Crossbow vs Rifle

[vixenmaster]

Here where i live now i can't get a 100 yd shot with any weapon. Where i am from Ms. bean & corn fields are sometimes a mile long & wide. I have never shot many deer at 400 yds. I do remember est. of one at 1/4 mile & shot with my 25-06. Twas one dead deer 100 gr silvertip through the throat patch.

[Tired Rooster]

Rifle, shotgun, pistol, muzzle loader, long bow, recurve bow, compound bow, crossbow, spear........rock. The most important thing is the deep felt desire and love for the hunt. The passion that the majority of society does not and cannot understand. That longing for solitude and oneness with GOD's creation that becomes harder and harder to find in our day. Regardless of the "tool" used, the vast majority of US are of the same "ilk" so to speak. I prefer not to throw a rock. I use a rifle often times. I have never used a pistol. I happily reach for my crossbow. I love......NO! I LONG for the feeling I get when I am in the woods hunting. Clear mind...sharpened senses...peace. Regardless of what I am holding in my hands.

[MarkMarine]

I've been hunting deer with a rifle, shotgun or muzzleloader for the last 21 years and I must say that if the implication of this thread is that hunting with a gun is unsportsman like then I'm thoroughly offended. Shooting deer at 400 yards? Give me a break. I've never shot one beyond 60 yards in my life. Where the heck are you going to get a 400 yard shot in the woods?
I understand the proliferation of gun hunters all out at once during gun season but what do you expect when there's only one or two weeks a year to get out? It's pretty simple math.
Get off your high horse's people. Weapon of choice does not give you any ethical or moral superiority. PLENTY of idiot bow hunters out there also.

I am disappointed at the spin you took with my post. Therefore as some have, allow me to clarify. I referenced my experience with opening day of ARCHERY ONLY SEASON, not firearm. I hunt with a rifle and a pistol and some places here in Missouri, I have taken deer at that distance...but I am an old Marine Scout/Sniper so 400 yards is a chipshot to me.

In essence, I believe in hunting with ANY weapon in their season...but, as I do not own a horse (much less a "high" one) I will say this much. If one uses an illegal method to hunt deer with, then one is a worthless poacher and a POS to me. I find someone like that out in the woods and I will take their weapon away from them and lollipop them with it! I do not like poachers. I do not respect poaching. Now, dig this and see if it is clear enough for you:

EVERY percussion of a muzzle blast on Saturday was a flaming poacher. Why do I say that? I mean after all, it could have been a target practice right? Well, I know the land hereabout and the ilk of folks around me...and I can tell you of a certainty there are no Special Forces type dudes on this road but me and it would take that kind of person to be out in the rain shooting. That's right, it was raining. But rain does not hinder a duck or a poacher. And I do not give a flaming Duck about poachers.

Hunt with a rifle - but do it during rifle season

Hunt with a bow - but do it during bow season

If it's legal, I am cool with it. If it is not...start humming the "Lollipop" song Do yourself a favor, though. Next time when you feel an episode of diarrhea of the mouth coming on? Take a moment to actually read once more what it is that has upset you so. That way, it makes you look less the...how did you say it? Ah yes, "idiot bow hunters..." when so many others understood what I was saying and, yet for some reason, you did not

[rayman]

Great discussion about a good topic. What I like about this forum.

Almost hate to say it, but all other factors being equal, I would rather hunt with my 270 BAR with Hornady 140 g SSTs than with any primitive weapon. I rarely take shots over 150 yards because I can't stand wounding deer and not recovering them. This excalibur crossbow thing is growing on me very fast though.

That being said, people are supposed to follow the rules. Hunting with a rifle during bow season? No no no no no no!!!

There have always been a lot of outlaw hunters where I hunt. It was one thing 35 years ago when the woods were wild, but now there are a lot of people who spend a lot of money on it and try to do things legal. People spend a lot of money on equipment, leases, putting in food plots, and so forth.

Around here, almost anyone who would outlaw hunt is probably trespassing as well and pays no attention to any game laws. Those people usually have no respect for other people or the out of doors. They are not hunters, they are just outlaws and not in a good way. Unfortunately, much of the time the game and fish people bust honest people who forgot to renew their license instead of the hardened outlaws who do most of the damage. You may be like me and don't care to rat on people, but that may be the best course of action, unless you know them personally.

Another thing - if the anti's really wanted to do something productive, they would join the fight against the outlaws instead of protesting the law abiding hunters who are the one picking up the bill for nearly all conservation efforts.

[MarkMarine]

I am glad to see the responses. I believe the greatest gripe I had was I trained to perfect my shooting ith a crossbow. I sharpened my broadheads, waxed my string, checked the fletchings and on and on and on. I only had a limited area in which to hunt. Using the crossbow, I only had the limited range inherant with the weapon. ALL I ASKED was for an even playing field with other like hunters similarly armed with legal weapons.

But, the hills were alive with the sound of shooting. Their range, woods or otherwise, is still greater than my own. Their shots do not have to be dead on nor do they have to make that first shot count because there really is no realistic followup with a crossbow.

