Are Crossbows Bad for Bowhunting?
David Hart Love them, hate them or just not sure, whatever you think about crossbows, one thing is for certain, they are here to stay. And they may be coming to the woods near you. What was once an anomaly, a tool just for those hunters who couldn’t draw a standard recurve or compound bow, are now a common sight in at least 12 states. And if some wildlife managers get their way, they could be a common sight in dozens more as numerous states debate the merit of relaxing crossbow restrictions. Not everyone is happy about the inclusion of crossbows in special bow seasons. Numerous state archery associations have fought them and the Pope & Young Club, which sets standards for bow-shot animals and keeps records of animals that meet those standards, does not recognize game killed with a crossbow. They went so far as to issue a statement in which the club “does not consider the crossbow to be a hunting bow and will not accept any trophies collected by crossbow hunters.” Try one and you’ll see
