What are you talking about? 400 yards is a hell of a shot no matter what rifle your using.
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Which is more rewarding?
- Thread starter tyson12590
- Start date
Its a great shot.What are you talking about? 400 yards is a hell of a shot no matter what rifle your using.
But it isn't my idea of a more rewarding hunt.
Sniper4hire
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- Jun 5, 2014
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- Swamps of St. Helen, MI/Heston's playground
I use a crossbow with no apology. I'm old enough to have started with a recurve, and killed my first handful of deer with one. I was a teenager when the compound bow made its entrance. I remember the same bias, with the tradtional guys looking down their noses at hunters taking up the compound bow. Lots of infighting and the like. Its total BS. Use what you want and don't judge anyone. If you're a bait hunter, so be it. I'm not. But I don't look down my nose at those who do. I killed tons of deer with a compound bow. Now, I use a crossbow, I'm completely healthy and make no apologies. I earned the right to do whatever I want as long as its legal, and in Michigan, it is. I also love seeing guys using crossbows preface their comments with the fact that they suffered an injury and must "resort" to a crossbow to stay in the hunt. Half the time, that's BS. Just stand on what you do and enjoy the hunt. That's what it all about.
The only problem I have with crossbows is when they are allowed to compete with regular archers during the archery season. It just doesn't require the same amount of skill pointing and pulling a trigger as it does being able to get drawn on a deer and shooting it. You can hand a sighted in crossbow to a person who's never held one and they could more than likely kill a deer at 20 yards. Not so with a vertical bow. Also, you don't have to hold at full draw or let down and draw again with a crossbow. My brother is a disabled vet and just bought one because they are allowed here for him during regular archery season. I have no problem with people using one in cases like his but I think it's an unfair advantage for any old hunter to be able to use one during regular archery season. Baiting is illegal in Maine but if it was I probable wouldn't do it anyway because I don't think it is very effective simply because you are returning to the same spot over and over again and the deer around here would catch on to that real quick and wouldn't come in until after dark. Just my 2 cents. To each his own though. If it's legal where you are then go for it. This is a free country.
Challenge accepted sir...I have to substitute the loin cloth with a shag area rug. Turns out they dont come in my size!
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I see what you did there, you repurposed a merkin. You are one crafty dude!
BTW, where did you find the merkin? Asking for a friend.
Lots a variables can tip the scale either way on which would be more challenging. Deer density and pressure are big ones. A bait pile isn’t a given and sometimes harder to kill on than a feed tree or waterhole because the deer know it’s a danger spot if they have been educated by hunters time and time again.
Every time I pull the string back on a Tradbow to shoot a deer it’s a challenge. There is a lot that has to go right on the human error side of things. A lot of those things are taken out of the equation with a crossbow. How close you have to be is only one variable.
I’ve hunted a hot oak tree in Nebraska that was less of a challenge than a pile of ricebran in the La swamp. Heck I shot a deer on that oak tree with a Tradbow and the other deer didn’t even leave! You wouldn’t see another deer on that La ricebran pile for days after you get busted on it much less shoot one there.
And if you think a cut corn field isn’t bait.....well we don’t need to get into the bait debate. I don’t think this was the OP purpose. Neither xbow vs Tradbow debate .
Go shoot a doe and everyone be happy!
Every time I pull the string back on a Tradbow to shoot a deer it’s a challenge. There is a lot that has to go right on the human error side of things. A lot of those things are taken out of the equation with a crossbow. How close you have to be is only one variable.
I’ve hunted a hot oak tree in Nebraska that was less of a challenge than a pile of ricebran in the La swamp. Heck I shot a deer on that oak tree with a Tradbow and the other deer didn’t even leave! You wouldn’t see another deer on that La ricebran pile for days after you get busted on it much less shoot one there.
And if you think a cut corn field isn’t bait.....well we don’t need to get into the bait debate. I don’t think this was the OP purpose. Neither xbow vs Tradbow debate .
Go shoot a doe and everyone be happy!
We all hunt for different reasons, be it meat, entertainment, adrenaline, primal instinct . . . whatever. Sometimes those reasons and/or priorities for what we are looking to get out of it change over time, I know they have for me personally. It doesn't lessen the experience, it just changes what defines success a bit. As long as what ever you're doing is legal where you're at, get out there and do it. . . Oh and ENJOY it!
I agree with your point about competition within the archery season. If I had it my way trad hunters should get two weeks more than compound hunters and compounds should get two more weeks of season than crossbows. I wouldn't blame that issue on crossbow hunters (not saying you are) as they are just taking advantage of the opportunities they are given. I do think more hunters need to be lobbying their state DNR and or legislature to reconsider lumping all archery gear into one season.
