Several States to Liberalize Crossbow Usage

[Corey Graff]

[font="arial"]Several States to Liberalize Crossbow Usage
The Louisiana legislature handed Governor Bobby Jindal Senate Bill 165 recently -- a bill amending the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries regulation on crossbow use. That bill passed, renewing debate among bow-hunters about crossbow use for deer hunting.

The new regulation allows the LDWF commission to "establish the following special deer hunting seasons: (1) a bow and arrow only season, and (2) a bow and arrow and crossbow season."  The commission will also have the responsibility for regulating the length of the special seasons and determining the areas for approved hunting. Prior to passage of this bill, only hunters who qualified for a handicap permit or hunters age 60 and older could use crossbows.

South Carolina to Redefine Archery Equipment
Legislation loosening crossbow regulations are also pending in South Carolina under Senate Bill 691.  If approved as written, this bill will define archery equipment as "a bow and arrow, a long bow, a recurve bow, a compound bow, or a crossbow."

Crossbow manufacturers see the shift as a way to move product into an expanding market -- while expanding hunting opportunity.
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[font="arial"]"Our goal at TenPoint Crossbow Technologies is to be a world class manufacturer of products that are recognized as an industry standard for safety, precision engineering, durability, performance and power," [/font][font="arial"]said Rick Bednar, CEO of TenPoint Crossbow Technologies. [/font][font="arial"]"We are committed to the care and conservation of our land, water and air; to the humane and responsible management of our wildlife and to the preservation and expansion of recreational shooting and hunting."
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[Corey Graff]

South Carolina Newest State to Legalize Crossbows for All Deer Hunters 

On June 12, 2008, South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford approved Senate Bill 691 amending the South Carolina Code of Laws related to crossbow use. This bill amends Section 50-11-565 of the 1976 Code by striking the entire section and replacing it with a new definition of archery equipment.  

The amendment to Section 50-11-565 reads "As used in this chapter, archery equipment means a bow and arrow, a long bow, a recurve bow, a compound bow, or a cross bow."  Season dates are as follows:

1.       Game Zone 1: October 1 through October 10, with primitive weapons only; October 11 through October 16, and October 31 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.
2.       Game Zone 2: September 15 through September 30, with archery equipment only, October 1 through October 10, with primitive weapons only; October 11 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.
3.       Game Zone 3: August 15 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.
4.       Game Zone 4: September 1 through September 14, with archery equipment and September 15 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.
5.       Game Zone 5: August 15 through August 31, with archery equipment and September 1 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.
6.       Game Zone 6: August 15 through January 1, with archery equipment and firearms.

Prior to this bill, crossbows were legal for handicapped hunters by permit and for all hunters during firearms and muzzleloader seasons.  Crossbows were illegal during archery-only seasons.
 
Many deer hunters are wondering: Will this trend continue nationwide?
 
D&DH Readers, what do you think about legalizing crossbows for all deer hunters. Tell us your views.  

[EatDeer]

I don't mind letting hunters over 60 ,or handicap hunters use crossbows. The one problem I have is that if they open the crossbow use up to all hunters everyone will buy one. This would put alot of bowshops out of business,they make thier money from working on hunters bows,and setting them up,etc. You buy a crossbow,thier isn't any setting it up envolved, you just buy arrows, sight it in,and your hunting with the crossbow until something breaks or needs replaced, if it ever does. I think crossbows for all hunters is a bad move for the small business bowshop owners,and thier trade.

[scotman]

Crossbows are a mechanical device. They have a cocking mechanism, a trigger and a guide to project the bolt out of the device. Defintion of a gun  is a device resembling a firearm or cannon, as in its ability to project something, at a speed that flattens out it's trajectory.

If they want to legalize them for use in other states they should be used only during regular rifle/shotgun season. I don't think they will dare try passing a law to allow crossbow hunting during bowhunting season in NY. If they do try, I and many other fellow NY bowhunters will be there writing letters left and right to our district reps. opposing it.

[gutpile]

They should be legal...

[hunter480]

Crossbows should absolutely be legal during archery season. Their effective range is no more than a common compound bow, and they would bring new hunters into the game.

Those who wish to keep them from being legal are being selfish and are hurting the recruitment of potential new hunters.

[trapperDave]

[sm=rolleyes.gif]

[EatDeer]

Most people can't kill a deer over 45 yards away with a comon compound bow. How is a 150 yard xbow shot at a deer with a 5 point scope the same? How is that considered archery anyway?  Like I said I'm more coneserned for the archery shop owners losing business, than whether its the same or not as a compound or recurve. Why can't these "new hunters" pick up a compound bow just as easily as the rest of us? Wouldn't they have already done it if they wanted to hunt with a bow, if they are the same? I agree with the handicaped and elderly using them, I just don't think its a good business move for the archery shops that make thier money off the seasonal hunting service and add ons for regular bows. Ask your local bow shop owner about crossbow legalization, I bet youll get the some of the same answers. As for it being a matter of selfishness, I'd have a crossbow myself if they were legal, just like everyone else. Too bad it would be at the dimise of my local archery shop.

[gutpile]

crossbows are bows....

[msbadger]

Ya know...I live in N.Y. and you better get your pen and paper out because they'er coming...and I for one DON'T want them for the general population....older...disabled fine but thats it! I'll tell you why ...I didn't start bow hunting until I was in my late 30's almost forty...having been shot at a few times and a few more since..... it's the only time I feel safe in my own woods.....These guys shoulder a gun and just swing shooting at deer running 30-40 miles an hour through fields and woods....NEVER engaging thier brains long enough to see whats on the other side!  you give guys like that a bow with a scope that they can shoulder and I have no safe place or time to hunt....7 days aweek for 3 months....where are my rights...when NY DEC says " hey they didn't wound you" ...even though the slug missed my lft ear by a few INCHES and " you can't prove which gun the slug came from"...so we aren't going down to even talk to these guys...though they shot and killed some one in their own hunting party a few years ago! How about when the reg. bow hunter stopped in front of my house and his buddy standing in the bed of the truck drew back on one of my white GOATS...ya well them.... I hopped in the truck and chased down! Lets just say when I was done ...they never came back....ppl want to bow hunt....do what I did (in my late thirties) get a recurve ..or compound ...and actually LEARN to hunt.....