Here's an interesting question a friend was looking for the answer to - Google didn't return any results, so I thought some of the fine folks here might have an answer...
What year was crossbow use for hunting legalized in Ontario?
Thanks!
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Here's an interesting question a friend was looking for the answer to - Google didn't return any results, so I thought some of the fine folks here might have an answer...
What year was crossbow use for hunting legalized in Ontario?
Thanks!
Did they ever define a crossbow as anything other than a bow in Ontario?
If they considered it a bow then it was probably never illegal to use, even now the general gun season allows bows in most WMUs, you just have to wear orange, the special bow only seasons are what is relatively new.
Can't tell you when, but I started hunting with a crossbow in 1987. If I remember correctly it cost an additional $1 for the archery option on your deer tag back then. Can't remember when they did away with the extra charge though....
I hunted WMU 23 bow season with a Barnett crossbow in 82 or 83.
I believe I bought my first crossbow from Daco (?) Archery in New Market and that was 78 or 79 I believe. I used to ride my bike with the crossbow in the dark to go bow hunting. I was young and crazy but had fun - lol.
I moved to Ontario in 1989 and some of the people I hunted with said crossbows had been leagal since they were hunting so at least the 1970's. In NB and NS, PEI Crossbows are illegal for hunting they are considered a poachers tool.
Wouldn't want to get old in those provinces or have a physical disability such that you can't shoot a vertical bow.
Crossbows for hunting in Ontario has never been illegal. They were always included in the regulations as "Archery" equipment.
A bunch of US states are finally legalizing crossbows, I wonder what the ratio of compound users to crossbow users are here in Canada. I suspect the US are still mostly compounds but the crossbows must be making ground
In some such provinces someone too infirm to use a bow may use a crossbow with a doctor's endorsement.
That was the law in Alberta when I lived there.
I can remember paying the buck for bow tag and using cross bow back in mid to late 60's. Still have the cross bow, but would be scared to fire it now. I wouldn't be able to pull a compound now, so would only be able to use crossbow.
PEI has no big game to hunt anyhow,no deer/moose/bear etc...the biggest game on PEI is coyotes and only relatively recently(1990s?) since they made their way across Northumberland Strait on ice flows.
Crossbows been legal in NS since I’m gonna guess around 2008-ish?
NS allowing x-bows sparked a hotly debated controversy to allow x-bows in NB,and in 2011NB made xbows legal for general firearms seasons but not for the 3 week archery only deer season which precedes the 4 week firearm season.
2016 NB caved and allowed bows for the archery only season as well.
No small coincidence that in NB between 2011 and 2015 when xbows were allowed in the NB woods for the first time ever,the WT Deer “archery” harvest TRIPLED from historic average,as Xbows were allowed in early October for small game and bear hunting,but not legal for archery deer.Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that guy’s were legally carrying xbows for small game/bear and illegally killing deer with them and registering their poached deer as legit archery kills.
In Alberta,where I’ve now lived since 2011,xbows are allowed during General Firearm seasons but not during Archery Only seasons without an affidavit from physician for Disabled permit....as it should be imho.
We’ve already lost many opportunities in Alberta just in the 8 years I’ve been here for OTC archery only tags for Antlered Mule Deer and Moose in many units with bowhunters being “too successful” cited as the reason for these OTC Archery hunts going on draw.If xbows were recognized and legal here for archery only,guaranteed we would lose the remaining few WMUs that still allow OTC Archery moose and mulies in just a few short years.
Why should you not be able to use a crossbow? It does not increase your range over a compound bow. You can say there is an advantage of not having to hold at full draw but with 80% let off bows you are not really holding much back, a 50lb compound with an 80% let off at full draw is less fatigue on the arms than a 6lb crossbow without a rest.
I think most of it has to do with bow hunters not wanting to share public land with all the extra hunters that would be in the bush at the same time if crossbows were allowed. The compound bows are getting better and better all the time and easier to draw as well. At what point are they no longer an archery tool? When they put a scope on it?
Well first of all just to be clear on my position,I was strongly opposed to xbows being legalized in NB at all,because I knew it was only a matter of time if they were legalized at all that making them legal for archery only season wouldn’t be far behind.Low and behold,5 years later the NBF&G Act was amended to allow crossguns in archery season.
