2/19/13 Crossbow Press Release

[Singing Bridge]

The Michigan DNR has released a new crossbow report (January, 2013). Crossbows became legal during archery season in Michigan (including gun season) in 2009.

Nationwide the ability to use crossbows for deer hunting continues to expand. Whether or not you are for their use it is in our best interest to maintain at least a base knowledge of topics that influence our sport and passion.

I will post a link to the entire report at the bottom of this post. Michigan has an exceptionally large population of deer hunters and the findings are both significant and interesting.

In order to hunt with a crossbow in Michigan, it is necessary to purchase a crossbow stamp in addition to a deer license. Here is a chart reflecting the percentage of crossbow stamps purchased versus all deer hunting licenses. Also note the difference in the average age of the license holders:


Here is a chart leading up to the introduction of the crossbow hunting and a comparison of the success rates of archery / firearm / crossbow. Note that the crossbow success rate begins in 2009:


Percentage of hunters agreeing or disagreeing with questions asked regarding the use of crossbows for deer hunting:


A link to the entire report:

http://www.upwhitetails.com/pdf/FinalRe ... _01_25.pdf

[Uncle Lou]

Interesting findings Bridge. You make a valid point and I agree with you, even those against there use for any reason, should educate ourselves with studies such as these. Thanks for posting.

Oh, and you do not need to purchase the x-bow stamp. It is free, they just want to track their use, for studies such as these.

[Singing Bridge]

Interesting findings Bridge. You make a valid point and I agree with you, even those against there use for any reason, should educate ourselves with studies such as these. Thanks for posting.

Oh, and you do not need to purchase the x-bow stamp. It is free, they just want to track their use, for studies such as these.

I assumed there was a small fee associated with the stamp- a revenue generator. Thanks for the assist, Uncle Lou!

[ Post made via Android ]

[Uncle Lou]

No problem.

So you called it fascinating, what was the biggest surprise you found in the study Bridge.

To me, seeing ~35- 40% success for cross bow and ~30% for compound doesn't surprise me.

What I was pleasantly surprised, when I started reading studies from MI (I did not read the full report yet, but have followed the issue closely since they became legal in MI) is how many people who had given up archery hunting came back to this season with the x-bow (and I am not talking physically handicapped, or unable to bow hunt).

Interesting note: I know an insurance agent he works for one of the biggest insurance companies that sells to the hunting industry. He is in his 50s and is a longtime archery tournament champion. He had surgery a couple years ago, so that he could continue archery tournaments. He hunts primarily with a xbow. If I remember correctly he uses it both gun and archery season.

[trdtnlbwhntr]

Im not from MI but from IN, we have just recently made the changes to accept crossbows during the full archery season. They sold this to the residents as a way to control the herd and to kill more deer. The fact is the harvest numbers have just shifted. Crossbows are bringing more gun hunters into the archery woods. In my opinion, and I realize this may not be the generally accepted idea, but we do not need more hunters. Hunting is not something that is supposed to be easy, or made readily available for everyone. Continually making things easier does nothing but dilute the history/tradition of the sport. I dont like to hear people talking about recruiting more hunters. Those that want to pass it on choose select individuals that they believe will do a good job of representing/respecting the heritage of hunting.

Sorry about the rant, I may have gotten a bit side tracked there.

[Singing Bridge]

uncle lou wrote: So you called it fascinating, what was the biggest surprise you found in the study Bridge.

The data itself was most interesting. Being relatively new to Michigan, data on crossbow hunting and hunters' opinions regarding their use is a data trend in its infancy.

Most surprising was the slight increase in success, it wasn't as high as I thought it would be.

More interesting data:

81% of the hunters responding either agreed or strongly agreed that crossbows are easier to use than other types of bows.

83% of respondents agree or strongly agree that it takes less time to become proficient with a crossbow than with other types of bows.

49% of the replies indicated that they agree or strongly agree that they could not hunt deer during the archery season without the crossbow.

This is good stuff, man!

[Brad]

interesting study, thanks for posting it! I was against crossbows for a long time except for the disabled or people who couldn't hunt with regular archery gear, but I see how our sport is diminishing and the attacks we are getting daily for being hunters. As I have grown as a hunter the more and more I find myself not caring what people hunt with, how they hunt, where they hunt or what they shoot as long as the get out there.

We are on the same team regardless of what little differences we have. I myself wont use one unless I cant use my regular bow, but if it brings enjoyment to the person who choses to use it more power to them and I wish them well. Our biggest enemies as hunters our ourselves a lot of times, and the anti hunters just sit back and watch us self destruct from the inside out.

I own 2 compounds, a recurve, multiple rifles and a muzzleloader and I enjoy hunting with each of them as they all have their advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is for certain, at the moment of truth any weapon is fun to have in your hands.

[Singing Bridge]

The fact is the harvest numbers have just shifted. Crossbows are bringing more gun hunters into the archery woods.

The Michigan report supports your opinion- 49% of the crossbow hunters that responded stated they agree or strongly agree that they could not hunt in archery season without the crossbow.

