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Crossbows?!?!? Iowa bow season?

Liv4Rut said:
I don't like them because I know nothing about them, never shot one and they look like too much like a gun. That is a lot of what is going on in threads like this. I would have to shoot one and hunt with one to make an honest opinion on them. I have what I think my opinion is but I have been wrong for one. I wouldn't vote crossbow in as of right now with what I know. That is just being honest and could be misguided.
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That's a very honest answer Liv.
I see a lot of parallels between that answer and what is happening to ARs right now. People don't know anything about them and don't like the way they look. I think I will have to side with letting crossbows in during archery season.
I'll also add that anything that draws new hunters to the sport is a good thing. Our numbers need to grow.
 
bowmaker said:
Just like compound bows have done. In 1984 a very fast compound was 225 fps.
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As did muzzleloaders. I'm not pro or anti xbow as they are now but if their effective killing distance became 150 yards you would have to question their place during the rut. JMO
 
Thinkin Rut said:
if their effective killing distance became 150 yards you would have to question their place during the rut. JMO
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I would agree with that 100%.
But, "if" a frog had wings it wouldn't bump its a$$ a hoppin!! We could drag our feet all day "if"ing a situation to death.
Thinkin Rut brings up a good point though and I think we should discuss things like that before we give blanket access to crossbows during the rut.
 
Think it would be difficult to expand the effective range, with so short a bow and the short arrow. Sure you can sling an arrow a long ways out there, but a cross bow arrow drops precipitously.. The need for something, NEW, something"BETTER", keeps the customers coming. It can besaid for Blk Powder,Compound Bows,Broadheads,clothing. Where will it stop? Guess DNR has to say enough is enough., to the inovations.
 
timekiller said:
Nothing against mplane, but this made me chuckle. I know about 3 guys on this thread that shoot what I consider "real bows". No one has a problem with shooting compounds with high let offs, peeps, fiber optics, and arrows zipping well over 300 fps out to 70 yards, but mention someone shooting a crossbow with basically the same capabilities and every one talks about how it would attract a bunch of slob hunters.
I personally wouldn't have any interest in hunting with one, but I sure don't think it would be the demise of the deer herd if they were allowed.

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I did not mean my post to sound elitist and you correctly called me out for. That was just a quick reply to the topic of the thread.
I'm not going to get my shorts in a wad about legalizing crossguns.:grin: They look like a PITA to actually hunt with but they are far easier to master then any type of vertical bow as far as shooting accurately. I'm not going to rehash everything we've all heard a million times already about the topic. As I said they're coming, it's only a matter of time.
 
I don’t know the actual definition of “archery” but I define it as some kind of a stick and a string (bow) that is hand drawn, hand held with the only points of contact for bow stabilization being the grip (bow) hand and perhaps an anchor point with the draw (string) hand.

Yes there were arguments back in the day between traditional archers and compound archers but the fact still remained, archery equipment was all drawn and stabilized the same way; one hand held and one hand drew. This was done in sight of game, draw locks notwithstanding because they still only had two points of stabilization.

I use a crossbow. It is not archery. It is short range gun hunting. The crossbow, by design, is pre drawn before game is present, the crossbow is stabilized by at least three points of contact, fore grip, trigger hand and shoulder. If shot from a sitting position the crossbow can have five points of stabilization, the three mentioned before plus elbows on knees. The crossbow can also be rested on the gun rail of a stand, shooting sticks or even a fence post.

Crossbows are not archery equipment. The only resemblance to archery equipment is they have a string and shoot arrows. Perhaps it is a matter of semantics but what gets my undies in a bunch is allowing unrestricted short range gun hunting in archery only season. What next? Hand gun hunting during archery season because they too are short range gun hunting?
 
Fishbonker said:
I don’t know the actual definition of “archery” but I define it as some kind of a stick and a string (bow) that is hand drawn, hand held with the only points of contact for bow stabilization being the grip (bow) hand and perhaps an anchor point with the draw (string) hand.

Yes there were arguments back in the day between traditional archers and compound archers but the fact still remained, archery equipment was all drawn and stabilized the same way; one hand held and one hand drew. This was done in sight of game, draw locks notwithstanding because they still only had two points of stabilization.

I use a crossbow. It is not archery. It is short range gun hunting. The crossbow, by design, is pre drawn before game is present, the crossbow is stabilized by at least three points of contact, fore grip, trigger hand and shoulder. If shot from a sitting position the crossbow can have five points of stabilization, the three mentioned before plus elbows on knees. The crossbow can also be rested on the gun rail of a stand, shooting sticks or even a fence post.

