Distress Call - What's happening to our moose? OOD Hunting Annual

Putting the blame for calf mortality solely on bears and wolves when we have a system that permits harvesting calves is silly. Bears and wolves need to eat to survive. They also dont hold populations above the carrying capacity of the land they live on. If theirs an abundance of predators its because the land supports it. My camp has shot three calves in the past two seasons. Why should I turn around and blame predators for also doing that? We've got a pack of wolves on our property as well as a bear or two.

ALL factors need to be taken into consideration. Human (via hunting or other means), predators, competition from deer, disease, climate.

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

the idea that there are a lot more "bow hunters" due to crossbows. A lot of other provinces have banned crossbows for use during a bow season. Some even outright call them poacher tools..... Regardless a lot of weekend warriors use the crossbow without the same skill as a horizontal bow thus increasing the amount of hunters during bow season. Someone also commented that due to wounding, a lot of animals are shot, but run for miles and die somewhere a few miles away, never retrieving their kill. but going out and doing the same again the next day.

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Ignorance spread.

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

the idea that there are a lot more "bow hunters" due to crossbows. A lot of other provinces have banned crossbows for use during a bow season. Some even outright call them poacher tools..... Regardless a lot of weekend warriors use the crossbow without the same skill as a horizontal bow thus increasing the amount of hunters during bow season. Someone also commented that due to wounding, a lot of animals are shot, but run for miles and die somewhere a few miles away, never retrieving their kill. but going out and doing the same again the next day.

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They are banned in some provinces and states for use in the bow season... but the trend seems to be that more jurisdictions are opening archery seasons to crossbows - Michigan - long an opposed to crossbows - opened archery seasons to them 5 years ago.

"Someone also commented that due to wounding, a lot of animals are shot, but run for miles and die somewhere a few miles away, never retrieving their kill. but going out and doing the same again the next day."

So just how is that different from vertical bows? Are you a closet anti?

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

the idea that there are a lot more "bow hunters" due to crossbows. A lot of other provinces have banned crossbows for use during a bow season. Some even outright call them poacher tools..... Regardless a lot of weekend warriors use the crossbow without the same skill as a horizontal bow thus increasing the amount of hunters during bow season. Someone also commented that due to wounding, a lot of animals are shot, but run for miles and die somewhere a few miles away, never retrieving their kill. but going out and doing the same again the next day.

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22LR is the most used poachers tool, it always has been. It was also the best tool for putting meat on the table for those families in desperate need.

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

the idea that there are a lot more "bow hunters" due to crossbows. A lot of other provinces have banned crossbows for use during a bow season. Some even outright call them poacher tools..... Regardless a lot of weekend warriors use the crossbow without the same skill as a horizontal bow thus increasing the amount of hunters during bow season. Someone also commented that due to wounding, a lot of animals are shot, but run for miles and die somewhere a few miles away, never retrieving their kill. but going out and doing the same again the next day.

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I've never understood the rationale of the "no crossbow" regulations while allowing and promoting Archery seasons,in general. Thankfully,the overwhelming trend is for those jurisdictions to overturn anti-crossbow regulations ASAP. Where the original bias came from is anybody's guess,but,it was sheer ignorance and abject stupidity.

Maimly because it takes a higher skill set to shoot a verticle bow. There are tags for archery and tags for rifle. A crossbow takes the same skill as shooting rifle. since availability of an archery tag is greater, and sometimes over the counter, more hunters are turning to crossbows. They may shoot three or four shots and think that it is good enough. Go out in the feild the following week and hunt. See a moose and shoot it at 100 yards. Bolt goes in but only wounds moose. Moose crashes through woods runs off. Moose loses blood ecomes weak, gets killed by wolves.

In comparrison it is higher chance that a verticle bow hunter that has practiced all year, would not have shot the animal at that distance knowing his arrow would not make a kill. Even closer, arrows do wound but it seems that tracking that anmal would be far higher on the bowhunter's list.

