i have bow hunted for over 30 yr's all with a recurve, i also have muscular dystrophy. so the last two years i did not hunt, because i cant pull my bow anymore ! i cant even pull a compound,i got a crossbow permit right before the law changed. so i have gone to a crossbow ! my love for the outdoors is back ,because i now can go back to the woods . i also spend money on the sport again! licnse,boots,gloves,the list gos on & on. get my point ! money for our econemy. also it is a proven fact crossbows wont wipe out the deer herd ! honestly guy's, with compounds so advanced YOU TO are shooting a mechanical device, and alot of people try to shoot them out of there range ! we need to keep the crossbow change. its good for everyone.

its funny all these people are talking about the "increased" kills and the effect it wil have on the herd, people you still have to have the skills to put yourself in a place the deer will come by at a range that they can be harvested,750000 hunters take to the woods with firearms, most dont even see a deer much less harvest one.a crossbow dont have miracle calling,and luring capabilities. some say it allows the "lazy" hunter into the woods, some people are lazy about hunting no doubt some people simply do not have the extra time to practice for hours,and guess what if they really want to hunt with or without a crossbow they will. if you think it adds accuracy fine thats a good thing, or do you want deer running around with broadheads in thier legs,hips etc or dead deer laying all over the woods that cannot be found. I remember when they first allowed rifled slug barrels to be used many thought it was going to increase the kills in SLM, the only thing that increased the harvest in SLM was hunter numbers, people going for that trophy buck not a more accurate slug gun, not much faster and flatter shooting slugs that doubled effective range, not illuminated scopes,
I dont and never did babysit a bait pile when bow hunting, Yet i didnt see it as lazy hunting, I seen it as a way for a hunter with lesser shooting skills to have a few seconds extra to make a clean shot, and to be able to see some deer, again not every bait pile babysitter harvested a deer every year.
so its still gonna boil down to skill,patience,strategy,placement and just plain luck
it wont matter if you have a firearm,bow,crossbow,bazooka,tank etc you still have to be in the right place at the right time and quiet enough to get off a well placed shot.
good luck to the hunters out after deer right now, welcome back to bow hunting some that cannot use conventional bows and welcome to the newer hunters using crossbows because they cannot effectivly shoot conventional bows we all have a place out there...

Brad, your comment, "Dont worry when more people get shot with a croosbow the DNR will just make us wear orange so they don't have to see another decline in liscense sales." is but anothe myth about crossbows. Studies in Ohio have shown no increase in hunting accidents due to crossbow use.

As for hunters taking shots at ranges they shouldn't that happens now with vertical bows. Yes, it may happen, but part of the blame for that rests with those who for years have bad-mouthed crossbows, in part, because of their increased range capabilities. As Jim Gauthier said when interviewed for TV7&4's piece that aired on Monday evening.......to paraphrase......"...after 30 yds. the arrow will drop like a rock." All hunters, no matter what weapon they use or game they seek, must shoot ethically within the bounds of their capability.

It seems that most of you are in the northern part of the state were their is plenty of land to hunt. When I first started to hunt we had plenty of land to hunt. Now days bowhunting is the only time of year a real sportsman can go hunting in piece and don't have to worry about being shot by some idiot that shoots at anything.

I think it is great for people that love the sport but are unable too shoot a compound.

You say their will be less deer injured. How about more deer injured since people think they can shoot further. Not to mention we will be hunting in the same woods with the same people that shoot at first movement while wearing camo.

Dont worry when more people get shot with a croosbow the DNR will just make us wear orange so they don't have to see another decline in liscense sales.

I found tonight's news segment on the recent changes in the DNR's regulations for crossbow use to be very welcome. Being one of a group of men and women who worked for over a year to get either the state legislature or the NRC to change crossbow regulations so that more hunters would have a choice to use the weapon during Michigan's archery seasons it is gratifying to finally see crossbow regulations altered so that more deer hunters could use one.

In the past ten years Michigan has lost alomst 100,000 bow hunters. This loss in revenue to both the DNR (in license sales) and local businesses has been dramatic. As was mentioned in the newscast crossbows can help make up this difference. Will they be the savior of financial woes? Certainly not, but they will help.

I was pleased to hear Jim Gauthier, of Gauthier's Archery, mention the fact that after thirty or so yards an arrow shot from a crossbow begins to drop, in his words, "....like a rock." There are a lot of myths out there about crossbows and one of those is its superior accuracy when compared to a vertical bow.