I’ve heard it all before,all of the arguments on how xbows are no more effective then compounds,same effective range,compounds today are too efficient maybe we should all go back to the Stone Age and use stick bows,stick bow guys felt the same about allowing compounds into “their season” blah blah blah.....
You are only fooling yourself if you seriously believe that a xbow isn’t a significant advantage over a compound.
There are at least a few xbows on the market today capable of 4” groups @100yards.Ive been bowhunting with compounds for almost 30 years now,I wouldn’t even DREAM of making a 100y shot on 4ft square sheet of plywood let alone hitting a 4” circle or a deer in the vitals.
Having a cocked and loaded xbow is a HUGE advantage for spot&stalk stillhunting,which happens to be my favorite method of hunting.Any bigwoods rifle hunter will tell you that you often have less then 3 seconds from the time you first spot a deer to decide if it’s a shooter,shoulder your firearm,and shoot.
Normally when I’m stillhunting with a compound,my arrows are in the quiver,it’s just far too cumbersome and tiring,not to mention difficult and noisier to maneuver thru bush with a nocked arrow,unless I am on “final approach” of a stalk or I’m just “feeling it” and I’m “in the zone” expecting action at any minute.
I would liken stillhunting with a crossbow to hunting with a single shot shotgun or traditional muzzleloader,which fwiw I’ve done lots of the latter and a bit of the former..see a deer inside of anywhere from 50y with the ol shotgun to 100y with my ol smokepole and its just a matter of shoulder weapon and shoot immediately/<3 seconds......just like a xbow.
i couldn’t even begin to count the dozens upon dozens of deer/bear/moose/elk that I’ve encountered while stillhunting with a compound and I didn’t even have time to get an arrow from my quiver before it bolted,let alone nock an arrow,draw and release before it bolts.I would venture to guess that my success would increase tenfold had I been carrying a cocked and loaded xbow in dozens of those scenarios instead of a compound.....shoulder n shoot....just like I would with my muzzleloader.
And that’s without even getting into how much more difficult it is to draw a bow from a tree stand on a bundle of nerves sketchy Whitetail inside of 25 yards vs slowly raising and aiming an xbow....no comparison/not even close.
Compound bows were well established in the hunting market long before most jurisdictions in North America even had any special archery only seasons,the tired old stickbow argument doesn’t hold any water,in fact,quite the opposite is true.Stickbow hunters actually owe a great deal of gratitude to the advent of compounds,because it was only after the advance of compound bows that bowhunting grew in popularity by leaps and bounds as many more hunters took up the sport and lobbied for archery only seasons.
Not wanting to share archery seasons with xbows has nothing to do with greed,it’s about preserving the extra opportunities and earlier seasons afforded to bowhunters,and the reason we get extra opps and an early head start is BECAUSE of the FACT that it is far more difficult then gun hunting and generally speaking has much lower success rates,and thus minimal effect on harvest quotas and management target goals.
When you allow xbows to piggyback their way into archery only seasons on the backs of the bowhunters that lobbied for said seasons to begin with,often as not the hunting pressure increases 300% or more as many more gunhunters are willing to make the transition to a user friendly xbow vs putting the time and effort into becoming proficient with compound or stickbow.If you can shoot a rifle,and have the vaguest clue about things like trajectory,you can be an xbow pro in about 2 minutes with 3 shots at a target.I don’t care how user friendly today’s compounds have become....NOBODY is punching 50y bullseyes the first day they ever pick up a compound.
Harvest success rates go through the roof with the huge increase in hunter participation,and then management strategies need to be adjusted accordingly as “bowhunters” are no longer accounting for a negligible percentage of the harvest,but rather now they are accounting for a significant perecentage of the total harvest.
It’s a lose/lose situation for bowhunters and gun hunters alike,as seasons and quotas need to be adjusted(read REDUCED) to maintain the desired level of harvest.
If xbows are so similar to and no advantage over compounds,please do explain why 75-80% of the “bowhunters” I’ve met in the woods when I lived in Ontario for 6 years were toting xbows?More then one of them had even commented to me that I must have rocks in my head or I’m just a sucker for punishment to be using a compound when I could be carrying a much more effective xbow instead.
