A Potential new hunter looking for Advice

[Jalinth]

Recently I’ve started to develop some interest in hunting, so I am dropping in on a couple forums to ask for some advice. What I am looking for is some basic information so that I can try to figure out what form of hunting I want to try or even what kinds of questions I should be asking. While firearms were my first thought, crossbows seem like the could be interesting to fire as well.

What are the Pro/Cons of Crossbows VS Firearm hunting? What are some important things I should consider? Are there any good websites with (reliable) introductory hunting information? What is the biggest, meanest, most powerful crossbow money can buy?

I am in no rush to run out and start buying equipment. I am at the pure research stage right now. The interest has arisen from a combination of fond childhood memories of fresh venison, and my recent discovery of the fun of paint ball in the woods. If I can have a good time running around the woods in the rain, there is at least the chance I may enjoy hunting.

I live in Ontario, Canada.

Thanks in advance.

[jay73]

Jalinth, first off, welcome to the board.

Secondly, I see the major advantage of crossbows to firearms is the length of the season. Oct 1 - Dec 31 (some areas would have an exception of no bowhunting during gun season). But 3 months - you can't beat that.

Thirdly, I think most would agree here, is the close proximity you have to be to your game to take down something with a bow. Shooting or not, it's awesome to be so close to a deer, for instance and they have no idea you're sitting right above them, or next to them.

If you are serious about trying out a crossbow, I would head to an archery shop that has a range and try out a couple. Most people that pick them up, can't put them down.

Good luck in your endeavors.

[wabi]

Welcome to the forum!
I'd say the big question is do you want to hunt for the sport of hunting, or do you want to fill the freezer with meat? With the gun there is still some hunting involved, you have to know where the game is and when to see it. With the crossbow the hunting is a lot more intense, because you have to learn not only where the game is and when it's most active, but also a lot of it's habits and defenses. To get close enough for an ethical shot requires overcoming many of the animal's natural defenses. Deer are probably the most hunted big game animal, and they have a pretty good self-defense system built in from centuries of evolution. To see a deer isn't much of a challenge anymore, but to see a deer up close and unalarmed isn't so easy. You not only have to be in the right place at the right time, but you have to figure out how to control or eliminate sight, sound, and smell. The older and bigger the deer, the better you have to be. Once you have learned to get close, there is still the problem of getting a good shot angle with no brush in the way, and the arrow doesn't kill instantly so some tracking skills are needed to find the animal you kill after the shot. I've had easy trails of 60 yards, and I've had trails of almost a mile of tracking after the deer moved before the arrow hit and I failed to put it exactly where I wanted.

[Jalinth]

Thank you for the information. Some good things for me to consider. After talking to a couple friends of the family that hunt I will most likely try going out with them and doing some hunting with firearms, as that is what they do, at least to start.

Still what I’ve been reading about crossbow hunting sounds very interesting. While I am not terribly good at it yet, sneaking through the woods to get close enough to a person to hit him with a paintball is enjoyable. Crossbow hunting sounds to be similar, though a couple orders of magnitude more challenging. Even the bit about trying to get a clear shot without brush getting in the way sounds familiar. Paintballs are very sensitive to brush. Given that they are gelatin spheres fired at 280-300fps, it is no surprise that the pop when they hit an errant branch.

All in all it certainly looks like it will be an interesting thing to try, at the very least. I thank you for your responses.

Just because I'm curious - What IS the biggest, meanest crossbow money can buy? Just as I don’t plan on getting a Barrett .50 cal, I don't plan on getting a ballista, but I am interested in finding out what the nearest equivalent is.

[chris4570]

Thank you for the information. Some good things for me to consider. After talking to a couple friends of the family that hunt I will most likely try going out with them and doing some hunting with firearms, as that is what they do, at least to start.

That is a good way to start. But before you do any more than observe you will need a hunting licence. You don't want to get caught hunting without a licence, poaching.

Buy books. Learn about the different species that can be hunted. The more levels you enjoy the critters on the more you will enjoy hunting, and the better hunter you will be. It's all interconnected.

Hunting is far more than pulling the trigger, it's a visual, aural, and aromatic experience. Enjoying nature. Theirs nothing quite like sitting quiet in a tree waiting for a deer or bear and having a Coopers hawk dive bomb past you in an attempt to nab a songbird. Or to have a deer so close you can hear it sniff the ground, oblivious to your presence.

[A.W]

Just because I'm curious - What IS the biggest, meanest crossbow money can buy? Just as I don’t plan on getting a Barrett .50 cal, I don't plan on getting a ballista, but I am interested in finding out what the nearest equivalent is.

If you really want to bury your crossbow bolt into the ground after it passes through a deer and have to look harder for it, go with the Exomax.