What are your thoughts?

[Stickin Em]

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/regulations/crossbow.html

[boondoggle]

I'm against it just like I don't think that modern in line muzzle loaders should have any special privileges afforded to them. I'm somewhat of a hypocrite as I do use a compound bow. Yet, I could, with practice, pick up one of my 5 recurves and kill a deer.

[ketch69]

I'm not a big fan of it because it will bring more hunters with little or no experiance into the woods during the season I have grown to enjoy the most.

[earlyriser]

I dont like it either. Good one Steven

[Stickin Em]

I don't like it either Slade, but the way other states are going, it's just a matter of time. Give me a call tomorrow.

[Durado]

I think it would allow youth and elderly alike to enjoy archery season. The young are to weak to pull a bow of compitence (I know you can kill a deer with a small bow, but your limited to range and excellent shot placement which I believe the youth lack due to skill and excitement) as well, the senior generation could also enjoy it also. Most people I know up in age, gave up bow hunting cause they couldn't pull the bow back anymore. This would help in bringing interest back into the sport and would also insure more human shots, with the accuracy and ease of the crossbow. The main reason we're out there is to keep the herds in check......if that weren't true, with todays protests, we wouldn't be able to hunt. It's your choice to use a crossbow or not, but why limit the ability of others to go afield because you don't like them. As it may be about the sport for you, it could be about the meat for others and if legally approved, it shouldn't be hindered with. Like the inline muzzleloader stated above, would you trade that in for a flintlock? It's my opinion that black powder weapons have come a long way with the introduction of the in line, to the point where they are exceeding the performance of some rifles. I still use them and look forward to the improvements in years to come, they do nothing more than place more accurate powerful shots, that insure a cleaner more humane kill. How could one object to that. As it may be fun, your forgetting that your taking an animal's life......the least you can do is make it as quick and pailess as possoble, if possible.
...This is just my opinion, and not directed at anyone. I respect yours staed above as well.[smile]

[boondoggle]

A major point that I was discussing today is these new quasi-archers who are going to be sharing the woods with me now have the ability to reach out. Why am I concerned? We don't wear blaze orange during archery season and that scares me if the "if it's brown, it's down crowd" jumps on the crossbows.

As for the improvements in muzzleloaders, just another reason they should lose their special status.

[earlyriser]

Durado, what you said is very true in my opinion. I gave up muzzle loader hunting years ago, due to a lack of a challenge, to me it was to easy. The area that I live in use to produce alot of large bucks, dont get me wrong there are still large bucks around here, but once the muzzleloader season came in years ago, the deer population started to dwindle so did the wall hangers. Some tracks of land around home have no big bucks due to the concept of if its brown its down.

The crossbow season all depends on season length. I dont think it should be treated like archery though. My personal opinion is that this season should start the same time muzzleloader season starts.

I wish there was no muzzleloader season in my county, to me they are way to much like rifles.

[RANGER690]

I don't care if anyone hunts with a crossbow. Bow season is my favorite, I don't have or want a crossbow, but I don't care what others do. They let people squirrel hunt with guns during the bow season so what the heck.

As for muzzleloaders thinning the herd? I don't believe it. One shot. At most, two a day. I think it would be all the dog runners. That is what should go. Ban the dogs. If you want to get a deer, get out there and find one or set and let one walk by. Dogs, trucks and radios. Get rid of that crap. No skill.

Dayton

[itsallgood]

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