Crossbow hunting bans

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abbaswede

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Some one recently told me that many provinces had banned crossbow hunting because too many people were poaching with them. Since I just moved to Alberta, I don't know about the laws here. Is this bull####? I thought it might be.
 
Hope it isn't epidemic

Well, I hope it isn't epidemic. I don't see how banning crossbow hunting will stop people from poaching - that's already a crime anyway. But I guess it follows the usual legislative reasoning. :confused:
 
vert vs crossbows has got to be one of the most idiotic arguments goin around:rolleyes: both require you to draw the bowstring, load an arrow/bolt, pull a trigger of some sort to release the string and both fire and arrow/bolt.

so many people think that a crossbow is this almighty "weapon" that can launch an arrow 10x farther than a vert bow:rolleyes:

poachers will use whatever they please. both bows have the same effective killing range so i cant see them gaining an advantage there...

just one of those things that will never be forgotten i guess:rolleyes:

anyone know why so many people are against crossbows?
 
In Alberta crossbows can be used in archery season if the hunter has physical limitations preventing him from using a traditional bow. For the rest of us we can hunt with them as though they are a rifle, in rifle zone/season etc. There are groups lobbying da gubmint to have them treated as regular bows so we'll see how that plays out.
 
savagefan said:
In Alberta crossbows can be used in archery season if the hunter has physical limitations preventing him from using a traditional bow. For the rest of us we can hunt with them as though they are a rifle, in rifle zone/season etc. There are groups lobbying da gubmint to have them treated as regular bows so we'll see how that plays out.
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wow, that is very interesting..keeps us tuned in on how it turns out....

are there any other provinces that are in the same boat..as thats the first time I have heard of that
 
In N.B. they are illegal to hunt with. not sure why, don't think poaching has anything to d with it. there has been some talk about allowing them in rifle season. haven't heard anything lately though.
 
In Ontario a crossbow is a bow, we use them all the time in bow season. I just picked up avertical bow though becasue I think if you have the opportunity to hunt in different ways you should and enjoy every day of it.
 
vert vs crossbows has got to be one of the most idiotic arguments goin around both require you to draw the bowstring, load an arrow/bolt, pull a trigger of some sort to release the string and both fire and arrow/bolt.
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Of course there are some major differences.A crossbow can be held drawn for extended periods so if game appears,no drawing motion is necessary so none can be detected by the game.Also the crossbow requires no energy to be held at full draw.A crossbow has a built in trigger assembly that allows for a more consistant release than any finger release with a conventional bow.The biggest difference is that once a crossbow is sighted in,pretty much anyone can shoot it fairly accurately with very little practise.On the other hand it takes a great deal of practise to shoot accurately with a conventional bow.
 
I used to have a vertical bow, but If I'm honest did not have the skill to humanely take on a Deer with confidence so I never did.
So I bought an Excalibur crossbow instead- and as Stubblejumper correctly states "Pretty much anyone can shoot it with very little practice."

Its a great hunting tool topped with a red dot sight- but still requires range/arrow compensation.
Now I take on respected living animals with confidence at ranges up to forty yards just like anyone else provided my fieldcraft remains constant, knowing a humane kill will follow. Am I to be considered such a war criminal for using a crossbow in bowhunting season? Last year a hunter challenged me on the morality of using my crossbow- I sent him on his way in no uncertain terms! This bickering among bowhunters has to stop...
 
stubblejumper said:
A crossbow has a built in trigger assembly that allows for a more consistant release than any finger release with a conventional bow.
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Many release aids are available for compound bows. Some of these are higher quality than some crossbow triggers. If you don't #### a crossbow properly, it won't be accurate. In a similar vein, if you don't nock your arrow correctly (consistantly in the same spot), it also won't shoot accurately.

stubblejumper said:
The biggest difference is that once a crossbow is sighted in,pretty much anyone can shoot it fairly accurately with very little practise.On the other hand it takes a great deal of practise to shoot accurately with a conventional bow.
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This statement is misleading. If you have a compound bow with a mild cam, and a reasonable axle to axle length, it takes very little time to become proficient with it. They are VERY easy to shoot well. I've hunted with both bows and crossbows, and both required a similar amount of practice for proficieny. Generally speaking a bow will shoot a little flatter at extended ranges. Keep in mind that a bolt is not very aerodynamic.

I tend to be in the camp that feels traditional archery is the purest form of bow hunting. Long or recurve bow, with no release aids, fancy carbon arrows or sights. That is where you really need to practice and hone your skills. Try some instinctive shooting and see how long it takes you to be able to consistantly hit a pie plate at 25 yards. I am not flaming compound bow hunters, but find it ironic when they whine about crossbows (not implying that Stubblejumper is whining here).

edit: I am assuming that "conventional bow" meant compound bow
 
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abbaswede said:
Some one recently told me that many provinces had banned crossbow hunting because too many people were poaching with them. Since I just moved to Alberta, I don't know about the laws here. Is this bulls**t? I thought it might be.
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Well I don't pay a lot of attention to the issue but I am pretty sure that Alberta does allow crossbow hunting.

