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Crossbows vs. Vertical Bows
14 May2009
Should crossbows be allowed during archery season?
I recently read an article in Outdoor Life magazine, entitled The Crossbow Controversy, discussing the current controversy surrounding the spread of crossbow use in America. Seems that crossbows are increasing in popularity and are being legalized in many states during their bowhunting seasons. One side believes that crossbows are a great new tool for hunters, increase accuracy and the amount of ethical kills and they bring more hunters into the woods. On the opposite side, traditionalists claim that crossbows take away the spirit of the hunt. Being that they are too easy and technically similar to guns rather than bows.
In this article, Ed Wentzler, the legislative director for United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania explained his issue with crossbows by saying, “Archery equipment should be defined as implements that are held by hand, drawn by hand and released by the motion of the hand in the presence of game,” he says. “If you are shooting a crossbow, you are not drawing the string in the presence of game. That alone gives crossbow shooters an unfair advantage. It is not bowhunting.”
On the side for crossbows, Ohio’s wildlife management chief supported crossbow use, explaining, “ Crossbows allow hunters to get out in the woods more often, and allow them to be more successful hunters,” says Risley. “For wildlife managers trying to kill as many deer as possible, crossbows have become a necessary tool.”
In my opinion I would have to agree with Wentzler, I feel that bowhunting is so special because it is so darn difficult. The key attribute of a bow is that you must pull back and hold the bow string when your target moves into range. This is the greatest challenge of hunting during archery season and it is part of what preserves this traditional way of hunting. I don’t have an issue with hunters using a crossbow, but I don’t believe they should be categorized or used during archery season. Instead they could be used during the firearm season, muzzleloader season or possibly in their own short period.
What are your thoughts? Should crossbows be allowed during bow season or do they pose an unfair advantage?
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3 Responses to Crossbows vs. Vertical Bows
Dean Momeyer
July 15th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
Wentzler also uses and advocates hand made stone points for his arrows. This issue is political. UBP does not want any more hunters in the wodds other tan their archers. It’s no secret that they advocate Sunday hunting if it’s for archer onlt (no bang you see).
UBP and other anti-crossbow proponents refuse to accept the following:
Crossbows are not balistically proficient. Studies prove otherwise. Crossbow hunters will not decimate the deer population (Ohio incresed the length of their deer season after crossbo were allowed) some states found out compound bow users “outshot” crossbow users (Georgia, I believe). Crossbows are heavier (weigh as musch as rifles).
But above all, Pa has a declining hunter population as do other states. Crossbow use allows a new tool. A new tools are an incentive to participate.
crossbows
August 28th, 2009 at 3:15 am
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John Cumming
December 11th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I see the crossbow v. vertical bow debate as having two arguments against crossbows….First, the vertical bow people ( a small but vocal group who think they speak for all archers) see the deer archery season as their season…no one else need apply, but because this sounds too elitist and self serving they have come up with a whole set of additional reason to make it sound like their deserve exclusive access to the deer season. Examples include: xbows are like rifles, shoot like rifles, are too easy to learn, are pre- drawn, shoot too far, and will some how destroy the archery season. In one respect if the archery season was just traditional bows, ie, long bows, self bows or recurves the “traditionalist” would have a point, crossbows are such a substantial improvement over traditional archery equipment, the state could have sufficient interest in banning crossbows, but compound bows were legalized and since compounds and crossbows performance are almost equal there is no further reason to ban crossbows. Thats is a major statement so lets look at it more closely: Crossbows and compound bows are single shot weapons which are most effective at or less than forty yards. Both weapons can be shot accurately for greater distances but since game can “jump the string” and move before the arrow reaches them, it is probably not ethical to shoot game at longer distances with either the crossbow or compound bow. Is it easier to learn to shoot a crossbow….probably, but compound bow shooters also learn quickly and with in hours can shoot groups far superior to instinctive shooters with years of experience. The arguments the compound bow supporters used to push for compound bow use during the archery season are the same that crossbow supporters are saying today. We feel more people will get involved with archery, more archers will be retained and many people with full or limited disabilities can enjoy the archery season. Including crossbows in the archery season is only fair and long overdue.