THIS GUY GETS IT!!^^
I agree, anything that makes hunting easier for the hunter should be banned. We shouldn't allow innovation in our equipment that makes killing deer quicker, cleaner and more humanly. After all real hunters are the ones who work the hardest to get their kill, right? :silly:
Damn those old guys with weakening eyes and worn out shoulders, if you can't draw your bow anymore, time to hang up your camo :)
Since you mentioned it, they should never have allowed the use of scopes on rifles as it makes shooting deer much to easy and increases the harvest rate and lesson opportunities for others. Hunters are now what, close to 20% successful in the annual fall harvest, getting closer to what the MNR needs for their Deer Management goals and the need to keep issuing additional tags.
It's been awhile since we read that kind of sanctimonious twaddle on here....I thought maybe the old die hard bow hunters had finally got off their high horses and agreed that any equipment development that encouraged bow hunters in any category to get out in the woods more often was a goal ALL hunters should have.
I guess we still have those that like to create division in the sport, sad.
note: I hunt with both a compound and cross bow...so I know the difference. And I know which tool at my disposal to use in the conditions mother nature affords during the long 80 days of Bow only season. ie: I know that the best 'bow' to hunt deer with during the Christmas Bow only season is the crossbow...
It's been awhile since we read that kind of sanctimonious twaddle on here....I thought maybe the old die hard bow hunters had finally got off their high horses and agreed that any equipment development that encouraged bow hunters in any category to get out in the woods more often was a goal ALL hunters should have.
They tend to be a little more stubborn in Alberta. My uncle has lived there for 50 years and has only softened on the crossbow issue the last 5 years.
I think they need to have people chirp their gear and have their compound bows on the banning block because it is too easy, compared to traditional bows.
Anyone who hunts with any kind of bow needs to get close enough to get that shot on a deer, under 40 yards for both compound and crossbows. I honestly cannot say there is any difference shooting a high let off compound bow and a crossbow waiting for a shot, both cause stress to the muscles and give you the shakes. Yes you can use a rest with a crossbow but this idea that there is a significant difference is insane. You need to shoot to know where it hits but compound bows with peep sights are so much better than just a sight stuck on the riser as in the old days.
This is all nuts, crossbows are bows, it is right there in the name, an arrow sent down range by a string, end of story.
Wow,speaking of sanctimonious twaddle.....why is it that cross gunners are always on the defensive over their choice of taking the easier road,and so compelled to cite their “holier then thou” superior generosity in sharing the woods and encouraging increased participation,as if its their moral duty and obligation to bring new blood into the brethren?
Read the above posts again.
It is an indisputable FACT that allowing xbows encourages exponentially higher participation,as much as 300-400% higher,as so many more firearms hunters are much more willing and likely to make the transition to hunting with broadheads if they can use a xbow.
That may be all fine and dandy in Ontario if the end goal is to increase deer harvest,especially in the south where rifles aren’t allowed and shotgun season is short and limited entry draw.Xbows are an effective management tool,no disputing that.They are easy for any novice to master and almost immediately take to the field with reasonable hopes of success.More hunters afield that are proficient with their weapons is a tool to reach desired harvest levels.
Newsflash for ya.....what works for management goals in S.Ontario and crowded USA states does not and cannot be applied universally across the country.
NB,with its declining deer herd has very different deer management challenges then Ontario,and Alberta has very different challenges then both ON and NB in managing and preserving both bow and firearm opportunities for hunters.
Xbows increase harvest success SUBSTANTIALLY....that is a fact.
You can argue all you want that xbows are just as much challenge,need to get just as close,still need to be in bow range,be stealthy,etc etc and blah blah blah......but the FACT is that allowing xbows encourages a rise in participation by as much as 400%,and that alone has a substantial impact on harvest quota targets and management goals.
When you put 3-5x as many hunters afield,it only makes sense that overall harvest likely increases by 2-3x minimum,even if the actual success rate percentage falls,the overall total number of animals harvested rises.
When bow seasons become too efficient at harvesting game,because their are 3x as many hunters out there and 2 out of 3 are using easier and arguably more effective weapons,something gotta give when you are reaching and/or exceeding your management target goals.....so you either need to shorten the season,or limit participation,commonly through a draw/lottery system of some sort.
Either way,it is LOST opportunities for both bow and gun hunters as is the case here in Alberta.
ie;for decades Alberta bowhunters could buy OTC archery tags for mule deer.Rifle hunters have been on draw for many years in most WMUs.OTC archery tags were allowed because archery was considered low impact on the overall herd and made up a very small,almost negligible percentage of the total Hunter harvest.
