Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Hunting and Trapping Fall/Winter 2010/2011

Travis, tell your dad congrats from me.

Very nice catch Travis. Scott that buck is busted up but will be a good one next year. AP awesome photos. I got a doe a little before Christmas. So overall 4 does with bow but disappointing season given the opportunites I had (Nate). We have until end of Jan in the metro ATL counties but duck hunting now for the most part, well really changing diapers but thinking about duck hunting.

This guy is still hang'in around, I hope he's this brave next October.

That's a nice looking buck, AP! I'm surprised at how light colored his coat still is - all of ours are an ugly gray this time of year.

Yeah Todd we have some gray ones here but the majority are brown, maybe it has something to do with their diet.

That's really interesting - I always just thought all whitetails went through that seasonal change in their coat colors. I've never seen a brown one during the winter around here.

New proposed deer rules for Indiana will allow a crossbow to be used during the entire bow season. What this means to me is a lot of unskilled hunters in the woods spooking and wounding deer in early archery. Leave it to Indiana to come up with their own rules instead of looking at surrounding states with successful programs for managing natural resources. Thsi is similar to Indiana developing there own standardized tests when our students scored poorly on national standardized tests. I guess they think that copying those that are better than you at something is a poor choice compare with the idea that if you have been unsuuccessful with your novel ideas in the past, then you should just keep taking shots in the dark. I expect 2011 archery to have a lot more of those shots in the dark.

Geez Indiana... GET IT TOGETHER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING..

I don't see it that way. I don't think a lot of people will be running out and buying $500 or more of equipment to deer hunt. The crossbow is easier to shoot accurately than a regular bow (takes less practice) so I feel that wanna be archers that are poor shots with vertical bows might switch. If it changes them from being poor shots with a vertical bow to mediocre shots with a horizontal bow, then I'm all for it.

(I've got both)

X-Bows habe their advantages and disadvantages. They are heavy, and can't be shot accurately without a rest. You can't twist around and shoot behind you when in a tree stand - the limbs will hit the tree when shot. They are much noisier than vert. bows. They cannot be left cocked overnight, so you either have to shoot it or somehow release the pressure on the limbs.

The effective range is the same or even a bit less than the newer compound bows, 50 Yds is stretching it, 30 is better because of the noise and jumping the string.

The advantages that I can see is not having to draw it back, easier to shoot accurately and easier to use in cold weather. It's easier to get a kid or woman involved in archery hunting if they don't have enough strength to pull back a bow that's strong enough to take a deer cleanly.

From what I've seen, the rules won't be implemented until 2012 if they are approved. They're just proposals now and are open for public comment. I feel that the proposals in this package are much better then the ones previously proposed.

Well the gun hunters that I know are the only ones planning to use crossbows when the regs are enforced. Why not follow the successful programs of neighboring states? If the DNR has a need to be creative, maybe they should take up finger painting.

Illinois:
Hunters 62 years of age and older are now permitted to use a crossbow without a special permit. Hunters using a crossbow will need an archery deer permit and proof of age in the form of an official ID. Crossbows used in hunting as authorized by a permit issued under this section shall meet all of the following specifications:

1) Shall have a minimum peak draw weight of 125 pounds and a maximum peak draw weight of 200 pounds.
2) Shall have a minimum limb width of 24 inches and a minimum overall length (from butt of stock to front of limbs) of 24 inches.
3) Shall have a working safety.
4) Shall be used with bolts or arrows of not less than 14 inches in length (not including point) with a broadhead. Broadheads may have fixed or expandable blades, but they must be barbless and have a minimum 7/8 inch diameter when fully opened. Broadheads with fixed blade must be metal or flint-, chert-, or obsidian-napped. Broadheads with expandable blades must
be metal.

Crossbows also legal for handicapped hunters by permit.
http://www.dnr.state.il.us/admin/Digest/
217-782-7305

Kentucky
Crossbows legal for all hunters during rifle and muzzleloader seasons. Legal in archery season for handicapped hunters. Crossbows legal for deer statewide October 1-19 and November 8-December 31, 2008.

*Proposed regulation for crossbow use for Elk - to be updated when dates published. [url=www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/]www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/[/url]
800-858-1549

Michigan
Crossbows may now be used:

By anyone 50 years of age or older during the Oct. 1-Nov. 14 bow hunting deer season statewide.

By any hunter age 12 and older during any hunting season in Zone 3 of southern Michigan, including the bow hunting season.

During any season in which a firearm may be used, for both big and small game statewide.

Crossbows used for hunting are restricted to no more than 350 feet per second.

Under the new regulations, 10 and 11 year-old hunters may not use a crossbow. Youth hunters must be at least 12 to use a crossbow.

A crossbow stamp will be required in addition to hunting licenses for those using crossbows. Stamps will be available at all license retailers starting March 15. The stamp, which is free, will help the DNR monitor and survey crossbow hunters over the next three years. http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363---,00.html 517-373-1263

Ohio
Crossbows legal during archery season; Draw weight must not be less than 75 pounds and no more than 200 pounds.
[url=www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/default.htm]www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/default.htm[/url]
614-265-6300

Taken from:
http://www.huntersfriend.com/crossbows/crossbow-state-regulations.htm

Which of the surrounding states? Each seems to have their own program.

So it looks like Ohio allows crossbows during early archery whereas other neighboring states reserve the use of crossbows during early archery to the old and disabled (as Indiana has in the past). I did not realize that Ohio allowed crossbows during early archery. Maybe once the folks that think that crossbows are like guns get a little experience, the woods will clear out. I also have used guns crossbows and compound bows to hunt deer, but enjoy the early archery season best due to the predominance of hunters, rather than shooters in the woods. Just my opinion and experience, but maybe things are different in other places. I'd be happy if only bows and muzzleloaders were legal deer weapons (in seperate seasons). Then folks would take good shots. If deer management is the goal, open a night doe season in January with machine guns.

