orginization for all archery hunters...

[george tinkham]

I would like to see a orginization for all archery hunters.the numbers would be higher and maybe get some of those like the xbowers more into the game,giving us more clout.its archery season we all want to keep around awhile.would it be a possibility,a diversified site as this would be a good place to get the ball rollin,is there room for another org.?other states have more than one,not counting trad.org...would this be good?2 orginizations?i believe all archers should be under one roof.shoots could be seperate as osta is now,xbows could have there own shoots,it would be orginized too,a problem i see with xbows,orginization.one big happy archery family shootin ,huntin an fightin for our rights together.is it possible.

[Thunderflight]

I think it would be a good ideal.

TF

[Beentown]

Good idea but I think that "most" xbowers won't get involved until the sh-- hits the fan. How often do you see them shooting at shops just for fun? Most dust it off before the season and make sure that it flys straight. I wish it were different but I don't think it is.:(

[COB]

Hell-of-an idea george. I think you should be president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary, edit the news letter, and be board of advisors. We all know you know all there is to know about bowhunting and have done so much for the state organizations that are now in existance. And this way you could correct ALL the MISTAKES being made in those groups. You could unite gunners, crossbowmen, compounders, and stick and stringers. Even bring in the fishermen and the ODNR. Man I'm excited!!!!! I see notheing but blue skies and good times down the road for the ? ? ? ? ? Er, what are you going to call your organization george and where do I sign up?

[Thunderflight]

COB,,,,

Your killing me!!!! :D :D :D :D

TF

[Beentown]

COB...I know...I mean heard... of some Geisha girls that can get that tension out:D !

[strut-n-rut]

OMG too darn funny!
You're right about xbowers dusting off their bows and making sure their red dot is on target though.
it takes me a good couple of days shooting my bow just to get the strength back to draw it and hold it still if I dont shoot for several weeks.
Thats why I marked my driveway off at 5 yard increments from 10 to 40 :D with a "block" in my Geerage.
I also believe that if an xbower picked up a Mathew's they would convert. :D

[george tinkham]

well most guys i know who hunt with compound,xbow,guns an i'm sure theres more recurvers an longbowers than we realise,haul there weapon out just before season.i personally know a lot,very few belong to clubs,shoot 3d or shoot at archery ranges.shoot many are usin obsolete bows from the seventies.all muh relatives do this an most i know from down round athens way.butt an this is a BIG BUTT,many prolly git more an bigger deer than the average city club boy i know.thats a fact jack,most muh frens down there have at least one ohio big buck,a few got boonies.they live in them woods.

[Aimrite]

Aint gonna happen for the same reason you wont take bowhunters Ed.. Peolple are stuborn refuse to keep and open mind.

[george tinkham]

there was a lot of doubters sayin osta would never fly.when i was told about osta long before the very first meeting by john raymond,my good buddy,i laughed him down,he wanted me to be the third member of osta.he finally convnced me tuh at least join,what did i have to lose an could be a founding member.well after that first meetin at charlies place,i knew an we knew osta was going to be a reality.so as you can see anything is possible.bowhunters ed or not.i do agree with bowhunter ed for newbies,most bowhunters should have enough common sense to be safe if they been huntin a few years.if you want to take it 1-2-3 times fine,but it should not be forced.an with those who have hunted 40 yrs.,dont try tell me they dont know anything,i'll introduce you to a few.i've been huntin 40 yrs. myself,most with a bow.not one accident=common sense

[strut-n-rut]

I have only been bow hunting for about 9 months now. i'm farthest from expert even though my first and prolly only bow is a Mathew's. ( my GF loves me!) anyway........ I have hunted small game since age 10 ( im almost 37 ) and big game for the past 16 years. last year I took to the woods in fall with my bow...... I saw and learned more last season about deer and turkey than my entire 16 years combined.
I didnt take a deer. ( I was being too selective and picky about what I wanted to shoot ) but I did manage to take a 10 pound hen with my bow.
I have lost interest in gun hunting ever since.

[Arrow 1]

Great idea George,.................not!!!!

George, you know as well as I do about the crossbow hunters. They really don't give a rats rear about the crossbow season. The proof in that statement is this. You will find no organized crossbow exclusive clubs in the state of Ohio. Crossbow hunters now out number bowhunters in Ohio. If they were interested in how thier season is run by ODNR, Don't you think that they would have a state org. by now? Even if there were a few local crossbow boys that wanted to get together with each other and have a place to shoot and socialize, don't you think they would have thrown some club together by now? You know the Ohio Bowhunters Association tried to help the crossbow guys organize at one time but, they wanted no part of that.

