Crossbow use in Minnesota

Are we really so scared of the anit’s that we can’t even have a discussion about it? REALLY? I for one have started to change my opinion just from what I have read here.

500 BC that’s funny!

This deer I threw a spear at so I have a 16×20 photo of it. This deer I shot with a rifle so just a 4×6….at the end Of the day it doesn’t bother me how the animal was taken as long as it was legal. The heads on the wall are from both gun and bow and I don’t appreciate the ones taken with a rifle any less compared to a bow.

If everyone goes crossbow then there will be plenty of ammunition available/sitting on the store shelves. $$ factor here

I think it should stay as is.

canoebasser wrote:

If everyone goes crossbow then there will be plenty of ammunition available/sitting on the store shelves. $$ factor here

Interesting take. To this point I’ve been using broadheads. I may have to look into ammo tipped arrows

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Also, part of this is a perception issue. There IS a crossbow season in MN, it’s just not named that. They should call the muzzleloader season the “Muzzleloader and Crossbow Season”. You still can hunt with your crossbow at a time of vastly reduced hunting pressure, it’s only the fact that it’s not during a time when some want to do it that is leading people to say there’s “no” crossbow season in MN.

Is this true anyone can hunt with a crossbow during muzzleloader season? According to the regulations:

Who can hunt with a crossbow?

Persons hunting under a regular firearms license may take deer, bear or turkey with a crossbow during the respective regular firearms seasons.

I thought regular firearms was separate from muzzleloading?

No, you cannot use a crossbow with a muzzleloader license.

You can use a crossbow with a shotgun license.

I think grouse was on a little rant there but it’s an old thread.

I have a disability permit for my shoulders. Love being out in the woods early, mid, and late season. Just don’t have the shoulders for an upright.
2019 was my first crossbow season. All I used and took two deer. Here was the first one. Happy happy

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FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I have a disability permit for my shoulders. Love being out in the woods early, mid, and late season. Just don’t have the shoulders for an upright.

x2 I was a pretty avid bow hunter, but shoulder replacement and Dr’s orders forced me into a crossbow. Looking forward to my first full season this fall!

Those of you that use a crossbow (Bigwerm, FBRM, etc), let me ask you this: if you didn’t have a disability or physical limitation that prohibited you guys from using a compound bow, and they allowed the use of a crossbow to the general public, which one would you use? Seems to me that the individuals against the use of a crossbow by the general public during archery season are the guys that can’t use them – the guys that are only allowed to use a compound/traditional bow.

gimruis wrote:

they allowed the use of a crossbow to the general public, which one would you use?

Well if they changed it while I was bow hunting, I likely would have kept shooting my compound as I really liked it and would have been too cheap to pony up for crossbow. However, after shooting my Ravin a bunch and seeing how much faster and more accurate it is, I may have changed my tune. I’m for whatever gets more people afield and on our team (hunters), the divisiveness is petty to me and unnecessary imo, and there’s a legitimate ethical argument to be made for crossbows as well (quicker more efficient kills).

Change is hard for a lot of people because everyone has a thought on what the outcome is going to be and some aren’t willing to listen to raw data but only to funny memes on the internet.

I need to re-educate myself but this data is out there from MANY states already doing this. WI and MO are two that come to mind nearby…and I think some western states adopted this as well, including for elk.

I’d like to know why people are against it:

Are the fears that the deer population is going to plummet?

Number of mature bucks going to drop?

Number of young bucks going to drop?

Too many hunters sharing the woods?

ClownColor wrote:

WI and MO are two that come to mind nearby

Michigan adopted it before Wisconsin did. But yes, as usual, Minnesota is behind the curve on a lot of these sort of things.

Personally I do not think it matters much. Crossbows are not going to make success rates soar or probably change much at all. Would probably help more people either get into hunting or spend more days in the field. As we all know hunter recruitment hasn’t been very hot.

gimruis wrote:

let me ask you this:

Not interested.