Why are crossbows not allowed during archery deer season? My thinking is as ethical hunters the most efficient form of taking the animal should be available for our use.

Crossbows just have to much of an advantage over a regular
bow. More like shooting a rifle then a bow.
But I agree with you.

I am not familiar with the state of Missouri to know why crossbows are not allowed. Here is why crossbows are not allowed in an archery only season from a wildlife management perspective.

The most efficient method of taking an animal is also the method with the highest hunter success. Hunting with centerfire firearms has the highest hunter success and the lowest amount of wounding loss. Archery hunting has the lowest hunter success with the highest amount of wounding loss. Hunting with crossbows and muzzleloaders ranks somewhere in between.

There are only so many animals available to remove each year to keep the population stable. A state wildlife agency tries to balance offering permits between the different weapon types based on demand by the hunters.

If crossbows were allowed in an archery only season, hunter success would increase and more animals would be killed with the same number of hunters in the field. Hunter success would increase more than wounding loss occurs by archers. The more animals that are removed by archers, the less animals that are available for the other weapon types.

A season structure could be implemented to allow crossbows during an archery only hunt, but somebody is not going to be happy. The tradeoff is fewer permits would need to be allocated to other weapon types. Fewer people would be able to get a permit to go hunting.

Hope this helps to explain why.

Good luck and good hunting!

I expect crossbows will be legal soon enough. Heck in Missouri you can kill deer in just about any fashion you want. Shoot 'em with any centerfire rifle, handgun, shotgun slug, stick 'em with an arrow shot from a bow, chuck a spear at 'em, knife 'em, beat 'em in the head with a rock, strangle 'em with yer bare hands, run over 'em with the truck as long as you don't run down a farmers fence... don't much matter as long as you slap a tag on 'em.

Pardon the Ozark humor, some of that is even true. On a serious note, I hear that there is a big push for the crossbow and it is very likely to be authorized soon.

I completely understand this but my biggest argument is the fact that you can harvest as many doe as you want during rifle season. If they were worried about too many animals being taken they would limit that number considerably. I also understand that "traditional" archery hunting takes much more skill than using a crossbow and a lot of hunters don't believe this is fair. the same feelings were probably expressed when compound bows started showing up in the field. GC is not too far off with his humor.

I see your point, but now I want to hunt deer in Missouri!! I do not forsee why crossbows should not be allowed either since there is an abundance of deer. Thanks for posting this topic. Hopefully, somebody familiar with the history of it will chime in on the forum and provide some insights.

Crossbows are legal here in pa, have been for a while now... not many people use them compared to compounds and you still need to be just as close, sure its easier but I dont think its had any impact on the numbers of deer. Although we have so many deer its hard to tell. Funny we can use xbows but not semis for anything except shotguns.

I want one of these! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5nVSfv0Rlg

I am not 100% sure on this, but I believe in 2012 crossbows were allowed in the primitive weapons season that was in Dec. which was our former muzzleloader season. It was expanded to include crossbows, atlatl, and there may have been another type of weapon. I checked in the codebook and the deer regs. are not in it, only in the deer reg. pamphlet.

With the Blue tongue die off that we had last summer from overpopulation you would think they would allow crossbows. I hunted one Sunday AM about three weeks ago and between daylight and 10:00 I saw 49 deer.

The old "muzzleloader" season is now called the Alternative Methods Season. Catchy, ain't it?

Well, anyone who can kill a deer with a spear or atlatl is one heck of an injun!!!

Crossbows can be used during archery season if you can't use a regular bow ( INJURY OR SOME TYPE OF MEDICAL REASON )you have to get a waiver signed by a doctor then take it to the area conservation office to get the paperwork, other than that they can be used during rifle season and the alternative season.. I do agree I think they will allow them during the regular season in the future...

Cam,limbs,string,trigger= bow. They should be allowed we aren't short on deer. And there is a lot of places around big cites that they would be really handy to use.

I have enough shoulder issues I may have to get the medical permit to use a crossbow, but it will be a last resort. A crossbow is a shoulder arm firing a single projectile when discharged. I see them as a rifle. I have no problem with them in firearms or "alternative" seasons but don't think they belong in the regular archery season.

I bet you can shoot your compound bow faster than most guys could shoot a crossbow reload and shoot again.