Five Seasons

it alters a way of life and a tradition. I wanted to avoid the "tradition" argument as long as I could as I know you will jump all over it with the same old responses like recurve and decreasing hunters numbers blah, blah, blah. It may not directly affect me except for maybe a few more hunters in the woods you're right. But it changes a sport that has been in place for many years and I just don't like it. And that's just me being brutally honest. Call me stubborn, call me an elites I don't really care. I just want to see the sport as I know it and the tradition of bow hunting carried on to my son and future generations. Autococking crossbows with bolts, scopes and triggers is just not archery. And still I have only seen the reason you want crossbows is because they're easier and less challenging. I keep my stance that they should be used for handicapped and elderly but I still do not see why a season as we have all known it should change just so those not willing to put in the time and effort to learn how to shoot a bow can participate. The bowhunter is an exclusive group. It's a group of hunters that have put in time and effort to become good at something that is very difficult. When you decide you want to bowhunt and when you start regularly taking deer with a bow you have elevated yourself to another level of hunter and I think this is why we get called "elitist" in almost every thread. Being a successful bowhunter is hard work and again I feel we lose some of that by making the season easier and more inviting. Why must everything be made easier? Why must we try to include everyone on everything? Lets reward those who practice and master something difficult.

ha. i just bought my house in July. I've noticed the neighbors have a trail going into the woods on my property. My property is sort of a T shape so I own behind the 3 neighbors to my right and another to my left. I caught them smoking pot once in the fall. Thought I scared the 2 teen girls but then caught them on my trail cams over xmas break. I dont want to cause a feud with my neighbors as I dont really care, but I just want them out during the fall. It's sort of a pickle. But because I have a mini-orchard on the back part of my yard the deer stick in close.

ugh... http://www.snopes.com/photos/technology/nailgun.asp

that's awesome. Was she big? I had 7 deer spooked into my backyard near my appletrees last night and I've caught 2 yotes on cams and I'm wondering if it was indeed a coyote and not a human.

this morning i felt the mucus inside my nose freeze as I stepped outside. You know it's cold when that happens.

is that even allowed?

Sorry dad, can't find it. Please teach me your ways. I find it hilarious that when I express my opinions on the subject I'm forcing my beliefs on others, although it seems you're allowed to criticize our current policies and tradition and want to change the way we experience archery today based on your opinions. So who is really imposing their beliefs on the other here? Am I advocating taking away your current ability to hunt with a crossbow or are you asking to change the New York archery season as it currently stands?

My analogy to politics was that I have changed my mind before. So don't tell me that I won't again.

i believe it's illegal. However, i imagine you could get away with this for the next few months. If you do choose to register I imagine the gun would have been manufactured pre-ban and they have no proof it was bought out of state after ban. That is if the state you buy it from doesn't look into you. On the flip side if it was manufactured post ban and you try to register it... you're in hot water. But I dont know too many people who plan on registering.

yeah take some test photos. put it in on a tree in the yard. then walk by it at different distances. pull the card and see what you have.

i believe i've made it very clear in many threads how i feel about it. But I'm a reasonable person. I've changed my views on many things before. My point is that "fundamentally" you and I see crossbows differently. It's like politics. I've disagreed with some issues and stance my party has taken on minor issues, but fundamentally when it comes to economics i'm a conservative. However, I've relaxed some prior opinions i've had on immigration, gay marriage and abortion. How did this happen? I've seen the view of the other side through age, maturity and experience and debate. In fact, I'll give you this. Your comment about having success is an excellent point for your team. I'll buy that a positive for xbow. So maybe we throw youth into the disabled and elderly club? I still worry this deters them from learning to bow hunt and so I will counter that we have introduced the youth hunt and decreased the age for gun hunting. In high school I played 3 sports and did not have the time to devote to learning archery as my father was a firm believer in being proficient with the weapon you use. So I only gun hunted, and only several weekends a year till I graduated college. It was then I was finally able to take up the bow and the love I have for bow hunting is not surpassed by any of my other hobbies. My last point makes me wonder how many veteran bow hunters want to see crossbows and not as a result of disability or age. Many veteran bow hunters i know outside my family feel the same as me.

