Crossbow talk brings both sides together – The Buffalo News
January 29, 2012
By Will Elliott
Hunting activities and gear options spark lively discussions among hunters and non-hunters alike. But one mechanism triggers more high-strung discussion than all other hunting devices—the crossbow.
Legislation last year finally legalized its use during big game seasons not open to archery hunting in much of New York State. While some hunters took advantage of the new season, considerable debate continued as to legalizing the crossbow for use during other game seasons and the early archery season.
State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan received much input from a variety of sources on crossbow legalization issues— particularly of season setting and use designation— that he and his staff arranged for a “Sportsmen and Crossbow Roundtable,” which was held at Allied Sportsman’s Club on Clinton Street in Alden Thursday evening.
Rain, not snow or high winds, could not dampen spirited attendance at the Allied clubhouse. When discussion began, 128 visitors had signed in, other onlookers put total attendance at 150 to 160 people at this well-managed gathering.
Despite the many, varied, strongly-held opinions, beliefs, and presumptions visitors and presenters brought to this roundtable, discussions were polite, respectful, and informative throughout more than two hours of presentations.
As with virtually all political and social discussions, participants did not head home that evening with totally changed attitudes and assumptions about issues. But Sen. Gallivan and fellow legislators brought together nine selected speakers and about a dozen audience commentators who brought to light facts and feelings about the sport of hunting, the functions of this shooting device and the people who love and hope to perpetuate their outdoors pursuits. Click Link Below for Full Story!
via Crossbow talk brings both sides together – Outdoors – The Buffalo News.
Crossbows prove to be a quick draw | Dallas Morning News
September 23, 2009
By RAY SASSER / The Dallas Morning News
rsasser@dallasnews.com
When archery season begins on Oct. 3, traditional bowhunters will share the woods with a new-style archer – the horizontal bowhunter. Texas this year joined a growing number of states that have approved the use of crossbows during archery seasons.
The change came not from Texas Parks and Wildlife, but from the Legislature. In the past, a Texas hunter could not use a crossbow during archery season unless he could prove a disability that made it physically impossible to draw a traditional hunting bow.
One exception to the crossbow rule is Grayson County, an archery-only deer hunting county. In Grayson County, crossbows are legal only for a disabled hunter.
Even in a depressed economy, relaxing the rules on crossbows created a rush in sporting goods stores. Bass Pro Shops reports more than a 50 percent increase in crossbow sales for all its Texas stores. A spokesman for Cabela’s in Fort Worth reported triple the sale of crossbows over a year ago.
Crossbow prices range from $300 to more than $1,000. An average crossbow hunting package, including accessories, costs $500 to $700.
For the record, traditional bowhunters do not like crossbows and do not consider them archery equipment. A similar controversy evolved around compound bows more than 30 years ago.
Traditional archery hunters make a valid point that legalizing crossbows is really about increasing retail sales and the sales of archery stamp endorsements. Anyone hunting with either a crossbow or a traditional bow during the early season must pay a $7 archery stamp endorsement.
All hunting and fishing stamps endorsements are included on the Texas Super Combo hunting and fishing license.
Other states that have approved crossbows as legal archery equipment are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming. An Ohio hunter success survey indicated that the crossbow harvest rate was 3 percentage points higher than for traditional archery equipment.
Because they shoot like a short-range rifle and are usually fitted with rifle sights, crossbows are touted as being well suited for beginners who lack the time or dedication to practice with a vertical bow and for anyone who lacks the strength to draw and hold a traditional hunting bow.
Texas has one of the longest deer seasons in the nation, and it remains to be seen whether mixing crossbows into archery season will result in more hunter days or a larger deer harvest. Clayton Wolf, TP&W’s big-game program leader, said his staff was called to testify on what might happen with the new regulation.
“Our best guess is that legalizing crossbows will result in more hunting during the archery-only season,” Wolf said. “Crossbows will make archery hunting possible for more hunters, but we don’t believe that the change will result in many nonhunters taking up the sport.”
Whether a bowhunter shoots a horizontal or a vertical bow, the challenge remains the same – getting within 30 yards of a wary whitetail.
CROSSBOW VS. VERTICAL BOW
Effective range: About 40 yards for either style. Archery hunting surveys indicate most deer are shot at about 30 yards.