They had an unfair advantage over me...but so what? Life is unfair Yet, as I wrote, the tragedy was their increased advantages over the deer. That was beyond unfair, it was unjust and illegal. Someone sent me an email citing "Well thats just mans laws." Well, I am a man and so is he and so should we all be. Poaching is being something less than a man. It is admittion through practice that they are less the hunter than those of us who seek to use the limited means we have to demonstrate our skill as well as our ability to hunt.

We may not owe our fellow man a damned thing, but we owe the animals everything. For without their proliferation, we all - legal and illegal hunters - will only hunt within the woodlands of our mind.

[TPM]

Do yourself a favor, though. Next time when you feel an episode of diarrhea of the mouth coming on? Take a moment to actually read once more what it is that has upset you so. That way, it makes you look less the...how did you say it? Ah yes, "idiot bow hunters..." when so many others understood what I was saying and, yet for some reason, you did not

I do have to admit that I misunderstood the context of your experience. I apologize for that. Sounds like you have serious enforcement problems around there. I'll save the "diarrhea of the mouth" for November. It always comes in handy around then.

[MarkMarine]

LOL, apology accepted. It takes a man to admit when he was wrong. You went up in my book by doing so. Good luck to you and my best to you and yours this upcoming season.

[Doe Master]

When does your migratory seasons start ?
Can your law enforcement step in on weekends for wildlife enforcement ?
I too did not read the dates . But our season for gun is normally only one week . While down south of the border some states are the opposite with a short bow season instead .

[MarkMarine]

When does your migratory seasons start ?
Can your law enforcement step in on weekends for wildlife enforcement ?
I too did not read the dates . But our season for gun is normally only one week . While down south of the border some states are the opposite with a short bow season instead .

Doe Master, as I bet Vixenmaster can attest, here in Missouri Game Wardens have been known to go mysteriously missing. Some of these boys have no angst about leaving them dead in the woods. True story, I had to shoot my way out of the deer woods twice in my life. The last time I had my youngest son with me and was hunting public land during rifle season. When I say "shooting gallery" it was not necessarily refering to the deer as targets. LOL

I stopped taking all of my children hunting on public land because I do not mind getting shot - I lost that cherry decades ago - but I do mind if my children get hurt. One thing to take a hasbeen, but not going to let them have a neverwas.

[TPM]

Thanks Mark. It's been a long day. Shot a long 3D course today, my sinuses are stuffed up with a cold and I was reading this thread on an tiny Ipod. I think I'll go to bed now...

[VixChix]

....Do yourself a favor, though. Next time when you feel an episode of diarrhea of the mouth coming on? Take a moment to actually read once more what it is that has upset you so....

(WOW. Verbal diarrhea? Seriously. WOW. Sure looks like some pot/kettle going on there to me!)

Your initial post did NOT make it clear that you were hunting an archery-only season while being over-run by rifle hunters. (Perhaps you've since edited that post since your first edition?)

In some areas you can only xbow hunt during rifle season so without being specific about your season your post came across as an anti-rifle hunter rant.

In a later post you clarified that you're hunting "archery only" season: So all those shots you heard are ALL poachers. Right? None of them were migratory bird hunters. Right?

I've only ever shot deer with a rifle. Before you slam me for being pro-rifle, (or whatever this is all about... ) when I carry the rifle in the deer woods I hunt the same as I bowhunt. I do it for the pure enjoyment of being out in the woods.

You made offensive and unfair generalizations about us. Next time I suggest you more carefully clarify the context of your rant... then you wont have to slam us rifle hunters for "misunderstanding."

[vixenmaster]

OK, lets not get too riled ppl. Yes its archery only til Nov. I am not not as verbal as Mark is about it. Yes these Ozarks have a problem, be it rifle hunters who hunt yr around, & or the Meth makers shooting at ppl hunting on public & private land. Were not slamming rifle/shotgun/pistol nor ML hunters. Just the lowlife scumbags who don't abide by state of Mo.'s Wildlife laws. No dog hunting fer deer here but every yr they do it! They're running them now!

[wayne]

OK, lets not get too riled ppl. Yes its archery only til Nov. I am not not as verbal as Mark is about it. Yes these Ozarks have a problem, be it rifle hunters who hunt yr around, & or the Meth makers shooting at ppl hunting on public & private land. Were not slamming rifle/shotgun/pistol nor ML hunters. Just the lowlife scumbags who don't abide by state of Mo.'s Wildlife laws. No dog hunting fer deer here but every yr they do it! They're running them now!

WOW!!!!
I was thinking the year round out of season deer shooting & meth lab's, etc. were a northern Michigan thing. Don't know if I should feel good were not alone or feel bad it's so widespread
The opening weekend of smoke pole season I shot a buck that I thought was sneaking by, after skining found it was limping by....Had a 3 blade b/h in the steaks (normal to find, in the high pressure areas I hunt), & a .22 cal size hole in the chest area just below the spine, (about 10% of the deer we get have one of these size holes in them)
Do to small game & duck season going on during archery season we always hear a lot of shooting while hunting, but hearing the high powered rifle shots have been becoming the norm around these parts.