So the bill passed, now what has to happen for it to make it into hunting guidelines for the next season?

If the governor signs the bill (which he has said he would) the bill becomes law effective September 1, 2009. So, crossbows will be legal this coming archery season in October.

I personally do not feel crossbows should be allowed for use during the regualr archery season for anyone except any persons disabled that can not shoot a regular bow.  Pope and Young should be the foundation around "Archery" when it comes to hunting (with archery equipment.)  If Pope and Young do not recognize it as archery equipment, then it shouldn't be allowed.  obviously this is subject to certin cases.  Just like hunting out a vehicle is illegal, unless you can not walk.  In which case you provided the paperwork and get a permit to hunt from your vehicle. 

But this is the beautiful thing about America, you have your thoughts, and I have mine.  I am not here to disagree with you, or put you down.  I am just telling you how I feel.  Wyoming just turned down allowing crossbow use during archery season, with the ammendment of a qualifing disabled person (with proper permit) may hunt during archery season with a crossbow.

Shoot Straight

Ill buy a cross bow the day its official.

My take is that the organizations like LSBA and Pope and Young Club shot themselves in the foot by asking for opposition to the bill by posting the request on the various general hunting online forums. Most of the non bowhunters where not in opposition of the bill. And a good percentage of bowhunters where already in support of the bill. Many who would not have even heard of the bill learned of it this way and used the information given to opposite the bill instead to call for support. Can't remember, but two or three I called responded that the majority of calls were for the bill when I asked. Also in personal conversations with fellow hunters, it is clear to me that these organizations by taking such a strong and public stance have distanced themselves from the general hunting community in Texas as well as some dedicated bowhunters. I was put off by it all somewhat myself. Too many different far reaching reasons given to oppose it and too much sense of elitism. Pushing for an alternative bill such as one with an upper age limit that would be allowed to use crossbows would have been much smarter in my opinion. This is in fact was the original intent of the bill when Homer first considered it due to a friend of his that could not pull a bow due to his age. It was TPWD that changed his mind to allow all hunters, not crossbow manufacturers. These organisations opposing the current bill could have looked more like an advocate to the general hunting community rather than the enemy by asking for the original intent of the bill rather than the one that passed.

While I appreciate this is your first crossbow experience, I feel the need to say that yes, this bow can shoot 100 yards and be within 5 inches, but as well can the vertical compound bow. What is deceiving is, beleiving you can kill an animal at that distance due to lack of energy, but could be done with both the vertical and the crossbow if the kinetic energy was strong enough. Your 165lb bow isn't strong enough. I've guided a buddy from Africa who owns Bow huting Zambia named Strang who showed me the light on that with his 80lb draw compound bow. So far, I havent witnessed a crossbow shooter able to do that but not many play with 200 lb draw bows or higher. Those are really for hunting large game as Cape Buffalo, Asian Buff and Elephant.

With a 165 lb pull bow, for deer, I can tell you from experience, you best keep your shot under 45 yards and hope it's a perfect shot at the heart and not hit a rib bone. I've been testing bows for several years and helped write the book for others detailing what to do or not do. Now, a less dense animal like a bobcat or coyote, I woud shoot at 55 yards. Not deer or anything larger.

I'm not familiar with the bow brand you mention, but once you start shooting broadheads, I would reccomend a 2216 arrow ( not bolt. Bolts have no fletching and are small peices of metal or wood that were shot from the ancient designed bows that were similar to a repeating rifle/shotgun and broke in the middle to cock and load and shot from the hip and not the shoulder). To better the FOC of the arrow, I would play with the 125 gr broadhead, then the 100 gr of the same design to see which performs best from that bow. I beleive the 125gr will be better.

 Using a vertical bow, you have room for human error not utilizing a rest, but other than that, they are very comparable in performance, energy and speed. The best point of this is as we get older, we loose the ability for steady hold/aim, so the crossbow being able to utilize a rest due to the horizontal design, it is great for older archery hunters to continue to hunt archery style, and have confidence in making a clean kill shot. Being able for those hunters as well as ones with disablilties as arthritis or torn rotator cuffs, it allows someone else to be able and cock it, ir use a decive or rope cocker, to continue to hunt as well as women and youth who simply aren't strong enough to draw a vertical where there wouldn't be enough energy for a clean kill.

Good Luck on your learning adventure of a new peice of equipment. And Welcome to a fellow Bow fisherman.

A Family that Hunts together, stays together. (unless they leave me home!)

