With todays modern archery equipment, virtually anyone can buy a well made bow right off the shelf, set it up with accessories, tune it and be an excellent shot within minutes.
The difference comes when that person starts to hunt with it. Shooting at a static target is a whole different ball game from shooting at a whitetail deer that was born "wired"!
The skill of shooting is not near the issue of the skill of drawing a bow on a whitetail or other wild creature without being detected. Anyone that has bowhunted any time at all realizes that the hardest part of the process is getting the bow drawn undetected. And to that end, I feel the crossbow is a shortcut! And before you say it - I am also opposed to the use of draw lock devices in archery season.
Archery only season was created and set aside for those who dedicated the time to learn the skill of bowhunting as a reward for their efforts by allowing them time in the woods without competition from gun when game has not yet been spooked to the next county by gunfire.
I have no beef with crossbow shooters and think there is a place for them in the hunting world. I just don't believe that place is in the archery only season. If a person needs to shoot a crossbow due to physical limitations or disabilities - I'm fine with that and provisions are already in place for them to shoot a crossbow during archery season. For those that just want to shoot a crossbow, there are already provisions in place to allow this in the general season.
I see no reason to change the regulations to allow crossbows in archery only season.
Trailboss
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