P.S. Crossbows can be had for less that $200.

http://www.calibex.com/18028-Barnett-Rc-150-71776649/cb2/prices-html

That's a pretty cheap one! (probably quality as well as price)

I agree that In. has some pretty strange hunting regs. For instance, I can use pretty much any Center Fire Rifle caliber .243 and bigger for hunting deer during the firearms season providing it's in a pistol platform. Switch the platform to a rifle and it's illegal. I didn't like their first proposed regulation change for a number of reasons, but allowing a 2 day firearm season for does in the 2nd week of Oct would have really screwed with the early archery season.

I'm seeing a lot of bucks with dropped antlers now on the trail cam. I wasn't in favor of the late antlerless season because I've taken 3 "does" that had dropped their antlers near the end of the muzzleloader season.

PA started allowing crossbows in all archery seasons two years ago. All the elitist vertical bow guys went nuts. Claiming it would be the end of the deer herd, there would be wounded deer all over the place and the general end of deer hunting had come. I see the same number of guys in the early archery season woods as I always have. Few to none... No clue if more deer are being wounded, but I know plenty of vertical bow hunters who wound deer all the time. This year was the best year for the number and quality of bucks on our land in PA ever, so apparently the end of the PA deer herd hasn't happened.

Owning both a crossbow and a vertical bow, the only advantage I see personally is not having to draw back when a deer can see you. I can shoot both just as accurately. The vertical bow does require more practice to stay as accurate though.

Maybe we should go back to using only recurve or long bows and if that doesn't satisfy people, an atlatl or simple spear might work...

This coming season will be the first season crossbows are allowed for hunting in N.Y., with the dwindling number of hunters every year I sure don't see any danger to the deer herd.

The greatest harvester of deer up here is brutal Mother nature, and more anti's should see video of an excess of deer yarding up in winter and starving to death.

Is suggesting that those that put in time practicing and use the most difficult weapon to master have the first chance to take deer elitist? Once the masses hit the woods the deer become pretty wary in my neck of the woods. No choice but to go to easier weapons if you want success. The big problem in my area are poachers on land with absentee landowners, some using guns during early bow. Give them a silent weapon and no hunter orange and guess what?

By the way, if a hunter has a medical or age reason for not being able to use a vertical bow, then they can get a permit to use crossbow. If someone is unwilling to prepare to use a vertical bow then they either don't think it is worth it or they are lazy. This seems to be the way things are going though. The company I am working for has been hiring like crazy (good jobs) but finding trained hard-working people is tough. 1/4 to 1/3 have to be brought in from other countries at great expense. I guess I am a capitalist rather than a socialist. If you do not put in the effort to train yourself, then I think that those that do should get the advantage. I guess I think that those that try are better, so they are the elite. If that makes me an elitist, then I am guilty.

RAH, I think that if someone is going to poach a deer, it won't make any difference to them if using a crossbow is legal or not.

I'm 110% in your camp on practicing to become proficient or don't hunt with that weapon. All sorts of things can happen to make a bullet or arrow wander from it's intended course even if you are an expert marksman. It's even worse when you compound that with someone shooting that can't shoot good groups.

I see many gun hunters "practicing" for deer season by shooting from a bench, using a rifle rest or sandbags. To me, that's not practicing, that's finding out whether the gun is accurate or not. Practicing to me means shooting using the same positions (and distance) you'd use when hunting.

I agree with most of the arguements here. In GA it has not made much of a change since allowing xbows. I like the bow and rarely pickup a gun for deer. Personal choice. What we need to remember is for us hunters to just stick togther the antis are out there. We need a united front to combat them not bickering over bow, xbow, MZL, shotgun, rifle, etc.

It wouldn't have mattered this year for me. This year I saw, on my 205 acres, less that 10 deer. I know some of them were deer that I saw more than once. The only buck was a 4 point yearling. The rest were yearling or first year does.

It was the Perfect Storm. Lots of good summer rains which produced a huge acorn crop. A drought from 9/1 to 12/15 which killed off the wheat crop. Nothing had to move around to eat. They went to thick cover and stayed still during daylight hours. I also went to thick cover but saw nothing. Then I went walking very slowly and quietly through the whole place. Nada!

I did stumble on a bunch of hogs. That was about like walking into a covey of quail. Hogs were going everywhere and I was standing there with a 3.5 to 10 power scope on a 30-06 in heavy cover.

Just about everyone in North, West and Central Texas reported the same thing. Huge amounts of acorns and no deer. The deer ought to be fat now but I think they will soon be in trouble. In my walks I saw very little of the stuff that deer need for nourishment.

That's why they call it hunting and not shooting.

Hunters fighting with other hunters will be our downfall... That and simple lack of numbers of hunters to stand up for our sport. First it'll be trapping, then hunting and then fishing they'll ban or just make it so expensive that all but richest can't afford it or the rules and regs so complex that it's no longer worth it.

As much as I bitterly hate guys who hunt deer with dogs I still stand up for their tradition. What I personally find less than sporting, doesn't mean it should be banned. A style of hunting I enjoy will be on the chopping block next...

We did a bit of goose hunting today. With better luck we could have limited out, but as it was we still ended up with 23 birds.

Ask FMC67693 about the nasty words he had about his shotgun... First the trigger was hanging up, then something happened to the barrel. It's fun hearing a guy that had shoulder surgery recently complain about shooting a pump!

Yeah! My shoulder was killing me!

I had to soak in the tub with lavender both oils and candles burning.

Wait......how do you edit a post????????????

Noooooooooooooo........