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Crossbows soon to be legal???

The paper says it is only for late muzzleloader season. Just a step till they want it in the regular bow season.
 
Many other states have it legal. State of MI, where I came from is now accepted. Bow hunters Ass, hated it with a passion. All kinds of doom predicted. Hasn't happened. Ohio has included now many years. I have no problem with them. Maybe some deer less wounded and lost.
 
I hate to be the naysayer but I don't understand why able bodied people can't learn to shoot a vertical bow. I guess I'd like to see it kept the way it is. I'm 100% for disabled individuals using them. I guess I see enough opportunities for people to hunt with different weapons that we don't need an "easier" option to kill deer in the woods during the rut than a vertical bow.
 
Easier means different things. Why have compounds been made so "Easy", with all the gadgets,trigger releases,Let off poundages? Should have kept the season for Recurves ,"Traditional", bows. Stop inline Blk Powders too. The pioneers didn't have them. Keep Iron sights, Scopes make it too easy. Catch my drift? Worry that too many deer may be taken if it gets too ,,easy,,. Won't compare to the poaching and blasting at anything that moves, count.
 
I'm fine with it, it's not like a crossbow is some magical weapon. In order to get a deer within crossbow range you still have to put in your time and do your homework. Most people that do that already bowhunt anyway.
 
I would like to see my kid be able to use it. Allot easier than a gun to teach them when they are younger.
 
I know that legalizing crossguns :D is the least of the problems facing our herd. I'm not actively going to oppose them but honestly I do not want to see them. I also expect that anything that might increase tag sales will get the support of the DNR. Legalizing them in the late season is only a push to get the foot in the door.

I try very hard not to judge how others hunt but my kids will not use one. Guns are easy enough. My boys know that to get out during archery season they have to earn it with practice and skill development. My oldest is working hard to be ready for this season.
 
I'm fine with it I suppose. As long as remains in a firearm season such as early and late muzz season. My fear is if it is allowed during the whole archery season, then there will be that many more people crowding the woods during the rut, thus making more competition for hunting access. I truly believe that our states deer herd is so great because of the structure of our seasons. One little change could open the door for a major impact IMO
 
In states that have crossbows during the full archery no ill effects have been seen. Less deer wounded, means less deer killed. Believe me, I bow hunted with people up in Mi,and many wounded were not found. Excellent shots, some of the guys too. I am not in favor so I can use one either. Just think the hatred of them is silly.
 
My point with the youth tag is allot of kids get gun shy. Some do some don't. Not having that kick or loud noise would make it more enjoyable.

Being able to enjoy the woods with the kids is more important to me than what they use.
 
loneranger said:
In states that have crossbows during the full archery no ill effects have been seen. Less deer wounded, means less deer killed. Believe me, I bow hunted with people up in Mi,and many wounded were not found. Excellent shots, some of the guys too. I am not in favor so I can use one either. Just think the hatred of them is silly.
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It really is silly. I fought it when Indiana first looked at crossbows and I now realize how short sided and selfish I was being. It didn't decimate our deer herd. In fact it got people out of the woods sooner. 70% of Indiana hunters kill 0-1 deer. They were so eager to use their new toy that does got whacked immediately and then they held off for a larger buck and found reasons to sleep in during gun season.

The gun hunters quickly lose interest in crossbows. They might hunt a few times early and then the luster wears off. If that didn't happen they would be bowhunters already. They are looking for that quick fix and it doesn't happen. Amazing how many of these things hit craigslist in short order.
 
No hate for them here. Just think we have enough opportunity already.

And yes I agree that compounds continue to get more and more lethal and "easy" to shoot. That would be my key argument against why we don't need crossbows.

I really am not against anyone who uses them where already legal, but just think there is no reason for us to use them. Us being Iowa bowhunters.
 
loneranger said:
Many other states have it legal. State of MI, where I came from is now accepted. Bow hunters Ass, hated it with a passion. All kinds of doom predicted. Hasn't happened. Ohio has included now many years. I have no problem with them. Maybe some deer less wounded and lost.
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Yup, pretty much exactly what I was going to say (I'm in Michigan). I have shot x-bows at targets before and can honestly say I have zero intrest in using one to hunt with but I don't have an issue with others using them. The predicted armageddon that people worry about is definitely exagerated and after several years of it here in Michigan I can't point to anything that shows them having a negative effect on the herd.




hoosierhunter said:
It really is silly. I fought it when Indiana first looked at crossbows and I now realize how short sided and selfish I was being. It didn't decimate our deer herd. In fact it got people out of the woods sooner. 70% of Indiana hunters kill 0-1 deer. They were so eager to use their new toy that does got whacked immediately and then they held off for a larger buck and found reasons to sleep in during gun season.

The gun hunters quickly lose interest in crossbows. They might hunt a few times early and then the luster wears off. If that didn't happen they would be bowhunters already. They are looking for that quick fix and it doesn't happen. Amazing how many of these things hit craigslist in short order.
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That is also what I was going to say. You will see about a 5 year spike in the number of people hunting because people who were too "lazy" to bow hunt when it was "hard" (I don't think shooting a compound is all that hard to figure out but some do) go out and buy x-bows and start bow hunting. Funny thing is that most of those people who use to be lazy or uncommitted to bow hunting will soon return to those ways and fade back out of the bowhunting scene after a few years. If they don't fade out all the way they get to a point where they only bow hunt a few days a year and have a very minimal impact.

The majority of people using x-bows here are people that were already out there bowhunting before x-bows were legal. They just switched from vertical bow to x-bow for whatever reason (age, injury, simplicity, whatever).
 
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I think back about all the mature bucks that I elected to pass because they where beyond my comfortable bow range. Now had I been hunting with a crossbow and was proficient with it, all those deer may have been shot. ( not trying to start a debate on a shooters' effective range between bow and crossbow). My point is that our herd is a renewable resource. If we have even a few year spike of buck harvest that is abnormally higher than usual due to the timing of this crossbow season, then the age structure of our herd can be jeopardized. I think the last couple years of EHD has thinned them down enough. I guess my main concern is the overall harvest needs to stay in check with the population numbers. The weapon choice to do so is of lesser concern to me. But for the record, I think it would be a fantastic way for a youngster to get involved in hunting.
 
As a Kansas resident i urge all of you guys to keep crossbows out of your archery season! You think your state looks good to NR right now, wait until they find out they can use a crossbow! Then every rifle hunter will be applying for archery tags. I understand that it gets more people out in the woods and introduces more people to the sport. But with that being said, the REAL bowhunters that have been doing it for years, the ones that eat, sleep and breath bow hunting will suffer from it. I have already noticed a few guys saying that there isn't a difference because you still have to get the animal within bow range... I have personally had 3+ opportunities at GIANT deer that i was unable to harvest because i could not draw my bow without risking the deer busting me. Take that same scenario with a crossbow sitting on a shooting rail and those deer get to take a ride in the back of my truck....
 
The true effective range of a crossbow should be 35 to 40 yrds max. More like 20 to 30. Short bow and short heavy arrows sink in flight fast. Compound bows can easily shoot much farther. I know there are stories of guys shooting long distances but they really shouldn't. That is true with all weapons and people that push the limits. The tide of other states will eventually come to Iowa. Won't bother me a bit.
 
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