[Singing Bridge]

interesting study, thanks for posting it! I was against crossbows for a long time except for the disabled or people who couldn't hunt with regular archery gear, but I see how our sport is diminishing and the attacks we are getting daily for being hunters. As I have grown as a hunter the more and more I find myself not caring what people hunt with, how they hunt, where they hunt or what they shoot as long as the get out there.

We are on the same team regardless of what little differences we have. I myself wont use one unless I cant use my regular bow, but if it brings enjoyment to the person who choses to use it more power to them and I wish them well. Our biggest enemies as hunters our ourselves a lot of times, and the anti hunters just sit back and watch us self destruct from the inside out.

I own 2 compounds, a recurve, multiple rifles and a muzzleloader and I enjoy hunting with each of them as they all have their advantages and disadvantages, but one thing is for certain, at the moment of truth any weapon is fun to have in your hands.

excellent post Brad- I too support any legal hunting method.

For those of us that are relatively new to the concept, whether for or against crossbow hunting, this report contains a lot of good information.

[kenn1320]

The report is slightly wrong. The first year the xbows were allowed, they showed a 43% success rate, which was better then gun hunters. That is in a dnr report, I can find it if needed. Also they showed even though the stamp was free, less then half of the people using xbows got one. I believe this data is all gathered via the mailed out hunter survey and they online survey. We were also told they were pushing for their inclusion into archery season, to recruit young kids who were not strong enough to draw a verticle bow. Interesting the stats show youth recruitment is down, not up since introduction of the xbow. Im sure 10 of you could come on here with pics and storys of kids that hunted due to xbows being allowed, I dont doubt it. Just saying looking at the big picture, it just didnt live up to the hype. Ohio is now around 50/50 xbows to verticle bows, and Mi is on its way there. Its a super effective weapon and gun hunters that dont have time to commit to learning to shoot a verticle bow, can be sighted in and hunting in an hour with an xbow. Look at the websites and magazines, the bulk of the big bucks are now being taken during archery season.

Brad I dont care what the next guy uses either, unless your like many of us on here and hold out for a big buck. When your in a state that has so many hunters, and lack of restrictions to promote older age class bucks, you start to care what the average success rate is. When deer are vulnerable during archery season and rut, the last thing you need is a weapon that is so efficient in the hands of that many more people. At one time the dnr reported 95% of all bucks were killed each year in the thumb area of Mi. Think about that for a minute..........Do we need more restrictive laws or weapons with higher success rates if we want a shot at a 2.5yr old buck? Sadly Mi chose the later. IF not for QDM and the coops that are forming, you wouldnt see half the nice bucks being taken now days. If we have the right restrictions in place and enough law enforcement to ensure the majority adhered to the laws, it wouldnt matter if we had machine guns, we would still have a diverse age structure. Until then, the last thing I wanted to see allowed was xbows during archery season.

[gjs4]

Absolutely Kenn

[G3s]

When crossbows were first introduced as legal means to hunt for all I was less than happy. After several years of their legal use, and some personal reflection. I see no reason why they should not be allowed. I agree that it has made for a higher hunter success rate during bow season, but in the big picture deer harvest numbers have not increased over all seasons combined. Michigan has the unfortunate label of being in the top 2 states where yearling bucks make up almost 60% of our annual harvest...that mentality needs to change in my opinion but crossbows are not responsible for that. If for no other reason, the guys that dont practice enough due to time and or lack of wanting to...it seems to make for less wounded or deer left for dead because of terrible shot placement. I don't personally see myself using one ever, if I can physically use my compound, but far be it from me to begrudge someone the ability to get out and enjoy the outdoors.

[trdtnlbwhntr]

Michigan has the unfortunate label of being in the top 2 states where yearling bucks make up almost 60% of our annual harvest...that mentality needs to change in my opinion but crossbows are not responsible for that.

Although not directly responsible they are still responsible. The DNR has just increased the number of people in the woods during the most vulnerable time period for those younger bucks. In order for the mentality to change in any state, the DNR must forcefully change it. You want bucks to survive to older ages, then take opportunity away from hunters to kill those young bucks. Lengthen the archery season to roll all the way through the ruts, remove crossbows from the archery season (49% that use crossbows appear to be gun hunters from the survey), and shorten the overall gun seasons. Indiana is as backwards as any state around when it comes to our management techniques. The state has basically made it their stance to eliminate does from our herd. We still allow non-residents to come in and buy tags over the counter, we still allow our tags to be cheaper than any surrounding state to NR, we still allow our firearms season to coincide with the peak of the rut, and we still offer more than 32 total days of buck hunting with a gun.

Sure the 1 buck rule has helped, but in order for our state to make that next step we need to change some things. With that being said, if were were to make those changes, then come the leasing/outfitters to the state, residents lose their access, and we find more and more gates with no trespassing/leased signs on them. Its a catch 22 for sure.

[kenn1320]

Michigan also brought back baiting=more dead 1.5yr old bucks. This state is so backwards, I can see "deer season" on the horizon. By that I mean come Oct 1, hunt with weapon of your choice, no individual seasons.

[Brad]

If the majority of the bucks are being killed off during the first year of life perhaps they need to look into issuing less buck tags, or more doe tags and making you earn a buck like in Wi. I am not a big fan of earn a buck, but I will say around my area there are a lot more big bucks (at least I see more while hunting and shining etc) then I did before it.