| Crossbow hunting has caused a major rift | | | | bow and a crossbow. |
| between hunters in recent years. While each | | | | Of the Senior Citizens who received free hunting |
| hunter should be allowed to choose what they | | | | licenses: |
| use in theory, the debate centers around the fact | | | | - 4,000 used a crossbow. |
| that crossbows may be an unfair advantage over | | | | - 1,000 used a vertical bow. |
| traditional bow hunters. Some consider them to | | | | - 1,000 used both a vertical and a crossbow. |
| be a sort of hybrid of a gun and a bow, and they | | | | According to the Ohio Department of Wildlife's |
| should be permitted only in gun season. | | | | statistics, the success rates for both traditional |
| Regardless of the time that passes, the debate | | | | vertical bow hunters and crossbow hunters was |
| seems only to get more and more heated. | | | | identical at 14%. |
| At the heart of the crossbow debate is whether | | | | There was however an independent source that |
| it can really be considered a bow, or if it is in fact | | | | conducted research and compared data relevant |
| a sort of gun hybrid, and whether or not the | | | | to the crossbow debate. According to the |
| crossbow provides and unfair advantage to the | | | | independent source, the actual success rates |
| traditional bow hunter. The only way to really find | | | | were 23% for crossbow hunting, and 21% for |
| an answer to this question is to examine the | | | | vertical bow hunters. While these numbers are |
| statistics. The state of Ohio has allowed hunters | | | | different, they are relatively close and very |
| use of the crossbow since 1976. The past 30 | | | | realistic. The numbers show that crossbows are |
| years has provided ample time to gather | | | | slightly more effective than the traditional bow, |
| information and data comparing the two types of | | | | but there isn't enough of a difference to warrant |
| bows. This information is from the Ohio | | | | the controversy that has surrounded the debate |
| Department of Wildlife in 2001: | | | | in recent years. These statistics prove that |
| - 155,000 registered hunters participated in bow | | | | general assumption isn't always correct; as with |
| season hunting. | | | | any debate, doing some research and looking at |
| - 70,000 used the crossbow exclusively. | | | | numbers is always a sure fire way to make an |
| - 55,000 registered hunters used a traditional | | | | informed decision. So if a hunter is looking to try |
| vertical bow. | | | | something new, a crossbow may be just the |
| - 30,000 registered hunters used both a vertical | | | | thing. |