[george tinkham]

this is not a xbow debate,i simply believe a orginazation could be put together that will have more members and include all the hunters of the deer archery season if they want to join.more members means more clout,i believe a orginazation including all archery hunters will prolly double the size of the oba.i think the right people can get the ball rolling.i know many who know of the oba but will not join because of their stance on the xbow,these are mainly compound hunters.many of their freinds or relatives use xbows,i know a few compounders who uses xbows too.its possible if the right people are in there,just like with osta.and thats what i'm lookin for,the right people.the right people who believe we need a stronger archery organization to protect hunting in ohio.

[Arrow 1]

George,

My intent was not to debate, but to present the facts that have already happened. You could even call it a history lesson if you like.

You mentined the Ohio bowhunters Association, and some folks did not want to join the OBA because we do not support crossbows. You say you know people that hunt with compounds and crossbows both and these are the folks who will not join.

Well George, I know folks that hunt with bows and muzzleloaders and guys that hunt with bows and slug guns. So to make these guys happy do you think the OBA should also represent muzzleloaders and slug guns?

This is the bottom line about the OBA, George. Take a look in your Ohio hunting regs. book on page 19, I think, . Look at the definition of the word "longbow". It covers compounds and traditional equipment. That is what the OBA, is all about.

If you look further you will see a seperate definition for the word crossbow. And if you look even further in the regs. book you will see seperate definitions and laws for shotguns and muzzleloaders and handguns.
The OBA is not about these other weapons.

I'm not trying to turn this into another Bowsite.com so I guess if you want to continue this part of my post you can send me a PM. and we can discuss it that way.

Strength in numbers is good George, it does give you clout but I think you are barking up the wrong tree based on past history.

[Beentown]

I would like to see it happen but the glass is half empty in my mind. I don't think (from the ones I know) that even 1% of xbowers would even be truely interested. I hope that I am wrong. We do need something broad like the NRA where some real clout could be had by archers of all types.

Beentown

[Beentown]

"Well George, I know folks that hunt with bows and muzzleloaders and guys that hunt with bows and slug guns. So to make these guys happy do you think the OBA should also represent muzzleloaders and slug guns?"

I thought he was looking to put all archers together? The OBA is great but there is always room for more people (Xbowers, not to say OBA should by any means). I didn't think George wanted OBA to have Xbowers as members just not oppose them any more since they are here...and here to stay. That means more money and more clout. Again, I think the NRA is the goal that archers should go for. I know we don't have the numbers but we can shoot for the stars.

WHY IS THERE NO NATIONAL ARCHERY ORGANIZATION TO PULL ALL THE STATE ONES TOGETHER? Just makes sense to me!
:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Beentown

[Lundy43123]

Same converstaion, same debate, same preconcieved ideas, same closed minds. It's been the same for years and years, at least 25 years that I'm very familar with.

Bowhunting in Ohio will remain a us and they mentality until the sport of bowhunting is seriously challenged and in danger of being eliminated. Then and only then will the individual place less importance on what equipment they choose to hunt with and more importance on a unified voice to preserve the sport.


Kim

[george tinkham]

yes i know that history well,i also can understand shotguns an muzzs being excluded but under deer archery season it includes xbows an longbows.and thats what we are protecting,archery season,not bowseason for thats not what the huntin regs call it.so sad that xbows an longbows are not all under the same roof already.if it would have been years ago i believe there would be a much bigger org. already today.maybe its time now to give it a try.i dont know if anybuddy shares this feeling.everyone seems to agree that for some reason our state org. cant get the majority of bowhunters( longbowers)to join so its not just the xbowers showin a lack of interest.

[Lundy43123]

George,

In case you didn't get it, I agree with you.

I've had this same conversation with many of the OBA officers in the past.

There is no doubt that any efforts expended to promote, preserve, enhance bowhunting in Ohio ever, have been from the conventional bows groups not the xbow hunters.

