x-bows Montana illegal for old and handi-cap , during the archery season

[Shangobango]

I’ll take the pledge now to stop archery hunting when I can no longer draw my bow.

Awesome.

Not me.

My view is that life is too short to go pissing away days of hunting opportunity because of some notion that killing deer with an upright bow is the only satisfactory way to do it. There are many 100’s of thousands of big game animals taken every year with upright bows. I have taken my fair share of those. It just ain’t that mystical, difficult, or special to me.

 

[Shangobango]

I'm still confused about about a couple of types of hunters:

1. My 9 pound rifle is too heavy for hunting
2. I can't draw a compound

How are they getting their game off the mountain?

1. No clue.

2. I could pack 60, 70, 80 lbs load just fine with a blown out rotator cuff. Only hassle was getting the pack on. At the same time, drawing my Matthews was excruciating.

Also maybe an old timer can’t draw a bow back but has help getting an elk out? Someone like a younger friend, son, grandson, nephew, etc. that are excited and happy to help ole pops on their last elk hunt together get the last elk he will ever kill off the mountain…just spit balling here.

 

[thomas89]

I am typically not pro-censorship, but honestly the crossbow argument would be one I'd definitely ban. At this point the horse is already beaten and dead, we are just weaning the the next one off the bottle so we can start beating that one, too.

Has anyone ACTUALLY changed their stance on crossbows, either for or against, due to any one of these threads?

Truly fascinating how something like crossbows can elicit such a visceral response amongst some of us. I mean truly thinking about it, it's quite laughable to be so against a piece of equipment.

 

[ONESHOTPETE]

1. No clue.

2. I could pack 60, 70, 80 lbs load just fine with a blown out rotator cuff. Only hassle was getting the pack on. At the same time, drawing my Matthews was excruciating.

Also maybe an old timer can’t draw a bow back but has help getting an elk out? Someone like a younger friend, son, grandson, nephew, etc. that are excited and happy to help ole pops on their last elk hunt together get the last elk he will ever kill off the mountain…just spit balling here.

my son is in good shape and has always been very helpful ,i buy his license so he comes with always which makes hunting a real joy. my left rotator cuff which has had surgery is very bad, the surgeon wants to replace this shoulder but then you have 15 lb. weight restriction for life on that shoulder vertical and horizontal . also looks like we will have to go to Wyoming to many negative selfish bowhunters in Montana.

 

[Straight Arrow]

At this point the horse is already beaten and dead, we are just weaning the the next one off the bottle so we can start beating that one, too.

So true ... and it seems so quickly after the legislative issue was put to rest once again in Montana. It is interesting to point to the number of non-resident, non-voting, out-of-state hunters who are jumping in on a Montana hunting issue which rears "its ugly head" session after session in the Montana Capitol.
Moreso than any Montanans, wannabee influencers chiming in are from Louisiana, "almost" Arkansas, New York, Oklahoma, Idaho, Wyoming, and elsewhere by those not acknowledging home state.
It is important to point to the Montana Bowhunters Association, which was the driving force behind establishing the archery season in the first place, continues to overwhelmingly oppose crossbows during that season (other than opportunities previously mentioned), established the law for modifying archery equipment, and even assists disabled or older aged bowhunters in successfully hunting with modified bows.

 

[Point Creep]

also looks like we will have to go to Wyoming to many negative selfish bowhunters in Montana.

 

[Shangobango]

I am typically not pro-censorship, but honestly the crossbow argument would be one I'd definitely ban. At this point the horse is already beaten and dead, we are just weaning the the next one off the bottle so we can start beating that one, too.

Has anyone ACTUALLY changed their stance on crossbows, either for or against, due to any one of these threads?

Truly fascinating how something like crossbows can elicit such a visceral response amongst some of us. I mean truly thinking about it, it's quite laughable to be so against a piece of equipment.

I used to be pretty fervently anti crossbow when I was younger and thought I was the bees knees because I was pretty good at killing deer with my bow.

That all changed when my grandpa, who got me into bow hunting as soon as I could draw back the legal minimum draw weight, got to where he couldn’t pull back his bow comfortably enough to put in the required practice to stay sharp. Happened to be about the same time they made crossbows legal for those 65 and up so he went and bought a Barnett. Didn’t take me long to realize that if that weren’t the case I wouldn’t still be chasing October deer or hunting the practically bow only NWR where he grew up and raised his family almost at all with him. His ability to use a crossbow bought us a lot of hunting time with him before he passed.

 

[Shangobango]

Moreso than any Montanans, wannabee influencers chiming in are from Louisiana, "almost" Arkansas,

Yea, yea, yea.

Made it pretty clear that I don’t give a shit what Montana does as far as crossbows. Doesn’t affect me one iota.

