that did it on my prpoerty least year

[R & R]

while I'm positive that deer are left in the woods with only their antlers taken 90% of the ones we come across are roadkills dumpped or the waste from butcher jobs.

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

my opinion is if your a true bowhunter, you wont get one. its pretty much cheating and take away all the excitement in the hunt. its like saying shotgun week we are all aloud to use rocket launchers. its just to easy.

If your not using a longbow or recurve with no sights then your still a cheater.

Compounds and crossbows are one in the same. If you want a real bow hunting challenge, use the long bow and make your own arrows. I did it for 13 years.

Although I was an extremly good shot, its still not as consistant as the compound which is the reason i went to it. It was more ethical. Now I feel the same way about the x-bow. Still more accurate then the compound and also more consistant. Again for me, more ethical.

the hunt will never change for me whether I use a blow gun or xbow.

Amen.

[stephenf]

Hey deer slayer sean , I feel for you, but did you call fish and game? did you call the local PD , if it is patrolled by the state police then i would have called and asked for a staff sargent. If you didnt call any one then i have little simpathy and would say you should expect to have it happen every year untill you do ! Not trying to be harsh but if you dont call the warden then you cant expect to have it stop! They will work with you !whether it was the head of state police or whatever, I have a family farm that for years i had problems with the local guys who work for the township including the PD , then finally i called the warden and a few summons where issued , now it is a problem for other farms in the area that dont want to call the warden but call the township supervisor only , he says every year he will take care of it , but he , I am sure just laughs it off. When they finally got a summons they went else where. if all they get is a guy yelling at them and then they leave , they figure it is worth it , you are only probably catching them 1 out of every 6 times they go there , that is expectable odds to them . YOU have to prosecute period. call the warden follow up .. I have told this to a buddywho has land behind a barracks and it was notorious for guys driving it . now he has prosecuted guys and it stopped! just because it is a trooper means nohing the only time he has any juice is when he is on duty , when he is in the woods hunting he has no more rights than every one with a hunting tag. If the warden does nothing because it is a trooper then call and ask why be a squeky wheel, the wardens i know are straight shooters and would deal with the problem for you firmly.

[Ole 20 Point]

If your not using a longbow or recurve with no sights then your still a cheater.

Compounds and crossbows are one in the same. If you want a real bow hunting challenge, use the long bow and make your own arrows. I did it for 13 years.

Although I was an extremly good shot, its still not as consistant as the compound which is the reason i went to it. It was more ethical. Now I feel the same way about the x-bow. Still more accurate then the compound and also more consistant. Again for me, more ethical.

the hunt will never change for me whether I use a blow gun or xbow.

Amen.
I don't own a xbow but I agree TOTALLY.

Amen.

[deerslayersean]

Hey deer slayer sean , I feel for you, but did you call fish and game? did you call the local PD , if it is patrolled by the state police then i would have called and asked for a staff sargent. If you didnt call any one then i have little simpathy and would say you should expect to have it happen every year untill you do ! Not trying to be harsh but if you dont call the warden then you cant expect to have it stop! They will work with you !whether it was the head of state police or whatever, I have a family farm that for years i had problems with the local guys who work for the township including the PD , then finally i called the warden and a few summons where issued , now it is a problem for other farms in the area that dont want to call the warden but call the township supervisor only , he says every year he will take care of it , but he , I am sure just laughs it off. When they finally got a summons they went else where. if all they get is a guy yelling at them and then they leave , they figure it is worth it , you are only probably catching them 1 out of every 6 times they go there , that is expectable odds to them . YOU have to prosecute period. call the warden follow up .. I have told this to a buddywho has land behind a barracks and it was notorious for guys driving it . now he has prosecuted guys and it stopped! just because it is a trooper means nohing the only time he has any juice is when he is on duty , when he is in the woods hunting he has no more rights than every one with a hunting tag. If the warden does nothing because it is a trooper then call and ask why be a squeky wheel, the wardens i know are straight shooters and would deal with the problem for you firmly.
the landowner caught them last year red handed and was pulled over in his tractor trailer everyday for 2 weeks he said no matter which way he went to work there was some one waiting for him. he dosent want me to make a big thing out of it. this year im gonna be in the woods during 6 day and when i catch them im gonna make a call to my friend at the couirer post and im sure he will right an article about it i have there names atleast one state and one local guy and the rest are from a local club but it will stop one way or another