Crossbows are not archery equipment. The only resemblance to archery equipment is they have a string and shoot arrows. Perhaps it is a matter of semantics but what gets my undies in a bunch is allowing unrestricted short range gun hunting in archery only season. What next? Hand gun hunting during archery season because they too are short range gun hunting?
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:way: There is always a difference of opinions, but i couldn't agree more. If crossbows were close to a bow, the largest bow hunting organization (pope and young) would recognize them as one.
 
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Most interesting thread ive read in awhile. I cant imagine the number of younger kids that could benefit from this. Can you guys with younger small framed kids imagine getting to take your kids hunting if they could use a crossbow. Im all for it. Think of all the times you have heard " take a kid hunting, they are the future of our sport". I personally would never hunt with anything but my hoyt. I would love to take my son out at an an earlier age. I AM VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE WELL THOUGHT OUT RESPONSES ON THIS THREAD.
 
Sligh1 said:
This was one of the things highlighted that I got on this yr's round of legislative proposals. I copied it below & think I understand this right. Crossbows
in Iowa for anyone during bow season. Is this right, what r ur thoughts.

Why does it seem to me that almost all laws ever proposed for deer hunting are regulations that would or do hurt iowa's deer quality? The quality we all know that puts Iowa in a top tier across the nation. It's never stuff in any fashion that would improve what we have - even though Iowa is great- could be better. It's always things that threaten our future- shed buck season, increase in buck tags, earlier gun has been proposed, etc, etc. I guess it's a lot like Liberalism- maybe we will always have to fight back this constant flood of bad laws every year. It's a shame the proposals only go one way (bad directions) from I've mainly seen (not balanced at all!! This is usually one direction legislation) and further reason for folks to join IBA

8)* Desire for a crossbow season for all.* Currently, crossbows are legal for handicapped hunters with permit.* Resident hunters 70 years old and older may purchase one statewide antlerless-deer only license to hunt deer with a crossbow
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Here you go BigFoot.

Other word for thoughts is opinions.

Any questions?
 
I tried thinking "outside the box" tonight while doing some timber cutting & tried to have an open mind to the issue. I thought of 2 minor points....
1) I could not classify "Crossbows" in my mind. I thought of the long bow, recurve & all the advancements going to a compound... Still couldn't put crossbows in nearly the same mindset. I tried thinking of them as the primitive muzzleloaders going to the inlines of today- I could not make that leap. I personally, trying to be "non-biased" simply classify them as an entity into themselves- basically a single shot, short range gun. Trying to twist or evolve them from something else doesn't work for me. Whether we can hunt or not with them someday is another issue BUT I surely can't put them in class a slight step up from my bow for a variety of reasons.

2) what CONCERNS me.... How laws are created & the lobbying out there by special interests. Some folks made some correct & accurate points that most the time CROSSBOWS are proposed by law makers in a given state - is NOT because of citizen demand - it's because of lobbying from the Crossbow companies. Good or bad for management, hunting, the state in question, whatever- they don't care. It's all about some more profits for them. I am not necessarily saying I don't like crossbows or think we couldn't find somewhere to fit it.... I'm saying I am very uncomfortable about why it's being proposed. Which leads into a much bigger problem Iowa hunters face.... Most laws ARE DAMAGING TO DEER QUALITY Iowa is famous for (I can explain or back that up) and if you really were to trace the motives, lobbying & reasoning - it mainly BOILS DOWN TO MONEY- crooked politics, special interests, folks who can advance their own wealth, businesses, bottom lines, etc. Think about MOST laws you see being proposed and really think hard as to why!???????
 
So why get excited over something as simple as a crossbow? Maybe shouldn't have shotgun season then since that is what is leaving a lot of carcasses around, doubt you are going to have crossbow have same capacity for carnage as that. :thrwrck:
So new law shall come to pass, crossbow season shall replace shotgun season hahaha:way: No more shootem up shotgun games!
 
I would vote no for mainly the same reason as Bonker. I could see the people who shotgun hunt 1 weekend a year feel like they could do the same thing with a crossbow. Throw a scope on it and they must be able to ethically kill a deer that they get within visual range of.

It has its place for disabled and elderly. If they were to be allowed for women and children to be able to introduce them and allow them to hunt the archery season I would also be okay with that, but I prefer the archery season the way it is now.
 
They have come into their own, not all due to Company Lobby. There is a large group of Crossbow Hunters and enthusiasts. Many upright bow people like to trade off and use them. If you check out crossbow sights, you will find there are more than a monority on them. It is just another weapon option. where it has become legal , they have not hurt the ,Trophy,,hunting at all. They have been around a long time. Since Biblical and Primevil times. Shotgun hunters with a wound-em mindset, are probably wounding now.
 
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