To Crossbow or not to crossbow - That is the question!

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by elkrub

"Another thing to consider is that you need to be signed up for winrealm to receive a survey. I suspect that eliminates a large percentage of older hunters. It's truly not all hunters voting........"

How do I sign up for winrealm?
Thanks

You have to sign up here: https://www.albertarelm.com/wc.user....ewAddress.page

There's allot of good info on there including your draw history and priority for draws.

[CNP]

Originally Posted by Stinky Coyote

for me it was logic, i'm sure there is selfish on both sides that don't really understand the tool and haven't done unbiased homework on it but if you do....you may end up where i and many others have, its a great and very under-utilized weapon choice for hunting and appears to be misplaced in the wrong group of tools and management and hunters could gain more if it were in the right group of tools

nothing scary here, we are just way behind in the learning of this tool, we are missing out

neat eh? you can win this one on logic alone, study the tool itself and where it has been allowed newly or for long time and its as close to compound performance afield as you could ever want to be classed the same imo....yet offers a one size/strength fits all option, just like gun seasons have, the question isn't why would we.....its why wouldn't we!

I can't believe I don't see the logic Stinky (I'm being sarcastic). How is it that I own a crossbow, see it as an excellent hunting tool but don't want to see it included in the archery season. The why wouldn't we is spelled out right in the survey for cryin' out loud. It's not an equal tool to a compound bow in my estimation and yes I have studied it thoroughly (I think I saisd I onwn one). More hunters is good by the way.............for those hunters wanting to take up hunting with a bow...............buy one why don't you. The greed thing attributed to non xbow supporters is so misplaced I just shake my head. It's just drama.........no substance. Like envy, jealousy and bitterness on the part of those guys who believe archers have it all lol................go buy a bow guys.

[The Bit Runner.]

Originally Posted by ehntr

I can't believe I don't see the logic Stinky (I'm being sarcastic). How is it that I own a crossbow, see it as an excellent hunting tool but don't want to see it included in the archery season. The why wouldn't we is spelled out right in the survey for cryin' out loud. It's not an equal tool to a compound bow in my estimation and yes I have studied it thoroughly (I think I saisd I onwn one). More hunters is good by the way.............for those hunters wanting to take up hunting with a bow...............buy one why don't you. The greed thing attributed to non xbow supporters is so misplaced I just shake my head. It's just drama.........no substance. Like envy, jealousy and bitterness on the part of those guys who believe archers have it all lol................go buy a bow guys.

Well Said!!

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by ehntr

How is it that I own a crossbow, see it as an excellent hunting tool but don't want to see it included in the archery season.

Because you think that you might have to go to draw on allot of animals that you hunt. Isn't that what you stated earlier?

In all fairness ehntr, have you ever hunted with your crossbow?

I left a question for you a few pages back regarding your opinion of whether or not a crossbow would be able to kill a deer at 100 yds. Based on your experience compound bow hunting, would a bolt from your crossbow reach a deer at 100 yds before it flinched from the noise of the crossbow? How long does it take to travel the 100 yds and would you take that shot at a deer?

Seriously, I'd like to know because with my little 150# crossbow I wouldn't think about doing it.

[The Bit Runner.]

Well i just completed my surv & i got my vote in. I wonder which way i voted Sad thing is our true bowhunters dont have a chance.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by The Bit Runner.

Sad thing is our true bowhunters dont have a chance.

When you say our true bowhunters do you mean just the Longbow hunters or the compound bow hunters too?

[The Bit Runner.]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

When you say our true bowhunters do you mean just the Longbow hunters or the compound bow hunters too?

True bowhunters are anyone that shoots a BOW not a crossbow. Anyone who shoots a crossbow and calls them selfs bowhunters should be ashamed.

[pottymouth]

Rumor has it that a couple of bars around town, have a " bring a copy of your no (or against crossbows ) vote down and get a couple of free beer !!! Guess I'll vote NO , now forsure......LOL.

[209x50]

Originally Posted by pottymouth

Rumor has it that a couple of bars around town, have a " bring a copy of your no (or against crossbows ) vote down and get a couple of free beer !!! Guess I'll vote NO , now forsure......LOL.

