Heart Bow

Crossbow hunting has caused a major rift between hunters in recent years. While each hunter should be allowed to choose what they use in theory, the debate centers around the fact that crossbows may be an unfair advantage over traditional bow hunters. Some consider them to be a sort of hybrid of a gun and a bow, and they should be permitted only in gun season. Regardless of the time that passes, the debate seems only to get more and more heated.

At the heart of the crossbow debate is whether it can really be considered a bow, or if it is in fact a sort of gun hybrid, and whether or not the crossbow provides and unfair advantage to the traditional bow hunter. The only way to really find an answer to this question is to examine the statistics. The state of Ohio has allowed hunters use of the crossbow since 1976. The past 30 years has provided ample time to gather information and data comparing the two types of bows. This information is from the Ohio Department of Wildlife in 2001:

• 155,000 registered hunters participated in bow season hunting.
• 70,000 used the crossbow exclusively.
• 55,000 registered hunters used a traditional vertical bow.
• 30,000 registered hunters used both a vertical bow and a crossbow.

Of the Senior Citizens who received free hunting licenses:

• 4,000 used a crossbow.
• 1,000 used a vertical bow.
• 1,000 used both a vertical and a crossbow.

According to the Ohio Department of Wildlife's statistics, the success rates for both traditional vertical bow hunters and crossbow hunters was identical at 14%.

There was however an independent source that conducted research and compared data relevant to the crossbow debate. According to the independent source, the actual success rates were 23% for crossbow hunting, and 21% for vertical bow hunters. While these numbers are different, they are relatively close and very realistic. The numbers show that crossbows are slightly more effective than the traditional bow, but there isn't enough of a difference to warrant the controversy that has surrounded the debate in recent years. These statistics prove that general assumption isn't always correct; as with any debate, doing some research and looking at numbers is always a sure fire way to make an informed decision. So if a hunter is looking to try something new, a crossbow may be just the thing.