Bow Hunting if you were an animal

[tyger75]

The crossbow is not BOW HUNTING. The ability to load a bolt into the crossbow, so that it is ready to shoot, at all times, is what makes the big difference. When you use a BOW, and have to draw it, without the animal detecting the movement(s), there is a lot more difficulty added.

The only similarity is the broadhead.

But if you want to think it's bow hunting go ahead.

It is recognized by the Ministry of Natural Resources as a form of bow hunting, and therefore is classified as such. It may be a form of bow hunting you don't take a part of, and you prefer compound as your form of bow hunting.... fine, that's your choice.

But please, lets show a little respect for one another. I myself crossbow hunt, and enjoy it. If I didn't have arthritis so bad in my shoulder, I would be keenly interested in longbow hunting, but I don't have that choice. Using a crossbow allows me to still hunt in my own WMU, since it's bow season only. I still have to walk in, set up, be patient, and when I see the deer, quietly and carefully lift and arm without alarming the deer. It may not require as much skill and physical strength as a normal bow, but there's still a challenge there.


JasonYuke, I'm sorry to hear your first time with the bow went so bad. Please don't let one bad experience ruin your opportunity to enjoy this sport. If there are any clubs in your area, go visit and chat with some of the more experienced bow hunters, ask them what they use for broadheads and so on.
Set up a few targets, play around with your aim, tighten or relax the tension in the arms of the crossbow, just get used to the feel of your crossbow. Being comfortable with your equipment can be a huge factor, so give it a second shot.

 

[luftmech]

On the topic of bow hunting, some of the Western province's don't recognize cross bows for archery season. Some places they can be used in Muzzleloader season and some places don't allow them at all as an efficient means of harvesting game. So due to the fact that each Province is different it should be left at that.

I have had buddies hunting with bow that have shot their deer up to three times and not had a kill as for some reason their arrow kept hitting hard bone and breaking, and in the same breath I have seen deer hit where they didn't even flinch and fell over dead in their tracks. Bow hunting has many variables that change in seconds that make a good shot a bad one.

 

[sjemac]

Cut Demonical some slack. Here in Alberta, Crossbows can only be used in gun seasons and by definition are not allowed in BOW HUNTING. Therefore here crossbow hunting would NOT be bow hunting since it would be illegal to use one to do so.

And yeah, I might pick up a bow if this province actually allowed some extra tags for it. As it stands now there is no reason for me to put down the rifle.

 

[The ORB]

So in other words, you are another guy that uses a crossbow and thinks you are bow hunting. The distinction between them is quite clear. QUOTE]

No I have never fired a crossbow in my life, but thanks for the wild arse assumptions.

However, I don't hijack a perfectly good thread, to make narrow minded and irrelevent shots at one type of perfectly legal and legitimate hunting.

Why did you feel the need to make that comment? Should folks who use longbows jump all over every post from compound bow hunters? Should muzzleloaders jump all over post from guys using centrefire rifles? What the heck would that achieve? If you want to take juvenile pot shots at crossbow hunters start your own thread, or better yet don't bother!

 

[7.62mm]

Cut Demonical some slack. Here in Alberta, Crossbows can only be used in gun seasons and by definition are not allowed in BOW HUNTING. Therefore here crossbow hunting would NOT be bow hunting since it would be illegal to use one to do so.

Well, just for comparison, here in SW Ontario Centrefire Rifles cannot be used in our controlled hunts. Muzzleloaders and Shotguns only (specified by which WMU you want to hunt in). But I certainly wouldn't say that the use of Centrefire Rifles is NOT gun hunting. Or that just because I use a Traditional Muzzle Stuffer, the use of the new Smokeless Powder Muzzleloaders isn't a True Muzzleloader hunt.

We have got to stick together here, before we tear ourselves to pieces.

 

[Doug]

Shooting animals from a long distance with a rifle is not hunting, it is shooting. Like they do in Whitecourt Alberta. With their three month gun season and multiple tags. Just set up your range and wait for a live target. Cool.

Doug

PS to pinheads) Just in case you don't recognize SATIRE when you see it, no I am not serious. Thank you. Thank you very much.

 

[Demonical]

I am not attacking crossbow hunting. I'm not on a soap box demanding that only hunting with recurves (or compound bows) be allowed.

All I did was point out that there is a pretty significant difference between the crossbow and the bow.

I don't have any problems with any legal type of hunting, crossbow hunting, muzzleloaders, recurve, compound, .375R's, .243's, hiking, road hunting, baiting bears, calling coyotes, climbing mountains, etc...




Relax guys.

 

[Jay]

Well first off, a crossbow is not bow hunting. There is an enormous difference between that and a compound or recurve, which require VASTLY more skill... IMHO.