Quote from JvT " My take is that the organizations like LSBA and Pope and Young Club shot themselves in the foot by asking for opposition to the bill by posting the request on the various general hunting online forums. Most of the non bowhunters where not in opposition of the bill. And a good percentage of bowhunters where already in support of the bill. Many who would not have even heard of the bill learned of it this way and used the information given to opposite the bill instead to call for support. Can't remember, but two or three I called responded that the majority of calls were for the bill when I asked. Also in personal conversations with fellow hunters, it is clear to me that these organizations by taking such a strong and public stance have distanced themselves from the general hunting community in Texas as well as some dedicated bowhunters. I was put off by it all somewhat myself. Too many different far reaching reasons given to oppose it and too much sense of elitism. Pushing for an alternative bill such as one with an upper age limit that would be allowed to use crossbows would have been much smarter in my opinion. This is in fact was the original intent of the bill when Homer first considered it due to a friend of his that could not pull a bow due to his age. It was TPWD that changed his mind to allow all hunters, not crossbow manufacturers. These organisations opposing the current bill could have looked more like an advocate to the general hunting community rather than the enemy by asking for the original intent of the bill rather than the one that passed." Quote.

 I have to say after watching this set of politics around the country and Canada, the LSBA should be commended for keeping their dignity while fighting for something they beleived in. I'm very proud of our fellow Texas hunters for being able to keep face due to the way they fought this battle. We can't say that about some other state Bow Hunting Associations. They even hurt themselves badly and lost face amongst others, and will take several years to repair their dignity and regain their respect they had before hand. Kudos to Texans for this.

A Family that Hunts together, stays together. (unless they leave me home!)

GG , This is a post that i found and thought i would post  i have never shoot a crossbow in my life !  my prolem is how many people will grab there new crossbow with a scope that stays cocked they bought the month before and shoot a few times  and head to the woods OCT 1st so they can go bow hunting ? we as bow hunters spend countless Hrs shooting and getting ready with sent control and so forth!  If you have ever hunted public land as i do in north east Texas during rifel season people flood the woods walking around looking for a deer.  I feel now they wil do the same during bow season now thinking the have a wepon that shoots like a gun.

Bowfish,

Again, it's not a group that does unethical things and we can't assume this is the case due to the weapon of thier choice. It would be the same as discriminating against all vertical shooters becuase their are some that don't/won't practice and hit the woods. We should not be discrininating due to weapon, but as to personal ethics of each and every individual hunter.

 I've hunted public land myself several times, and experienced the hunters on top of hunters eacgh time, and have chosen to look to private property so I have control over that and my own hunting so as not to be disturbed and to allow me to leave eqipment set up as cameras, water, feed, stands, etc.  I just have to deal with wetbacks now.

Public land is just that-public to all.

A Family that Hunts together, stays together. (unless they leave me home!)

My experience shooting a crossbow is that the opportunity for the deer to jump the string starts to happen when taking shots over 25-30 yards. I strongly believe the same rule applies to compound bows. 

How much juice is behind the bow or crossbow has little to do with the distance of the shot you should take. For example, whether you are shooting a .243 or a .338, you still have to take into account the distant you are comfortable hitting a 4-6in circle, environmental variables such as wind, the type of animal you are about to shoot, and the consequences of a bad shot. The same applies to archery. Just because my friend can shoot a coke can at 50 yards 4 out of 5 shots with a compound bow doesn't mean he should take that shot on a trophy buck - does that make sense?

With my recurve bow I stay inside 15 yards. When using a .12 gauge slug I don't take shots at deer over 50 yards. With a .44 mag not scoped, I don't take shots over 25 yards. With the .308 bolt action and a Leupold VX-7 scope I am staying inside 250 yards, even though I practice shooting clay pidgeons at 400 yards.

If it is a hog or coyote I will take any shot at any distance with any legal weapon.

All of these methods of harvest have an effective range greater than my comfort and skill level. So what. Learn your weapon. Learn your species. 

Some traditional archers think compound bows are as much cheating as many compound hunters think of crossbows. Why not argue about shooting rifles open sight versus using optics? My grandfather hunted with a .30-30 lever action open sight rifle. Does that make him better or worse?

Whether recurve or compound; compound or crossbow; shotgun or pistol or rifle; single shot or repeater; optics or open sight; .243 or .30-06; there will always be those who think they are better than others because of their method of harvest. Meanwhile, there are those who work their every breath and spend their every cent to prevent you from hunting any species with any method - and for this simple reason - I wish we all focused on teaching land stewardship, wildlife management, the discipline of knowing your weapon and knowing your target species and knowing your State Representative and Senator.

Hunt Hard. Fish Smart. Explore Texas.