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Crossbows…

Rous14

Rous14

PMA Member
Go in to cabelas today to educate myself on them as I’m going to be buying one for a friend of mine for an elk hunt he’s going on this fall (he’s mostly a duck hunter, has never bow hunted and doesn’t want to try and get proficient by September).
Guy shows me the latest Ravins and says this one is like “500fps & accurate to 150 yards, could definitely kill a deer out to that distance” even though he didn’t necessarily recommend it. 150 yards!!! Now maybe he’s full of it I don’t know but he went on and on at how accurate it is at that distance. And even if he’s off by 60 yards, the fact that these things are shooting as far as they are, with a magnified scope….how the hell does any Hunter or DNR agency look at them as belonging in the archery season!???

Keep up the good fight over there in IA, sure wish IL would get their heads out of their hind parts bc crossguns are having a major impact on the herd/quality. Basically becomes a 2 1/2 month gun season at this point.
Either give them their own short season after the gun season or better yet just allow guys to use them during the gun seasons if they’d like.
So frustrating. Sorry, rant over.
 
Good points! I unfortunately had to go with a crossbow last year due to my age and bad shoulder. Yes, there's some crazy fast ones out there but 150 yds, not a good idea. I bought a Ten Point Siege, small and shoots 405 fps. This year they have one that shoots 505 fps. I did shoot a doe in late season at 55 yards, she never had a chance to react at that distance and only went 30 yards. I didn't want to shoot that far, maybe 40 but it worked out. Extreme cold kept me in when I couldn't pull the bow. I'd say that if necessary for a person that can't shoot a regular bow it's a chance for them to hunt archery and not be concerned about wounding deer it would be okay. I wish I didn't have to, never was a fan of crossbows and joined they fight against them when they started to legalize them. Ethics are still part of the hunt, 150 yards you're asking for bad results. My fears are that the low-life will take advantage of them to poach at night quietly.
 
203ntyp said:
Good points! I unfortunately had to go with a crossbow last year due to my age and bad shoulder. Yes, there's some crazy fast ones out there but 150 yds, not a good idea. I bought a Ten Point Siege, small and shoots 405 fps. This year they have one that shoots 505 fps. I did shoot a doe in late season at 55 yards, she never had a chance to react at that distance and only went 30 yards. I didn't want to shoot that far, maybe 40 but it worked out. Extreme cold kept me in when I couldn't pull the bow. I'd say that if necessary for a person that can't shoot a regular bow it's a chance for them to hunt archery and not be concerned about wounding deer it would be okay. I wish I didn't have to, never was a fan of crossbows and joined they fight against them when they started to legalize them. Ethics are still part of the hunt, 150 yards you're asking for bad results. My fears are that the low-life will take advantage of them to poach at night quietly.
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203 I’ve always said that if a person (me one day) gets to where he can’t pull a bow back then by all means make it legal for those folks….I’d never want to prevent someone from partaking in the sport all together. IL used to have an age limit or proof from a doctor of a medical reason. I think that’s perfect personally.
Totally with ya.
 
Sligh1 said:
Folks with injuries, disabled, seniors & late ML season - all good!!! Where they belong!!!!

Put them in our archery season & iowa as we know it will never be the same. Not unless u own thousands of acres.
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Why not just combine crossbow season with muzzleloader seasons.
 
Sligh1 said:
Folks with injuries, disabled, seniors & late ML season - all good!!! Where they belong!!!!

Put them in our archery season & iowa as we know it will never be the same. Not unless u own thousands of acres.
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The biggest threat to Iowa is Crossguns. People that would never hunt with a bow will readily hunt with a crossgun. Crossguns have the highest success rate in states like Wi and MI......they exceed rifles and bows. I have seen a complete change on the landscape since they have been allowed here in WI.
 
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Slick said:
The biggest threat to Iowa is Crossguns. People that would never hunt with a bow will readily hunt with a crossgun. Crossguns have the highest success rate in states like Wi and MI......they exceed rifles and bows. I have seen a complete change on the landscape since they have been allowed here in WI.
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I sure hope Iowa can keep crossbows out. It has literally destroyed Illinois. There are so many more people hunting during bow season now compared to before, and they hunt all season. Most of the people using crossbows are not holding out for mature bucks either, the first young good genetic buck gets shot. It's a major problem in Illinois now.
 
You Iowa hunters need to fight like never before to keep crossbows out. You can't afford to lose a battle or you will never win the war to keep Iowa great.

I am from Michigan, cross bows were allowed back in 2009, the next 2 years from 2009 to 2011 the hunters using them doubled going to 118,573.
I myself have continued to go with a compound. I have needed to make adjustments over the years with poundage with aging shoulders.
With shoulder surgery in December, it may come to a end, jury is still out.
I am a die hard.
Very few of us out there.
Most fall into the numbers at top of this post.
Kinda a long example here, know it's from Michigan and nothing like what Iowa has ( I know I been to Iowa and hunted your great state).
You need to fight this attempt to keep crossbows out.
 
Rous14 said:
IL used to have an age limit or proof from a doctor of a medical reason. I think that’s perfect personally.
Totally with ya.
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Agree, it was that way in PA until the lobbyist campaigned for years to change it. Money talks!
 
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It was fine the way it was, disabled, senior, or doctors excuse before the politicians got their pockets padded. Now I have seen kids 13, riding 4 wheeler s, with crossbow loaded, thru a chiseled plowed field, lust looking for anything to run out so they could take a shot and not even going to try to find the bolt. Just waiting for the day one of them gets seriously hurt, if not worse. Then listen to their parents try to sue the manufacture of the quad runner or the X cross bow manufacture.
 
I have no problem with the disabled hunters having the right to use a crossbow. The issue that we are facing is the how easy it is to get a doctor to sign off on the note needed to get the permit. A doctor has no problem signing one of these. People are abusing this issue. It's terrible for the people who really do deserve to have the permit.
 
I spoke to a conservation officer and he said those small narrow axel xbows are the biggest problem he has for poaching there so narrow they can shoot them out the truck windows and the deer never hear the bow shoot neither to the neighbors!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
 
Wi transplant said:
I spoke to a conservation officer and he said those small narrow axel xbows are the biggest problem he has for poaching there so narrow they can shoot them out the truck windows and the deer never hear the bow shoot neither to the neighbors!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk
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Kid I know who works at scheels had a guy come it and buy a thermal and a crossbow that they mounted. Not good.
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
Kid I know who works at scheels had a guy come it and buy a thermal and a crossbow that they mounted. Not good.
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A property I hunted in SE Nebraska was adjacent to the biggest poacher in the county father's house. I know for a fact (okay okay, reliable bar talk, and a corroborating blood stain from one) that he killed at least 2 booners with his crossbow at night off that farm in the last five years. Add a thermal...uh oh...

I also know a guy in NE who killed a 193" last year with a crossbow at 103 yards. That one I know for a fact from the horses mouth...
 
IowaBowHunter1983 said:
Kid I know who works at scheels had a guy come it and buy a thermal and a crossbow that they mounted. Not good.
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They should have notified the local game warden and they could at least keep an eye on that guy. Why else would you buy a thermal scope for crossbow in Iowa except to poach? Coyotes?
 
Yes , Crossbows are game changes with technology. I to am In Illinois and seems to me about 50% of archery kills are Crossguns . I think there is a time and place and by all means if you cant hunt other wise you should have one to enjoy the sport or youth Introduction in to bow hunting . NO better feeling that achieving your goal with a compound bow IMO..
 
Can you imagine the anger from the farmer that pulls that crossbow bolt out of his 10grand combine tire because of some idiot trying to poach with one from the road.
 
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