No advantage
Arrow speed: Most crossbows fire a short arrow (called a bolt) at about 300 to 375 feet per second, about the speed of the fastest compound bow.
No advantage
Ballistics: The shorter crossbow bolt loses velocity quicker than a traditional arrow, but the trajectory is roughly equivalent to that of a compound that shoots about 350 fps. At 30 yards, the longer arrow drops about 17 inches, two inches more than the crossbow bolt. At maximum range of 40 yards, the compound arrow drops about 30 inches, four inches more than the crossbow.
Slight advantage, crossbow
Noise: The crossbow is significantly noisier than a traditional bow, and hyper-alert white-tailed deer have a habit of reacting to any sound. It’s called “jumping the string,” but the usual reaction is to duck and gather to run, a motion that causes the arrow to miss high.
Advantage vertical bow
Aiming: Crossbows are shot like a rifle. A trigger pull releases the bolt. Many crossbows are even equipped with low-power telescopic sights that allow precise shot placement.
Advantage crossbow
Reloading: Crossbows are slow to reload, and some cocking mechanisms are noisy. If you miss the first shot, reloading for a second shot at an unspooked deer is unlikely.
Advantage vertical bow
Mastering accuracy: Because the crossbow is shot like a rifle, often with rifle-style sights, accurate shooting is easier to master.
Advantage crossbow
Ease of use: Women, children or men with physical disabilities may not be strong enough to draw a vertical bow with sufficient speed for deer hunting. Thanks to mechanical cocking aides and string locks, crossbows are easier to use.
Advantage crossbow
Expense: About the same entry-level expense for both styles, $300 to $1,000.
No advantage
Weight: Crossbows weigh two to three times as much as a compound bow. Because of the weight difference, some form of rest or support may be required for accurate crossbow shots.
Advantage vertical bow
Hunting effectiveness: An Ohio study indicated a 19.8-percent success rate for vertical archery hunters, 22.7 percent for crossbows.
Negligible advantage
Crossbow issue to be revisited – PennLive.com
July 5, 2009
BY MARCUS SCHNECK mschneck@comcast.net
After fierce debate among sportsmen and members of the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, crossbows are legal for use in archery seasons for bear and deer this fall and winter.
However, the agenda for this week's meeting of commissioners is expected to include preliminary consideration of a proposal from Commissioner Ron Weaner, who describes himself as an “avid archer,” to again restrict crossbow use, even before the new legalization.
Under his proposal, crossbows would be permitted during the first two weeks of the statewide early archery deer season; only by disabled hunters with a permit to use crossbows for the remainder of the early archery season and the late archery season; for all deer seasons, including the early and late archery seasons, in wildlife management units 2B, 5C and 5D; only by disabled hunters with special permits during the two-day archery bear season; and in muzzleloader deer hunting seasons by hunters with a license.
When he requested consideration of the proposal at the conclusion of the April commissioner meeting, Weaner said, “If it can happen for this year [which began July 1 for the new hunting license year], I'd like to see it happen this year.”
However, if commissioners give preliminary approval to the proposal this week, it would need to come up for second consideration and final approval in the future.
All materials offered to hunters for this fall and winter's hunting seasons list crossbows as legal throughout all archery seasons on deer and bear. Click Link Below for Full Story.
via Crossbow issue to be revisited – PennLive.com.
Outdoor Journal: Sportsmen should pull together on crossbow proposal
February 20, 2009
By Ed Noonan
Once again, allowing crossbow hunting in New York state is being proposed to our legislature.
The bill, number A924, is being introduced in the Assembly by Francine DelMonte (D-Lewiston). It was read once and referred to the Committee of Environmental Conservation.
For the state’s sportsmen, this is not a new proposal, and is always a controversial one.
For instance, the New York Bowhunters Association, on its Web site, states its opposition to the use of any weapon other than bows drawn, held and released by hand, in any archery season or archery-only area. Additionally, it opposes the creation of any new hunting or fishing season or the extension of any existing season which will decrease the length of the archery-only season or displace the season into less favorable dates.