Its why in certain provinces crossbows will never be part of archery. The attitude is, when crossbows are allowed in archery tournaments, then we will allow them in archery season. I know a lot of responders are crossbow hunters and I have nothing against that form of hunting.

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

Maimly because it takes a higher skill set to shoot a verticle bow. There are tags for archery and tags for rifle. A crossbow takes the same skill as shooting rifle. since availability of an archery tag is greater, and sometimes over the counter, more hunters are turning to crossbows. They may shoot three or four shots and think that it is good enough. Go out in the feild the following week and hunt. See a moose and shoot it at 100 yards. Bolt goes in but only wounds moose. Moose crashes through woods runs off. Moose loses blood ecomes weak, gets killed by wolves.

In comparrison it is higher chance that a verticle bow hunter that has practiced all year, would not have shot the animal at that distance knowing his arrow would not make a kill. Even closer, arrows do wound but it seems that tracking that anmal would be far higher on the bowhunter's list.

Its why in certain provinces crossbows will never be part of archery. The attitude is, when crossbows are allowed in archery tournaments, then we will allow them in archery season. I know a lot of responders are crossbow hunters and I have nothing against that form of hunting.

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Yukon and Newfoundland are the only provinces where they are illegal - some other provinces allow them only during mz or rifle seasons (which doesn't really impact the wounding argument).

http://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/can...w-regulations/

Oregon is the only state where they are illegal - as in Canada, many of the states do have restrictions though.

http://www.tenpointcrossbows.com/uni...w-regulations/

Come on guys - we all know the increasing cougar population in Ontario is responsible for decrease in the moose population.

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Originally Posted by wolfhunter

Maimly because it takes a higher skill set to shoot a verticle bow. There are tags for archery and tags for rifle. A crossbow takes the same skill as shooting rifle. since availability of an archery tag is greater, and sometimes over the counter, more hunters are turning to crossbows. They may shoot three or four shots and think that it is good enough. Go out in the feild the following week and hunt. See a moose and shoot it at 100 yards. Bolt goes in but only wounds moose. Moose crashes through woods runs off. Moose loses blood ecomes weak, gets killed by wolves.

In comparrison it is higher chance that a verticle bow hunter that has practiced all year, would not have shot the animal at that distance knowing his arrow would not make a kill. Even closer, arrows do wound but it seems that tracking that anmal would be far higher on the bowhunter's list.

Its why in certain provinces crossbows will never be part of archery. The attitude is, when crossbows are allowed in archery tournaments, then we will allow them in archery season. I know a lot of responders are crossbow hunters and I have nothing against that form of hunting.

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You assume a lot, you assume that vertical bow shooters practice and are ethical, you also assume that crossbow shooters do not practice and are not ethical. The range for a crossbow and a vertical bow are the same. The amount of practice on new vertical bows are minimal, with proper fitment you can shoot a vertical bow as easily as a crossbow.

People can shoot vertical bows beyond their capabilities the same way they can shoot crossbows beyond their capabilities the same way as rifle or shotgun shooters can shoot beyond the capabilities.

I am sorry but your justification is invalid.

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Originally Posted by Fox

You assume a lot, you assume that vertical bow shooters practice and are ethical, you also assume that crossbow shooters do not practice and are not ethical. The range for a crossbow and a vertical bow are the same. The amount of practice on new vertical bows are minimal, with proper fitment you can shoot a vertical bow as easily as a crossbow.

People can shoot vertical bows beyond their capabilities the same way they can shoot crossbows beyond their capabilities the same way as rifle or shotgun shooters can shoot beyond the capabilities.

I am sorry but your justification is invalid.

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Yup that about sums it up. I didn't have the time or place to practise with a vertical bow when I first got into bow hunting. I bought a crossbow so I could practise a little and still be confident of an ethical kill. I think you're a vertical bow guy fishing for an argument. BTW the crossbow is very effective.
Dan O.