Crossbow vs Gun Hunting

[BigN]

NYS will allow crossbow hunting during this falls deer season. I'm not a hunter so it really doesn't apply to me anyway but I'd like to know if this will lure any of you gun shooters into it just for the novelty. Seems like a fad to me although I've never used a bow either. I'm of the mindset that if you can't hit something at 200 yards, it's boring, but that's just me. Would any of you shooters like to try your hand at crossbow hunting?

 

[gym]

It's too expensive to get set up with good equiptment, for me. Unless they rent those things, than the practice and all, I don't think too many guys who are not already skilled in bow hunting have the time or money to engage in it now, But I may be wrong.

 

[UpTheIrons]

I gun and bow hunt. It extends my hunting season by a month, so I have more opportunities to get out and hunt more. Since the (Texas) county I hunt in is a five-deer county, I sometimes need the extra time to fill my tags.

If I didn't have a bow, I might consider a crossbow, as they were just legalized here as a method of taking deer last year.

 

[T.R.]

These deer toppled over less distance than 4 car lengths after being struck by my accurate bolts. Thunder Head 3 blade is deadly!!

In 1972 I began my life long interest in archery. A slightly dinged Wing Recurve bow at 45 lbs draw weight got me started. It was ordered thru Herters at a heavy discount because it was a "factory second". But it shot great for me. Of course I cont'd hunting game with rifles and shotguns.

As the years clicked by, my friends sold off their stick bows in favor of compound bows. I recall handling a Bear WhiteTail Hunter model in 1983 that had 6 wheels. Price was $99.00 It was ugly as sin but they sold 'em like crazy. Fred Bear and other archers as well took many world class trophies with this early compound bow. But I remained with my recurve bow.

More years clicked by. In 1989, I ordered a custom 3 piece take down recurve bow from Owen Jeffreys. It was a like a dream come true. Smooth and powerful with better accuracy than my old Wing.

Out of the blue, my wife bought me a Bear WhiteTail II for Christmas in 1994. I pretended to like it. But after shooting it a few times, the bow really began to impress me with its speed, accuracy, and ease of shooting.

Sadly, an accident left me with an un-healed elbow fracture in 1997. My recurve bow days were gone forever. I still shot the Bear WhiteTail II for a time. But eventually the pain caused by drawing the bow ruined it for me.

My Dr. signed a state form which qualified me for a Crossbow Permit. I bought a slightly used HuntMaster Advantage crossbow for a great price. This company changed their name to Ten Point. Parts are interchangeable. I've taken many South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia deer with my crossbow. It turned out to be an excellent investment.

For those who are put off by high dollar crossbows:

- consider buying second hand (used but not abused)

- consider a second hand "TOP of the line" Horton for same price as their new but bottom of the line models. Do not buy a discont'd model that no longer has parts available. Call the Horton factory about parts before buying an older model.

- consider NEW Parker BuckBuster or Spartan models; they're very well made in USA with lifetime warranty. Cost is affordable.

Good hunting to you.

TR

 

[Cob]

I purchased a cheap-o crossbow once from "cheaper than dirt" it boasted a huge package an econo price... I promise - when it arrived, i took the first target shot, and small metal piece on the integrated trigger release system took off flying out with the bolt i was shooting.

My purpose of getting it was neighborhood pest control, without a lot of noise. I never used it for it's intended purpose, instead, traded it to my neighbor for a bench vice with a bent handle... I still think i got the better end of that deal.

I still use both a traditional recurve, and a compound bow every archery season, am up to 14 whitetails, a turkey, a nutria, several armadillos, and several songirds with a PSE Mach 4, and now a Ted Nugent style(can't remember the name) compound bow.

 

[trickyasafox]

I don't think you'll get too many bow hunters crossing over- but I think you'll get a few gun hunters who might dabble now in the early season. I also think it'll be good for hunters who have trouble pulling bows due to age or injury (without being vets, who I think could already use crossbows in NYS).

I didn't realize NYS cleared the crossbow thing- I thought it was still up in the air. I'm glad its here- my father is getting to the point where he is showing signs where the bow might not be in his future for many more seasons. Another 5 or 6 years and I'm sure we'll be shopping for a crossbow setup for him.

Anything that is sporting, offers the animal a clean kill when the hunter does their part, and keeps people in the outdoors longer who want to be there is ok by me.

 

[Vlad357]

I had both shoulders rebuilt years several years ago and thought my bow hunting days were over. My wife encouraged me to get a handicapped permit and I did. $550 dollars later I had a nice Horton cross bow and bolts and have taken more deer with it then firearms since. I have found that the range and power of the bow, and the skill required, is the same as a "regular' now.

 

[kmrcstintn]

I live in PA and we recenty got ful inclusion crossbow hunting; here is what I like about them...

I like using them for late archery when I have many layers on and can't achieve a ful draw on my vertical compound bow; I like them for early archery when repetitive motion injuries in my elbow inhibit me to practice with my vertical crossbow to prep for hunting season; I like the quiet of archery much more than firearms season and crossbows expand my ability to throw sharp sticks;

the skillset for using crossbows is the same as for shooting a rifle (mounting the weapon, aiming the weapon, safety &trigger operations are similar); the crossbow hunter must realize the range imitations that crossbows have which are similar to vertical compound bows since they are NOT rifles

 

[wombat13]

The new crossbow law is a half-measure that will make very few hunters happy. Crossbows are only legal during the normal gun season and the late muzzleloader/bow season. Crossbows are not legal during the early bow season. The bowhunters (vertical) want the early season and the rut all to themselves and they were successful in keeping it that way.

It really ticks me off when hunters try to keep other hunters out of the field. My FIL has had multiple shoulder surgeries and can't draw his bow anymore so now he can't hunt during the early season. The only consolation in all of this is that eventually many of the selfish bowhunters will be in the same boat as my FIL. I hope they enjoy sitting out the fall season as much as he does.

 

[scythefwd]

Cost of entry is about the same as a rifle. I am seeing 10 point cross bows for sale at about $400 used with bolts. They're accurate, but I dont bow hunt. I've got a couple of compounds, but nothing spectacular.

You can use everything else you hunt in/with so cost is the cost of the gun (and maybe a stand if you don't already own one).

 

[Jason_W]

If it were legal for me to hunt with a crossbow instead of a muzzleloader, I would do so. I'm actually not a huge fan of muzzleloading rifles.

None of the states I've lived in are very crossbow friendly, though. In Vermont, a person cannot hunt with one at all unless you get a doctor to tell the DFW that you're physically incapable of drawing a regular bow.

In Maine, you can hunt with a crossbow during the regular firearms season only and only after purchasing a special permit at additional cost.

Getting a state to allow crossbow hunting is not a battle I would ever bother trying to fight. However, it makes no sense that during the muzzleloader season I can hunt with a modern, scoped, frontstuffer thay can send a ballistic tipped bullet out of the muzzle at 2200 f/s and drop a deer at 200 yards, but I can't use a crossbow.

 

[Vlad357]

When I referred to the skills necessary to hunt with a crossbow I was talking about the need to manage scent, need to get close and remain silent. These skills are the same due to the range limitations imposed by bow or crossbow hunting.