I sure wish we could use expandible broadheads on big game! (Poll added)

[Machias]

You know what screw personal choice, I hate mud tires. All terrains are much better and are safer in the winter. They tear up my hunting roads, give d bags a reason to die huge trucks, they are noisy and dumb. I vote we make those illegal. Sure I'll never buy them or use them myself, but I don't want anyone else using them cause I don't like them.

The logic of some people amazes me. What's next, you gonna tell us we can't drink certain types of beer or eat certain cuts of steaks. What would this world be like if we made everything we don't understand illegal?

Well that's the problem with your argument, we do understand mechanicals....that's why they have been illegal, they are PRONE TO FAIL!  Have they gotten better with some models on deer size game, yes they have.  Are you going to allow just the ones that have a near perfect working record or are you going to allow even the POS mechanicals?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

The thing about expandables.....
This is always misunderstood, when they were first declared illegal had NOTHING to do with dependability or anything else, it had to do with the barbed aspect.
There are/were several fixed blade broadheads that were in use at the time that also became illegal due to the same restriction.
it is only recently, AFTER the rule, that they have proven dependable/undependable.
Popular on the east coast FOR DEER SIZED GAME, some have been used effectively on larger game, but sure, you put an arrow where it is supposed to go, and you can kill anything.
It really is only a matter of time before they are allowed in this state, just due to the fact this subject comes up all the time shows that it will not go away.
I will never use them myself, but then I will never use a compound again either, that is my choice.

[Snapshot]

 I think too many people put their “right to do this” and right to do that” on a pedestal and think “To hell” with what may be necessary to preserve our heritage of hunting; they care only how best to “whack ‘em” and don’t care that the once proud image of hunters has been wrecked.
 
Stiknstringbow hit the point exactly, as had others further up the thread, that any barbed design is not legal in Washington. The reason is so that the arrow has a chance to back itself out of the wound channel in the case of a non-lethal hit. What is so wrong about that?!

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I think too many people put their “right to do this” and right to do that” on a pedestal and think “To hell” with what may be necessary to preserve our heritage of hunting; they care only how best to “whack ‘em” and don’t care that the once proud image of hunters has been wrecked.

Heritage, Image, it all is just a product of time......
Used to be a few guys that wanted to use bows to hunt with, fought for the privilege, just to be allowed to do it, they made their own stuff because there was nobody making it.
A few saw the possibilities and started companies that specialized in Archery supplies, pretty soon anybody could buy bows, arrows etc..
One of the fathers of the sport, Fred Bear, even (in his later years) advocated the use of "pods" (poison delivery broadheads), because he felt that too few archers were skilled enough to pursue the sport w/o too many wounded and unrecovered animals ( this was after he, himself, lost a couple bears he had shot) and was worried that the future of archery was in danger.
He was not supported by the majority of Archers at the time, and "The Pod" vanished into obscurity.......
Expandable BH's are here to stay, who knows, maybe they will be legal in the future, perhaps "The Pod" will make a resurgence.....
Personally I hope not.
I do support MANDATORY NBEF training to hunt with Archery equipment, including proficiency testing.

[Huntnphish]

I think too many people put their “right to do this” and right to do that” on a pedestal and think “To hell” with what may be necessary to preserve our heritage of hunting;

 The same can be said for preserving our way of life, now we have Michelle Obama saying I can't feed my kids a Big Mac if I want to because its not healthy. What the hell is this country coming to when the ideals of a few opinionated do gooders are forced down the throats of everyone else? If I want to feed my kid a big mac it should be my choice and my kids choice.

 If you don't want to use mechanicals Snapshot then don't. If you don't want to use lumenoks then don't, but don't spew rhetoric, personal theory and lies just to suit your own ideal of what hunting should be, and your agenda. Hunters should be able to choose for themselves what gear they will use, not have their choices reduced because you believe the only gear that is worthy of hunting is trad gear.

Stiknstringbow hit the point exactly, as had others further up the thread, that any barbed design is not legal in Washington. The reason is so that the arrow has a chance to back itself out of the wound channel in the case of a non-lethal hit. What is so wrong about that?!

 I agree 100% but its not our right to tell others they can't use them, they should be able to make that decision on their own.

[Machias]

So no lines at all, anything goes, no limitations what so ever, it is completely up to each individual.  You don't want ANY limitations at all??

[pianoman9701]

So no lines at all, anything goes, no limitations what so ever, it is completely up to each individual.  You don't want ANY limitations at all??

Agreed. There are rules for everything. If you want to do the activity, you have to obey the rules.

[Arrowhead]

Just to put things into perspective.....  When looking nation wide, what are the states with the largest game industries?  Too include non resident hunting licenses, outfitters, animals taken, RECORD ANIMALS taken, etc etc etc.  In 30 years of traveling the US, I've never once had someone say - Man I want to go hunt Washington! 
Maybe some of you should take this to heart and realize that the "way things are here in Washington" aren't necessarily the best.  Maybe there is A LOT OF ROOM for improvement.  Maybe, just MAYBE, the states that produce Record Book animals almost yearly, that promote the hunting and fishing opportunities, and DONT REGULATE IT TO THE POINT OF MAKING IT A NUISANCE, have learned something. 

