Ask a hunter what they think about states allowing crossbows as a legal method for taking deer during archery season, and you will get a vast array of responses. Many of them will express a concern that it will result in deer numbers taking a sharp decline. Many of us would prefer that only those who are disabled be able to use a crossbow. Allowing any and all hunters to enter the woods with a crossbow seems to be a surefire way to put those of us with compound an recurve bows at a disadvantage. Crossbow hunting takes the challenge out of archery hunting, and from my research the states that do allow this method for deer hunting typically end up paying for it in the long run.
Although there has been a growing number of outdoorsmen in the state who are interested in it, Missouri has held off on allowing the use of crossbows in the pursuit of deer for quite some time. Over the last few years Missouri has hinted at the possibility of opening up this option. After holding several open houses in 2015 as well as taking comments from hunters online, they have decided to allow their archery hunters to begin using crossbows during the archery season starting in 2016.
I can only hope that this decision by the Missouri Department of Conservation doesn't come back to haunt us all.
- Any day in the outdoors is a good day
No comments:
Post a Comment