About 10 minutes ago.
Although there is some controversy about the date this will become legal in MN, it is law.
Something many of use would never have thought we would see in our lifetimes.
2 lines (or hooks) will now be legal on the MN River, Pool 1 and 2 and the MN portion of Pool 3.
2-line-bill-is-signed-2023-1.jpg
Thought I would post the picture twice because I really couldn’t believe the first one.
The bourbon will be flowing tonight! 
Fishing 2 lines and legal ganja. These are the days of our lives!
The compound bow purists aren’t gonna like people in the woods with a crossbow during archery season…
The compound bow purists aren’t gonna like people in the woods with a crossbow during archery season…
Any of them complaining probably don’t shoot any deer as is.
Gonna take a while to really decipher what all passed, and what it actually means, but a few things in there that are good for a majority of Minnesotans. Kudos to BK and DTro on the 2 lines!!! You guys can find a new hobby, or pick up another lobbyist side gig (hopefully paid next time around!!).
I was forced into a crossbow in 2018 due to injury. It hasn’t changed the way I hunt at all. My preferred shot is still less than 20yds and my self imposed max is still 30. Even though I theoretically could extend that out to 50, I won’t, and haven’t taken those shots. I wonder how many compound hunters shoot beyond 40? In my opinion, if you want the cleanest shot, you stay within 30. There’s just too much to go wrong and longer distances.
The compound bow purists aren’t gonna like people in the woods with a crossbow during archery season…
Question: what’s the difference between a “purist” and a “snob”, regardless of the practice/pursuit? If one is a “purest”, wouldn’t they be found using longbows and sporting cedar shafts? The same goes for fishing, biking, boating, you name it. As long as their pursuit of “purity” doesn’t interfere with my pragmatic approach, we’ll all live in peace.
Question: what’s the difference between a “purist” and a “snob”, regardless of the practice/pursuit? If one is a “purest”, wouldn’t they be found using longbows and sporting cedar shafts? The same goes for fishing, biking, boating, you name it. As long as their pursuit of “purity” doesn’t interfere with my pragmatic approach, we’ll all live in peace.
I’m not an archery hunter, so I can’t really comment on the ease of a crossbow compared to a compound bow. I would tend to think that a cross bow is more of a short range gun being that it has a scope and a trigger whereas a compound requires consistent practice to maintain accuracy. I think that’s where the “snob and purist” thing comes from.
Wisconsin and Michigan have proven that they can manage their deer herds with this in place, so certainly Minnesota can too.
The compound bow hunters I personally know were very much against this. But they also knew this day would eventually come too. Tough cookies I guess.
Thats awesome. Didnt even realize crossbow in archery season was passed. I highly doubt it will change success rates at all. Most of those guys are probably hunting private anyway. I barely see any guys on public during archery as is. Plus you probably arent seeing deer close enough if you are setting up for shots over 30yards anyway.
Love it, compound bow purists. Isn’t a crossbow just a compound bow on a stick?
Love it, compound bow purists. Isn’t a crossbow just a compound bow on a stick?
Well it’s a already locked and loaded bow ready to fire at the flip of a switch. Not quite the same as having to draw. But that said I could care less. If I mess up my hunt that’s on me no one else. As long as the cross bow guys aren’t in my spot lol. Big difference between drawing back on an animal over being already loaded. I’m not for or against
As for 2 lines that is awesome. Now I’ll have double the issues 
Thank you to everyone involved. You guys did a ton of work over a long amount of time working on this one.
“The compound bow hunters I personally know were very much against this.”
Kind of like the traditional archers felt when the compounds were being introduced, eh?
”Love it, compound bow purists. Isn’t a crossbow just a compound bow on a stick?”
Exactly
I am a compound bow hunter… I like the idea of crossbows being allowed. It’s no different than me being a muzzleload hunter and a rifle hunter, I enjoy both. A crossbow will definitely increase harvest levels, they are basically like picking up a muzzleloader and shooting the animal… with a bow, you need to draw and you have a much smaller shooting lane to work with also.
Thanks BK, a step in the right direction.
Switching to crossbow definitely increased my success rate. I’d been struggling with a shoulder injury for a few years that prevented me from practicing enough. I was too cheap and stubborn to see a doctor to get a disability waiver and missed or didn’t recover more bucks than I want to admit. When WI made it legal for all, I switched in 2016. Got my biggest buck ever that year.
BUCK.jpg
Switching to crossbow definitely increased my success rate. I’d been struggling with a shoulder injury for a few years that prevented me from practicing enough. I was too cheap and stubborn to see a doctor to get a disability waiver and missed or didn’t recover more bucks than I want to admit. When WI made it legal for all, I switched in 2016. Got my biggest buck ever that year.
Thats an awesome buck! Public land?
