Ron let me say first thanks for what you have done & are still doing.
That said dont take nothing I say in the wrong context. Calling this subject a "moot point" & saying we need to "move on to more important current matters" sends me the wrong impression I guess. This is important & current.
Can I ask how you & some of the old timers felt when compound bows started becoming more popular back then? How long before wheeled bows were considered a moot point? Now they are 90% of what is used at our youth events.

When the first compounds came out, the group of us that were bohunters watched these contrapions at field shoots with interest. It was apparent that the compound shooter that finished the course carried the best tool box to keep it running. Our general opinion was that this was not reliable to hunt with. When Jennings came out with the Model-T 2 wheeler, around 1973, bowhunters jump on it because it required little or no adjustments to keep it together. The early compounds were noisy and heavy. To us, it was just a bow with training wheels. I don't remember any great disapproval by the locals. P&Y put up some resistance but accepted it.
I was one of the early senior members in the PBS, but I dropped my membership because they speak out of the side of thier mouth. They welcomed the compound shooters dues but then turn around and say if you did'nt shoot a stick bow and big broadheads, you were'nt "DoDo". ( At that time, I did shoot a stick bow and big broadheads, BUT I WAS'NT BRAINWASHED)
This will be my 50th year to bowhunt. Of that, I have shot a compound 9 years, twice for major bow companies hunting advisory staffs, and 8 of those years, I shot instinctive and with fingers. I prefer and use a recurve today and will do so until I "croak".
A bow is a bow, be it a longbow, recurve, or compound. A CROSSBOW IS NOT A BOW!
You know, my wife is an English teacher, and I get corrected everyday, so if "moot point" was a bad choice of words then I retract it.
But I will say that in my opinion, the crossbow is behind us for now and I am sure it will be dealt with again, but I think the LSBA needs to fill some crucial positions that are being vacated to keep us afloat.
Ron

Thanks for the calm response Ron.
I am going to let this thread go ahead & fade away for now. You mentioned your wife was a teacher. So I took the time to look crossbow up on wikipedia.com. That is like an online encyclopedia my kids introduced me to. Here is what it had to say.

"A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a siege engine resembling a crossbow in mechanism and appearance."

Another little tidbit of history. When the French & Spainards using crossbows attacked Great Britian , the english drove them back into the ocean with the longbow, greater range and penetration.
Have a nice day,
Ron

Ron and Bust, that was some good back and forth. I like the way ya'll conducted yourselfs. Well done :congrats:

LOL I love it
You have a great day too.

It seems unfair that crossbow legalization can be brought up year after year only to be rejected. Then one day it passes and it's forever a part of the archery only season. That's just like saying in a best of 7 World Series in baseball, that one team only has to win once to be named World Champions forever.

The crossbow hasn't really been opposed to a great degree AFTER it's legalization. Reminds me about a movie, "Eight Men Out", everyone in TX was told upfront the crossbow issue was a forgone conclusion, everyone was told there was no opposition and there wasn't anything the bowhunters could do to stop it.

My personal wants for TX, now dictated by the crossbow agenda, is to lobby for a new "original archery only season" during a different time frame. Recurves, long bows, and compounds with restrictions(65% let off, hand held-hand drawn and hand released. No tigers, limited to one sight pin). Will this ever happen, maybe when it snows in heck.

I'd go back and do exactly what HB968 did, modify the existing law. Restrict the use of crossbows to the handicap, youth and those over 65yrs of age, and return the verbage that archery equipment must be hand held, hand drawn, and hand released otherwise. If bowhunters would join together and inflict enough pain and suffering on the ATA-NRA Team they would welcome this compromise in TX. For some reason the ATA-NRA team think they're bullet proof on this issue, I do not agree.

I find it offensive that people outside of the state of Texas, as well as those who do NOT bowhunt (NRA) dictate to us what we can use in OUR archery season. I find it even MORE offensive that our state government sided with these outsiders.

I guess I agree with Thumper on this and I hope we can eventually get it rescinded (which I doubt - there's no talking sense to a politician that's been bought)!

I guess after ticking off every legacy member along with anybody that holds any kind of position in the LSBA I mind as well continue. With words like "elitist" floating around why on earth would anyone want to continue feeding people? I would not be hunting in that "original archery only season". I started with a recurve & have moved on to a smoking fast..tons of let off compound with a trigger release.
I did have a chance to speak to a legacy member of the LSBA face to face. I asked him how he felt when compounds came out. "Oh god, I looked at it & thought what the hell is this" I asked have you shot one? "Yes, thats all I shoot now." What do you think about crossbows? "Oh god"
I found it interesting that he answered the same towards both questions & thought to myself "how long before he likes them?" I guess my point is things change. I dont agree with all of the changes. I do want the LSBA to continue to grow. If we keep acting like crossbows are a plague we will die with a plague.

I do have a question for you Thump. Have you thought of an idea to start/help overturn the law? Have you talked to your EC rep about any ideas?

That first drag on a cigar sure hurts going down. After awhile, you just grow numb to it and accept it. You even tell yourself you're enjoying it.

...till you reallize how much harm it's causing you.:o

Point taken...I will once again let this thread fade away...

BAR I do NOT want to run you off. I hope that's not your intent.

I just have a problem with over emphasizing my point of view I guess... :o

Not at all...Lets focus our heads on drawlocks :)
I just hope this thread has people thinking. I do not shoot a crossbow, my son who is 10 is still waiting on my go ahead to take an animal with his bow. I do not plan on either one of us shooting a crossbow. I will say again all the bickering between ourselves will bite us in the ass sooner or later. So I think I will let this lay, rest assured I will more than likely bring it up again. Not because I like arguing about it (I do like talking about iffy subjects), but I think we need to re-think some views sooner rather than later.

Got a new smilie for y'all.

:crossbow: