I believe you are 100% right in this statement.
And so this brings up an interesting dynamic.......being a bowhunter in Alberta right now....means your an archer....you hold vertical bows at draw and generally speaking archery is very involving....so it goes to prove that only a fraction of all Albertas hunters are bow/archery hunter which mean we are most likely pretty hardcore as a group overall.
I like to think of the archery hardcore as like to shoot tons, tons of arrows a year, 3d's/competitions, lots of time hangin at the local archery shops etc. etc. etc.....almost like a lifestyle....just shooting todays bows is very addicting. Most bowhunters i know are like this.......hardcore.
What i like about the crossbow inclusion with the other bows is that it opens doors for the not so hardcore, levels playing fields lots on physical capabilities of the people....this is for hunting in Alberta. Not anything else archery related....just hunting. So the more 'average' hunter can more readily, easily get feet wet in bowhunting....most will likely assume the crossbow is as magical as many say but will find after a few years the initial surge will die off and it will still be a sport mostly for the hardcore.
No bowhunter i know will drop the compound for the crossbow so for me its an introduction tool when they let it in...kids, wife, brother/sister inlaw...you name it and i'll try and get em out there with me. My kids will likely not let me make them use a crossbow past their first season as no doubt they'll want to do it like Dad does it but i'd prefer their first season or two to be done with crossbow to learn the majority of 'hunting' lessons first.... before they move the more involved tool on top of everything else that goes into hunting...which is way more than what tool is in your hands.
Its still all bowhunting, same ranges, field results from all the other places that have let it in prove the crossbow is basically identical to the compound in effectiveness when it comes time to seeing how many animals die compared to hunter numbers.
Its about fixing something we missed 'back in the day' to me and means change...yes, scary i know, we resist change....laid back dudes resist less....hardcore dudes resist more
....just how things work in the world.
Overall benefit to all hunters in Alberta imo is so much greater than any arguments that have ever come up against....combined.
In the eyes of archery hardcore its not a bow, in the eyes of hunting its 100% a bow.
So to the original poster....i do believe its been said that crossbows might be included in the next season or two....i'd still see about getting eyes fixed for a million other reasons as i know two hunters (bow and rifle) that have done it and love it. But i do believe you will be able to have a broader choice of bow types soon enough...which is the important thing at the end of the day imo.
Personally i think i'm more hardcore to hunting only that i'm equally into the equipment for hunting with rifles or bows so i can have top capable gear available and i set it up and practice with it enough to extract as much potential i can from either type of tool. I think the archery hardcore combined with hunting hardcore at the same time is generally the majority of resistance you find to this inclusion idea....i think the more hunting oriented only (not addicted/obsessed with a certain tool etc.) are way more relaxed about it and can see the bigger picture better as overall good for all hunters....put the bows where they fit when it comes to 'hunting'.
Ok, done with my 3 cents.
p.s. Potty, i'm not sure i can tell where you'd fit in the hardcore or more relaxed category?
