Maybe instead of allowing xbows in archery season outright the government try implementing a xbow season, or promoting xbows in the primitive weapon season? I am not talking about the creation of a new multi week season that would effect both bowhunters and primative weapon hunters, but maybe the loss of one week in the archery season (were archers can still hunt as per usual) and the delay or loss of one week in the primative weapons season, creating a 2 week opportunity for xbow hunters leading up to the primative weapon season. In this 2 week period the government could gauge the possible success or failure of xbows in future hunting. I had always thought that the provisions for xbows has always been sufficient in AB, I know that I am not alone in this. But with the advancement of technology I suppose we must adapt to it as well. A little give and take, bowhunters wouldn't be effected overly and neither would primative weapon hunters.
This may prove to be the best solution to entice new hunters without alienating any hunters. If the government were to poll bowhunters as to whether xbows should be allowed into archery season, it would in all honesty be defeated, if they polled all hunters there may be a different outcome.
If all the rifle hunters who were not perviously bowhunters bought xbows to hunt the archery season, then ammendments would need to be made to tags and draws. Its not a question of individual success rates, it becomes quantity of hunters and a possible harvest rate. Even with a lower success rate, the increase in hunters alone would increase the harvest of game, which would affect archery tags/draws as well as tags/draws in the rifle season. I think the draw to hunting the archery season besides the time of year is the tag/draw scheme. You can hunt the archery season mostly with general tags and very few draws, that would have to be changed. Even if the success rate was like 1 out of 5 attempts (eg.) with increased numbers of hunters the harvest would be larger. The government knows this, and will capitalize on this with draws or increased cost.
For all the hunters who resent the fact that you can't hunt the archery season with xbows ...
... I am going to enjoy it while I can, because if xbows are allowed into archery season it will be a vastly different season than bowhunters have known.