Harvest Numbers
West Virginia
How many Archery Kills How Many Crossbow Kills
The are all archery kills lol
There you go drinking the Kool aide JR LOL
Well that’s what I was told lol
You probably posted this before you called me. Go to the source I gave you. Bowsite is just for rumor, hyperbole and innuendos aka entertainment...not real facts.
How about posting a link to that source so we won't have to engage in hyperbole, innuendo and entertainment.
They are all bows. Why not include everyone no matter what the weapon? Some guys can’t shoot a conventional bow.
Trolling a bit are we, Dr. J.R.?
:^)
Lol. Can’t get anything by you Jimmy
We should ask that the Archery and Crossbow be called out different because they are different seasons/different weapons that run concurrently. Its the same as the antlerless season that runs concurrently with the buck firearms season, they call it out differently.
How's that for no hyperbole, innuendo and pure entertainment?
Just the facts, Jack... just the facts.
:)
Yes indeed, I agree. They should publish the numbers for each weapon.
55% of claimed archery kill was crossbows in 2020 - that's a fact :)
So that broken down using hillbilly math is as follows for 2020 17360.2 for crossbows 14203.8 for hand drawn bows
HMMM Wyoming county 851 deer with hand drawn bows compared to Putnam ( my county) 553 that is crossbow and hand drawn bows. After looking 2 of the 4 Bow only counties have more archery kills that my county , 3rd one is about 40 deer behind my county.
I have been saying that all along. Where are the rifle numbers? They have a different season too. The crossbows have different seasons on paper but they are the same dates as the bow season. I am just a dumb ole boy but this is the same to me. Are you saying that crossbows killed more deer than real bows? Imagine that. LOL. But as long as we include everyone who cares? LOL
I see the rifle kills. My bad.
I see the rifle kills. My bad.
I am being entertained Jack. LOL. Archery and crossbow kills are more than rifle antlerless kills. Soon it will surpass the rifle kills. Guess what happens then? The bow seasons will be shortened. The DNR was warned. Crossbow guys will have a fit if their season is shortened and ours is not. What a mess. But we are getting dead deer and that is the goal.
Does anybody know the buck kill vs the doe kill numbers for archery, muzzleloader and heritage seasons?
So hunters using crossbows killed more deer , I wonder how many of those hunters were new or youth hunters or older hunters that got back into hunting again , Are hand draw hunters changing to crossbow ? Are more licenses being sold because of crossbows ?
hoppies,
I think the answer to all your questions is either yes, or probably. :^)
Crossbow harvest numbers has surpassed bow harvest numbers in short order in every state that made them legal to hunt with during the archery season.
Some those numbers in the archery only counties are likely crossbows. I see people with crossbows and find bolts in Wyoming county. They just get a drs excuse or don't know/care that they aren't legal. I've never used one or tried to check a deer in as a crossbow kill. Does it ask if you have a permit in archery counties? Also, a lot of people hunt all season where rifle seasons don't interrupt the bowhunting. That could inflate the archery numbers compared to other counties.
What Jimmy said. See Jimmy? Some people cant use a real bow.
Your right Babysaph, Some people cant shoot a real bow . but they should still have the opportunity to enjoy hunting . Wouldnt it be sad to tell Little Jimmy ,You cant go hunting because. You cant shoot a real bow .
The DNR has the breakdown of bow/crossbow kill as far as buck/doe. I’ve asked for the last 3 years for them to break it down to be included in annual Big Game Bulletin. Maybe in the past when rifle buck and doe were 2-3x the archery kill it wasn’t that big of a deal but now when we have archery kill approaching or equaling rifle buck and doe kill it becomes more important because of the number of bucks being killed before and/or during breeding season.
First priority is to preserve the resource. That can only be done by allowing the resource to multiply by breeding. There is no doubt that the vast majority of archery harvest is before rifle buck season comes in .
We’re probably not at the point where archery season has a negative effect on breeding right now but IF the trend from last few years continue that will need to be an area the biologists will focus on . That is why spring gobbler season timing is so important. They want the majority of breeding to occur before season is open .
It used to be thought that a single buck would breed dozens of does or that the biggest buck in an area would breed all the does, but the current research is showing that the average buck regardless of age only successfully breeds 3-4 does per year . Deer don’t form harems like elk do.
That's exactly what we have to tell them where I live. I have a crossbow my dad left me. He never hunted with it because he wouldnt get a Drs excuse. My son doesn't like that he can hunt with it at home. He has a real bow and is getting stronger every time he shoots. Hopefully he can bowhunt this coming season. Theres also a lot of hunting to be done until you grow into a bow.
Thanks Gobbler, Never really thought of breeding aspect of when bucks were killed , While i have never had an issue with crossbows in archery season you may have changed my way of thinking .
“…Some people cant use a real bow."
That’s right and we’ve all known that for some time but things get more interesting if you read hoppies questions. We’ve also known for years that license sales and hunter participation has been in decline. So… how has the introduction of crossbows impacted that? How many more gun hunters have transitioned to hunting longer because of it? How many more youth are hunting? Has license sales increased .... and on and on?
I, for one, would like to see some numbers on all those issues as well.
