Crossbows for the Elderly
Michigan
How come the old guys, can not use a cross bow, in late season in the UP? Why is their archery season cut short?
Ah...but the evolution of bowhunting continues. Who needs that old technology of a crossbow anymore? LOL
The guys I hunt with are 76 to ,84, you will be there someday,. Should have figured I get some smart ass answer. I am only 70, still hunt with the long bow. If I can beat this covid, I will be back out this fall.
Might as well let that contraption ruin all of the hunting in Michigan. That thing is the WORST thing to happen to hunting in Michigan. And I am 71 and use a long bow and knap my own stone hunting points. So what difference does that make. You want to use that thing, hunt with it in the gun season with the rest of the scoped weapons.
Jon, I never had an issue with them for the elderly.
Big money used the disabled to get that thing introduced into Michigan. Used the disabled. Now anyone can use it. Again, if it has a stock, a trigger and a scope it should be used in gun season with all the other like weapons. I don't care if you are 9 or 90.
Unfortunately, very few real bow and arrow hunters left in Michigan.
Agree with Jon, what the hell, since when did being older qualify as being decrepit or disabled, what a croc. Step aside if unwilling to shoot a bow, thats what the bow/archery seasons where set up for. Not every ones whine about being ,old, "disabled", the youth etc ,and on and on the whine train goes to completely ruin bowhunting as it was meant to be.
And now they want air guns!
The cross guns are attacking state by state with money. Hope MI can hold out. We fought it here for years in KS and lost. The bottom line is, if you use a limited weapon you get a longer season. If you extend the reach of that weapon you lose your longer season. Just like muzzle loaders with sabots, pellets, shot gun primers and scopes. You become a single shot rifle.
Michigan has already lost out. There are far more scoped and cocked crossbow hunters in the general archery season than there are bow and arrow hunters. Bow and arrow hunting is in rapid decline in Michigan and other Midwestern states. The once great bow and arrow hunting states of Michigan and Wisconsin are now in the past.
How did you get rid of them in Michigan, I moved back to Ohio 5 years ago, nothing against the crossbow, just don't think they belong in the archery season, give them a week in December or January if you ask me.
If you want a true archery season then ban both compound and crossbows and make it recurve only. After all, real men hunt with recurve bows, not those new fangled contraptions that shoot arrows at 400’ ft per second. What’s sporting about that?
The vast majority of Michigan hunters have lost their passion for bow and arrow hunting. It is too difficult for them.
Fellows,
I'm not a crossbow hunter but Ohio, approved crossbows for hunting in 1976 and there hasn't been a of drop off in the deer herd. In fact it has increased naturally.
Today more deer are take by crossbow than either recurve or compound bows. This said I thought it was each mans choice to hunt with the bow of his choice ?
I for one do not believe that if a hunter takes a deer in a different part of the county or the state that his success will diminish my opportunities regardless of his weapon.
Isn't it better to have more hunters to help voice opinions with the DNR's and Legislators than to just be restricted to a few hunter's who happen to use what ever bow I think he should hunt with ?
There is a lot of complaining about a lack of hunters (especially youngsters) in todays hunting circles so wouldn't it be better to have these folks hunt with whatever bow they want ?
If a person can learn to hunt and enjoy the great outdoors I believe he or she will gravitate to another method of hunting be it bow or gun ?
It's still their choice.
There are very few bow and arrow hunters left in Michigan. That is why some discuss one simple season, use whatever weapon you choose. Kind of makes sense as things " progress".
Why would any hunter want more hunters in the woods? Less is better IMHO.
CROSSBOW= equals lazy parents teaching lazy kids the easy way out. I don't want either in the woods.
IMHO
Any kid who decides to hunt isn't lazy. Now they may have a lazy parent or one who has never hunted or been exposed to hunting.
When you look at the time you invest in hunting, preparation, cost etc. then by no means is hunting for a lazy person. Even if you hunt with a rock you still have to look for the right rock then figure out how far you carry it, how far you can throw it, or drop it.