I do disagree that the blanket statements that all xbow hunters are lazy, never pick up their bow until the day before the season, would never join the OBA, etc, etc, is a broad all inclusive statement that is not based in facts. These statements are only applied to xbow hunters, yet could and should be applied to most bow hunters. There is only a small percentage of Ohio's bowhunters that actually belong to the OBA. It's wrong in my view to just throw everyone in a group and hang a label on them, everyone is an individual. No one REALLY knows what the result would be if the OBA opened up to Xbow hunters, speculation only.

The OBA is a good organization that works hard to Protect bowhunting.

It's always easy to throw out all of the reasons why something shouldn't or couldn't work. That's easy, no changes, simple. It's much more difficult to find the reasons to justify the efforts required for change.

There will come a day, when it will be neccesary for bowhunters to be united with bowhunters, no longer bowhunters and xbow hunters, maybe soon, maybe later, but it will come

[george tinkham]

lundy i agree,there are those in the oba that are very dedicated and work very hard.they are the officers.there are about 5 that i know of who really go far and beyond the call of duty.these are the ones i would like to see rethink this about trying to extend the oba to all archery hunters.even if it means working hard to create an xbow division just for them as part of the oba.if this cant happen,then i believe there has to be another org. for all archers.i have to wonder how much stronger the oba would be today if they would have made this move 15 yrs. ago.

[Thunderflight]

I wonder what would happen if I showed up to an OBA or OSTA shoot with a crossbow?

TF

[george tinkham]

you can have it you just cant take it on the course,i have seen xbows at reg. shoots,but they were not allowed on the course and i have seen compounds at osta shoots but not allowed on the course,i did shoot next to a guy last year that was using a compound on the practice range at the osta shoot.but the clubs have their rules about equip. on the course an thats how it is.i must say i dont understand xbows much,especially their safety mech.and what a safe procedure would be say at a xbow shoot.i would think they wouldnt be safe walkin around cocked.

[Lundy43123]

Thunderflight,

I've seen that exact scenrio happen at a club that I belonged to, 100% OBA membership.

The guys were treated in a polite way. It was merely explained that crossbows were not permitted. There would accasionally be a smart commet made in their dirction, but only from a couple of the membership never the officers of the club.

I have tremendous respect for most current and past officers of the OBA, we just don't agree on the big picture.

Kim

[Caribou Dreamer2]

You guys are killing me how did we get from a orginazation for all archery to a crossbow issues again give it a rest.

The club that i belong to allows crossbow shooter on there course and ever since we started this i think maybe and i mean a bif maybe we have had three people show up with crossbows to shoot on the course.
I don't think they as hunter careless about there equipment as what will be said when they show up at a 3-d course to shoot.

[Spitfire]

Your right CD, I haven't seen to many x-bowers at the club. I wish they would come out, they need the practice as much as we do.
You will never see it though because I bet over half the people that use crossbows are gun hunters looking to extend their season and could careless about getting proficient w/ their equipment. It was sighted in when they hung it up 8 months ago so why mess w/ it during the summer. Besides, it has a pull weight of 150lbs so they can shoot out to 80yds with it like they do a shotgun.
Don't take this the wrong way because I don't have anything against x-bows. What I do have a problem w/ is the misconception that people have about this weapon. I brought this up one other time but there needs to be some type of education along the way about x-bows. Maybe it needs to start w/ the manufacturers offering free instructional videos w/ each x-bow and encouraging x-bowers to hit local 3-D shoots.

Just my 2 cents!!

[george tinkham]

spitfire,i hope to not really disappoint you but most hunters are that ,just hunters an they break the weapons out when season comes in.almost all those i know in athens that hunt with compounds do not and would not belong to the oba,and i have tryed to git them to join.also these very same individuals proll close to half are using compounds like the bear whitetail hunter bracket bows of the seventies an the same arrahs they shot last year an didnt change the blades.they use there bow for huntin,not to shoot around with.this is the way more than 3/4( my estimate)of the hunters in ohio are,whether it be gun,bow,xbow..tell them bout huntin rights,they say we will never lose them,no matter what,so they dont worry bout that.talk to em bout antis an you get laughed down.some you wont reach but some you will and there are some now that the oba wont let in even if the people wanted to join,just because of what they shoot.that equals more members in my book.and thats whats needed to protect our hunting.more members,more money.

