Bob Zink: Crossbows are not the equivalent to hunting with a gun – Outdoor News
A few years ago, I wrote about the effects of crossbows on deer hunting. There are several points that arise, over and over.
Does the use of crossbows result in a greater harvest of deer and damage to the population? Short answer, the science says no. Some claim that crossbow hunters get all the good bucks before the gun season. Short answer, no (look at the hunter pics in Outdoor News).
Crossbows have advantages, particularly the ability to cock the bow long before any deer comes into range. But if someone thinks crossbows are guns, then I know one thing: They have never hunted with a crossbow.
Crossbows are not guns. A recent letter writer (to Outdoor News) said crossbows are more like rifles. I can attest that my .270 and my crossbow are completely different weapons. Before I listen to anyone’s opinion, I need to know whether they have any serious experience hunting with a crossbow. Until then, their credibility is too low.
It’s not like I just take my crossbow and go out and shoot a deer. We do everything a compound bowhunter does, from picking a spot to being scent-free to being quiet, etc. Frankly, I think that using rifles to kill deer is cheating, although I’ve never harvested a deer with a rifle or a shotgun.
RELATED COVERAGE FROM OUTDOOR NEWS:
Minnesota’s preliminary 2024 season report shows higher deer harvest
Ryan Rothstein: Hunters, DNR both have work to do in managing Minnesota’s deer herd
For whitetails in much of Minnesota, it’s been another winter of recovery
Crossbows allow hunters to shoot out to 100 yards? Wrong, no more than at Game Fair when they have compound bow enthusiasts shoot at 100 yards. Any serious bowhunter irrespective, of whether he or she uses a compound or crossbow, knows that at long distances it just takes too long for an arrow or bolt to reach the deer, during which time a deer can move and result in poor shot placement. Long shots equals wounded deer with any bow.
The alternative is the case with me – and I assume other conscientious crossbow hunters: I make far better shots and shorter recoveries with my crossbow than I did with the many whitetails I harvested with my compound.
The sales of deer-hunting licenses in Minnesota have declined on average of 1% per year for two decades. Crossbows stand a good chance of increasing interest in deer hunting (which is also good for meat processors and the hunting industry in general).
I hope our goal is not having fewer people interested in buying deer-hunting licenses. If crossbows get more people into the woods, this is a positive. Hunters need more hunters.
Some compound bowhunters (which I was until my shoulders failed) can be short-sighted. They forget that when compound bows appeared, the longbow hunters were mad. Lighted sights, wrist releases, and large let-offs were claimed by many bowhunters at the time to fatally taint the sport. Now, some compound bowhunters are saying the same about crossbows.
It’s similar in fishing. Are we going to war over GPS-guided trolling motors? (I hope not; I have one.)
A recent Outdoor News letter writer said there should be a separate season for crossbows, as there is for muzzleloader hunting. If we are concerned about which components of a bow or crossbow give an unfair advantage, I suggest the following schedule for bowhunting:
• Sept 15 through Dec. 31: longbows and recurves (and spears).
• Oct 1 through Dec. 7: compound bows without lighted sights and let-offs of 60% or less, and no wrist releases (fingers only).
• Nov. 7 through Dec. 7: compound bows with lighted sights, let-off of 60% or more, and wrist releases.
I am strongly in favor of crossbows being legal in all archery seasons for all hunters. If you disagree, ask yourself why.
Do you have a science-backed concern about the effects of crossbow use on the deer population? Are you getting fewer deer? Are you envious that crossbow hunters don’t have to pull back when a deer is in range because the bow is already cocked? Are you upset because your neighbor’s 12-year-old shot a large buck while using a crossbow? Has it ruined deer hunting for folks using bows, shotguns, or rifle?
A letter writer claimed that when he hunted in Nebraska (where I hunt exclusively) and where crossbows are allowed, the Game and Parks Commission said it was because they wanted to kill more deer – the implication being that crossbows would result in more deer killed.
But if the goal was to reduce the herd, owing to EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease), and now chronic wasting disease, simply more people will hunt if they can use a crossbow and then deer harvest will increase as requested by deer managers.
I haven’t harvested more deer since I switched to using a crossbow, but I put enough venison in the freezer. In my part of Nebraska, I sat for an hour or so at the end of light for 80 days this past season (Sept. 1 to Jan. 15) and shot three deer – one more than I wanted. The reason is that we couldn’t find one of my deer until the next morning, and by then, the coyotes had eaten every scrap. I had three unused tags.
To me, this bickering about crossbows is hugely disappointing. We are in a time when we are losing hunters and anti-hunters continue to gain momentum. And here we are, hunters telling other hunters how to hunt, when to hunt, and that the equipment they use to hunt isn’t “fair” – but their seasons and weapon of choice are.
There should be far more serious issues than hunters telling other hunters how they should hunt, which reflects negatively on all hunting. If you are against crossbows, the solution is simple: Don’t use one.