As time went on,and archery equipment improved,and more and more rifle hunters became frustrated with the draw,they seen the opportunity to hunt MD every year by picking up a bow and learning how to use it.
Eventually,increased participation with better equipment resulted in archery hunters accounting for a much higher percentage of the overall harvest,which could no longer be ignored as insignificant.
Result.....we no longer have OTC archery mule deer tags in most WMUs,especially the better WMUs/regions that traditionally produced the best trophy class muleies,they are ALL on draw now for both bow and gun hunters.Not only that,but the traditionally lesser pressured WMUs that once offered OTC tags for both gun and bow hunters have gone to draw,because hunters turned their attention towards those WMUs once they LOST OPPORTUNITIES in the better units.
Lose lose lose all around for EVERYBODY.
The exact same thing has happened here with moose,where only a few short years ago there were DOZENS of WMUs that offered OTC archery tags,that number has been greatly reduced....Now just imagine if xbows were thrown into the mix and recognized as archery equipment in AB!!
Not only we would almost immediately lose ALL of the remaining moose and MD OTC archery opps,but with a 3-400% increase in bowhunters afield,we would see a considerable number of WMUs go to draw for Whitetail as well
LOSE LOSE LOSE LOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL!!
But oh hooray for us,look how great we are by encouraging more and more hunters to take up the silent sports by allowing xbows and increasing participation by 3-400%......all we would have done was shoot ourselves in the proverbial foot....and newsflash for ya.....allowing xbows does almost absolutely nothing to bring new hunters into the bloodsports,it merely encourages more gun hunters to have the confidence to try their luck at killing animals with broadheads.....so much for your “holier then thou/we need to encourage more hunters” drivel.
Am I a selfish bowhunter??
Goddamn right I am! The opportunity already exists for Johnny Newbie to pick up a bow and become proficient with it and join me in the early season bowhunting woods,and NO I am not in favour of allowing xbows just to make it easier for poor lil Johnny to be successful,while at the same time costing myself lost opportunities when OTC tags are completely eliminated and WT units go to draw because we 3x as many “bowhunters” afield.
I’m not limiting anybody’s opportunities,the opportunity already exists and I welcome anybody that wants to pick up a bow and learn how to use it join me,but don’t ask me to give up my existing opportunities just because you are too lazy to become a bowhunter and looking for a shortcut to success.
So your rebuttal is to admit the real reason you don’t like crossbow hunters is because you’re selfish..well at least your honest. HaHa…
To Summarize the issue: You live in a province that has a Game Management Plan that is working so they are limiting the available tags thru a draw system because:
And the real reason for your rant, is that you don’t want any more people (like crossbow hunters) applying for the draw because it will lesson your chances of winning the draw…Quote:
from Alberta regs: “When demand for hunting opportunities becomes excessive, season length and bag limits are often insufficient to conserve a game resource or to ensure a quality hunting experience.
Although draws are used for specific wildlife management purposes (e.g., the goal in antlered mule deer draw areas is to develop a more balanced age structure in the herd by controlling the kill of bucks), other benefits include improved hunter success, increased opportunity to harvest a trophy animal, a more pleasant hunting experience with lower hunter densities, reduced disturbance of landowners, and a better distribution of the harvest.”
At least now the subterfuge is exposed and we can judge you for what you've admitted to being.
Yes they should sell less fishing licences, so I have a better shot at that elusive 50 inch Muskie I desperately want. LOL.
No,not at all.
Wow,you crossgun hunters are so thick headed it’s amazing that you even are able to get a comfortable cheek weld.
I don’t want xbows allowed in archery season because with the inevitable mass influx of firearms hunters that it attracts will mean the reduction and elimination of existing early bowhunting opportunities.
I’m not limiting ANYBODYS opportunity to participate,the opp already exists,buy a bow and have ater.
Why would bowhunters want to welcome selfish crossgunners to piggyback their way into the season that bowhunters lobbied for when it would result in a reduction and elimination of existing opportunities?
With your comments , you dare call x-bowers selfish. You had better look in the mirror sir.
News flash here... it isn't all that difficult to master a vertical bow. Most people with any coordination at all can be hitting a bullseye at 20 yards within a few hours. The only difference between the two (in my opinion) is whether or not you get busted drawing the bow. With the few and far between opportunities I get at deer throughout the season, I would rather that rare opportunity not be blown because the deer spooked when I drew the bow.
Yes, I've hunted with and shot deer with both.
