New Member-Outside looking In

[XCOP]

I am new to this forum, and have no standing here, but have been reading all the posts for a few days. I came here after reading about this forum on another crossbow forum. After seeing the division here, I am sorry to say that this is not a crossbow forum Yet! It could be a good one when you all realize that we are not enemies. If you are a hunter, we are on the same side.
I am fortunate to live in a state (Arkansas) that was one of the first, (if not the first) state to allow the use of crossbows during any open season. I have not always lived in this state, and am not sure exactly when the use of crossbows was authorized, but I have been here for 12 years and it was in place long before that. Some of my friends and aquantances hunt with vertical bows, some with crossbows. I have not seen any animosity between the two camps. Perhaps there was when this was a new thing, but it sure doesn't seem to be the case now. In viewing the harvest records for the past five years, I found that crossbow hunters harvest about half as many animals as vertical bow hunters. This has been consistent for the five years of records that are available on line.
I realize that this is a change in what has always been in Kentucky, (allowing crossbows), but it is my humble opinion, that it will eventually work out and hopefully the warring factions will come together as they have here. We need to be one voice or else the anti's will crush us.

[gwhilikerz]

I am new to this forum, and have no standing here, but have been reading all the posts for a few days. I came here after reading about this forum on another crossbow forum. After seeing the division here, I am sorry to say that this is not a crossbow forum Yet! It could be a good one when you all realize that we are not enemies. If you are a hunter, we are on the same side.
I am fortunate to live in a state (Arkansas) that was one of the first, (if not the first) state to allow the use of crossbows during any open season. I have not always lived in this state, and am not sure exactly when the use of crossbows was authorized, but I have been here for 12 years and it was in place long before that. Some of my friends and aquantances hunt with vertical bows, some with crossbows. I have not seen any animosity between the two camps. Perhaps there was when this was a new thing, but it sure doesn't seem to be the case now. In viewing the harvest records for the past five years, I found that crossbow hunters harvest about half as many animals as vertical bow hunters. This has been consistent for the five years of records that are available on line.
I realize that this is a change in what has always been in Kentucky, (allowing crossbows), but it is my humble opinion, that it will eventually work out and hopefully the warring factions will come together as they have here. We need to be one voice or else the anti's will crush us.
XCOP you are right. Crossbows now have a forum here and we should use it for xbow stuff and not wasting time arguing with detracters. Now if only that can happen.

[Xtreme]

I am new to this forum, and have no standing here, but have been reading all the posts for a few days. I came here after reading about this forum on another crossbow forum. After seeing the division here, I am sorry to say that this is not a crossbow forum Yet! It could be a good one when you all realize that we are not enemies. If you are a hunter, we are on the same side.
I am fortunate to live in a state (Arkansas) that was one of the first, (if not the first) state to allow the use of crossbows during any open season. I have not always lived in this state, and am not sure exactly when the use of crossbows was authorized, but I have been here for 12 years and it was in place long before that. Some of my friends and aquantances hunt with vertical bows, some with crossbows. I have not seen any animosity between the two camps. Perhaps there was when this was a new thing, but it sure doesn't seem to be the case now. In viewing the harvest records for the past five years, I found that crossbow hunters harvest about half as many animals as vertical bow hunters. This has been consistent for the five years of records that are available on line.
I realize that this is a change in what has always been in Kentucky, (allowing crossbows), but it is my humble opinion, that it will eventually work out and hopefully the warring factions will come together as they have here. We need to be one voice or else the anti's will crush us.

How has the xbows being legal effected your all's public hunting? Good, bad or what?

[XCOP]

Xtreme

I really can't answer your question. As I said earlier, crossbows had been authorized long before I moved here. But I can say that the hunting is good IMHO. The Game and Fish Commission evaluates the herds, and the harvest every year and make determination about next year's harvest limits in each managment area. It goes up or down depending on herd size and health etc.

By far the largest portion of the harvest is during Modern Gun season, followed by Muzzleloading. I am certain that will hold true everywhere. The archery season here runs from 1 Oct-Feb 15. In my home management area the limit was 3 deer this past season, bucks must have at least 3 points on at least one side. Two years ago it was five deer. But we had a very wet cold spring the next two years and the fawn crop was badly affected. The herd seems to be rebounding quickly and I expect the harvest limits to go up within the next year or two.

[jerry]

Welcome aboard XCOP. Enjoyed your post.Don`t be a stranger,keep em coming.

[XCOP]

Thanks for the welcome Jerry! I would like to point out an example of a good crossbow forum. http://www.excaliburcrossbow.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1 Not to influence anyone about bow choices, but to take a look at a great forum in action. I have been a member on this forum for a couple of years under a different user name, and have learned more about hunting in general and crossbows in particular than from any other source that I know of. That's because the forum "polices" itself and keeps pretty much to the subject. There are some real experts here who love to pass on their knowledge. This is an international forum with the majority of members from Canada (that's where Excalibur is made), but a growing number of members from all over the USA. There are members in Europe, Australia and even one cool dude from Brazil. They do a good job of staying on topic and try to avoid dividing controversies. Feathers do get ruffled now and then, but that will happen. When bomb throwers and flamers jump in, we have found that the best solution is to ignore them. If you fire back, you are just adding fuel to their flames. They love that, but if you want to stop the fire smother it by not responding. Even to the most blatantly provocative statements. There is no way for a flamer to defend against being ignored, and they will go away. It may take a while, but if you don't take the bait they can't pull you in.
Instead concentrate on information and enjoyment of the sport. Ask questions about what you want to know. Examples: What type broadhead? What is the best arrow and head combination for my setup? Show me some pictures! How do you fletch an arrow with no nock? Well you get the picture. Take a look at the Excal forum and see what I mean. That is what I would like to see this forum be like. Just my 2 cents!! Hope I haven't spoken out of place.

[Xtreme]

Xcop, appreciate your input. Myself personally I'm not worried about private land deer management. I am worried however about the common working Joe that has to hunt public land.:eek:

Kentucky just is not ready to accomodate the influx of new bowhunters on public lands if this law passes.

All of us are not blessed with unlimited financial resources, some of us have to take what we can get as it comes:o

[XCOP]

Xcop, appreciate your input. Myself personally I'm not worried about private land deer management. I am worried however about the common working Joe that has to hunt public land.:eek:

Kentucky just is not ready to accomodate the influx of new bowhunters on public lands if this law passes.

All of us are not blessed with unlimited financial resources, some of us have to take what we can get as it comes:o

I understand the concern about too many hunters on public land, but I have not found that to be a problem here. The first two years that I hunted here, I hunted exclusively on public land. I had plenty of area to myself during the entire archery season. During the firearms seasons, I stayed home. There were too many then for me. I have a couple of places on private property where I have permission to hunt, but still hunt public land sometimes too. I've seen more deer on public land than on private, because I have more area to hunt. I'm pretty "blue collar" and retired, so I don't have unlimited resources either, but it doesn't take much to make me happy to be out in the woods.