Kind of like the traditional archers felt when the compounds were being introduced, eh?
I don’t know. I wasn’t around back then. But I’m sure it was a similar situation.
I believe crossbows should increase the harvest at least somewhat. Primarily because it will allow less skilled hunters to take a deer during bow season. Very easy to shoot accurately compared to a compound bow – far less motion to get on target, no holding draw weight, flatter trajectory in most instances, and much easier to become proficient with far less practice. Still takes a fairly intelligent hunter to get within ethical range, so I don’t see a drastic change in harvest numbers.
It was Oct 2 on private land on a soybean field in Waupaca County, WI. Had six deer, 2 other decent bucks, munching beans inside of 30yds when he showed up about 150yds away an hour before shooting time was up. He came straight in and stirred everyone up for a few minutes, so no shot and then he moved about 50yds off and just watched everybody and grazed the neighbor’s hay field. After a good 35min he came back into the beans and pushed everyone around until he stood slightly quartering to at about 20yds to my right. Hammered right through the near shoulder blade, both lungs and heart and he made a dead run before bulldozing to a stop in the hay field about 60yds in front of me. It was weird punching my buck tag barely 2wks into the season but I spent the rest putting my dad and wife on their first archery bucks. It was a great season.
Sorry to hijack the thread but I just had to share the story.
It was Oct 2 on private land on a soybean field in Waupaca County, WI. Had six deer, 2 other decent bucks, munching beans inside of 30yds when he showed up about 150yds away an hour before shooting time was up. He came straight in and stirred everyone up for a few minutes, so no shot and then he moved about 50yds off and just watched everybody and grazed the neighbor’s hay field. After a good 35min he came back into the beans and pushed everyone around until he stood slightly quartering to at about 20yds to my right. Hammered right through the near shoulder blade, both lungs and heart and he made a dead run before bulldozing to a stop in the hay field about 60yds in front of me. It was weird punching my buck tag barely 2wks into the season but I spent the rest putting my dad and wife on their first archery bucks. It was a great season.
Sorry to hijack the thread but I just had to share the story.
There’s always room for a good buck story.
“When we neglect to tally our victories, our losses become too many to count”
I wanted to sit down and talk about this victory for a few minutes.
I have been a bow hunter for 35 years.
When I started bow hunting it was pretty easy to get permission to hunt land. A lot has changed over the years and gaining permission isn’t as easy. Will crossbows affect that? Maybe a little however I think with todays popularity of archery hunting it will be minimal at the most.
Adding crossbows to the archery season can affect the public land hunter. An area I used to hunt in NW Ne has received an insane amount of pressure ever since they included crossbows into the season.
From what I have seen from other states that have added crossbows to their archery season is it doesn’t increase the total harvest. However it will shift the harvest data. Wisconsin is a prime state to look at in regards to the shift in harvest data.
Me personally I could care less if they are added to the archery season. In MN and NE I mostly hunt private land so it won’t affect my hunts.
For walz to take that photo there must have been some blue bull$hit in that bill to celebrate, maybe the photo is not in regard to this two lines.
He’d never celebrate helping to do what fishermen want. What slipped through that will negate any happiness two lines brings? I.e. what BLM or 2A infringement was in there?
I am a compound bow hunter… I like the idea of crossbows being allowed. It’s no different than me being a muzzleload hunter and a rifle hunter, I enjoy both. A crossbow will definitely increase harvest levels, they are basically like picking up a muzzleloader and shooting the animal… with a bow, you need to draw and you have a much smaller shooting lane to work with also.
There’s an aspect often forgotten until experienced. Crossbow is noisy when fired. I shoot one of the fastest Crossbow on the market and I have had relaxed deer move enough to completely miss the arrow at 60yds due to their reaction to the sound and the time it takes the arrow to arrive.
They also bolt after being hit like from a gun. Sprinting until death.
Whereas compound is quite quiet and you can shoot longer range without your target moving drastically.
It’s not a gun by any ballistic means but it is cocked and has a trigger like one.
Thanks Darren, Brian and others
My first compound deer was a 35 yard shot where the deer didn’t even know it was hit. Hunt from the ground mind you. Casually walked 60yds and died.
Brothers bow, he said i needed to practice. I grabbed his bow and shot one arrow at a target at 30yds. Hit the bullseye.
5 minutes of hunting. Dead deer. Double lung.
I don’t buy the ‘feat’ of killing a deer with compound.
My first compound deer was a 35 yard shot where the deer didn’t even know it was hit. Hunt from the ground mind you. Casually walked 60yds and died.
Brothers bow, he said i needed to practice. I grabbed his bow and shot one arrow at a target at 30yds. Hit the bullseye.
5 minutes of hunting. Dead deer. Double lung.
I don’t buy the ‘feat’ of killing a deer with compound.
Private land?
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
