Crossbows prove to be a quick draw | Dallas Morning News
September 23, 2009 · Print This Article
By RAY SASSER / The Dallas Morning News
rsasser@dallasnews.com
When archery season begins on Oct. 3, traditional bowhunters will share the woods with a new-style archer – the horizontal bowhunter. Texas this year joined a growing number of states that have approved the use of crossbows during archery seasons.
The change came not from Texas Parks and Wildlife, but from the Legislature. In the past, a Texas hunter could not use a crossbow during archery season unless he could prove a disability that made it physically impossible to draw a traditional hunting bow.
One exception to the crossbow rule is Grayson County, an archery-only deer hunting county. In Grayson County, crossbows are legal only for a disabled hunter.
Even in a depressed economy, relaxing the rules on crossbows created a rush in sporting goods stores. Bass Pro Shops reports more than a 50 percent increase in crossbow sales for all its Texas stores. A spokesman for Cabela’s in Fort Worth reported triple the sale of crossbows over a year ago.
Crossbow prices range from $300 to more than $1,000. An average crossbow hunting package, including accessories, costs $500 to $700.
For the record, traditional bowhunters do not like crossbows and do not consider them archery equipment. A similar controversy evolved around compound bows more than 30 years ago.
Traditional archery hunters make a valid point that legalizing crossbows is really about increasing retail sales and the sales of archery stamp endorsements. Anyone hunting with either a crossbow or a traditional bow during the early season must pay a $7 archery stamp endorsement.
All hunting and fishing stamps endorsements are included on the Texas Super Combo hunting and fishing license.
Other states that have approved crossbows as legal archery equipment are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. An Ohio hunter success survey indicated that the crossbow harvest rate was 3 percentage points higher than for traditional archery equipment.
Because they shoot like a short-range rifle and are usually fitted with rifle sights, crossbows are touted as being well suited for beginners who lack the time or dedication to practice with a vertical bow and for anyone who lacks the strength to draw and hold a traditional hunting bow.
Texas has one of the longest deer seasons in the nation, and it remains to be seen whether mixing crossbows into archery season will result in more hunter days or a larger deer harvest. Clayton Wolf, TP&W’s big-game program leader, said his staff was called to testify on what might happen with the new regulation.
“Our best guess is that legalizing crossbows will result in more hunting during the archery-only season,” Wolf said. “Crossbows will make archery hunting possible for more hunters, but we don’t believe that the change will result in many nonhunters taking up the sport.”
Whether a bowhunter shoots a horizontal or a vertical bow, the challenge remains the same – getting within 30 yards of a wary whitetail.
CROSSBOW VS. VERTICAL BOW
Effective range: About 40 yards for either style. Archery hunting surveys indicate most deer are shot at about 30 yards.
No advantage
Arrow speed: Most crossbows fire a short arrow (called a bolt) at about 300 to 375 feet per second, about the speed of the fastest compound bow.
No advantage
Ballistics: The shorter crossbow bolt loses velocity quicker than a traditional arrow, but the trajectory is roughly equivalent to that of a compound that shoots about 350 fps. At 30 yards, the longer arrow drops about 17 inches, two inches more than the crossbow bolt. At maximum range of 40 yards, the compound arrow drops about 30 inches, four inches more than the crossbow.
Slight advantage, crossbow
Noise: The crossbow is significantly noisier than a traditional bow, and hyper-alert white-tailed deer have a habit of reacting to any sound. It’s called “jumping the string,” but the usual reaction is to duck and gather to run, a motion that causes the arrow to miss high.
Advantage vertical bow
Aiming: Crossbows are shot like a rifle. A trigger pull releases the bolt. Many crossbows are even equipped with low-power telescopic sights that allow precise shot placement.
Advantage crossbow
Reloading: Crossbows are slow to reload, and some cocking mechanisms are noisy. If you miss the first shot, reloading for a second shot at an unspooked deer is unlikely.
Advantage vertical bow
Mastering accuracy: Because the crossbow is shot like a rifle, often with rifle-style sights, accurate shooting is easier to master.
Advantage crossbow
Ease of use: Women, children or men with physical disabilities may not be strong enough to draw a vertical bow with sufficient speed for deer hunting. Thanks to mechanical cocking aides and string locks, crossbows are easier to use.
Advantage crossbow
Expense: About the same entry-level expense for both styles, $300 to $1,000.
No advantage
Weight: Crossbows weigh two to three times as much as a compound bow. Because of the weight difference, some form of rest or support may be required for accurate crossbow shots.
Advantage vertical bow
Hunting effectiveness: An Ohio study indicated a 19.8-percent success rate for vertical archery hunters, 22.7 percent for crossbows.
Negligible advantage
I can only lift 18LBS. with my right arm due to a motorcycle wreck. Will I be able to cock a crossbow with my diminished strength?