[Spitfire]

You aren't going to disappoint me George.
If these guys you speak of are good enough to hang their equipment up for the off-season and not touch it again until the next opening day rolls around, then my hats off to them.
I'm sure I haven't been shooting as long as some others on here, but after 27yrs. I still owe to the animal that I am pursuing to be on top of my game.
I will agree w/ you about the 3/4 of Ohio hunters and the issues you brought up. I also agree there needs to be an organization where everyone is treated equal and not judged based on the weapon he/she chooses. I would support an organization that does that.

All I was trying to say earlier was there are alot of x-bow users that need to be informed about the effectivness of that weapon.

[strut-n-rut]

I dont believe that crossbows are much different than close range guns. The skill of being able to draw back your bow without detection by game adds even more difficulty to the hunt than the obvious already cocked crossbow.
But even with that in mind, my father is in his mid 60's and last year I was able to get him out during archery season when it was warmer and he would be less uncomfortable like december gun season would be for him ( he will only use his thompson black powder, never shotgun) . He would never have the strength to pull back a bow. He bought a nice crossbow which I sighted in for him since he couldnt repeatedly fire and cock it.
I guess I cant complain too much about crossbows since my dad and I get that extra time together.
There are states like Massachusettes with certain restrictions like handicapped only can use crossbow.

[Ohio Bill]

I am a Crossbow hunter.... and I shoot all year long.. You can never get enough practice... Yes I think shooting a crossbow is easier then a longbow or compound bow but they all shoot arrows.....:D

[george tinkham]

ohio bill so what if its easier,a compound is easier than a recurve,many think a recurve is easier than a longbow and a longbow is easier than a selfbow.so what,use what you should according to your ability or just because thats what you choose to use.i am looking for a few good men,anybuddy interested my zip code is ptinkham@aol.com.remember this is for a stronger voice for all archers.there is power in numbers.

[CritterGitter]

George, I like your idea here. I like that you are encouraging open-minded discussion on this topic. Lundy had a reply that I thought really hit the nail on the head. People do generally have a negative perspective when it comes to change regardless of what that change might apply to. It is easier to keep things the same and status quo and such. It takes more effort to have vision, be open-minded and accepting of others who may be different.

I have been a deer hunter for archery season for the past 9 years and I will admit that I have not done much for the sport. I would also like to add that I hunted for deer with a crossbow long before I ever went into the woods during gun season. I have only hunted during Ohio's deer gun season for the past 3 years and I don't think I'll ever do it again as I just don't enjoy it as much. I started with a crossbow and now shoot a compound and I agree with you that we should all be open to others methods. I like that Ohiobill mentioned, "they all shoot arrows" and please don't anyone say that a crossbow bolt is not an arrow?!?!?!?!? Anyway, the long and short of it is that I would be more than willing to support you with this all inclusive club. I also still have an interest in your all inclusive deer camp on the Wayne. That should be fun and that's what this really all about as far as I am concerned. It should all be fun and we should all contribute to protect it.

CG

[george tinkham]

yes i really did like lundys reply too,it echos how i feel xactly.unification is needed now,not when its too late.we need a large org. with enough resources including money and possibly legal council if needed to protect bowhunting now an for the future and to give us hunting archers more clout on decision makers that effects us as bowhunters.and i will add,by bow hunters i mean ,compounders,recurvers,xbowers or those who use longbows.if its a legal weapon in the deer archery season,then we should all be protecting that deer archery season,together.I believe this should by far be the highest priority.is it possible to get this powerful,well first i say we get the numbers(members)and go from there.a good team needs to be put in place to get the ball rollin.

[george tinkham]

good post crittergitter,we need a lot of help and support to get this off the ground.my email address was posted earlier.if and when we get enough interested in unifying all bowhunters in ohio,we then can get together and see what we have and what we need.it will take special people truly dedicated to seeing this thru.i have been there before so i know it can be done.i do have some xperience to draw on with starting a archery org.,an i know what it takes to get the ball rolling.i know it can be done with less than 10 people to a org. with hundreds of members,but this time i'm visionalizin in the thousands.and i know there are a lot out there that will join this type of org.an believe me it takes a lot of footwork,putin up flyers in huntin places and talkin to all your frends an passin out applications at yardsales that advertise a lot of archery equip. cheap.it worked!lets get the ball rollin!