Demonical... Normally I agree with you, but not on this time! IMHO, if it "flings" an arrow, it's bow hunting, i.e. archery hunting. Let's stand together in the outdoor sports!!!

JasonYuke, sh1t happens, Doug is right, having compassion for animals seperates us from them. I don't like to see animals suffer for any reason, and I have had one experience hunting deer that would, more than likely, had a newbie quitting.

In short, do your best, do your part, fate is outta our hands!

Cheers
Jason

 

[1899]

Well first off, a crossbow is not bow hunting. There is an enormous difference between that and a compound or recurve, which require VASTLY more skill... IMHO.

I disagree in part. A modern compound bow is just as easy to use as a crossbow. I've owned and hunted with both. In fact the crossbow has a much shorter bolt (arrow) which means the trajectory arcs more than an arrow from a compound bow.

Now if you are talking tradition long bow or recurve, then yes, that type of archery does require vastly more skill.

I have found that if you put an arrow into the right spot, the animal will go down fast. That is, if it is an uninjured and calm animal. You can run into problems if your broadheads aren't sharp enough. They NEED to be razor sharp. The reason is that arteries and veins are quite rubbery, they are elastic. A razor sharp broadhead will slice through FAR more arteries and veins than a dull one, simply because the dull blade will displace the vein that a sharp one would cut.

The other thing is you really have to try to get both lungs. That will kill game much much quicker than a single lung shot. Noting that lots of archery hunting is done from tree stands, look at the angles of the shot, path of arrow and anatomy of the animal. Focus on getting angles for double lung shots. The game won't go far.


Edit - I am not on your case Demonical - just saying my opinion.

 

[Demonical]

^ I have no issues with anything that was said by anyone, in this thread.

 

[fogducker]

The crossbow is not BOW HUNTING. The ability to load a bolt into the crossbow, so that it is ready to shoot, at all times, is what makes the big difference. When you use a BOW, and have to draw it, without the animal detecting the movement(s), there is a lot more difficulty added.

The only similarity is the broadhead.

But if you want to think it's bow hunting go ahead.

ok in curious as hell if its not bow hunting..
what do you call it?
lets hear in your own words what it is

 

[7.62mm]

Oh, can I play?

Propelling pointy stick thingies, with horizontally opposed springy limbs, attached with twisted multi-coloured string at unwitting prey?

I know it's kind of a mouthful, but it's the best I could come up with

 

[Gatehouse]

Crossbows pre date Jesus....

They are every bit as much "bow hunitng" as any other form of bow and string set up that propels an arrow.

The "anti crossbow in archery season" hunters are just snobs.

 

[7mmlefty]

Dont give up on archery Jason. Give it some time and enjoy a few steaks.
Hopefully you'll find you're self in the woods again soon with a bow.

I hit a big buck in the liver a couple years ago,( another story) and went 400 yards(tracked) when all hope was lost in the thickest, dirtiest swamp one could imagine.
I almost gave up the tracking but saw a hump in the middle of a small patch of water and thought, that rock doesnt belong there? That rock was my buck.!

Then I shot a small buck last December with the crossbow and as luck would have it, he ran straight towards the truck, reducing my drag time by half. The young feller fell within 20 seconds. He ran a bit, kicked a couple mid air kicks with the hind legs and fell over.
I could not believe how fast that arrow worked.

You get both sides of the spectrum of hunting with archery, same as gun hunting.
If you love the outdoors and hunting, archery is a great way to experience it.
Compound or crossbow doesnt matter if it gets you out there.

 

[Pudelpointer]

Yuke, I am confused. You say you hit "high lung" with the first shot? But there was no blood in the chest cavity? Not sure how that is possible. Did you hit him in the lungs or did you hit so high that you missed the lungs but poked a hole in his chest cavity? Were his lungs really small and not filled with blood?

The other possibility is: did you shoot, EVER, your broadheads into a target of any type? If so, your broadheads are no longer sharp enough, period. I do not know how many times I have seen this before. Blades need to be brand new or sharpened by hand and honed to a razor edge.

Just wondering.

Ian

 

[brotherjack]

The crossbow is not BOW HUNTING. The ability to load a bolt into the crossbow, so that it is ready to shoot, at all times, is what makes the big difference. When you use a BOW, and have to draw it, without the animal detecting the movement(s), there is a lot more difficulty added.

The only similarity is the broadhead.

Ummm.... you are very very wrong. Having hunted with both, there is slim to no difference in it's efficiency as a hunting weapon. Maneuvering a crossbow into position for a shot will spook a critter inside bow range every bit as fast as coming to full draw will.