BUT...

For the life of me I don't understand any able bodied man chosing to use a crossbow over a conventional recurve or compound. I realize crossbows have been around for centuries but there is definitely more skill required to use the recurve or compound. There is something about crossbows that say "handicapped only" to me.
 
This statement is misleading. If you have a compound bow with a mild cam, and a reasonable axle to axle length, it takes very little time to become proficient with it. They are VERY easy to shoot well. I've hunted with both bows and crossbows, and both required a similar amount of practice for proficieny
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Lets say we took ten random people off of the street with little or no experience with bows or crossbows and handed them a crossbow and a compound bow each sighted in with broadheads by one of us for 30 yards.

Now we have each of them shoot ten shots with both compound bow and crossbow at 30 yards using broadheads.

I would put up $500 of my money that the crossbows would shoot higher scores than the compound bows.Would you put up $500 of you own money against me?

The simple truth is that once a crossbow is sighted in with a given bolt/broadhead combination,virtually anyone can pick it up and shoot it accurately.With a compound bow it does take a fair amount of practise to shoot it as well,especially using broadheads which magnify any mistakes that are made.
 
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Im going to side with stubblejumper on this one. I can't hit anything with my compound but I CAN consitlently be on target with a crossbow. Ive also been doing archery off and on for a good 5 or 6 years and I still wouldnt be able to hunt with a bow. no way would i feel confident enough to even try it. I miss enough on targets and wouldnt want to take the chance on living stuff.

It takes ALOT more skill and physical ability to hunt with vertical bow then with a crossbow.

Just because YOU happen to find it easy doesnt make it so for everyone. i happen to find archery extremely difficult.
 
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Chopperhead said:
Im going to side with stubblejumper on this one. I can't hit anything with my compound but I CAN consitlently be on target with a crossbow. Ive also been doing archery off and on for a good 5 or 6 years and I still wouldnt be able to hunt with a bow. no way would i feel confident enough to even try it. I miss enough on targets and wouldnt want to take the chance on living stuff.

It takes ALOT more skill and physical ability to hunt with vertical bow then with a crossbow.

Just because YOU happen to find it easy doesnt make it so for everyone. i happen to find archery extremely difficult.
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Well, if that's the way you guys feel, fine. I've had different experiences. In fact, I have seen a fellow who had NEVER shot a bow become proficient enough to hit an 8" circle at 20 yards every time within 20 minutes of being taught the basics. Keep in mind that some people can not shoot a rifle worth a darn either. I see that at the range too. Especially right before hunting season.

I still stand by my statement with the possible qualification that the person has to at least have decent hand/eye/muscle co-ordination, and the physical ability to use the bow at its draw weight. I am certain that, unless you are completely inept, a good teacher will have you shooting a mild 40-45lb draw weight compound well enough to hit an 8" circle at 20 yards in very little time. That is plenty of power to kill a deer.

On the other hand, is a newbie who buys a 34" axle to axle bow, set on a 70lb draw weight, trying to learn how to shoot with a featherweight carbon arrow. That is not quite so easy.

The first bow is a .257 Roberts, the second a .300 RUM. Both will kill a deer, but which one do you think the new rifleman will be able to shoot better?
 
Hey it's all good man. diffrent strokes for diffrent folks right. What I find difficult someone else may find very easy, everyone is diffrent. i enjoy shooting my compound but Im just not very acurate with it. Im shooting Aluminiom arrows with a PSE Nova with about a 60lb draw just in case ur wondering.

i also find shooting with Iron sights alot easier then with optics. obviously lots of people would disagree with me but hey like I said everyone is diffrent.
 
The Crossbow VS "any" other bow conflict reminds me of...

"traditional" skier's VS snowboarders...

It took years and years for snowboarders to be "welcome" in with the "in" crowd...

A crossbow shoots a friggen arrow, in my books, IT'S A FRIGGEN BOW!!! There should be NO restrictions!!!

A good example is my wife... I looked LONG AND HARD to find a female compatible bow so that she could bowhunt with me... In N.B. here, there is a 20kg rule, or 44 lbs pull minimum IIRC... That is quite a bit of "pull" required by a small statured woman or any youth... Simply put, the NO crossbow rule just penalizes the woman and youth in our sport!!!

All of that searching and expense would have been avoided IF I could have simply bought a friggen crossbow for her!!! Hell, I'd use a crossbow if the "know-it-all's" that make the friggen rules would get their HEADS OUT OF THE SAND!!!

Cheers
Jay
 
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Here we go again. Without getting into all the arguments, I'll say this. The misconceptions of the crossbow are unbelievable. When I mentioin I have a crossbow, I get all kinds of responses. The most common one by far is the range. People seem to think a crossbow has a 100-200yard range. I've heard this from avid hunters and non hunters alike. "It's basically a rifle" is another one that comes to mind.

These are the main problems we face as crossbow hunters in trying to be able to hunt with them during bow season (in Alberta). There is NO PROOF that allowing this will hurt game populations. In fact, it is the opposite.
 
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