CROSSBOWS ARE COMING
More Crossbows Past & Future
Editor’s
note: The fastest-growing sport in archery today is
crossbow hunting. This old method of archery has suddenly
caught fire for many reasons. To learn why crossbows
are making such a strong impact on the archery scene,
we talked with Ottie Snyder, the media specialist for
Horton Manufacturing Company.
QUESTION: What are some other factors that cause more
hunters to turn to the crossbow?
SNYDER: We are an aging society. Older hunters are beginning
to hurt a little when they start to turn over the wheels
and cams of a horizontal bow. But
with a crossbow, that doesn’t require as much
strength or manual dexterity, these hunters can stay
in the woods longer than if they’re restricted
to only hunting with a vertical bow.
QUESTION: Why do you think there’s so much resistance
to the crossbow?
SNYDER: It’s not so much that there’s a
resistance to the crossbow, it’s just that the
people who are opposed to crossbow hunting are very
vocal and happen to be a very-organized minority. They
lobby state legislatures and say, “Everyone who
shoots a bow is against crossbow hunting,” and
that’s just not true. We’re seeing the same
phenomenon with the crossbow that we saw when the compound
bow was introduced. There was
an outcry from the established archery community who
only shot longbows and recurves. This group complained
that the compound bow was not really a bow at all, but
that it was just a mechanical arrow launcher and should
be banned. The first time I saw a compound bow, I said,
“I’ll never go hunting with something that
looks like that,” but now, I can’t tell
you how many I’ve owned since that time. The compound
bow has helped increase the number of bowhunters, increase
the season for bowhunters nationwide and even has helped
to increase bag limits. The compound bow has become
the standard, and the recurve and longbow are now in
the minority, although they still have their places
in hunting. Because the crossbow is new, the vertical
bowhunters are offering the same resistance they did
when the archery industry went from recurves and longbows
to compound bows.
QUESTION:
We’re seeing more longbow companies beginning
to make crossbows now. Do you think this is a trend
we can continue to expect to see in the future?
SNYDER: Absolutely. Archery companies are in the archery
business, and as new and different ways to bow hunt
evolve, they’re going to begin to make more crossbows.
The only thing I can tell you for sure is that Horton
will only produce crossbows. Our company never will
make a vertical bow.
To learn more about Horton Crossbows, go to www.crossbow.com
TOMORROW: MY CROSSBOW INTRODUCTION
– A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
|