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Anyone still think crossbows are cheating?

brock ratcliff

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I think crossbows are cool! My seven year old will be chasing his first deer next weekend, just like he did last year. He couldn't do that with his longbow, recurve, or compound bow at this point. Additionally, my dad can hunt during archery season with a real chance of killing something as he has since the mid-80s. He has a crippled elbow, and hunted with a recurve from the late 50s to the mid 80s with it, having never killed a deer with a bow in that time. With the condition of his arm, his anchor point was somewhere around the middle of his chest. He never had much hope of actually killing one, but he liked to hunt...now, if he goes and decides to shoot, its dead. I've never hunted with a crossbow, but for these reasons, I think they are great. I may borrow my son's crossbow and shoot a button buck just for you this year TF!:)
 

Riverdude

The Happy Hunting Grounds Beyond
Supporting Member
10,254
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Ashtabula, Ohio
I bow hunt strictly with a compound bow but I would say if it's legal ( which it is in Ohio ) I don't have a problem with it. Kind of like using bait or not, if it's legal it's Ok with me.

Kind of like a true recurve guy might look down on compound guys, compound guys might look down on X bow guys. It's all good if legal. :smiley_boxing:
 

COB-TY

Retired to the happy hunting grounds above.
2,555
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Ohio
In all seriousness the crossbow has a place in hunting. It's just that each individual has to decide for them self where and what that place is.
 

Hoytmania

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Gods Country
If it weren't for crossbows I probably wouldn't be hunting. I had to teach myself to hunt so I started out with the crossbow.
 

formerbowhunter1023

Now Posts as Jesse..
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SE Ohio
Like Ted, I also think they have their place and I'm glad we can use them in Ohio. But like Ted so often says, there is always a but and that is I have a problem with able-bodied individuals that use them as the "easy way out". I understand not having time for a compound and blah, blah, blah. What bothers me is the guy I saw in Wal-Mart this morning buying a crossbow who had no idea what he was doing, and he'll be tromping around the woods next weekend. Crossbows make it easier for the lazy, unprepared, and uneducated hunter to get in the woods. It is not the weapons fault, but its just the way it is and that is my only issue with the crossbow. With that being said, I'm still glad we can use them because it helps get people involved that might not otherwise be involved in the sport. And the positives outweigh the negatives IMO...
 

Dannmann801

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10,640
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Springboro
I sense a culture of respect and tolerance on this site for xbow use that is sadly absent on "another site".
Refreshing. Hope I'm right and hope it lasts.
Not that I give a hoot, as I will not participate in another xbow debate.:rolleyes:
 

Buckmaster

Senior Member
14,362
191
Portage
I support them as I have a Ten Point Phantom hanging on my wall.
If I shoot something with it; it's dead. It's deadly to about 40 yards. It groups on targets very well to 40-70 yards for some extended fun.
 

brock ratcliff

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Like Ted, I also think they have their place and I'm glad we can use them in Ohio. But like Ted so often says, there is always a but and that is I have a problem with able-bodied individuals that use them as the "easy way out". I understand not having time for a compound and blah, blah, blah. What bothers me is the guy I saw in Wal-Mart this morning buying a crossbow who had no idea what he was doing, and he'll be tromping around the woods next weekend. Crossbows make it easier for the lazy, unprepared, and uneducated hunter to get in the woods. It is not the weapons fault, but its just the way it is and that is my only issue with the crossbow. With that being said, I'm still glad we can use them because it helps get people involved that might not otherwise be involved in the sport. And the positives outweigh the negatives IMO...

This is exactly why I thought the OBA should have allowed them into the organization. Many hunters do not have the good fortune of a mentor and enter the woods without a clue how arrows kill. Likely, the majority of those hunters are carrying crossbows. I thought it would be beneficial to the sport to allow them into the OBA so that new "bowhunters" would be exposed to experienced archers, and shorten the learning curve. Additionally, I felt it would help to bolster membership and perhaps make the OBA strong enough to lobby for mandatory Bowhunter Ed. For the sake of the sport, I feel it is needed. And, it would eliminate that last minute, Walmart bowhunter...a person would have to put in a little effort to enjoy archery season, thus filling the woods with KNOWLEDGEABLE hunters! Apparently, it was a bad plan....:)
 

hickslawns

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Someday I might have to use one. Someday my kids will be ready to hunt on their own (with my supervision of course) and will most likely start with one. Watched guys checking them out tonight at MCSports when I was getting Garrett his soccer shoes and shin guards tonight. Trying to figure out how to cock the thing while the worker watched nervously. They have their place and I will not knock them whether I use one or not. I do not think they are as difficult to use as a compound much like I think the traditional guys take on a tougher challenge than the compound users, but that is my opinion and not an attempt to start a winless debate.
 

Thunderflight

Dignitary Member
17,770
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Shermans Dale, PA
Well this thread went off in the wrong direction. My point was that the moose hunter must have been holding his bow back for two minutes while he was waiting for a good shot. To often I've heard the argument that string gunners don't have to hold the bow tension the bow. Modern compounds have pretty much eliminated that one.
 

hickslawns

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Sorry TF. I have a short attention span. Couldn't watch the whole video. What were we talking about again?
 

swantucky

The Crew
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Swanton, Ohio
We are for the most part not that smart, you need to point stuff out to us. If we are allowed to let our minds wander our thoughts turn to beer, naked women, bacon, deer, tacos, and naked women.
 
This is exactly why I thought the OBA should have allowed them into the organization. Many hunters do not have the good fortune of a mentor and enter the woods without a clue how arrows kill. Likely, the majority of those hunters are carrying crossbows. I thought it would be beneficial to the sport to allow them into the OBA so that new "bowhunters" would be exposed to experienced archers, and shorten the learning curve. Additionally, I felt it would help to bolster membership and perhaps make the OBA strong enough to lobby for mandatory Bowhunter Ed. For the sake of the sport, I feel it is needed. And, it would eliminate that last minute, Walmart bowhunter...a person would have to put in a little effort to enjoy archery season, thus filling the woods with KNOWLEDGEABLE hunters! Apparently, it was a bad plan....:)



ditto
 

hickslawns

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swantucky

We are for the most part not that smart, you need to point stuff out to us. If we are allowed to let our minds wander our thoughts turn to beer, naked women, bacon, deer, tacos, and naked women.

Don't forget TF's cheetos.
 

brock ratcliff

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Jeez TF... if it bothers you that much, get one of those 40lb bows of Coon's. You could hold it at draw for a spell too...