CROSSBOWS AND ARCHERY HUNTING

I’m not a traditionalist in the strictest sense when it comes to archery equipment. I like the latest electronic gizmos, I read about and study new hunting tactics, and I like my bow to be relatively current with market innovations.
But when it comes to the TYPE of bow to be used, I believe that archery hunting should involve the act of having to manually draw a string and hold that string until the arrow is to be released.
Maybe it’s the challenge I prefer. Maybe I enjoy the enhanced quality that a compound bow brings to the hunt. Maybe the kill isn’t the greatest reward I seek.
When using a recurve, long bow, or compound bow to hunt with, there’s a certain strategy involved in when you decide on the moment in which to draw your bow. It must be done when the deer can’t see your movement and it must
be done soon enough so that you’re ready when he’s in range but not too soon so that you have to let down before you’re ready for the shot. Once you come to full draw (ideally when the deer is looking away or he’s behind
something) you must hold the bow at full draw until the shot is presented.
Sounds simple, right? Well, that little tidbit of archery hunting strategy has been the saving grace of MANY whitetails over the centuries. And it’s hard enough when only one deer is in the area. If your buck comes in with a
few does, you now have to deal with that many more sets of eyes that are very adept at picking out the slightest movement.
When using a crossbow however, that strategy is eliminated. You no longer have to make a decision on when to draw your bow. You simply hold the
crossbow like a shotgun or rifle, wait for the deer to get in range, and pull the trigger.
Now don’t get me wrong. I think there’s a place for crossbows in archery hunting. There are many archers who are physically unable to draw a
compound bow back and hold it. For these types of hunters, the crossbow is the perfect alternative.
I’m not advocating the elimination of the use of crossbows in archery hunting. Nor am I in favor of allowing them to be used by anyone who
desires to do so.
But it boils down to one reason why so many states have passed laws permitting the use of crossbows even though there is overwhelming support against it, and that is money.
The trend across the nation has been a decline in the number of hunters and the aging demographics of hunters hitting the woods each fall. With fewer hunters, that means less license revenue. Less revenue, means wildlife
agencies are not as able to sustain established programs or create new ones.
One other issue I’d like to address is the power and range of crossbows.
Many people are under the assumption that a crossbow has an effective range of 60, 70, or even 80 yards. Don’t be fooled! While many crossbows may have a peak draw weight of 125 to 175 pounds (compared to 60 to 70 pounds for compound bows), due to the weight of the bolt and the crossbow’s somewhat inefficient design, the feet-per-second (fps) you gain is really not that great compared to today’s compound bows. If you are adamant about using a crossbow, please take the time to practice with it at varying distances. You’ll quickly see that you’re not gaining that much over a compound bow.
For me, using a compound bow is not all about the kill. It’s about the challenge of developing and implementing a “draw and hold” strategy on that deer that is approaching my shooting lane. Yeah…I will get picked off sometimes as I’m coming to full draw (something that won’t happen with a crossbow) and that buck may hang up JUST out of compound bow range, but isn’t that what makes this sport so great? When those things happen and I analyze what went wrong, aren’t I making myself a better hunter?
The decision to use a crossbow in states that allow them is entirely up to you. Just know that you may lose a little part of the suspense that hunting with a compound bow brings. With that loss, the thrill may soon be lost as well.