Are crossbows easier to sight in? Yes they are. I bow hunted for twenty years and found that I could get my compound bow shooting tight groups (inside five inches) in about fifteen minutes. There was no "hours of practice" necessary to do this. Yes, it was a good idea to shoot before the season and a bit during the season in order to shape one's form, but it is also a good idea to do so with any weapon used for hunting.

In no state having crossbow inclusion has the success rate of crossbow hunters exceeded that of vertical bow hunters by more than a few percentage points. In some years vertical bows success will outstrip those of crossbows, but time after time they are very similar. Crossbows are not the killing machines that some would make them out to be. Becky Humprhies, the DNR Director has stated that crossbows will have no negative impact on the deer herd if they were included in the state's archery season. She was speaking of full inclusion statewide rather than only in the SLP as is now the case.

As can be seen above the claim that crossbow hunters are "lazy" is brought up. Those using a crossbow will find they are a short range weapon that will require the hunter to get close to the game they are seeking and use every tactic that a vertical bowhunter uses in order to do so. Camoflauge, scent awareness, and the need for stealth in getting close to the game are required of a crossbow user just as it is a vertical bow user.

A bill that would have allowed crossbows to be used statewide was passed by the Michigan House of Representatives in June of '08 by a vote of 94-14-1. The bill went to the state senate where it died in committee last December. It seems that party politics was the weapon that put the demise to that piece of legislation.

For those that will be using a crossbow for deer hunting in the upcoming archery season I would urge that they become familiar with the weapon, practice with diligence and, importantly, to realize that a crossbow does not have the range, accuracy, and capacity to kill a deer that some would claim. It is a close range weapon and hunting skill is required. If you are planning on using one from a tree stand it is imperative that you practice shooting from an elevated position and without a rest. Shooting a crossbow freehand, without a rest, can be difficult to master due to the heavy, weight forward characteristics of the weapon.

One feature of the NRC's decision to allow crossbows to be used during part of Michigan's bow season that was not mentioned in the newscast is the speed limitation that was imposed. A crossbow must not have the "capacity" to shoot an arrow faster than 350 feet per second. It is speculated that this decision arose from the fears of those opposed to crossbow inclusion that advancements in technology would see weapons that would shoot "600 fps". A statement such as this was made at an NRC meeting last spring.

Concerning the 350 fps limit on crossbows it would make for an interesting news item to see just how the DNR will enforce this rule. The speed that any bow, vertical or crossbow, will shoot an arrow depends on many factors. One of these being arrow weight. If a crossbow that is advertised as being capable of 350 fps is used with a heavy arrow the speed will be reduced. If a ticket is written for violating the speed rule and if the hunter is using an arrow (or has applied other factors) that slows the speed down below that magic 350 fps. can their case be won in court. I don't envy any CO who has to enforce this rule.

This might help lessen the amount of wounded deer that are left to die without being found. It seems to me that I have talked with many bow hunters over the years who hit deer with their bow, but never found them. I know this happens with gun hunting too, but it seems to be much more frequent with bow hunting.

Any mode of hunting that promotes sportsman into this area is a good idea. Even though the deer herd in the Eastern U.P. is not as significant as those in the Lower Peninsula, the monies brought to the area would make up for the low numbers. Deer management is needed in this area, and it's up to the local hunters to provide that management.

I agree that cross bows have a place in the hunting world. They are great for the person that can not pull a regular bow because of health reasons. However they do not requirement to practice like a regular bow making it easy for the lazy or kill only mentality to get into the sport. Having a scope and trigger unit will serve to help wipe out the deer herd. They have already tried to this with over the counter Doe permits because of TB, they claim. They only people that benifit from this are the car insurance companies,sporting goods dealers, and those who do not want to put the effort in to enjoy this great sport. A good example of this is my brother-in-law.. After shoothing 5 darts thur his new cross bow it was dead on at 40 yds. Ask a real hunter how long it would take him to become that accurate, and most likely he would have to practice every year to gai that skill, Not by shooting just 5 darts.

