Wisconsin DNR's mentality is as long as you buy a license, what you use or what you do with the kill after is none of their business. A few years go we watched a meat pole with 4 deer hang from Nov 15 - April 20th. It was a warm year so temps were the 70's by the time April ended. The necks of the deer stretched about 3' before the deer were finally removed.

We had called the DNR in mid March and were told as long as the deer were harvested legally there was nothing they could do. If you wanted to use the deer for dog food you certainly were entitled, as long as they were legally tagged. That being the case, as long as there is a means that triggers license sales, I doubt there will be any changes to the current laws.

WS

The last 2 years I've hunted with a crossbow and hunted with a bow twenty some years before that. A crossbow is easier to shoot but getting a deer within 40 yds is no easier and that's where to biggest challenge lies.

To answer your question; I believe the only added challenge of using a vertical bow is that you have to draw and hold in the presence of game. I honestly don't know how much of a challenge that adds because I've never hunted with one.

At one time I had considered getting into traditional archery but quickly realized I do not have the time to practice and become/remain proficient enough to make ethical shots on live game. I do not believe that stops a certain percentage of archers from getting out there.

When crossbows became legal I bought one and have used it to harvest a good number of both doe and buck. I do practice with it but a couple of shots on one or two preseason evenings is enough to let me know it is still zeroed.

Although I don't have to draw, I still have to raise and hold my weapon in the presence of game. Like traditional archery I have to do my preseason homework (scouting). I have to practice good scent control and observe the wind and be aware of my scent and where it is going. I have to have game under forty yards and positioned properly for a shot. I have to use my tracking skills to follow and find deer I have killed.

The only difference in the way you and I hunt during archery season is the amount of time you have to practice to remain proficient and the fact that you have to draw and hold in the presence of game instead of raising and holding.

No scope?

No, I didn't see the need on such a short range weapon. I have a fiber optic front sight and a peep sight in the rear.

Bull crap, that is not why the season was put in place. Do you have to go prove your proficiency of shooting your bow when you purchase your tags? No...





So.... you shoot a long bow with a sinew string, wood shaft arrows, stone or bone points? Because a true bowman such as yourself would not stoop to taking the shortcut of a modern day compound, with 80% letoff, carbon fiber limbs, with sights to pinpoint your shot, along with machined arrows made out of space age materials tipped with chemically or laser sharpened razor sharp devices?

I use the same set up on my Excalibur Exomax.....

All that stuff available and some still didn't feel they have what it takes, so they still wanted an easier way?

Including yourself

I bought a crossbow around Christmas, could not pull my vertical bow back anymore. I do want to be out hunting deer when the weather is better than some November gun seasons. I recently got the crossbow set up and sighted in. The high success rates are reflective of the deadliness at usual bow hunting range. If it is a bad thing to hit what you are after and reduce wounding rates I do not agree. The 100 yard bull is just that, a 400 gr. arrow at 400 ft. per second drops almost 8 ft. at 100 yards sighted in at 20 yards. I have a friend shooting his vertical bow 80 yards, he has 8 pins in his sight. I do not even consider it a possibility with my crossbow to shoot 50 yards at deer, I do not have a picnic table in the tree stand, and it is heavy.

Mine's an Excalibur Exocet. I learned pretty quickly not to shoot two bolts at the same target, they're expensive.

Most of the deer I have shot have been 20 yards or less. A couple near thirty which is where I limit my shots. I did shoot one at just over forty yards twenty years or so ago, but I had already put an arrow through it at 15 yards. That arrow wasn't needed and I probably wouldn't take the shot today.

Getting as close to the deer as possible is the best part of it all. But it does make timing the draw of the bow all the more important.

My Excalibur is sighted to be +4" at 20 yards, +2" at 30 yards which puts it at -5" at 40 yards. After thirty-five yards or so bolts drop like rocks, even out of fast crossbows like mine (350+ fps). That should dispel any beliefs about them being long-range weapons.

I've never shot at a deer over thirty yards.

If you really want a challenge, try hunting without the rut. Take the rut from the bow hunters and half would never ever tag out.

take away treestands and most would never shoot a deer....especially those who say they like the challenge of having to draw when the deer is close yet they are 25' up a tree......

I like hunting em like this before the rut with my crossbow

And sometimes there are a lot of tastey vension around so it can be hard to choose.

Nice deer Bill!

When does your archery season open in Kansas?

But then there our the elusive Doe which I really prefer for eating so I may need my rifle.

She looks delicious