Print edition: 
With a compound bow I'm about average, and with a rifle I'm an excellent shot.
With a crossbow, I'm excellent.
See the correlation?
Let's hope those who set our hunting laws and regulations do in coming times.
The issue of expanding the use of crossbows during Kansas deer seasons is gaining steam.
At an August meeting of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism commission, Steve Wood of Hays asked crossbows be legalized during archery deer season. Hays hunts with a crossbow. His son is the sales manager for a large Ohio crossbow manufacturer.
Crossbows were discussed again at the Oct. 13 meeting in Pratt and surely will be at coming meetings.
I hope facts are included.
Under current law, crossbows are allowed for those who can't physically draw a vertical bow during the archery season. They're also allowed during the firearms season.
Crossbows aren't allowed in the muzzleloader season — but they should be.
During his request, Wood said crossbows have similarities to compound bows.
In Pratt, someone said shooters require a great deal of skill to be proficient with crossbows.
Nope on both counts.
I've owned crossbows for about 15 years. In my experience, anybody who can shoot a .22 rifle well can shoot well with a crossbow. The technique is identical.
Shooting a bow lacks that rigid support of a stock with a contained trigger. Firing a bow is like a golf swing in that it involves a variety of muscles and bones.
Torque a wrist, lift your head or jerk a finger and that arrow's not going where it's expected.
The chances of such things happening skyrocket when the adrenaline's pumping after watching a buck come walking in.
Sure, compound bows are easier to use than traditional recurves or longbows because they're easier to draw and shoot flatter trajectories.
But the main reason they can be more accurate has more to do with the sights and release aids that usually come with compounds than the cams on their limbs.
Take away the sights and the release and there's far less difference between recurves and compounds.
All are far harder to master than a crossbow.
I've loaned my crossbow to five hunters and they've shot it seven times at deer or wild hogs. All seven animals died. Most hunters only fired three or four arrows, technically called bolts, before hunting.
Last fall a friend took his first-ever crossbow from the box to consistent bull's-eyes out to 40 yards in about 30 minutes, most of which was spent attaching and adjusting the scope.
Another crossbow advantage is that it sits fully-cocked and ready to go.
A hunter's biggest challenge often is remaining undetected while going through the various motions of drawing.
To be sure, crossbows have their disadvantages. They're not cheap, can be cumbersome, are usually loud and offer little chance for a second shot.
Other than allowing their use during the two-week muzzleloader season, I'm not one way or the other on changing regulations regarding crossbows.
I am, however, hoping any future decisions will be based on facts.
