Looking Back
 

Greetings all,

First off, it is dang cold and I'm stuck working the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo until February 8th instead of chasing the numerous pigs that are running around my lease. I was able to get six this year, with the two smallest being around 125 and 150 pounds. The other four were 225 and up to 300 pounds.

I've not been on the LSBA site in quite awhile, and today, killing some time, was going over some older posts and wanted to ask a question that still may be a touchy subject, CROSSBOWS.

I've been bowhunting since 1976 when I bought my first recurve at the age of 16 and missed many a deer for the next couple of years due to the fact that I really didn't know what I was doing growing up in the hardwoods and swamps of Louisiana and trying to pull a 60 pound Bear and weighing a mere 125 pounds. After joining the USAF, I had the money and bought a Whitetail compound and hunted with it for a couple of years, and after all the advances in technology, I have been hunting with a Mathews since 1992. Just wish I had all the money I spent on the 25 or so Mathews I've purchased since that time.

Anyway, this past year I got to thinking and pondering deer/pig hunting and came to the conclusion that I've harvested a deer or pig with everything but a knife, spear and crossbow. I've hunted with pistols, shotguns, longbow, recurve and rifle for the past 40+ years and decided this past season I was going to try the crossbow.

During the past season, I hunted numerous times with the crossbow and was able to harvest a doe at 12 yards, which was a chip shot just like using my compound, as well as several of the aforementioned pigs. My goal was to use the same setups that I used for my Mathews, and since I always set up for close shots, usually 18 yards and under, I wasn't to concerned about taking long shots.

I know there are many States throughout this great country that have passed laws to allow crossbows during the regular archery season, and was just curious if the thoughts of many members of changed since 2009. Not looking to get into a debate or "hash" it all out again, but just curious if any have changed their minds in the past several years.

Looking forward to your posts......:grandpa:

Crossbows do not bother me at all. I still enjoy the use of my Mathews Z-Max and Bob Lee Recurve, but still only hunt with my Mathews, but love to shoot 3-D with the Bob Lee. I only use a bow 99.999% of the time and really do not know the last time I shot a deer or hog with a firearm. That being said, I haven't killed anything this year yet either. Crossbows have there place for everyone. One day that might be the way I will have to hunt.
Bob Kana

Hindsight
 

Although there are some people out there who would suggest (unethically in my opinion) that they have almost the same range as a muzzleloader, I don't think the affects of crossbow encroachment were near as bad as many of us thought it would be.

I do however still think that the crossbow manufacturers who lobbied for it wasted a golden opportunity to extend the deer season by asking for a post gun season crossbow season. Now that would have boosted crossbow sales.

My $.02

Pablo

Ssssssshhhh!!!! I am gonna have to agree with my husband. I hunt and shoot 3-D with my Bob Lee Recurve and haven't picked up a compound in four years. I really started out bowhunting and have killed more with a bow than I have with a gun. Crossbows have there place and I would like to eventually take an animal with one, same as I would a handgun. Both would be close shots for me. I just would like to say that I did it!

Nope - Never changed my mind. :)

Whatever floats your boat - I just enjoy hunting and my 9 year old is fired up about shooting a crossbow, so I am too!

Hey Rod! Is that you? :) :D:p

To answer the OP, I really do not care what people use, as long they're ethical hunters, because as hunter we should band together on a common ground, that is hunting, rather than equipment itself that we use.

I have killed with a compound and a crossbow. Crossbows are great when don't have to "draw in the presence of game". :)