darkinstine wrote: I understand the dislike for crossbows but to think that they are somehow not bows is silly.

The big difference is this : A bow must be drawn and held in the presence of game. A crossbow is cocked and fired with the pull of a trigger, like a gun.

The design and operation of a crossbow is more like an airgun than a bow.

If you don’t believe that it is important to draw and hold your bow in the presence of a deer, then this difference is mute. This is the first step in losing the archery seasons that were fought for so hard by folks like Fred Bear, Glen St. Charles, Ben Pearson, and others.

darkinstine wrote: I will eventually have to either use a crossbow or go to a rifle due to nerve damage in my left arm

I wish you well. Even though I oppose allowing crossbows for general use in archery season, I support their use by people who can no longer draw and hold a bow.