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Legalize Crossbow to Increase Hunting Numbers?

by Outdoor Hub on November 7, 2011

Crossbow sales are increasing, yet it is still not legal to crossbow hunt in every state in the U.S., except for those people who are disabled or elderly and incapable of using another device where the crossbow is allowed. Considering hunter numbers are still in decline, do you think legalizing the crossbow across the U.S.A. would increase the number of hunters, even by a small percentage? Or would it do nothing at all?

Are you a pure, traditional hunter who considers the crossbow to be more like rifle hunting? Or do you use a crossbow yourself, disabled or not? Should there be a special season for crossbow outside of bow/rifle season? Let’s strike up a campfire and hash this one out.

Photo: Mika Järvinen

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http://twitter.com/PeterWood PeterWood

I have hunted with an Excalibur crossbow in Ontario for over 25 years for deer, moose and wild turkeys. I also hunt with compound bow, shotgun and a rifle for the same animals. Hunting from Oct 1 in bow season until Dec 31st, Firearm seasons are short in Ontario. As a hunter you still have to get game within acceptable bow distance be it a crossbow, stick or compound bow.
Practice with what ever you hunt with to ensure an accurate shot is one key to successful hunt
Aroostookbasser

Maine has a limited use season with crossbows. Game Wardens have always said that if crossbows were legal poachers would kill all the deer. In Aroostook County, my home county we lost over 45% of our deer herd in two years from bad winters. Due mostly to inadequate deer yards because the traditional old growth was cut by lumber companies. I for one see crossbows as no threat to deer numbers. Coyotes and bad management are a larger concern.

Matt K

“Game Wardens have always said that if crossbows were legal poachers would kill all the deer.”

What’s the reasoning behind that?

Aroostookbasser

Wardens here felt that a crossbow was basicly a silent rifle and fought for decades to keep them illegal in Maine!
Matt K

Why would they allow bows then? Man the thought process behind that is stunning!

Lld

Extend hunting for those who may not be able to June with a standard bow anymore. Totally in favor.
DodgeRAM

Wardens is some areas, which have not legalized the crossbow, are thinking seriously because the harvest percent of bow hunters are low. The population is climbing quickly. It is a step in management by keeping some areas firearm free still. They also are implementing that you have to shoot a doe before you can shoot a buck. Also, for those that can’t pull back a bow of strong enough pounds for a good ethical shot, crossbows would give them the availability to hunt without having to go to firearms. Most states used to have a qualification of strong enough poundage for ethical shots, most don’t have them anymore. crossbows are another tool for management. Most farmers, with the large numbers of deer, want them gone. They definitely don’t get compensated for the damage the deer do. Feed the hungry is a good option ect…
Buddyx6

I totally agree with crossbow usage. Not everyone is able to use a conventional bow, but even if you are you should have the choice. I know first hand what deer can do to crops and they can do a lot of damage. What most people don’t consider is the damage that antlers can do to a combine or tractor tire. They aren’t very cheap at all to replace. The deer need to be kept thinned down and if crossbows will help than all for it. Why a lot of people compare them to a rifle is beyond me. You still have to get within BOW range, hence the word BOW, to get a good and humane shot. All for feed the children and that also.
Dlhwisc43@mwt.net

The bow hunters do not want the cross bow in the woods during bow season. A bow hunter stated that the cross bow is too accurate and kills at extreme distances.

LLD

I’d have to disagree with folks who say a crossbow kills at extreme distances. Most crossbows are effective at the same ranges compound bows are…. They don’t shoot 100 yards. I’m with Peter — all my shots with my crossbow are 25 yards in — because I’m bowhunting — and that’s my choice.

LLD

I should have said “don’t reliabley and effecitively shoot 100 yards”.

John Monroe

I didn’t realize that one person spoke for all the rest of the BOW Hunters in the woods. It must be nice to know what everyone else is thinking, isn’t that called a psychic. I also did not know that something could be too accurate, what the hell do you mean by too accurate? I am not bragging but when I used to shoot my COMPOUND BOWS I had to shoot at different spots on the target so the knocks on the arrows would not get broken off from shooting tight groops, all this time I thought that was a good thing.

Waterman04093

hey john anyone that shoots a bow at short range will damage arrows, your not robinhood just back up and you wont damage your arrows, you just have a case of cowboyitis or ribin hood itis get over u.
John Monroe

I am not saying that I am Robin Hood. That is exactly why I said I wasn’t trying to brag smart ass. My point being, a compound bow can be just as accurate as a crossbow.

http://twitter.com/PeterWood PeterWood

Crossbow are allowed to be used by handicapped hunters and regular hunters because they are accurate to kill out to maybe 40 yards, Thats the idea behind hunting,,,take an accurate shot to kill the game, I use both a compound and crossbow,,,,shoot out to 70 yards with my compound accurately and 50 yards with crossbow,,,,,most of my kills were between 15 to 35 yards because I hunt that way. Never heard a bow hunter say “its too accurate so I wont use it”
Aroostookbasser

Here in Maine we have an extended archery season to reduce deer numbers in more urban areas that are seeing too many accidents and property damage. I would have no issue with crossbows being allowed into those areas as well as regular bows to get more hunters out there. The limited range is comparable, and silence is golden.
Anonymous

If I couldn’t use a crossbow, I couldn’t bow hunt. Due to Multiple Sclerosis I don’t have he strength to use a compound at the appropriate draw weight for hunting. I do however bowfish with a recurve.. I fail to understand why anyone would be against an incvreased use of crossbows. It would help to bring other new hunters into the fold who might not for various reason be able to use traditional archery equipment. Truthfully I’m of the opinion that what ever we can to do bring to hunters into the fold (within reason) is what we need to be doing. I live in southern IL where we are absolutely overrun with deer and they have to be thinned… Seeing how we also farm, I can attest first hand to the costly damage an oversized herd can create!
Johnha1980

Anyone who claims a crossbow has a greater range than a compound probably hasn’t hunted with one. Their effective ranges are similar, and crossbows have a disadvantage of being quite loud. Most of the information I’ve seen put out by the anti-crossbow crowd is very inaccurate. 99% of them are hunting with a weapon that saw the same fight in the 1970′s, and are either afraid of change, a huge increase in archery season hunters, a decrease in deer, or some combination of the above. A national bow hunting association stated as fact that crossbows in archery would increase archery license sales by at least 40%. Here in PA it has been less than 6%, and not enough to offset the reduction in the number of hunters.