Gee why not complete the shameless plug for your bar? Put the name of your bar up in a post. I'm sure there is nothing shameful or unethical in purchasing votes with alcohol. Is there?

[Espo]

Originally Posted by pottymouth

Rumor has it that a couple of bars around town, have a " bring a copy of your no (or against crossbows ) vote down and get a couple of free beer !!! Guess I'll vote NO , now forsure......LOL.

I'll vote NO, where's the bar.

[ram crazy]

Originally Posted by The Bit Runner.

True bowhunters are anyone that shoots a BOW not a crossbow. Anyone who shoots a crossbow and calls them selfs bowhunters should be ashamed.

I'd be careful with that statement. The compound guys have a lot of fancy gadgets as well, with your peep sights, trigger releases and such. I think a true bow hunter was the recurve guys, so maybe you should be ashamed of yourself. I still think archery should be on draw with all the new technology in the bows. Looking at some of the bow kill pics there is some really big animals taken, now if you put it on a draw maybe some of those animals will get even bigger with less pressure. So why not put Xbow in with compound, because the compound guys have an edge over the recurve guys. It sounds like a lot of selfish compound guys. So for the betterment of the game put it on draw!!!

[SLH]

Originally Posted by 209x50

Gee why not complete the shameless plug for your bar? Put the name of your bar up in a post. I'm sure there is nothing shameful or unethical in purchasing votes with alcohol. Is there?

Shameless indeed, the audacity to use an internet forum to plug a few bars in town.

However beer at least has a beneficial use compared with some.

[AbAngler]

Originally Posted by The Bit Runner.

The bottom line is they are tring to put a wepond in archery season that should not belong. Thats not a opinion thats a fact

No that's an opinion. Yours.

I'm amazed this thread is still going.... Ok maybe I'm not. I'll pop in again in a few days to see if anything new has been discussed.

[elkhunter11]

WANTED: Deer Hunting Access in Strathcona County During next Shotgun Season. Willing to provide a bit of work repairing fencing, etc and an equal share of the meat. Please pm me if you can help me out.

Do you even realize that what you are proposing is illegal in Alberta?If a landowner was to accept any type of compensation in exchange for granting you access for the purpose of hunting,he would be breaking the law.Repairing fencing for a landowner would be considered compensation.

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by AbAngler

No that's an opinion. Yours.

I'm amazed this thread is still going.... Ok maybe I'm not. I'll pop in again in a few days to see if anything new has been discussed.

dont hold your breath......youd be in trouble.

Originally Posted by SLH

However beer at least has a beneficial use compared with some.

thats true.....its been helping big girls get some loving for years.

[garand]

I am opposed to including c-bows in archery season. Next thing guys will want to limit my season to a week because my rifle is capable to 400 yards.

There should be 2 seasons in my opinion. One for equipment that is deadly to 50 yards and one that is for everything else.

The inline muzzle loaders are not really primitive and there are no spots for me hunting with my old military rifles and cast bullets.

I don't see any value in it other than maybe if I were selling crossbows. I sure as heck don't see why it is on a harvest survey.

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by garand

There should be 2 seasons in my opinion. One for equipment that is deadly to 50 yards and one that is for everything else.

.

by that logic....you are in favor of crossbows being included.

and i guess id have to sit out with my reezen that is more than deadly well past that. can i maybe just remove my 60 and 70 yard pins?

[Mistagin]

Originally Posted by The Bit Runner.

True bowhunters are anyone that shoots a BOW not a crossbow. Anyone who shoots a crossbow and calls them selfs bowhunters should be ashamed.

I'm not ashamed one bit!
Actually I quite enjoy it, being out in the fields and forests, watching all kinds of critters, sometimes being in the right place at the right time and everything goes just right and the tag gets cut ......... the tool I'm using is just secondary to the hunt experience, whether it be my recurve, my crossBOW, my shotgun, or rifle.