I do enjoy calling out BS narratives and freely giving my opinion whenever I want though.

God Bless America!

 

[Straight Arrow]

freely giving my opinion whenever I want though.

SUPERFLUOUSLY!

 

[Point Creep]

The common traits among all the folks wanting to shove crossbows into MT’s general archery season are 1) extra thin skin and 2) some teary eyed heart felt family sob stories about why crossbows made everybody so happy.

 

[Shangobango]

SUPERFLUOUSLY!

And sometimes facetiously.

 

[Shangobango]

The common traits among all the folks wanting to shove crossbows into MT’s general archery season are 1) extra thin skin and 2) some teary eyed heart felt family sob stories about why crossbows made everybody so happy.

Ah, another BS narrative.

 

[thomas89]

That all changed when my grandpa, who got me into bow hunting as soon as I could draw back the legal minimum draw weight, got to where he couldn’t pull back his bow comfortably enough to put in the required practice to stay sharp.

I just can't imagine someone looking at an old-timer saying, "sorry about your luck, you're too old. Sure we still have a way to get you out into the field, but it's just not as noble as the way I hunt elk. No no no, I understand you're incredible passionate about hunting, but it's just too easy. Well, ultimately I'd be OK with it if it was ONLY you TRULY handicapped, but some knob is going to take advantage of this rule and he also might kill an elk with this lesser-than-I method and I might have to scroll past it on my IG feed!"

Literally everything people use makes it easier/more efficient for hunting. They don't get drug through the mud for it like someone suggesting crossbow usage. It's so interesting.

New load bearing pack? Pshh, chicken-sh*t, let your lower half and shoulders go numb as you use this old Jansport.

New boots? Pshh, who needs ankle stability, if you ain't scree scrambling with New Balance, I don't wanna hear it!

Phone with OnX? Boy you better brush up on your memory because where we're going we don't rely on GPS data!

Help with a packout? Better light a signal fire because you ain't texting anyone from my inReach!

Some real modern mountain men on this page, "you won't find a crossbow on my mountain as long as I'm glassing from 1,000+ yards with my new fangled optics, it's just too technologically advanced and takes the challenge out of it!"

 

[thomas89]

I do enjoy calling out BS narratives and freely giving my opinion whenever I want though.

+1.

I'm very generous with my opinions, it's pretty much my favorite thing.

ETA:

I also find the argument of "it's a local issue, why don't you butt out?!" pretty interesting. It's like, "hey I'll tell you when and for what I want you to be involved in, otherwise you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

 

[Point Creep]

Gramps is gonna have to wipe the tears and use a gun or crossbow in MT gun season.

 

[Shangobango]

Gramps is gonna have to wipe the tears and use a gun or crossbow in MT gun season.

Awesome.

I am on to things that actually matter…

 

[MTTW]

He could use a rifle to hunt rutting bulls in a couple of areas if his legs still work.

 

[Straight Arrow]

He could use a rifle to hunt rutting bulls in a couple of areas if his legs still work.

Elk are killed frequently in Weapons Restriction Areas with such weapons. Such hunting areas are mostly in flatland, easy to walk and easy to access places.
(I know a fella who shot a bull from behind a bush with his muzzleloader, less than thirty yards from a county road ... during the general archery season.)

 

[Shangobango]

ETA:

I also find the argument of "it's a local issue, why don't you butt out?!" pretty interesting. It's like, "hey I'll tell you when and for what I want you to be involved in, otherwise you shut your mouth when you're talking to me!"

Meh, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

What I find interesting is that when someone from out of state agrees with them they welcome the input. When they don’t they pull the “ why should we listen to someone from “almost Arkansas” card or you are thin skinned for simply describing ones personal experience and views card.

Who exactly is thin skinned in that situation?

Anyway, apparently I have a water leak between my meter and house to fix today. Been looking for it for a month and it finally surfaced this morning.

I wonder if we can argue if my sharpshooter shovel or my round nosed shovel is superior. Think I’ll use both…

 

[Firedude]

Meh, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

What I find interesting is that when someone from out of state agrees with them they welcome the input. When they don’t they pull the “ why should we listen to someone from “almost Arkansas” card or you are thin skinned for simply describing ones personal experience and views card.

Who exactly is thin skinned in that situation?

Anyway, apparently I have a water leak between my meter and house to fix today. Been looking for it for a month and it finally surfaced this morning.

I wonder if we can argue if my sharpshooter shovel or my round nosed shovel is superior. Think I’ll use both…

The sharpshooter SPADE. Shovels, crossbows, and AR rifles are for wussies. I dug graves for years. Shovels decimated the entire grave digging experience. They throw dirt way to easy. Don't get me started on backhoes.

That ought to get some heads to explode over nothing....