Wisconsin Crossbow law

[Cheesehead]

The Wisconsin Conservation Congress will put forth the proposition of changing the crossbow age to 65 from 55. I think it is a great idea. Help the old fellers out.
Like me, I will turn 55 this year. If this happens I will be researching crssbows for my next purchase.

Cheese

[Skunk]

I think it would be cool Cheese. I hope the proposition becomes a law for our fellow Wisconsin hunters (us included ).

I just bought a new Crossbow and it's the wildcat's meow. Wanted one for nearly my entire life and finally laid the money down on the counter and got one. No need to research brands - just get a Tenpoint. Well, OK, I might be a little biased towards Tenpoint, but they are seriously nice crossbows.

[coyote170]

Well said, I agree!I love both of mine!

[jcn59]

I won a crossbow at a banquet a few years ago.  Had a myocardial infarction the next year & got a permit to crossbow hunt for one season.  Shot one deer & watched it fall.  Much more efficient than the bows I had been using for the previous 40 years.

I said with my luck, the year I turn 65, they will reduce the age for the permit.  I may be right.

Nobody talks about it much but there are PLENTY of bow hunters who will wound & lose two or three BIG bucks for every big one they tag. 

Cross bows are more efficient,  don't you think?

[Skunk]

Cross bows are more efficient, don't you think?

Good question JCN.

I think crossbows might be easier to shoot and be on target with because of their inherent design features. In that respect, yes, Crossbows seem be more efficient. However, I was watching the video that came with my Tenpoint package, and in their experiment, they showed that Compound Bows actually shot faster and flatter than crossbows. In that respect, the efficiency would seem to go with the Compound. It seems to be just like the rifle question and it probably comes down to the shooter and shot placement. Of course, I'm pretty new to this bow & arrow stuff, so my opinion is just that, an opinion with no scientific evidence to back me up.

[jcn59]

Science takes a backseat to personal experience and actual observation, or haven't you been watching the DNR antics lately.

What you learn about archery is valid.  The problem I have with compounds as I get older is not that I can't draw them, it's that I can't practice myself into efficiency due to other physical problems that arise as I get into my practice sessions.

When I started bow hunting 45 years ago there weren't many of us.  It was my generation that advocated for the "new" compounds to be legal hunting tools.  Then since a sighted compound was easier to learn on than an instinctively shot recurve, there became lots of bow hunters.   Half of them weren't even in the woods in 1960 because "it was too hard".   

Now, as my generation ages, the new mechanical stick hunters refuse to advocate for us older guys to use crossbows.  Most of them wouldn't even hunt if they had to use recurves we started on.

[Retch Sweeny]

This would require much public debate before it would take place in WI. I don't think there is enough public support at this time.