OK, so let's sum up.

1. Everyone seems to have gotten over the technical hump and more or less agrees that there is no great advantage to the X-Bow for weight, accuracy or range. In fact there seems to be from the previous posts that the compound has the edge in at least two categories.

2. Everyone seems to agree that there is the same hunting skill set needed for both weapons, stalking, know your game, etc.

3. Everyone seems to agree that the X-Bow is just another version of the bow family, like the muzzle loader is another member of the gun family.

4. All the evidence presented here says that based on studies there is no change to the kill ratio in provinces/states that allow X-Bow in archery seasons.

5. The X-Bow has a slightly better learning curve than the vertical bow and could result in more positive results for new hunters by allowing them to get into the sport faster with a better chance of making a clean kill. Hard to fight getting new blood into the outdoors considering the current hunter generation seems to be a vanishing breed.

So other than the "I don't want to share my exlusive season" there does not seem to be much of an argument for excluding X-Bows from the archery season.

And just for the record, I learned to shoot a compound starting in 1978, it took a long time to get proficient, I've hunted with it and greatly enjoyed the advantage of the early season to get out and about.

Maybe it's time to share, it's not like there isn't enough deer in Alberta, and with the growth boom in the size of the cities I would expect the "Bow only" zone to grow and the opportunities to hunt will outstrip the capabilities of the current (vertical) bowhunting community to be a viable management tool on their own.

My 2 cents.....