In a time when hunting/shooting sports are under attack from all directions, the one thing our hunting fraternity does not need is this type of self-centered attitude that ultimately pits hunters against hunters. The only benefit of the infighting it has created is aiding the anti-hunting groups who oppose our sport. Shouldn’t this be the time when we all unite in an effort to insure that the hunting/shooting traditions that we enjoy and are entitled to are promoted and carried on for future generations? Click Link Below for Full Story!
via Outdoor Journal: Sportsmen should pull together on crossbow proposal.
Bowhunters group decries crossbow ruling – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
February 11, 2009
By Bob Frye, TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
The leaders of the United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania did not immediately make an official statement after Pennsylvania Game Commissioners approved crossbows for use in the statewide six-week archery season.
They have now.
It’s clear that the group’s positions have not changed: they disagree that crossbows are a primitive weapon and want the commission to track their use somehow.
“The United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania remain steadfast that the crossbow is a superior weapon to a bow and should not be permitted in archery seasons other than by those hunters who qualify as physically unable to draw and hold a bow,” reads the statement, released by the group’s president, Wes Waldron.
The statement goes on to say that allowing an unknown number of crossbows into the archery season, with no way to track participation or impact on the deer harvest, “represents a departure from the limited and incremental approach historically utilized when providing new or expanded hunting opportunity.” It further “depicts an overall deviation from the scientific, biological and social concerns of conscientious wildlife management.
“Therefore, we feel that any hunting license increase package must include a crossbow license to accurately track harvest and participation,” it concludes. Click link bel0w for full story
via Bowhunters group decries crossbow ruling – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Game Commission to expand crossbow hunting regulations – The Pocono Record
February 2, 2009
Pocono Record Writer
February 02, 2009
Bow hunters in Pennsylvania will be joined by hunters armed with crossbows during deer and bear seasons after the state Game Commission voted last week to expand crossbow use into regular archery season.
Under previous regulations only hunters with a disability permit signed by a doctor were allowed to use crossbows during archery season.
In years past, bow hunters have had a six-week archery season before firearm hunting begins to hunt in warmer temperatures before rifle-hunting season begins. The regulations will now prohibit the use of magnifying scopes on crossbows.
“We’re going to sell more crossbows because (the new law) is going to put more people in the field hunting,” said Terry Hill, archery department manager at Dunkelberger’s Sports Outfitter in Stroudsburg. “The important thing is this will get more people hunting that otherwise would not be able to.”
Hill said crossbow use is easier than bows that have to be pulled and the warmer temperatures during archery season are helpful to older hunters. But anyone who thinks crossbow use is akin to using a rifle is mistaken.
“The fact is guys are going to find out crossbows are not guns,” he said. “The effective area is wider than a bow but it is not like firing a gun.” Click Link Below for Full Story!
via Game Commission to expand crossbow hunting regulations – poconorecord.com – The Pocono Record.
Ohioans are arrow-minded – Cleveland.com
November 18, 2008
State wildlife officials, hunters, businesses help crossbow reach target audience
Saturday, November 15, 2008
D’Arcy Egan
Plain Dealer Columnist
The controversial cross bow slowly has gained acceptance around the country, and Ohio gets much of the credit.
Not only were Ohio wildlife officials among the first to embrace the crossbow as a deer hunting weapon, but two of the top crossbow companies are located in the Akron area. Horton Manufacturing Co., Inc., of Tallmadge, makes the most crossbows in the country; and nearby Ten Point Crossbow Technologies, of Suffield, isn’t far behind.
Ohio was the first proponent of deer hunting with a cutting-edge version of an ancient weapon. The crossbow was first allowed in the Buckeye state in 1976, but only for use during the statewide black powder rifle season. A year later, it had its own short 10-day season. Demand by hunters and a growing deer herd prompted the Division of Wildlife in 1984 to allow crossbows during the four-month archery deer campaign.
“Overall, archers take about 25 percent of the deer harvested in Ohio,” said Ottie Snyder of Horton. “Where they really excel is in the urban zones such as Cuyahoga County, where shotguns are not allowed.”
The total harvest last year was 232,854 bucks and does, and archers killed 78,639 deer. Crossbow hunters led the way with 42,292, a huge jump from the 29,397 deer they tagged in 2004. Compound, recurve and traditional bow hunters killed 36,347 deer last year Click Link Below for Full Story!
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