I don't mind other hunters in the woods. Heck there were people in the woods when I started hunting and I have made some great lifetime friends I met in the woods hunting. I hope to meet and make more friends out there. Now that's not all I've met in the woods. I've met some low life's also. Some rude, some poaching, some trespassing, some you just don't feel comfortable being around. I just moved on from those types chased the trespassers, turned in poachers.
The bad people sure did not change my opinion of the good people I've met along the way. No more than a hunter with a cross bow, a compound bow or a recurve bow.
Just a reminder fellows the bow doesn't make the hunters. His or her character does, the level of his or her integrity, his or her level of sportsmanship to other hunters define what type of hunter he or she may be.
The weapon absolutely defines the hunter. You cannot be a bow and arrow hunter if you are not hunting with a bow and arrow. Participation ribbons for all, simply does not cut it.
I have been at it for over 50 years and I know what it takes to hunt with a bow and arrow. Hunting with a crossbow is no different then hunting with a rifle. They have the same parts, a gun stock, trigger, scope and safety. Please don't lump the people that use those contraptions with actual "bow hunters".
Not looking for any participation ribbon's here ! I've been at it for 50 years also !
I heard the BS arguments regarding compound bows when they first came on the hunting scene. Other than allowing folks to hunt with heavier bow weight's than they could with "tradition equipment" what has it hurt ?
I'm not convinced that just because a hunter carries a certain type of bow it defines him or her as a hunter. Is it a Hoyt, a Bear, a Martin, a Mathews, a BowTech , or a Custom made Bow ? ? ? Oh well, I think you get the drift.
Personally I still believe it's character, integrity, sportsmanship along with stewardship of the forest that defines a hunter.
Not his choice of weapon !
Well we will agree to disagree. I think the crossbow for abled bodied people use is pure laziness. That THING should be allowed during gun season only with other stocked weapons. Up next: The airgun. It's coming.
If you hunt with a bow, you are a bow hunter.
If you hunt with a crossbow, you are a crossbow hunter.
If you hunt with a gun, you are a gun hunter.
Mo’ breaks Do we now classify each and every bow by designation ? Recurve, compound, crossbow, self bows and designate a special season for each bow ? Or do we just call ourselves deer hunters and enjoy our hunting with whatever “bow” we decide to use ? Happy New Year to all with a safe and healthy 2021.
Sorry for the triple post
Yes, they would all get a participation ribbon for being deer hunters.
Just makes me sick that some people are fine with 1 type of bow but it's only there type that should be used ! Then I hear lazy well I bet the ones calling lazy has a remote for there tv a smart phone or some type of cell phone! New auto, fridge not a ice box come on people we as hunters have to act as 1 not fight with each other on what type of bow should be used !
Then have one season, use any weapon you choose.
Well bowtech, I do have a phone, truck and a fridge. None of which I carry into the woods so your comparison is apples to oranges. I do use more than one type of bow. Recurves, longbows and self bows. I do use more than one point. A fixed blade steel point or stone points.
Modern stock based archery equipment is ruining archery . Like I said before if it has STOCK, TRIGGER,SAFETY and a SCOPE it is not archery equipment. What's next you ask? The AIRGUN
There are compound bows that shoot faster than my crossbow. I don't feel comfortable shooting past 40 yards with my crossbow. It is still hard. I would agree with some, that is to add crossbows to the muzzle loading season only.
I am manually pulling 165 lb draw. Not a sport some say?
I think the old rules were good concerning crossbows. Legal by permit for those who couldn't participate with out them. I have known quite a few who tried them and hated carrying them eventually returning to a bow. I also knew an old man who had a bad shoulder. He tied his body to a tree so he was able to draw by pushing the bow away from him. I'm not mad at people who are using a crossbow. Everyone starts somewhere and not many will drag them deep into public land. If I were not able to hunt with my lb I would use one to stay in the game, missing actual archery the whole time.
Crossbows should be those who are impaired, and those over 65, when it comes to archery season. "I am manually pulling 165 lb draw" please,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, at72 I am pulling 48lbs,,,,,,, Use the x bow for any firearm season.
However in the UP, I think its ridiculous that the elderly can not use a x bow, during the late season......
Young healthy people, using a xbow, is a joke///....................................
