Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Anyone Hunting WI Rut With a Crossbow?

I'm still thinking about it.

I thought WI was going to shorten the crossbow season?

I was thinking Sharp Things was having it changed a couple years ago.

I'm not but I know a web sight that shows the harvest of crossbows and regular bows. There are 3 times as many regular bow hunters in Wisconsin that crossbow hunters . Crossbow harvest is about 5% higher than regular bow harvest . This tells the tale how much more effective crossbows are than traditional and compound bows are.

Bullshit! effective NO, easier to shoot YES.

The crossbow is an interesting tool. It has been around since 400BC. (Look up "belly bow" if you like).it has been used as. A handheld device, and has been scaled up as both a siege engine, and castle defences. There are repeating versions that fire from a box magazine as quickly as you can work a handle. (They were even used against our troops).
The crossbow was labeled "the devil's weapon " and was thought to be the tool that would destroy civilization, due to the ease of use, and the lack of training time needed. This was a trait used by the French in the wars against the British. However, it was the longbow that was the supreme weapon of war of the time, because with the weapons of the time, the longbow had a much longer range than the crossbow. Archers could stand outside of crossbow range and rain death down upon them.
But, then, just as now, the bow required more training, muscle memory, and perfection of form and craft. Where as the crossbow uses stored energy, and can even be fired one handed by the wounded or maimed.
It's much like the argument between which is better of the AK47 VS the AR15. (Depends mainly on how it is used.) Modern crossbows DO have longer range than and more power that modern bows. There are a few on the market that can actually be used out to @100yards. (High dollar, but available). But are louder, slower to reload, and less comfortable to carry and hold, and less likely to ever get a second shot. There are exceptions to this, however, such as a compressed air charged crossbow that recocks the string with the touch of a button. (Depends on your needs and budget).
I have built a crossbow from the leaf spring of a truck, and I hunt with modern crossbow. (I own both Horton and Barnett). In my opinion, the crossbow is the better choice for a fixed position, and the bow the better for a mobile style of hunt, from an ease and comfort standpoint, but I carry a crossbow more often, because the higher power leaves two clear holes, and a short blood trail due to the full pass through. I do not always get 2 holes with a bow, and the arrow tends to cork the wine.
While I have shot targets at 70yards by bow, I will not shoot animals at that range. My self imposed range is more like 40yds, with an additional 10yds for crossbow. Not a big improvement, but the shot that hits is more likely fatal, and trackable.
If you choose to hunt crossbow, I welcome you to the ranks.

Yeah, it won't happen.

Correct.

Well, in my hands a compound bow was less effective and I actually quit bow hunting because I wounded a deer and was spotted trying to draw the thing by a bunch of others. Agreed, once an arrow is shot correctly, it is just as effective as a crossbow bolt in the same place. It is just that it takes lots more skill and time to be proficient with a bow than a crossbow and I wasn't personally taking the time to be that proficient. A crossbow is just a better tool for the average guy. I figure that I owed it to the deer to be carrying the most effective legal tool that I can be for a humane kill when a shot is offered.

with my health problems now at 66,my shoulders have both been operated on and still are poor. yes in Minnesota i am allowed to use a x-bow so i purchased a x-bow this year and passed on a medium 8 pt. at 15 yards broadside ,this buck tried to commit suicide. i do wish Montana would allow people who are either disabled ,65 years of age or both would legally be able to use x-bows for the archery season in Montana for these reasons ? > remember this we all get old ,some disabled and some old and disabled ?

I use one here in Nebraska. I usually carry it instead of my compound.

My Barnett is pretty much on out to 50. My compound is one I can shoot out to 40 pretty comfortably. It will shoot farther but that's my comfort range.