BitRunner, your belittling attitude is just ............ sad. May you (and those who share your attitude) be blessed with being able to enjoy your vertical bows and the hunting experience you have with them forever - sincerely, I mean that

[garand]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

by that logic....you are in favor of crossbows being included.

and i guess id have to sit out with my reezen that is more than deadly well past that. can i maybe just remove my 60 and 70 yard pins?

Nope. I have shot both

With compound I might be comfortable to about 35 yards. Maybe 40 if it were a large animal.
Being that close trying to draw and hold it and keep the sight plane with my peep is all fairly tough. Might not be to the Robin Hoods on here but it is for me.

I could stretch that distance with my crossbow. Probably to 70 easy.

The crossbow is easily as deadly as my trapdoor Springfield. Can we include it in archery season too?

[209x50]

YES x 7!
Seven yes votes in my family.

[ghglenn]

What crossbow do you own, any pics?

[AbAngler]

Here's mine. Excalibur Phoenix.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by pottymouth

Rumor has it that a couple of bars around town, have a " bring a copy of your no (or against crossbows ) vote down and get a couple of free beer !!! Guess I'll vote NO , now forsure......LOL.

Great! Now I hear about it after I've already voted yes!

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by garand

Nope. I have shot both

With compound I might be comfortable to about 35 yards. Maybe 40 if it were a large animal.
Being that close trying to draw and hold it and keep the sight plane with my peep is all fairly tough. Might not be to the Robin Hoods on here but it is for me.

I could stretch that distance with my crossbow. Probably to 70 easy.

The crossbow is easily as deadly as my trapdoor Springfield. Can we include it in archery season too?

so based on you personally and what your skills are....several thousand hunters in alberta should be governed? i especially like the probably to 70 comment. that would bring you to where im pretty good with my mathews reezen. of course thats under ideal conditions at the range. knowing how arrows fly, wind , time of flight, and the ability for animals to move, i dont think shooting an arrow of any sort at that range is a very good idea.

[ghglenn]

Originally Posted by AbAngler

Here's mine. Excalibur Phoenix.

Hey AbAngler, nice Excal. It looks like it has the Varizone Scope on it. So, I will assume you dialed it in per the specs...using 20 yds as your zero. With only 5 crosshairs, how do you make your 70 yard kills, being that the farthest hair is set at 50 yds?

[garand]

Originally Posted by ishootbambi

so based on you personally and what your skills are....several thousand hunters in alberta should be governed? i especially like the probably to 70 comment. that would bring you to where im pretty good with my mathews reezen. of course thats under ideal conditions at the range. knowing how arrows fly, wind , time of flight, and the ability for animals to move, i dont think shooting an arrow of any sort at that range is a very good idea.

Not at all. I am pretty sure the government don't care about what I think. And as far as my skills go I never claimed to be a stallion with a bow. But I am realistic. If you can shoot 70 yards with a compound you are quite a shot. I have trouble seeing that far in a peep but a scoped c-bow helps there.

I think that all of us hunters should be governed by what regs might be best for the game and game management. The addition of this tool will have an impact on harvest and seasons.

Not understanding what these impacts might be and arguing based on the abilities of the tools is kind of backwards in my mind. Maybe they have all this figured, but the one line of information provided at the end of the survey ain't really enough to get my vote yes.

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by garand

Nope. I have shot both

With compound I might be comfortable to about 35 yards. Maybe 40 if it were a large animal.
Being that close trying to draw and hold it and keep the sight plane with my peep is all fairly tough. Might not be to the Robin Hoods on here but it is for me.

I could stretch that distance with my crossbow. Probably to 70 easy.

The crossbow is easily as deadly as my trapdoor Springfield. Can we include it in archery season too?

The facts about compound bows and crossbows indicate that the compound bow is the better choice for long distance shooting. You can find the facts about it on this thread or by researching it on the internet.

Your own capabilities and limitations with a compound bow and a crossbow has nothing to do with those of each particular tool. I hunt with a crossbow and although technically mine can kill out to 100 yds or more, I am only comfortable hunting out to 40 yds, similar to you with your compound bow.