[Huntnphish]

So no lines at all, anything goes, no limitations what so ever, it is completely up to each individual.  You don't want ANY limitations at all??

 No Fred, there has to be rules of course but the rules should not be dictated by such a small portion of the overall archery community.

[pianoman9701]

I think too many people put their “right to do this” and right to do that” on a pedestal and think “To hell” with what may be necessary to preserve our heritage of hunting;

 The same can be said for preserving our way of life, now we have Michelle Obama saying I can't feed my kids a Big Mac if I want to because its not healthy. What the hell is this country coming to when the ideals of a few opinionated do gooders are forced down the throats of everyone else? If I want to feed my kid a big mac it should be my choice and my kids choice.

 If you don't want to use mechanicals Snapshot then don't. If you don't want to use lumenoks then don't, but don't spew rhetoric, personal theory and lies just to suit your own ideal of what hunting should be, and your agenda. Hunters should be able to choose for themselves what gear they will use, not have their choices reduced because you believe the only gear that is worthy of hunting is trad gear.

Stiknstringbow hit the point exactly, as had others further up the thread, that any barbed design is not legal in Washington. The reason is so that the arrow has a chance to back itself out of the wound channel in the case of a non-lethal hit. What is so wrong about that?!

 I agree 100% but its not our right to tell others they can't use them, they should be able to make that decision on their own.

This is not a well thought out argument. If someone thinks they should be able to hunt at night with a spotlight, they should be able to because it's not our right to tell them no? C'mon, really? What if someone wants to use explosive broadheads or tracer rounds? I know I'm exaggerating, but the point is that there are rules, most of them for a reason, that you must follow to hunt. If you don't like them then petition the government for change or don't hunt. It's pretty easy. Otherwise, do what you want anyway and pay the price when caught.

[Machias]

Just to put things into perspective.....  When looking nation wide, what are the states with the largest game industries?  Too include non resident hunting licenses, outfitters, animals taken, RECORD ANIMALS taken, etc etc etc.  In 30 years of traveling the US, I've never once had someone say - Man I want to go hunt Washington! 
Maybe some of you should take this to heart and realize that the "way things are here in Washington" aren't necessarily the best.  Maybe there is A LOT OF ROOM for improvement.  Maybe, just MAYBE, the states that produce Record Book animals almost yearly, that promote the hunting and fishing opportunities, and DONT REGULATE IT TO THE POINT OF MAKING IT A NUISANCE, have learned something. 

That's gotta be it, if only we'd allow lumenocks and mechanicals we'd have lots of non-residents pouring into to hunt this state.....maybe will just keep the restrictions.  I know I know that was really a smartass remark.  I believe the problems with this state are unrelated to equipment restrictions, but that's just my  .  You guys do realize that the WDFW didn't just arbitraily make these restrictions, they have over the years asked for and received guidiance from the various user groups.

[Machias]

So no lines at all, anything goes, no limitations what so ever, it is completely up to each individual.  You don't want ANY limitations at all??

 No Fred, there has to be rules of course but the rules should not be dictated by such a small portion of the overall archery community.

Phish, the MAJORITY of bowhunters are the ones who requested the restrictions.  Even this thread the guy who started was shocked that the majority of bowhunters do not want mechanicals.

[Huntnphish]

This is not a well thought out argument. If someone thinks they should be able to hunt at night with a spotlight, they should be able to because it's not our right to tell them no? C'mon, really? What if someone wants to use explosive broadheads or tracer rounds? I know I'm exaggerating, but the point is that there are rules, most of them for a reason, that you must follow to hunt. If you don't like them then petition the government for change or don't hunt. It's pretty easy. Otherwise, do what you want anyway and pay the price when caught.

 Since the topic of the thread was on mechanical broadheads I didn't think it necessary to include spotlights, explosive broadheads or tracers, I guess I assumed we could all keep it real.

[Huntnphish]

You guys do realize that the WDFW didn't just arbitraily make these restrictions, they have over the years asked for and received guidiance from the various user groups.

 I hear ya Fred and like I said I wouldn't use them if they were legal. To my point though, the "user groups" you are talking about have been giving their opinions to WDFW but its not always the popular opinion of the user group as a whole that is relayed to F&W but rather the opinion of the board members. They may tell you they are speaking for the group however its not always how the majority of that group would vote, thats the problem I have with it.

[Button Nubbs]

Since we should be able to use whatever we want I would like to use a broadhead with a laser in it a pod behind it and a small ammount of c4 on the fletchings with a detonator on the front of my bow grip so if I don't hear it go down I can just push the button and don't have to worry about the track job. Furthermore I would like a device that keeps the bow fully cocked so I can just jump out of the rig push the other button I have attched to my bow grip to get the range from my leoupold vendetta so I can just throw my pin up there and punch the trigger without having to worry about where I hit the animal or where its gonna go. Just my