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If it’s so easy to master the vertical bow,again,have at’r and welcome to the sport.
And again....i’m not trying to exclude anybody from participating,the opportunities are there already.
Yet here you are, crossbows have never been illegal for hunting in the bow season in Ontario. The lobby was to get a bow season and they got a bow season, then bows started to get better and a little company in the heart of the Ontario farmland started making high end crossbows at a reasonable price, that company is called Excalibur.
This following was the original post, please try to follow along and keep up.
"Here's an interesting question a friend was looking for the answer to - Google didn't return any results, so I thought some of the fine folks here might have an answer...
What year was crossbow use for hunting legalized in Ontario?
Thanks! "
Already had at 'er and switched to crossbow for the reasons I already stated. At no time did I feel like I was giving up an elite club membership.
Maybe I'll switch back someday. A couple of hours in the bow shop should have me ready to go, regardless of what everyone claims when it comes to "hours and hours of practice".
I would stretch the distance with a compound a bit more than the crossbow too. Deer don't jump the string as easily with the quieter vertical bow. Crossbows might be capable of shooting 4" groups at 100 yards, but they're loud. A deer is capable (and has the nasty habit) of not being in the same place when the bolt gets there after hearing the crossbow go off beyond 30 yards or so.
In any case, we might not agree on everything around here, but one thing that gets shouted down pretty quickly is the "my way is better" attitude. I get that you're passionate about archery and that's great, but don't forget that it's just a piece of the sport that we're all part of.
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Holy C-R-A-P! Here we have 5 pages of dialog over 6 posts by you with old school Alberta anti-crossbow diatribe that went out with the square wheel decades ago. It was bullshyte then and it's still bullshyte. Nobody here is buyin' it because we all know better. You,sir,are a prime candidate for my good ol' "ignore" list.
Oh no,not the ignore list!!
Breaking my heart....... :rolleyes:
Maybe you otta go back and re-read post #15?
All I did was clarify a previous post as to when xbows were legalized in NS and NB,and relate some history of already lost opportunities in Alberta which would most certainly be many more lost opportunities if xbows were allowed in Alberta archery season.
But as usual,in typical xbow fanboy fashion,the getalong gang of cross gunners are compelled to pile onto the elitist vert bow snob and shout from the rooftops how their equipment of choice is every bit as challenging(when you know it’s not,but go ahead keep telling herself that lol) and what a virtuous and unselfish,welcoming fraternity you are that doesn’t judge anybody based on wether they hold their bow vertically or horizontally on a rifle stock,and how y’all will be the saviour of hunting heritage as such an inclusionary group that welcomes new hunters.News flash again in case you missed it first time around....allowing xbows in archery season doesn’t recruit new hunters,it merely encourages more rifle hunters to make the transition to hunting with pointy sticks,mainly to take advantage of longer and earlier seasons with minimal effort or any new skills required.
Ummmmm...yes,as a matter of fact crossbow legalization in NS/PEI/NB WAS in fact brought up in posts #7 and #10,and Alberta regs in post #12 prior to me chiming in with my unsolicited opinion.....but no worries,I love it when guys pile onto the bandwagon midway through a debate without reading the entire discussion...it merely proves to me that you don’t even know what we’re talking about let alone know anything about what you are blabbering on about yourself from your bubble enclosed sheltered and limited experience thinking the world revolves around the CN Tower.
Newsflash for ya.....what works ok in Ontario is not universally applicable....it most certainly wouldn’t turn out very well for anybody in Alberta,and xbows are counterproductive to any hopes of recovering the crashed deer population in NB.
I'll take the blame I'm the one who mentioned that in NS, NB and PEI XBows were not legal I was going by old information in my head from several years ago. Which I guess brought up the whole argument about XBOWS
That's because all he has contributed to this forum in his short stay here is highjacking other members threads with his knowitall derogatory attitude to fellow hunters using legal methods, along with insulting long standing members of this forum. Classic troll. I first noticed him tonight on Marky's thread, it was like wtf is this crap? Then I figured I'd see his bs on this one too and boy was I right. Talk about a drama queen, smh.
Oh wait, I may be mistaken a bit. I think on two of his diatribe posts I totally agreed with with a little part of what he said. It was " bla bla bla" :)
Even fishermccann is on board with everyone else it seems, the one witty shot I saw quoted, I actually would have given him a thumbs up.
Cheers