[Cap806]

I am new here at the Barn,as a matter of fact this is my first post. Started archery hunting in Pa. with a recurve,moved up to a compound when they first came out to the superfast modern ones.I now hunt with a crossbow. I don't see this great advantage.I still shoot within my own comfortable distance just alot faster which means a quick kill. I still spend as many hours scouting and hunting.I still practice good scent control and stand placement and I can go on.The point is.... The weapon you use does not make you a hunter better than the next hunter it is the love of the sport and the time you get to spend doing it as well as the time you MAKE to do it. Is the hunter in the special regs area better than the rifle hunter in Potter County because the shotgun is a limited range weapon....Don't think so......Remember you have to see the deer before you can harvest it....Seeing them is the hard part of hunting...Hope the "Anti's" don't go on this site.....:o

["String Music"]

The post was your opinion on crossbows? Was it not? People than give their opinions and quacks like R & R say you are a d-head for expressing them.... Now I have been in this debate forever... It has been public knowledge that the deer herd in New Jersey has been hurting... ...Some people are not practicing any kinda quality deer management whatsoever.... Over hunting and the loss of land in Jersey....AND I could go on.... So what does the state do to aid in this? Implement crossguns in Jersey! Way to go Jersey fish and game counsel!!!!!!!! You really hit this one out of the ballpark! I am soo darn tired of the arguments of IF you want to be a true bowhunter than go to the longbow or recurve and so on! Also about the addition of Muzzle loader.... That is in the past and you cant take that back.....They are here and that is how it is! Where do we stop? Now we allow Sunday hunting and crossguns! Give this state 5 years and see how depleted the deer herd is!!!!!!!!!! Now I know that some people dont care about the quality of the deer herd and just want to harvest a deer! If thats what you want to do than that is your right! But where do we stop? Crossgun additions WILL put more people in the woods! Plain and simple! That equation means more deer kills and the greater depletion of the deer herd here in Jersey! Just like always people say who cares until it happens and the truth smacks them in the face! I just hope there is some quality deer for my 4 year old when he gets the priviledge to hunt!:thdown:

[R & R]

So what we have learned from your post is while not only being a DH you can not read.

I said " ppl who put down fellow hunters for the weapon they choose are DHs". Weapons
&
Bag limits
are to different issues.
There can be 50 new weapons added if bag limits are brought into check. Stop tring to use the over harvest of NJ does as a reason for no Xbows.
The only smack in anybody's face is the fact that you can put down other hunters when we have the anti's to worry about allready.
We all get that its not your cup of tea. Just leave it at that.

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

So what we have learned from your post is while not only being a DH you can not read.

I said " ppl who put down fellow hunters for the weapon they choose are DHs". Weapons
&
Bag limits
are to different issues.
There can be 50 new weapons added if bag limits are brought into check. Stop tring to use the over harvest of NJ does as a reason for no Xbows.
The only smack in anybody's face is the fact that you can put down other hunters when we have the anti's to worry about allready.
We all get that its not your cup of tea. Just leave it at that.

Your the man R&R

[Ron Redington]

Guys...please...let's get this thing back on track without all the name calling and whatnot.

I'm beggin ya :)

[ACEarcher]

2nd!! Your killin me!!!!

["String Music"]

:fight:

[hogger]

My OPINION on X bows. I bought one last season, hunted w/ it several times, missed twice for some unknown reason both inside 40yrds, put it away in the closet and went back to my compound bow. Again in my OPINION, X bow does not make it easier to kill a deer. They are no more or less accurate than todays compound bows or even that much more powerful. They are heavy and a pain in the a@# to lug up and down the tree stand. I know plenty of guys who hunt w/ them in Bucks County and their kill rate has not changed and some of these guys are very skilled and experienced outdoorsmen. My $.02. Have a nice day!

