Looking to get in on the archery season. Curious or if I should go crossbow or compound... Thoughts?

It really depends on if you think you will practice. Free hand bows, compounds included, take practice to develop the muscle groups and memory to shoot consistently.

Cleric compounds take much more practice. Crossbow you can practice a few times after your sight it in and your done. Compounds take much more time and dedication.

I had the same question and have decided the best way to resolve it, before spending serious green, is to visit a local archery range/shop that offers both. They also have a nice intro course for beginners that includes basic instruction, fitting, full day use of rental bow/arrows etc. I want to try the compound first, without donating parts...and see if it is something I could invest time in and develop into a useable weapon.

The reasons I lean towards the compound are:
My personal preference in staying closer to a traditional bow format
(From arm chair research) they can be quieter than a crossbow
They require skill development in both the stalking and shooting

Now, if my old bones/joints and eyesight don't agree with the above I will have no problem in keeping the animals and general population safer by learning to hunt with a crossbow.

I am leaning towards cross. I am not looking for another addiction just something to pop a deer or two

Compound until I can't pull one back.

Missed 2 seasons when I could not shoot a vertical bow from shoulder issues, bought a crossbow.

I am again hunting with vertical bows and will be using a recurve some this ear. But there are times the Xbow will see some usage also.

My take on the different bow types.

Xbow very effective hunting tool, louder than the others but does not require as much movement for getting the shot and can be shot from either shoulder. Also like shooting a gun, not difficult to hit a deer in the vitals out to 40 yards or more for someone used to shooting a gun.

Compound also very effective and not difficult to get reasonable accuracy with a little practice and instruction.

recurve/long bow, much more practice to shoot well but by far the most enjoyable bow to get out and shoot.

This was kind of my reasoning also.

Crossbow cut 3 fingers off 5 years ago can't pull my compound any more.

Compound, unless I am physically unable to do it. Anything else in October is cheating.

Thats almost sounds like the IA sergeant interviewing me about an arrest one of my patrol officers made, and he wanted me to say it was a bad arrest. I finally told him, after many times of telling him no, that any legal arrest IS NOT a bad arrest.

If its legal, use it. If you aint't cheating, you aint't trying. Been a bowhunter since 1976 and now own 2 crossbows. I can still shoot a compound, just choose to hunt with crossbow now. All my kills last year were still 18 yards or less.

Compound is what I like.

I did just get an oldschool recurve crossbow with iron sights.. just couldn't help it

Go recurve or longbow with cedar arrows, if it has wheels/cams and a trigger or sights it is cheating in October.

Martin Cougar Magnum and a Stryker 380.

I agree with everyone that says compound it is morr challenging thats why I rarely rifle hunt anymore.i guess ill use my bare hands next when I get bored of bow hunting lol

Love giving Crossbow guys a hard time, even the ones on my lease. Unless they have a physical reason for shooting one.

They get all blown up like I am coming to take their man card. Sorry I just bow hunted for 20 years, where the only way you could use a crossbow is if your have a medically excused reason. I hate change.

So if I wanted a cross bow. Where should I get one in north texas?

The challenge is not shooting a crossbow or a compound....the challenge is getting a whitetail within 30 yards for the shot.

Anyone with practice can hit a quarter at 30 yards with any bow or any crossbow....with enough practice like I said. Again, it is all about getting them in close. If you don't like getting them in close, then get your bang stick out.

Both methods of archery have their pro's and con's. Use what you like and don't let anyone tell you that you are cheating.

I own and hunt with both. When hunting out of my bowhunting stands, I find the crossbow creates more noticeable movement and is front heavy to hold for very long. I would rather hold a high let off compound at full draw than hold a crossbow up for a long time. Raising the crossbow perhaps because it is horizontal gets noticed by game a lot worse than me just pulling my bow. If your hunting from popup blinds it does not matter so much. For taking advantage of rifle stands with horizontal windows for game within 30 yards, the crossbow shines over the long bow.
With the compound I can get off a 2nd shot without as much movement and much faster than a crossbow. Both have their place. If I could only have one I would have a long bow. But I can have both, so I do. During bow season I may have in camp any or all of compound bow, recurve crossbow, and or rifle for hogs. To keep it fun, my future plans are to retire the modern compound forever for a primitive long bow or recurve as that is what I started with many years ago, drop the crossbow for a better more modern crossbow than the primitive recurve crossbow I have now, and use my smokeless muzzleloader or black powder cartridge loads in a rolling block for october hogs instead of my modern centerfires. It does not matter what you shoot just as long as you get out there. My recommendation is to get both and choose what to carry out of camp each morning based on the stand you plan to hunt that morning and just what you feel like hunting with that morning.

If you are physically able...compound. If not then a xgun.

Cabelas or Bass Pro would be good places to start a crossbow search. Try a lot of different ones to see what feels/fits you best. Just like a rifle or vertical bow, they are all different.

I wouldn't let either even cut an arrow for me. You need to find someone who really knows about the products, not just what the catalog or their 1 hour of training says. Crossbows are dangerous and temperamental.

Agreed for the most.

As far as temperamental goes I would agree if it is a compound crossbow, recurve crossbows on the other hand are pretty simple and not fussy at all - that's why the 3D crossbow competitors all use them. Dangerous - for sure, especially to thumbs.

Durn, I bought both my crossbows from Cabelas.....

Thank goodness though I have a little common sense and know more than the average bear, and thoae Cabela Bucks sure add up quick for spending on other items.