The actions of Michigans DNR is laughable.They have paid no attention to other states actions agains't CWD.Like a women, the Director has gone to the emotional extreme to take action against some thing that purists have wanted forever. No baiting. Now the 'no baiting' has raised the number of deer past what insurance people and the DNR have wanted. So here comes the 'deer candy'; crossbows for everyone. Its time to get the 'out of state hunters' back and put the DNR Director back in the U.P. counting porcupines.Stop the 'baiting ban' and dont re-instate Proposal G on Jan.1.

I have been a bow hunter for 50 years and have taken a few deer with it. However, at almost 70 years, 3 heart attacks, and 3 open heart surgeries, pulling the bow and holding it is tough. But with my new crossbow, I'm excited about bow season again. Great fun to shoot, it's accurate, and easy to hold. I think they should allow all hunters, including young people, to use the crossbow. Let's get our kids into the field.

Without other changes in the deer seasons I am against the use of crossbows in the archery deer season. In your story you compared Michigan to Ohio. Ohio has less than a third the number of hunters as Michigan. Ohio has a shorter gun deer season that begins later in the year than here, and your allowed only 1 buck kill in Ohio. Also the whole state of Ohio is shotgun or muzzleloader only hunting, during the gun deer season, no rifle hunting allowed. Because of these differences, Ohio hunters kill more does than bucks. If Michigan is truly concerned with deer numbers in the Southern part of the state they need to make other changes in rules, to get hunters to shoot more does. I believe this change to allow crossbows during the archery season will do very little to alleviate the deer population problem here in Michigan.

The new rules for Crossbows allow many to enjoy the great outdoors that previously had been restricted. If we as game managers dont harvest the deer then who will. Yes we need to harvest as much as is allowed. If we dont who will?

The new rules for Crossbows allow many to enjoy the great outdoors that previously had been restricted. If we as game managers dont harvest the deer then who will. Yes we need to harvest as much as is allowed. If we dont who will?

The new rules for Crossbows allow many to enjoy the great outdoors that previously had been restricted. If we as game managers dont harvest the deer then who will. Yes we need to harvest as much as is allowed. If we dont who will?

Adding crossbows as a choice of hunting tools is long overdue, and very much welcomed. However, the Natural Resource Commission missed a great opportunity to open the door for youth hunters (10-16) statewide who are unable to pull back traditional bows or compounds with enough poundage to make an effective shot on game. The age barrier/restriction was a terrible addition and hopefully we'll see that eliminated next year.

I have hunted many times with crossbow hunters.we have compared bows in the field and at the range using a chronograph to measure the feet per second (fps)
I use a martin glassmag set at 63 lbs draw with full length 2216 arrows and 145 grain broadheads which are heavier than most use, my arrows also are heavier due to no cutting ( i need the length)
at 20 yards I get speeds of an avg of 227 fps
my friends crossbow at 150 lbs draw shooting a bolt with a 80 grain head logs a avg speed of 241 fps
looks like a significant difference but drop to 30 yards my speeds are still at 200 fps avg his drops to 187, as you go back it gets much worse for the crossbow.another friend has a different crossbow that is actually more comparable to my compound bow
but still loses that speed much faster.
Now to make the real comparison.. range which everyone seems to think is so extended with a crossbow, Just the opposite in fact the lighter bolts do not travel like an arrow does, out to about 30 yards they shoot much flatter than a traditionl style bow but after that they drop about 3 times faster than an arrow, penetration is roughly the same at 20 and 25 yards with the above mentioned comparisons, but at 30 yards the compound bow will out penetrate the crossbow by a full 3 inches,
on that note i will add that at 12 yards the bolt blew right thru the target where my arrow was stopped 4 inches short of blowing thru both with field tips.
now for the big comparison, I like many others though crossbows were extremely accurate compared to a convention style bow.
at a range this is just not even remotely the case even with a scope equipted crossbow it was no more accurate than my compound bow and at the longer ranges i could actually hold much tighter groups especially shots over 35 yards. now ill give the crossbows the advantage in a hunting situation for added accuracy due to twigs sticks etc hanging from trees the flatter shooting bolts sway lkess leaving the bow and are less likely to strike a twig,branch,leaf etc.also bring into account of many people excited stage of having a deer in range, its easier to drop a crosshair on the target than to remember to anchor in same place. but all in all they are not as accurate as a firearm nor have the range of a firearm. I do not believe we will see higher bags due to crossbow use , but we may see an increase overall due to added hunters...
so all in all I am for the new crossbow rules, even though I prolly will never switch from my compound...