[the Apache]

If your not using a longbow or recurve with no sights then your still a cheater.

Compounds and crossbows are one in the same. If you want a real bow hunting challenge, use the long bow and make your own arrows. I did it for 13 years.

Although I was an extremly good shot, its still not as consistant as the compound which is the reason i went to it. It was more ethical. Now I feel the same way about the x-bow. Still more accurate then the compound and also more consistant. Again for me, more ethical.

the hunt will never change for me whether I use a blow gun or xbow.

Amen.
Now it's a matter of being ethical that's an excuse in this case for less effort and practice. Some people can rationalize anything. If they do it enough, they begin to believe it. If you were an extremely good shot w/a long bow why would you change. You put a lot of hard work and effort into it and were justly rewarded for you effort. Because it was only you and the stick, having a bad day shooting, it's you no excuses. I'm sure you've been to many shoots like me, shooting good, you and the stick. Shooting along side the guys with all the gadgets who didn't get a perfect shot make all kinds of excuses, equipment etc but never themselves. They would watch you shoot and shake their heads in amazement. It made all that hard work worthwhile.
Capt., crossbows and compounds are not the same and you know it. I've read several of your previous posts and there is no doubt in mind that your a good hunter. I don't doubt that you probably come from a family of hunters, it's very evident by your passion for the hunt.
But don't say you changed your weapon because it's more ethical. Being ethical is a testament to one's character, a quality that only a human can possess not an inanimate object.
I know you won't be shooting baseballs out of the air w/an x-bow like you did with the stick.
Good Hunting season!

["String Music"]

One of my issues that I have with crossguns is this: New Jersey is already over hunted...Its getting harder to find any new land as it is.... Take a walk thru the woods and once you find a decent piece of woods you will find a stand already there... The deer (especially the big boys) are becoming mostly nocturnal due to the over pressure in the woods....So what do we do to offset this? We allow Sunday hunting and croosguns! Adding another day and another weapon= more people in the woods= deer nocturnal and spooky as hell... You are going to have the guys that never wanted to bowhunt cause it may be too hard or for whatever reason grab a crossgun and get in the woods... So with the addition of more hunters and no day to give the deer a day off from pressure is just gonna make the hunting worst...Thats just my opinion!!!!:thdown:

[Ole 20 Point]

I hear your arguments String and, from your perspective as a public property hunter, I get your frustration. And your prolly right that more hunters will be competing for the same space and, heck, that would frustrate me too.

Maybe some guys will join the "bow" ranks because they "think" it's easier...and that's where ya have hit the issue on target that many of ya'll have against xguns.

What I won't ever agree with though is any of the arguments that a xgun REALLY is so much easier to harvest a deer...that's bunk. More deer may be taken though simply because more hunters are out there trying to do so...but not because it's EASY.

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

Well who knows, Maybe I will not even like the cross bow!! But I do Like to Try it all. I've hunted with handguns, flintlocks, rifles, inlines, shotguns, longbows, recurves and now the X-bow. Who knows maybe one day I pick up the long bow and the next its the X-bow.

After 0ver 80 hunts per year, you have to change something to keep it interesting. Bow hunting in Jan. in 20deg temps 4 or 5 days in a row gets stale.

And for those who are giving me a hard time, you can still give me a call if you need help tracking!!!:thup:

[Buck Tales]

Offshore, I'm with you, I've hunted with every kind on weapon legal for deer and I'd like to try it with my X-Bow this year too. Bottom line, if you aren't a good enough hunter to get close enogh to the deer, it won't matter what kind of bow you have in your hands. I have a long bow and a recurve and several compounds also, but just because I got them doesn't mean I kill more deer. I do enjoy the challenge of using different weapons in gun and bow season. My goal this year is to harvest at least 1 of my deer with my cross bow and at least 1 deer with my flint lock, Lord willing that is.:rolleyes:

[Offshore Custom Tackle]

Offshore, I'm with you, I've hunted with every kind on weapon legal for deer and I'd like to try it with my X-Bow this year too. Bottom line, if you aren't a good enough hunter to get close enogh to the deer, it won't matter what kind of bow you have in your hands. I have a long bow and a recurve and several compounds also, but just because I got them doesn't mean I kill more deer. I do enjoy the challenge of using different weapons in gun and bow season. My goal this year is to harvest at least 1 of my deer with my cross bow and at least 1 deer with my flint lock, Lord willing that is.:rolleyes:

I use to try to kill a deer with every weapon I owned.

