I read a new change for 2010 allows crossbow during designated archery w/o upper limb disability. Now i found this in the application for drawings booklet, is this allowed in all areas or just for drawn hunts?


Standing by.

believe that was a 2009-2010 rule change and believe it is A-OK in all except Grayson Co and perhaps certain WMAs. Someone please correct me if I am mistaken.

Where you been kilt it. There have been some major debates on this, though mute points since the bill already passed causing the change.

From TPWD.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/annual/hunt/means/

Crossbow:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Crossbows are lawful for any person during the Archery-Only Open Season in all counties EXCEPT Grayson County. In Grayson County, no person may use a crossbow to hunt deer during the Archery-Only Open Season (Oct. 3-Nov. 6) unless the person has an upper-limb disability and has in immediate possession a physician's statement that certifies the extent of the disability. An upper-limb disability is a permanent loss of the use of fingers, hand, or arm in a manner that renders the person incapable of using a longbow, compound bow, or recurved bow.
Any person, regardless of physical ability, may use a crossbow to hunt game animals or game birds in any county, including Grayson County, during a general open season or Eastern spring turkey season.
An archery stamp endorsement is required to hunt deer during the Archery-Only Open Season. An archery stamp endorsement is required to hunt deer at any time in Grayson County, including during the general open season (Nov. 7- Jan. 3)
A crossbow is lawful for game animals and game birds, provided:
the crossbow has a minimum pull of 125 pounds;
the crossbow has a mechanical safety; and
the crossbow stock is not less than 25 inches in length.
Telescopic sights are lawful.

any of yall ever had a game warden check for minimum pull?

Yep, crossbows legal for archery season (introduced last year). Also, there is a new draw hunt category this year for crossbows, but if you look closely, they are on the same dates as the regular bow hunts in those units. Very few WMA's allow crossbows during archery season.

by a trooper, but he just wanted to see if he could pull one back unassisted.

I just got out of THF rehab....some thought i was spending too much time here

thanks for the answer that's what i thought looks like i'll be wearing orange during archery now.

80 something more days!!!!!

think about all those people last year that went out with crossbows during archery season that never shot one. Man, I wouldn't be caught in those woods for nothing.

I shot one for the first time on my 3-D range a few weeks ago. It was an employees' who bought it just so that he could lengthen his deer season (hunt during archery season).

It was like shooting a rifle. Very deadly and very accurate. I was also surprised with how heavy that dang thing was.

I can't see myself using one. I think alot of hunters will buy one just so they can have an extra month of deer season without shooting a bow. That really is what it amounts to.

Well, not exactly like rifle hunting, or shotgun for that matter. You still have to get up close to whatever you are hunting just like with a compound bow. The range is about the same for both. Also, unlike most rifles, it is a one shot deal, like a compound bow. If you don't make a near perfect shot you miss or worse, wound the animal. Rarely will you get a "DRT", so just about every one you shoot will have to be tracked. It does have the advantage of not having to draw and hold before releasing an arrow over a compound bow. I have not shot a compound bow very much, but I am about as accurate with one as the other. Compounds are not hard to shoot accurately if you have a good set up and a good instructor. With both you have to be very particular where you put the arrow, have to choose your hunting stand with great care, and have to be super careful about scent and movement. Some people really get into archery, but I am more of a gun hunter.

Don't take this personally as I don't mean this maliciously, but this is an ignorant statement.

Primarily because it assumes that crossbow hunters who bought one to hunt with last season are slobs and irresponsibly went out not being very familiar with the operation of their weapon. This might be true about a few, but there are always some like that with any weapon. However, to suggest that just because one uses a crossbow, that they are any less ethical than any other hunter is ridiculous. We are all on the same team.

Further, no lazy slob hunts with a crossbow more than one season's worth. They are heavy, awkward to shoot in a stand, and awkward to carry. It's too much work. People hunt with a crossbow either because they have to, or they really want to.

Or because they are too lazy to become proficient with archery tackle.

Don't get me wrong, it is legal so by all means do what you want. I just get sick of the same old tired argument that this regulation change will bring new hunters to the sport. It won't. It will bring out the rifle hunters during archery season. I challenge any of you to find me one person who had never hunted and woke up the day that they found out that they could use a crossbow in archery season and decided to join our sport. That person does not exist.

The other thing that it WILL do is line the pockets of the crossbow manufacturers. They were the folks behind (funding) this whole push anyway.

Crossbows, rifles, muzzleloaders.....there is always a fare share of irresponsible hunters that make us look bad. I think some know they are irresponsible and I think some are just too....uneducated on what's right and wrong.
JMO


Happy Hunting

Besides the Crossbow, rifle, muzzleloader hunters you can also add in the trad archers and the compound archers. There are always some that are "experts" that see no need to be responsible hunters.

Um, I didn't use that "same old tired argument". AND I never said I was a crossbow hunter. I simply made the statement that just because a person chooses to use a crossbow doesn't make them a slob or "too lazy to become proficient with archery tackle", (even though the last I checked, crossbows are archery tackle too) These types of prejudicial statements are ignorant and divisive. Take a look at the other states that have had crossbow use during the archery-only seasons for some time now (Ohio, Georgia, etc.) and tell me what you find. What you won't find is justification for any of the arguments the anti-crossbow groups use against their use. Yet, people still want to argue the point.

Look, if you're a hunter, and you hunt legally and ethically, you're my brother and you're on my team. I don't care what weapon you use. It shouldn't matter. We need to stick together and support every additional opportunity we can provide to hunt, I don't care if they add an Atlatl season. It's about the hunt. Hunters need to stop arguing, and band together.

The following is a link to what I think is a great article that I just found. http://hunting.about.com/od/arch/l/aa020716a.htm

KRY226 said "Look, if you're a hunter, and you hunt legally and ethically, you're my brother and you're on my team. I don't care what weapon you use. It shouldn't matter. We need to stick together and support every additional opportunity we can provide to hunt, I don't care if they add an Atlatl season. It's about the hunt. Hunters need to stop arguing, and band together."


AMEN

kry226,

Before you start calling me ignorant why don't you point out which statements in my post were not accurate. Just because you don't agree with me doesn't make my statement ignorant.

I agree with your statement that if you are a hunter and you hunt legally and ethically then you are my brother. I really do. I don't agree with the regulation but it is a done deal. I'm not going to say you can't do it. I don't think it does anything to further or promote our sport. I believe it lines the pockets of the crossbow manufacturers. That is the only group that truly benefits in the end.