with a kids rod. a worm and dropped it off a dock for sunfish and bass. And yes i have graduated to down riggers and planter boards. We're never going to come to agreement on this. I will just state again that I believe that archery season should be for bow and arrow only. It's what it was always originally intended to be. I would never disagree with your father hunting with you with an xbow during archery. And yes I do believe the xbow will slowly phase out the bow. Like someone said earlier, i saw the xbow on walking dead and I'd rather try that. the youth will phase it out just like our generation phased out the recurve. they moved opening day up to Saturday instead of Monday then 5 years later tacked on a few lousy mosquito fighting weeks.

only out of choice. I hunted for 5 seasons with a higher end matthews switchback i bought used off ebay. bought a dozen arrows and a release. It wasn't till last year that i bought new arrows and a dropaway rest. not because it was broken but because i wanted to.

I am not close minded. I stated that i can be persuaded with with the right answer and the only responses I've received have been that it's easier and that's why I want it legalized. From what I gather you all currently hunt with a bow anyhow. I understand that their have been large improvements in the bow since it was used by the English and Native Americans centuries ago. That being said the concept has still remained the same. I've always viewed archery as a season for those truly dedicated to the sport. It takes time, patience and dedication to kill ANY deer with a bow. It's a SPECIAL season for archery hunters. Those that believe in the challenge and have the perseverance to work for the satisfying bow kill. I am in no way insinuating that any of you advocating for the use of the xbow are not dedicated competent hunters. But my fear is that the sport will take a great hit if an easier and superior instrument is legalized. I believe it drives people to buy an xbow and soon enough archery hunters will be a dying breed. Why would one not want to use a xbow? We all want rifles, scopes on our guns, rifled barrels etc. Why? to increase our odds. Some however enjoyed the idea of the traditional muzzleloader hunt, so they made a season for it. One where all hunters were equally matched so that it was a level playing field. It doesn't stop you from hunting with a muzzleloader during regular season but it does stop the semiautomatic shotgun hunter from hunting during late season. They have already decreased the length of the archery season. Gun season is plenty long. You have had and should continue to have your opportunity to hunt with an xbow during regular and late season. Why do you need/want more? I dont know... there's just something primal about a bow and arrow and myself and others would like it kept that way. xbows being cheaper than a compound is a fallacy. Both instruments have low and high end models. And you should never shy away from something because it looks hard Joe. That's the whole point. If it was easy everyone would do it. It's a real accomplishment when you become proficient at bow hunting. Americans are moving more and more towards the instant gratification, trophies for everyone mentality and it shows with our work ethic, education rankings and unemployment rates when compared to other nations. You should never avoid something because its challenging. Some of the best rewards in life are obtained from conquering something that once seemed unattainable. Be it running a marathon, building a 700hp car, a black belt in karate, a master degree or an archery kill. As a young buck you should set some short term obtainable goals and some long term goals that seem to be almost impossible to achieve. Work towards them. That's the fun part.

so contrary to statements by some members... it is indeed easier than a bow? thanks. that's all I was looking for. guess i missed it. please copy and paste it again for me. thanks again. this also reaffirms the fact that a crossbow is less challenging than a compound or recurve. You can shoot "my deer" all you want right now. Get a bow, practice and get in the woods.

i've yet to get an answer to my bolded question on page 3

i've been burning wood just to save on gas bills haha

i posted this 10 minutes after the story broke. That was the title of the news release. It is funny that it quickly fell to page 2 of the news sites after they realized it wasn't what "they hoped" it was.

i was guess i was thinking private land where the parks dont impose site specific rules.

times 4

check your distance settings on the cam.

Ouch that'd hurt

doesn't matter, schools and gun violence will forever be talking point for the anit-gun crowd. If this was at the KFC next door it'd never have made the national news.

might find some cheap cammo at walmart too. depending on what you're looking for. If you dont mind me asking; what are you hunting for?

never heard of one in ny. I do know there are some in other southern states. point me to it?