Should Crossbows be Allowed in Archery Only Season?

[mvarley84]

Alberta Sustainable Resources Department has today released the results of their on-line survey questioning the inclusion of crossbows in the current archery season in Alberta.

Yes - 37%
No - 44%
Unsure - 19%

The announcement at the Alberta Fish & Game Association Convention is that crossbows will not be included in the 2011 Alberta archery season.

wow...I wouldn't have guessed that would be the result in Alberta.

When are people going to realize that archery is archery...its an arrow being propelled by a string using force stored in limbs...spretty simple...the release mechanism should have nothing to do with an item's legallity.

 

[stovepipe699]

Well, this is quite the debate. I voted no, as a rifle, muzzleloader and bowhunter. In MB bowhunters with medical issues can get a doctors note to be allowed a crossbow. The advantage of not having to draw and hold a xbow without the animal detecting you is the issue for me. I wonder what happened in places where xbows are allowed in archery only season? Did a lot of guys switch to Xbows?

 

[Gatehouse]

Alberta Sustainable Resources Department has today released the results of their on-line survey questioning the inclusion of crossbows in the current archery season in Alberta.

Yes - 37%
No - 44%
Unsure - 19%

The announcement at the Alberta Fish & Game Association Convention is that crossbows will not be included in the 2011 Alberta archery season.

Wow, what backwards thinking morons.

 

[Gatehouse]

. I wonder what happened in places where xbows are allowed in archery only season? Did a lot of guys switch to Xbows?

In BC, crossbows have been allowed in archery season for years.

Here is what happens:

Nothing.

As in, there are no hordes of crossbow wielding ninjas killing every animal in sight.

It makes it easier for new bow hunters to try out archery hunting. It makes people with disabilities not go through annoying red tape to get some stupid special permit to use a crossbow. And it makes those who just like hunting with a crossbow, able to use a crossbow.

Disallowing crossbows is complete backwards thinking, it's self serving snobbery and it will be detrimental to hunting in general in the end.

 

[Suka]

 

[Cal45]

- read first choice.
- read second choice.
- read half of third choice.
- diagonnally read all remaining choices.
- Come to conclusion that poll has too many choices.
- reply to thread about that fact
- close window, carry on with life

Same here.

 

[stubblejumper]

Wow, what backwards thinking morons.

I am just glad that they only comprised 37% of the voters.

 

[Suka]

Moot now anyways, but keep in mind that 63% of the voters either saw nothing wrong with adding xbows, or simply couldn't care less, either way.

Despite the fear mongering from the very small bow hunting community I seriously doubt more than a handfull of people would've bought xbows, more likely current bow hunters would have rushed into it, and the sale price/demand for of used compounds would drop from it's current SFA, to the square root of that.
Which, in itself should tell you something.

 

[stubblejumper]

Moot now anyways, but keep in mind that 63% of the voters either saw nothing wrong with adding xbows, or simply couldn't care less, either way.

You might want to practice your math. 44% of those that voted, voted no, that only leaves 56% of the voters.

 

[sealhunter]

definitely should be allowed

 

[Suka]

Oops, well, you got my point, anyway.

 

[Rocks]

Great news!

We have the best of both worlds in Alberta, anybody who wants to hunt with a crossbow can during the general season, and an early season bow only hunt (the drawn and held with muscular power type) with a great selection of over the counter tags.

SRD has said that if crossbows are allowed in the early archery season it is likely certain species would go on draw, REDUCING opportunity. This is the right decision, if you want to hunt with a crossbow you can, and anyone who wants to enjoy the early archery season can. No need to change anything...

 

[sheephunter]

I wouldn't say nothing changed. SRD made it very clear that they were going to make it much simpler for those with medical conditions to get a crossbow permit. Currently you need to be an amputee but under the new regulations, it sounds like a simple doctor's note will suffice to allow you to hunt the archery seasons with a crossbow. I'd say it could be a big change and perhaps a bit of a comprimise on a close vote.

 

[Rocks]

Probably not a bad compromise. I have no problem with someone who cannot pull a bow back getting medical clearance to hunt with a xbow during archery season, I think the way it was did exclude a few people from hunting during bow season.

 

[guido]

In BC, crossbows have been allowed in archery season for years.

Here is what happens:

Nothing.

As in, there are no hordes of crossbow wielding ninjas killing every animal in sight.

It makes it easier for new bow hunters to try out archery hunting. It makes people with disabilities not go through annoying red tape to get some stupid special permit to use a crossbow. And it makes those who just like hunting with a crossbow, able to use a crossbow.

Disallowing crossbows is complete backwards thinking, it's self serving snobbery and it will be detrimental to hunting in general in the end.

It doesn't make archery hunting easier. It makes shooting "easier".
Disabled people can use Xbows with hardly any red tape. (Dr.'s note)
Those that "just like hunting with a crossbow" already could.
Crossbows have not been dis-allowed, they have been used during rifle season for quite some time.

 

[sheephunter]

Disabled people can use Xbows with hardly any red tape. (Dr.'s note)

Actually there is a ton of red tape right now and you have to be an amputee if you want to use them in archery season. That is proposed to change with the 2011 regs though.

 

[guido]

Actually there is a ton of red tape right now and you have to be an amputee if you want to use them in archery season. That is proposed to change with the 2011 regs though.

Disabled people can use a xbow without any red tape. As long as it's not during archery season. Proposed changes will make it quite a bit easier to allow usage during archery season.

 

[mvarley84]

Archery is defined as "The art, sport, or skill of shooting with a bow and arrow". It states nothing about what style of bow. (Long, recurve, compound..crossbow). Archery is that simple...shooting an arrow with a bow, of any type.

Considering the crossbow design dates back a couple thousand years, and pre-dates the compound design, I think it should fall under the "traditional hunting practices" subtitle. Either that or take away compounds from archery only season so the "purists" can have the forest to themselves.

 

[koop]

In Manitoba we have a few areas that are archery only, as in there is no muzzle loader season or rifle season. There are so many deer that in those areas you can shoot 3 deer, but you can only use a bow. I would really like to see that in those areas at least you could use a crossbow, in every other area I don't have much of an opinion.

 

[stovepipe699]

Great news!

We have the best of both worlds in Alberta, anybody who wants to hunt with a crossbow can during the general season, and an early season bow only hunt (the drawn and held with muscular power type) with a great selection of over the counter tags.

SRD has said that if crossbows are allowed in the early archery season it is likely certain species would go on draw, REDUCING opportunity. This is the right decision, if you want to hunt with a crossbow you can, and anyone who wants to enjoy the early archery season can. No need to change anything...

Here in MB xbows are not allowed for archery tags/season, but they are allowed during muzzleoader tags/season. You are not allowed to use a bow for a muzzleloader tag. I might try a xbow for muzzle season this year, just for something different.