[COB]

Errrrrrrrrrrrr, what's wrong with the United Sportsmen, the ole Wlid Life Legilative Fund Of America organization. It is nation wide. It fights battles for ALL sportsmen. Bowhunters, gun hunbters, Crossbowmen, and fishermen. Why start "another" group and just spliter and fractionalize more of us. An individual can cough up $25 or $30, not sure what a membership is now. They are the ones who had the raffles for cabin and land the last couple of years here in Ohio. IMHO we don't need another organization, we just need to back the one's we got NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beentown]

George are you looking to include everyone or just people that hunt with legal "archery equipment"? Please clarify.

Beentown

[george tinkham]

well i am stuck there with that and thats where we will need to begin as soon as we get a first meeting together,thats why the call for a few good men,but for now its all archers only who can bowhunt in ohio legally.but i believe all hunters in this state need to work together,including gun hunters,we should not be trying to destroy one another or take away any hunters rights(privleges) that have been givin to us by the odnr.we are looking out for ohio bowhunting/bowhunters first.what we can do to benefit us.the sportsmans aliance is fighting the antis mainly,they arent worried bout adding 5 days to season,but bowhunters are.we need to take care of business where we can work to change things in the bowseason like bag limits,even qdm,sportsman alliance isnt after this stuff.but if we are bigger an more powerful we will be more help to sportsman alliance fighting those big battles to protect hunting for all,we can raise more money.thats whats needed.but we do need gun hunters as well as bowhunters to be unified in fighting to protect hunting an each other from losing that privlege.as a recurve shooter an in the minority,i know i would want those guys on my side if they come after my weapon of choice and try to illiminate me from using it.but this will be an org. for all those who hunt in the archery season.

[george tinkham]

beentown,crittergitter,lundy,ohio bill...an me.with osta discussions long before that first official meeting went on a long time with 2 people,then three.i know notes were kept when we realized it was going to be a go.i think there was 8 members at the first official meeting.when we finished that first meeting there was no doubt osta would make it.so right now i need someone to help with getting this org. started.i have a couple comitted now.lundy you seem interested and seem to have some xperience with archery org.that would be a big plus.ex officers or those that would like to be an officer,thats got the knowhow an determination to get a new org. off the ground.just think,someday you can look back and say you were the one that helped start a powerful,successful org.for ALL bowhunters in ohio.its a good feeling i can tell you that.for those interested,think of a name,i got a few.email me at ptinkham@aol.com...i am lookin forward to gettin together,sittin in a living room or den an workin this thing out.with osta we had members before the first meeting,dues paid an a number assigned.we put a lil cash down and got a org. born.i think this can happen,if we have the same determination we had starting osta.

[snydley]

George I wish you luck with the new organiztion! Just remeber the 90/10 rule 90%of the work is done my 10% of the member ussually the same 10% and in the case of OSTA and OBA our members over lap. Now for the bad news sorry to say all the old OSTA records from the begining were lost in a fire/flood in someones basement years ago. Wish I could help those notes.

I do need to make somethings clear Osta is not against crossbows (a lot of members are) But the club has no stand on this. We do regulate bows at our shoots no compunds or crossbows are allowed we sign contracts that state so no compunds/crosbows allowed on the any range including practice ranges from when we move in on friday to when we leave on sunday if by some chance someone shows up do a mis communication we will provide them traditional bow and arrows if they do want to shoot. Such was the case of the bow you saw at one of our shoots. This is why we dont shoot alot of clubs they want their members to be able to shoot compunds on the Practice range.


ed

ONce again Good Luck

[Ohio Bill]

Welcome to this site snydley!

[george tinkham]

well there is 3 of us left from the very first osta meeting that i'm aware of.john raymond,ron ralston and myself.i think it would be important to have that history.yes i know how that goes bout 10%,butt when we started osta it took everybuddy an some money out of our pockets.thanks,i really think all bowhunters need to be more respectable of the other,no matter what they hunt with an we need to unify all hunters in the archery season.

[CritterGitter]

I do definately support this and I am anxious to sit around a camp fire and brain storm on this especially with you guys who have been down this road before. I really do have an itch to do some camping! We need to get down to the Wayne and scout, get spotting scopes out, build a fire and cook up some of Beeners deer burger! Keep me in the loop if it's by email. I am at Mroutdoors1973@yahoo.com.

CG

[george tinkham]

still working on it...those interested,my email is ptinkham@aol.com

[Beentown]

George make sure you send the emails that you get. Critter email me at clbeener@columbus.rr.com and I will add you.

Beentown

[george tinkham]

ok.i will