Crossbow issue to be revisited – PennLive.com

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.

Bowhunters group decries crossbow ruling – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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.