"...Theres also a lot of hunting to be done until you grow into a bow."
My 10-year old grandson loves to hunt. He’s taken turkey, deer, squirrels, wild hogs and an alligator with rifles and shotguns. He loves shooting a bow, but for now, can’t quite pull enough weight to bowhunt. If he can’t get there this summer, I may very well consider getting him a crossbow so he can enjoy more time in the woods this fall--if his dad will let me.
Most of us learned to hunt with shotguns for squirrels. I think a lot of skills can be taught/ learned while they grow into their hunting bow.
Little Jimmy can use a rifle or a crossbow in rifle season if he is handicapped. If not learn how to shoot a real bow in bow season. But you see I am not afraid to say it. Lots are and Like I told Jimmy earlier when he said I was trolling that is the attitude now and there is nothing we can do about it. So it really isn't trolling. There are guys that want to hunt with a cross bow in bow season. And if they don't affect the deer kill... well the numbers speak for themselves. But don't worry. Little Jimmy can still use his crossbow. The DNR just wants dead deer. Do you think they will limit little Jimmy if they want to shorten the seasons? Nope. They will shorten the real bow seasons. Again, If a person is handicapped that is another story all together. We had that covered with the permits before the crossbows were allowed for everyone. I think it is really people want their little Jimmy to be successful so they give them a crossbow. JMO and I don't care if it isn't politically correct to say. And there was a time that the WVBA fought tooth and nail to keep them out. Glad I can still voice my opinion. The time is coming when I may not be able to. And bow seasons were not designed as deer management tools when they first started. When they first started it was hard to kill a deer with a rifle and the last thing the DNR wanted was dead deer.
I remember reading several years ago an article on crossbows I think it was from PA that a study was done and crossbows were not really bringing in new hunters but the majority were gun hunters switching to using a crossbow. I did a little google search and have not seen too much more on this claim.
I know there are naysayers but I still think WV got it right where it is a crossbow season and not lumped into archery season. Yes it does run concurrent with archery season but if the harvest numbers ever suggestion the season should be shorten than our DNR can just shorten one or the other - they do not have to shorten both seasons,
I am not for sure if it happened this year or not but I believe several years ago that in OH since the introduction of the crossbow during the archery season - they have a higher kill during archery season now than what occurs during their gun season. Will it happen here?
My biggest concern is none of this though, its not even if we lower the limit! My biggest concern is the drop in harvest numbers. I am not saying that we need to go back to the days of having way too many deer and buck kills of near 100,000 . The only thing about that time when it seemed like there was a high success rate - seems it correlated into a lot more hunters for us.
I remember reading or hearing of the tales of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett and Lewis and Clark - stories of wild game by the thousands or hundreds. Also heard talk that there were monsters of what ever animal it was they were talking about. This just leads me back to thinking until we get on track with better land and timber management - then we need to keep our wildlife populations down. We lost a great opportunity over the previous 4 years with an administration in office and deregulating a lot of rules and laws. We won't have the opportunities to do more timbering or control burns to improve habitat for at least the next 4 years. Until we improve the habitat across this whole country - I think wildlife, fish and the opportunities they provide us will suffer. just my 2 cents worth. Oh and lets not forget a bunch more forest fires - I guess Mother Nature corrects things herself!
Guess what season will be shortened? But I’ll just substitute my bow for a crossbow on my land
I was wrong about crossbows. I never dreamed a capable man would trade in a vertical bow for one of those contraptions. They are the most awkward things a person could imagine.
I hunt differently then most. I hunt in areas that require a lot of walking. I simply couldn’t imagine anyone would tote the dang things in the woods. Up a tree is also a big feet too. They are simply awkward.
Anyways, I was wrong. I said I’d say so on this forum if it turned out that way. So, I’m saying it. I was wrong and quite a few of you were right.
I wish it’d go back to previous rules. Injured or handicapped, get a permit. If not, don’t hunt with them in bow season.
I don’t think they’ll ever eclipse rifle harvests. I don’t think the trends will be the same in 15 years. But, I’ve been wrong before.
WV Mountaineer I said the Crossbow kill would surpass the Archery kill within 5 years I was wrong also ,it only took 3 years.
"I don’t think they’ll ever eclipse rifle harvests. I don’t think the trends will be the same in 15 years. But, I’ve been wrong before."
I think within 5 years you will be wrong about that. Cabelas sells the crossbows like a bucket of water at a house fire.
I’d beg to differ but, I might indeed be proven wrong again. Who knows? I never dreamed it. I know crossbows have changed. They are cool too. I had one. But, I never dreamed a committed hunter would choose one over a vertical bow. They might shoot farther and be more accurate in the average hands. But, it is still true they are bulky and heavy. I just don’t get it.
Well I think if all the rifle hunters start shooting crossbows they will out kill the rifle hunters sooner or later. They can hunt much longer with a crossbow. I also don’t think they will just limit the crossbow season or go back to just handicapped being able to hunt with it. I think any reduction in seasons will happen to both crossbows and regular bows can you imagine them telling crossbows guys their season is shortened and that they are shortening little Jimmy’s season? Lol
I think the Xbow harvest will overtake the gun harvest...and i would agree in less than 5 years.