[ishootbambi]

Originally Posted by garand

Not at all. I am pretty sure the government don't care about what I think. And as far as my skills go I never claimed to be a stallion with a bow. But I am realistic. If you can shoot 70 yards with a compound you are quite a shot. I have trouble seeing that far in a peep but a scoped c-bow helps there.

I think that all of us hunters should be governed by what regs might be best for the game and game management. The addition of this tool will have an impact on harvest and seasons.

Not understanding what these impacts might be and arguing based on the abilities of the tools is kind of backwards in my mind. Maybe they have all this figured, but the one line of information provided at the end of the survey ain't really enough to get my vote yes.

it will have an impact on harvest for sure....but not because the weapon is more deadly....simply because the number of archers will go up. simple math really. with a success rate of 15% (est) by doubling the number of guys hunting, the number of dead animals will double. most already agree with that.

[Stinky Coyote]

i would certainly support any movement to get an early season with primitive archery equipment/recurves/longbows etc. where the harvest percentages would really likely be low enough to have zip all for draws and i'd jump on board and buy a recurve and get in the game, that would be cool to get one week say the last week of august for primitive archery

but modern bowhunting with compounds is the same thing as the crossbows, held at draw means diddly to the outcome afield, they are very equal and very modern and should very much be together

on the firearms side, sure, maybe there would be room for a similar thing for the muzzleloaders/shotguns, say a week or two at end of season?

we can go on and on about both sides of it and the primitive vs modern sides of it.....reason i'm voting yes is the crossbow fits wherever the compound fits....and right now the compound is where it is, its my primary tool of choice and will remain so, i would enjoy the crossbow as an introduction tool and maybe later in life if i get a bit broken down to keep going strong on the compound...

[Mistagin]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

You already hunt with a crossbow don't you Mistagin? Why'd ya vote yes if you can already do it....or it's none of my business?

Yes I do HunterDave, along with using a recurve, shotgun, and rifle - as I am able, my personal preference in the early season is my recurve - doing spot and stalk or still-hunting (I'd love to bag a moose or good buck with the recurve at less than 20 meters!), then when it gets colder it's in a stand with my crossbow or rifle - it depends how I feel on any particular day, of course, up here in Ft. Mac area the bow season is short and the firearms season is long so I can make that choice to use either. If we only had a 1 or 2 week firearms season I'd most likely be using rifle due to the pressure the critters are under, pressure that makes them skittish and its difficult to have them stand still in my effective crossBOW range (under 40 meters - preferably under 30 because I know my and the limitations of the crossBOW).

I voted yes for a lot of the reasons you and some of the others who argue for "yes" brought up in this thread. It's going to open up hunting opportunities for people who presently can't enjoy the early seasons - kids and others who can't use traditional archery gear or compounds. To me, hunting is all about hunting, not so much the gear used; some on here seem to be more about the gear than the hunting, I respect that opinion, I just think it is a bit ------ narrow-minded in the bigger picture of what hunting is all about.

I also base part of my opinion on hunting experiences I enjoyed when I lived back east (southern Ontario) and the gun seasons were quite short (1 week) and there were gazillions of people out and lead was flying every which way sometimes.
Lots of archery equipped people were out in the bow seasons, and that means crossbow equipped people too. The thing is, even as seasons opened up back there (got longer and crossBOWs were allowed in), there was no difference (as has been well stated as fact in this thread) in successful harvest rates between "bow" users and crossBOW users - AND THE DEER HERD INCREASED!!! I can remember going from no deer season to being able to get 6 tags. And also, there was no huge influx of crossbow users as some here seem to fear. A number of people I know already used compounds and traditional equipment, bought and used a crossBOW sometimes, and some went to using the crossBOW all the time, others enjoyed using both, and others started with a crossBOW and went on to use compounds or traditional gear. Many of my hunting buddies never got into the archery seasons at all, they gun hunted for the week or two of those seasons and that was it for them, no interest in getting into flinging arrows of any kind - their choice; I suspect that may well be the case here in Alberta too. Some will try it and find it not to their liking, others will enjoy it, and some will move on to using compounds and traditional gear ----- and that's all good with me