A few years back, I shot an 8 pointer with the compound, an 8 pointer with the shotgun, and another one with the Muzzleloader.

Then I went to PA on an old piece of property and stalked a 6ptr for 2 hours. It finally turned around and headed back towards me where I smoked him with my recurve.

1 w/ compound
1 w/ recurve
1 w/ shotgun
1 w/ Muzzleloader

That was a great year.:thup:

[BOWHUNTER13]

I dont think that crossbows should be used by any other then those not physically able to draw a compound bow. I just hope the people that did go to crossbows dont think that they can double their shot distance and leave a bunch of wounded deer out there for the yotes to eat.

[emtystringer]

ArcheryDispelling the Crossbow Myth
by Steve Galea
http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/blank.gif

Posted on: 01/22/08 [3 Comments (http://www.biggamehunt.net/forums/viewtopic.php?topic=15864&forum=108)]
Crossbows have always been controversial. Nobles have outlawed their ownership; provinces and states have restricted or forbid their use; bowhunting organizations have decried them as unsporting. So what is it about this hunting tool that induces such strong opinions? Why do some bowhunters sneer at the very mention of the word?
I'd suggest that the problem is borne of misinformation. Tales and myths of crossbow performance abound; most perpetuated by people who have never handled a crossbow in field conditions.
I'm a long-time bowhunter; at one time or another I have hunted with a fiberglass longbow, an Osage flat bow that I built, and a compound bow. I love every one of those tools for its unique charm and will continue to shoot and hunt with each. But late last fall, I added a crossbow to the mix. In the time between then and now I've learned what it can and cannot do.
Here are a few myths that need dispelling.
http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/photos_talltales/s_galea_crossbow.jpg
Myth: Practice is not needed
One of the biggest gripes I hear about crossbows is that anyone can use them and be proficient with very little practice. Well, yes, and no. Anyone new to crossbows can master straight twenty-yard shots in fairly short order. But with peep sights, mechanical releases, flat-trajectories, good instruction and properly matched equipment, a new compound bow shooter can do the same.
But the truth is, if you are going to consistently hit your mark with either under field conditions, you need to practice regularly. With a crossbow that means you need to practice until the bow's trajectory, trigger pull, and sight picture become second nature.
This is important because field conditions might require that you shoot from awkward angles, thread arrows through thickets, or shoot game at unknown distances. Each of these things is only achievable if you have the confidence and know-how brought on by solid practice.
Sure, there is a much shallower learning curve than with other archery equipment but, to me, this argument teeters on a very slippery slope. After all, an instinctive longbow hunter might say the same about a compound shooter whose bow is equipped with all the latest accessories.
The simple fact is whether you are using a rifle, shotgun, bow, or slingshot, true proficiency is only earned with practice. A crossbow is no different and anyone who thinks otherwise is in for a rude awakening. Good crossbow hunters are just as meticulous and devoted to practice as good bow hunters.
http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/photos_talltales/s_galea_crossbow1.jpg
Myth: Crossbows are long-range weapons
Another oft-repeated myth is that crossbows are capable of kills at incredible distances. In a perfect world, that might be true. But out in the field that's highly unlikely.
Sure, a crossbowman who practices and tunes his gear can put on an impressive show of marksmanship at 60, 70, and 80 yards, but, then again, so can a skilled archer. Would either think it right to take those lengthy shots at game? In most cases, the answer is no.
The vast majority of crossbow hunters limit their shots to thirty yards when hunting deer-sized animals. That's because they realize the limitations of their weapon. They know that even the fastest crossbow won't launch a bolt quick enough to justify shooting beyond those ranges. If a deer decides to take a step forward, change its facing, or if it ducks at the sound of the shot, they know that the result could be a missed or wounded animal - something no hunter wants.
Crossbows are noisier than other archery equipment too. This is also a limiting factor since a deer is much more likely to jump the string on a longer crossbow shot than they might on a silenced compound bow.
Like most hunters, crossbow users also understand that the further the shot, the more exaggerated the effects of wind, trajectory, and flaws in shooting form. And, like good bowhunters everywhere, they know that longer hits are more likely to result in lost animals.
Yet, even if they ignored all this, long shots, are often impractical in deer country where overhanging limbs, thickets, and branches often conspire to reduce effective range. In open fields, range estimation, which is just as critical for crossbow hunters, is difficult too.
The truth is that crossbows are a short-range hunting tool.
http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/photos_talltales/s_galea_crossbow2.jpg
Myth: crossbow hunting is not bow hunting
Of all the prejudices against crossbows, this one is perhaps the most ridiculous. After all, a crossbow shoots an arrow powered by a bow and a string. Moreover, success depends heavily on correct range estimation and knowing the arrow's trajectory. The only difference is the method of aiming. Even the most stubborn will have to admit that the hunting tactics are virtually identical to those that other bow hunter's use. Wind direction, scouting, stand placement camouflage, patterning the animal, effective range, calling, and broadhead placement are all the same. So is the waiting time after a shot, and the method of blood trailing. In fact, there's not one thing I can think of that differs except for the hunting itself. And, if some shooters resent it for being easier to master, they ought to compare their bows to the basic stick and string of our fore bearers. If you've got sights, compound wheels or cams, glass limbs, stabilizers, plastic-vaned aluminum or carbon arrows, sights of any kind, mechanical release, overdraw, or any of the thousand gadgets placed on a modern bow, maybe you ought to give that argument a break too.