The hard part about hunting with a bow, is getting a critter to stand broadside about 20-ish yards away. Running an arrow through him once you've accomplished that, well, that is (or should be) a pretty trivial accomplishment in comparison.


As to similarities, let's see - compound bow verses cross bow.

Both bows have limbs
Both bows have strings
Both bows have triggers (assuming you use a release on your compound bow)
Both bows have sights
Both bows shoot arrows (via the same method - limbs and string)
Both bows use broadheads and fletching
Both bows shoot those arrows at comparable speeds
Both bows have approximately identical range
Both bows require some practice to shoot accurately with
Shall I go on?

 

[ponts]

Those Wasp Broadheads are crap in my general opinion. There are much better choices out there. I am sorry that you had a bad experience, it could easily happen to anyone, with any hunting method.

As to the statement , that is just absolute crap. He says he uses a compound, so he loses all credibility. These types of broad paintbrush type statements do nothing but drive a wedge through our hunting communities.

BTW, I happen to bow hunt with a Crossbow, and a Self Made Longbow. Both different hunting styles, and both a lot of challenge.

In Alberta anyways.....Crossbow hunters have to hunt in rifle zones and during rifle season unless they are handicapped with a special permit then and only then can they hunt in the bow zone. So in Alberta there is a CLEAR seperation. Bow hunters are indeed a SEPERATE class here from Crossbow hunters.

The Alberta Bow Hunters Association fought to make sure this stayed that way and crossbows were not allowed in Bow Zones and in IMHO as an ABA member I support that 100%.

 

[The ORB]

In Alberta anyways.....Crossbow hunters have to hunt in rifle zones and during rifle season unless they are handicapped with a special permit then and only then can they hunt in the bow zone. So in Alberta there is a CLEAR seperation. Bow hunters are indeed a SEPERATE class here from Crossbow hunters.

The Alberta Bow Hunters Association fought to make sure this stayed that way and crossbows were not allowed in Bow Zones and in IMHO as an ABA member I support that 100%.

Of course dividing, marginalising and restricting hunters based on their specific choice of weapon is ultimately the goal that all provinces should aim for. I only hope that Ontario becomes so progressive. I want semi-auto's banned next, lets face it they sure as hell aren't "rifles" are they? In fact, I can't think of a good reason anyone should even own a crossbow or a semi-auto rifle. In fact what the hell kind of implement is a "compund bow" anyway, with its hightech materials and fancy pulleys and sights. Let's ban hunting with those too.

Seriously I sometimes am bemused by what hunters and firearms owners do to themselves. The anti's must love it.

 

[riden]

Of course dividing, marginalising and restricting hunters based on their specific choice of weapon is ultimately the goal that all provinces should aim for. I only hope that Ontario becomes so progressive. I want semi-auto's banned next, lets face it they sure as hell aren't "rifles" are they? In fact, I can't think of a good reason anyone should even own a crossbow or a semi-auto rifle. In fact what the hell kind of implement is a "compund bow" anyway, with its hightech materials and fancy pulleys and sights. Let's ban hunting with those too.

Seriously I sometimes am bemused by what hunters and firearms owners do to themselves. The anti's must love it.

I think you missed the point.

Bow season is open a weekish before rifle season here. The main issue is who gets to hunt during that week.

Personnally, I am indifferent.

 

[Demonical]

Of course dividing, marginalising and restricting hunters based on their specific choice of weapon is ultimately the goal that all provinces should aim for. I only hope that Ontario becomes so progressive. I want semi-auto's banned next, lets face it they sure as hell aren't "rifles" are they? In fact, I can't think of a good reason anyone should even own a crossbow or a semi-auto rifle. In fact what the hell kind of implement is a "compund bow" anyway, with its hightech materials and fancy pulleys and sights. Let's ban hunting with those too.

Seriously I sometimes am bemused by what hunters and firearms owners do to themselves. The anti's must love it.

I LIKE THE FACT THAT CROSS BOWS ARE PROVIDING MORE HUNTING OPPORTUNITY ACROSS CANADA. I AM NOT STANDING ON THE STREET CORNER LOBBYING AGAINST CROSS BOWS... okay?



What is so terrible about having separate seasons for bow hunters, muzzle loader hunters, shot guns seasons, rifle hunters and cross bow hunters? How is providing separate seasons marginalizing anyone?

I do not have a problem with guys hunting with cross bows. Any of the guys, that say that, are interpretting what I said as being against cross bow hunting. All I said was, "Cross bow hunting is not bow hunting". And I am not changing that opinion.

People have taken what I said and made assumptions about that. No big deal to me.

For one thing, it is just an opinion I have; you will not change it anymore then I can change your opinions (on anything).