I’ll jump in here. I’ve hunted over bait (where legal) but never with a crossbow. I probably fall more in the “you do you so long as it’s legal” camp. It doesn’t bother me one bit sharing the season with crossbows even if it does add competition. I think that once we start dividing out subgroups from the broader groups, that just adds to the division that in a lot of ways already exists too much.
Selfishly, I would definitely take extended seasons for using certain weapons and would be all in. I just feel that it would cause us to divide further, and lessen our collective voice on incredibly important topics.
That aside, a primitive season has always intrigued me. I’ve never lived where one existed but think that could be pretty cool. I know PA has one but not sure of other states?
I completely agree, I have a trophy room full of exotics, elk, hogs, bear..... Thats why I love saddle hunting. It just gives me more enjoyment. I have yet to kill a big whitetail> 150#, but I have changed my mindset to make the hunt and the experience my trophy. I will potshoot hogs and does from a corn slinger to fill the freezer though. I usually wait until the end of season to “take meat”.
Get rid of archery season and just have hunting season and watch crossbow companies go out of business. Compound companies would hurt also. I bet the Tradbow companies don’t notice a difference.
I bought a crossbow last year when I wanted to get back to deer hunting. They became legal in PA around 2000, I believe. I remember holding a bow waiting for a shot and start shaking and have to let down. The crossbow is easier. What is even easier, is hunting from a tree. Talk about ground hunting only and then you can criticize the crossbow. I said last year that tree hunting and the crossbow seemed unfair to the deer compared to my previous ground hunting with a 1980 compound bow. The spear seems like the great equalizer. If bait is legal, I say use it if you want.
Sniper4hire
Well-Known Member
- Jun 5, 2014
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- LOCATION
- Swamps of St. Helen, MI/Heston's playground
I've been using a crossbow for almost 10 years now. My kill ratio has probably gone down as I pursue better and better bucks. You still have to know how to hunt, which is what always matters the most. Also, most of us hunt with rifles and shotguns too. But yes, to each his own.
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Apples and oranges right?
Honestly, I have a lease in Middle GA where we are able to bait. I also hunt public land middle GA and in the North GA mountains/Chattahoochee Nat'l Forest. There is something special about working a piece of public and finding the game that seems to trump watching them walk in over a pile of corn... to me. Don't take me as saying I am against baiting or ANYTHING like that. I killed my first three deer ever, last year over bait and I was pleased as pie. I will also dumped some corn out yesterday in hopes that my 9 (soon-to-be 10) year old can stick his first deer with his recurve.
But there is something special about walking through the vast woods, finding the sign, setting up, and seeing critters. This past weekend I setup on a watering hole 60 yards from a small bluff and I saw about 15-20 turkeys, one doe, and one big old 250-300# black bear. It felt rewarding in a way that sitting in the blind over corn didn't. I am still going to try and stick a few over corn, because this is my second year and I need some meat.
No one should feel bad hunting legally and killing the deer they want to kill legally. We ALL hunt over bait wether it is an oak tree, food plot, standing corn, pile of corn or an automated feeder. We all have our preferred method of taking said deer. Looking down on a fellow hunter that is legally taking a deer is bad on all of us. I am rewarded by taking meat home. If I go home to many times empty handed I start getting the "are you seriously leaving me with the kids again and not bringing home the meat" look from my wife.
I tend to agree with keeping separate seasons and even adding a trad only season. Not so much from a competitive aspect, but from a cultural aspect. I grew up shooting traditional Muzzleloaders, and there was quite the culture around them when that was all that was allowed during Muzzleloader season. Since they opened it up to in-lines in TN many years ago, the culture has largely dies out, and you will be hard pressed to find people who shoot or own a flintlock. I don't shoot trad archery yet, but it is in the plans. As technology advances, I would hate to see the archery, especially the trad archery, culture die out.
Yep...cause I hit my quota of rediculiousness for the day prior and wanted to get an early start.
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I had to google "merkin"...im so glad I did. Had no idea that was a thing! I think the question is, how do you know what a merkin is?I see what you did there, you repurposed a merkin. You are one crafty dude!
BTW, where did you find the merkin? Asking for a friend.
And secondly, would a merkin be this big? Are they cut-to-fit?Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
I had to google "merkin"...im so glad I did. Had no idea that was a thing! I think the question is, how do you know what a merkin is?And secondly, would a merkin be this big? Are they cut-to-fit?
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How do I know?
Just a collector of useless information.
Why so big?
From my estimation, that is a circa 1970’s model. They made them large to go with the prevailing style at that time.