[six point heaven]

Read this all and let me say for a fact (offshore) is one of my closest friends. But we will never agree on the crossbow thing. I hate crossbows from the pit of my soul. That said, Joe(offshore) is a hunter. He hunts harder than 99% of us here. Joe keeps a log of everything that happens while he is on stand. ( its almost sick). He spent over 40 days in a tree last year in nj and pa. He is one of the hardest hunters I have ever met. He loves hunting. So do I. Now his way of thinking is he wants to put the animal down with the best most sure and deadly way possible. Short of a gun the crossbow is it. I cannot fault his logic. the long bow guy will tell the recurve guy he's cheating, the recurve guy will tell the compound guy he's cheating, we all will tell the crossbow guy he's cheating, who's right? In the end we all have to go into the woods and hunt. Weather its a 500 rifle or a long bow. We are all hunters, were cutting our own necks on this debate by fighting about how, or why. Joe (and I hate it) choose a crossbow. I would never hit the woods with one, but I(and joe) are not the problem. The groups who want to shoot us all down, gun, bow or crossbow is the end game. I want my son to be able to hunt. He just turned two. Crossbows suck but were beating our brother sportsmen up about it. Who wins this one? My last word is If more go hunting, more often, due to the crossbow being legal. Then its win, win. Even when I hate crossbows. More hunters, more ways that are legal, is a good thing even when we disagree with the how from our souls as bowhunters. my 2cents.

[Z-Man]

Well said and written I could not agree more!!!!! :thup:

[Ole 20 Point]

I'm glad you have seen the light Six Point Heaven...hopefully you'll inspire others to share this view. :thup:

[bluecollar$]

The X-bow is the devils tool......beware the devil.:D...that being said my old ass father inlaw gave into the devil and I broke his balls for an hour....Maybe he won't miss as much..

[Ole 20 Point]

The X-bow is the devils tool......beware the devil.:D...that being said my old ass father inlaw gave into the devil and I broke his balls for an hour....Maybe he won't miss as much..Isn't THAT a GOOD thing? :thup: :D

[bluecollar$]

Isn't THAT a GOOD thing? :thup: :D
Oh yes thats why I said it..If anybody needs one its him...:eek::D