ATA has second thoughts about Crossbows

[Bruiser]

verticle bows are not primitive bows lmaooooooo either hahah

[tward1604]

The sky is falling!!

yep

[xman59]

This weekend I saw for the first time that commercial with the guy shooting 100 yard groups with a crossbow. Impressive, but made me cringe a bit. I knew they are popular but I’m surprised to hear that in some states they are taking more deer than “vertical bows”

not really surprising,, there are a lot of lazy people,, they are the same kind that use other peoples stands.... i saw a lot of it in my shop,

"i think i will get a cross bow, and i don't have to practice any more,, just like my rifle,, and then ask me if i would site it in for them......

simple solution is push cross bows into gun season and not archery season, i know that will offend some but it is a shoulder fired weapon that can be used from a rest, so it should be lumped with other shoulder fired weapons to hunt with

[Javelin]

I for one dont care what others choose to hunt with. as long as people are obeying laws and the deer populations are healthy why should we fight against each other and tell some people they cant hunt with what they want. crossbows have been around since before Christ just as vertical bows. Sure new crossbows are way ahead of the old bows, but so are compound bows. It is all archery no matter how you spin it. Lets embrace each other instead of bringing each other down.

[ren087]

i for one dont care what others choose to hunt with. As long as people are obeying laws and the deer populations are healthy why should we fight against each other and tell some people they cant hunt with what they want. Crossbows have been around since before christ just as vertical bows. Sure new crossbows are way ahead of the old bows, but so are compound bows. It is all archery no matter how you spin it. Lets embrace each other instead of bringing each other down.

this^^^^

[Stoof]

New hunter recruitment is the lowest it has ever been which also means less taxes towards conservation but also the idea that Game Agencies may get involved to limit seasonal uses. I do agree with Javelin though. If animal numbers are good and we can innovate new ways to get people into the field and keep them there then we are just infighting. No Bueno. Especially in a State like Texas where public land is not as much of an issue. As in most people here don't even understand (Yes, I am generalizing) what massive amounts of public land actually look like and how it is paid for.

[jerp]

New hunter recruitment is the lowest it has ever been which also means less taxes towards conservation but also the idea that Game Agencies may get involved to limit seasonal uses. I do agree with Javelin though. If animal numbers are good and we can innovate new ways to get people into the field and keep them there then we are just infighting. No Bueno. Especially in a State like Texas where public land is not as much of an issue. As in most people here don't even understand (Yes, I am generalizing) what massive amounts of public land actually look like and how it is paid for.

This is a good point. The majority of us hunt private property so we would be largely unaffected by a wave of new crossbow hunters hitting the woods in October. However it may be a different story in the upper Midwest where they have vast tracts of public land, lots of hunters and a short rifle season. I can see how that would motivate people who don't want to put in the time to get proficient with a "vertical bow" (odd term, that) to buy a crossbow and get a jump on the season.

[Stoof]

This is a good point. The majority of us hunt private property so we would be largely unaffected by a wave of new crossbow hunters hitting the woods in October. However it may be a different story in the upper Midwest where they have vast tracts of public land, lots of hunters and a short rifle season. I can see how that would motivate people who don't want to put in the time to get proficient with a "vertical bow" (odd term, that) to buy a crossbow and get a jump on the season.

Yup, I don't see it effecting us much here in Texas. My concern is that NR Agencies will continue to expand these more nontraditional/modern methods into seasons just to keep the tax base up in some parts of the country. We really need to do a better job of getting new hunters invested and into the field.

[Drycreek3189]

My take on this: What difference does it make what you kill your allotted deer with, whether it's one, two, five ? I'm quite sure it doesn't matter to the animals involved so as long as you're not hunting illegally, I just can't see that it makes a difference. I've owned two crossbows in the past, (those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it), and if I get to the point that I can't pull my bow, I'll just hunt with a rifle or handgun. I do see it as a way to get kids involved, but I imagine most kids won't graduate to a vertical bow. I also think that the horse is out of the barn, and it's too late to close the gate. Just my two cents.

[Tony Pic]

The simple fact that the weapon is NOT drawn in then presence of the animal changes the game. Rifles shoot arrows...Archery? Compound(s) still need to be drawn, correct pin chosen and shot made(provided bow was in hand and NOT on rest pointed in game direction)
If you read the letter, its says they are approaching rifle technology with crossbows and "MAYBE" a 400fps limit would work to help support they are not crossguns. Sheesh...Ravin crossbows advertises "your next rifle". Dang clear to me.
I want as many as a possible to hunt, but there has to be rules/standards.
Baseball bats/golf clubs/balls have standards, Nascar, has standards. Las Vegas show girls have standards. Our taste buds...have standards.
No...wait this is what it is becoming.
Its Little league... and EVERYONE gets a trophy(deer). Don't want anyone to fail.
Not with what they are charging you today. Follow the $.

[scoutman]

Hurry up hunting season.

[DarrellS]

I personally don't shoot a cross bow, but I say run what you brung. A lot of bowhunters crying and whining but at least it gets people in the woods.

Sent from my E6810 using Tapatalk

[Stoof]

Hurry up hunting season.

At least we’re talking about something relevant here.


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Violence never settles anything
-Genghis Kahn

[rocky]

At least we’re talking about something relevant here.


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Violence never settles anything
-Genghis Kahn

The ATA belatedly realized that for every crossbow sold, there is at least one less bow sold, one less bowsight sold, one less arrowrest sold and so forth. As a small rural shop owner, legalization of crossbows has been very hard on bow sales at my shop. Family of 4 would have to buy 4 bows (and accessories), but only 1 crossbow. It is what it is. Bows are custom fit tools, but crossbows are universal.

[Texas Grown]

"Can a cross bow be shot at a target at 100 yards?" Yes. And so can a vertical bow. It's done at further distances in field archery every day.



"A cross bow has a scope". So do a lot of vertical bows . I use a 2x in my most used vertical bow. And a 3x when shooting 3D. Also, I prefer a Eotech to a magnified scope for sights when using a crossbow. Yes, Eotech makes a crossbow specific sight. There are several sight makers in the crossbow market with non-magnified scopes and sights for crossbows.



"Crossbows can be shot accurately out to 100 yards." True. But who would try to shoot a deer or game animal with one at that distance ? Yah, there might be some uneducated individual. But there are also the same individuals who are vertical bow shooters. I limit my shots to 30 yards max with a crossbow, just like I have in the past. Further than that and likelihood of string jump is to occur with WT just like with vertical bows.


And yes, I still hunt with a vertical bow way more than a crossbow. I have several vertical bows.


One thing is for certain, and the article above states it (indirectly), more hunters got into the woods when crossbows were legalized there. And we need more hunters, don't we? Just say-n.