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As long as they are in the crossbow section of the forum, whats the problem? Honestly, now that they are legal, I would expect to see alot more activity in the crossbow section of the board. Better get used to it.

Finally have some time to do my hunters certification course for rifle and shot gun this weekend!! Almost time to buy that lifetime sportsman:D Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I always thought that once crossbows became legal here in NY that i would do the dance and rub it in the faces of all the good people I used to have heated arguments with over the subject. But now that they have become legal I have absolutley no desire to do that. I have really grown to appreciate the people on this site even though we do not agree on everthing and have realized that me and the other folks on this site have so much in common like being NY hunters for one, that all the other stuff really doesnt matter. We are all the same, we enjoy the same thing, we are out doing the same thing at the very same time every hunting season. Good luck to all of you no matter what you hunt with.

My honest answer, based on common sense, is that the testimony of the Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society was the greatest influence on Governor Cuomo and the members of the senate and assembly. The politicians are even less likely to listen to the DEC or FWS than those organizations, even if they are saying the same exact thing. The DEC and other wildlife agencies are less credible because they are characterized by anti-hunters as being in collusion with hunters. Conservation organizations are considered politically correct and unbiased. Hunting and hunting organizations are considered not politically correct and highly biased..

control the mice and chipmunks and u will control lyme. They should have earn a buck tags only for highly populated places and the deer numbers will go down.

now that the crossbow is a legal implement, maybe a new dedicated topic can be devoted to it and all this fighting between hunters can stop being spread out over 6 different threads.

4-3-14 I had some time to kill today, so I decided I better get another hike in before we get snowed on again! I shot up to the power lines and did a run down the wooded edges. It didn't take long before I spotted my first antler of the day! Just a little oldie 4pt so I wasn't overly excited but it would do. I wasn't planning on hiking long anyhow, so I figured I head for home. I headed out the same way I went in but decided to go around a thicket instead of going through it like I did on the way in. When I got around the side and looked up, I saw this little guy staring back at me! Now I was pumped and ready to hike on! I shot up to the orchard and soon as I got there I spotted a horn. I had to look closely because it turned out to be two horns ALMOST touching! Match 6pt! Probably close to one of my favorite set ATL's now ever! From above just as they layed! That was it for the day! Still lots of snow in the woods, but the rain on the way should take care of that soon. I need about 10 more hikes like this to salvage the season! Also adding another dead doe and scooped up another little old skull. Here's the days haul! Antlers- 9 Sets- 2 Dead bucks- 4 Dead doe/fawns- 11

Congrats NY!!! Sad that a number of vertical guys don't like this and give that disabled/elderly garbage... hey, but it is okay for fit/young people to hunt with shotguns and rifles... look outside the box, crossbows will add people to the hunting side... PERIOD! Also, I have been bow hunting for over 30 years and have taken plenty of newbies out with their vertical bows... I have also taken newbies out with crossbow for their first hunts... what I have found is that crossbows build confidence and success quicker! Successful hunters means more hunters hooked on... hunting! We all win! Congrats!!!

I've been seeing these guys all over the place lately. Watched 3 of them mousing around the edge of the corn field during todays hike. This guy finally worked his way over towards me and gave me a few shots! ... and a barred owl from a couple days ago!

It’s Official!! April 1, 2014 Late Monday night, the Senate and Assembly both passed the Budget and this morning Governor Cuomo signed it into law. Thus, crossbows are now officially a legal hunting implement in New York! I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his support for this as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly that were influential in getting the compromise into the final budget. Senators Pat Gallivan, Dave Valesky and Mark Grisanti and especially in the Assembly, Sean Ryan, Aileen Gunther and Donna Lupardo for their leadership in getting the other members of their chambers to come to the table making New York the 28th state that allows crossbows during at least part of the archery seasons. The crossbow will now be turned over to the DEC to work on setting the regulations within the parameters set forth in the budget. The process will include a Public Comment period where all NY’ers will have the ability to voice their opinions on the use and seasons. I would also like to thank everyone that took the time to make the contacts with their respective legislators and the leadership in the Assembly and Senate. Without your help and perseverance our grassroots effort would not have been achievable. Another Thank You goes to all of the Organizations that partnered with our coalition including the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, The NYS Farm Bureau, New York Conservation Council, NYS Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the 4H NY Shooting Sports to name a few as well as many County Federations, Associations and local sporting clubs. Today, crossbows have been awarded their proper place in the sporting community and everyone of us should be proud of what we have been able to achieve. As we have said from day one, “Together WE will Succeed”, and with hard work and determination we have. Thank you and Happy Hunting Rick McDermott New York Crossbow Coalition www.nycrossbowcoalition.com

Well, looks like crossbows are coming back, i saw this a while ago, but never posted anything on it. Pretty cool design, maybe this will be what i end up with at some point.

The "workers" get a free ride on tuition. Syracuse University is over 40k a year and I imagine Notre Dame, and other big schools are at least that. Not a bad pay day.

Most likely you will see a dramatic re-distribution of gun hunters now entering bow season in large numbers, and the crossbow proponents pointing at the swelling numbers in bow season and saying, "see .... see .... look at all the hunters we have added". I am all ready to be listening to that......lol.

This is not only about suburban deer being overpopulated and/or a nuisance and/or spreading ticks. This is also about rural deer being a 'keystone species', which means it is a species that modifies the landscape. In the case of whitetails, it specifically refers to alteration of plant communities. Another example of a keystone species is a beaver. But while beavers increase biodiversity, which is a good thing; the whitetail deer does the opposite, they decrease biodiversity and that is not a good thing. There has been new research which shows a (measurable) change in plants caused by deer. One of the studies was actually done by the Nature Conservancy, one of the organizations that testified in favor of crossbows. There is a link to that study in their testimony. The empirically proven impact of whitetail deer on plant communities and biodiversity is one of the reasons the DEC's deer management plan calls for herd reduction. One of the strategies to accomplish that goal is to allow crossbow hunting. However, unless hunters take doe instead of bucks, the population will not be reduced. The only other options to heavier harvest of doe are birth control and natural predators. Birth control is considered the least desirable strategy by many biologists. I would not be surprised if wolf restoration and/or greater restrictions on taking coyotes, bobcats, and bears is entertained in the future.

welcome aboard

This is one of the things that my good friend from Michigan told me happened there a lot when X Bow first opened. He also said its not too bad now. After the first few years all the weekend warrior gun hunter types gave up on X Bows and went back to gun hunting. This is one of the reasons I'm on the fence about it. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what actually happens.

I dont think it will get many "new" hunters in the field because they can use a crossbow over a regular bow or a gun.I do see people that for some reason cant use vertical bows getting back into archery season versus just rifle season.I feel its a good thing for NY,I know a few people that cant pull a bow back and it may be a way for them to enjoy the woods a little more

Crossbows will not get more hunters into the woods. It will get more gun hunters into Archery season but will not recruit new hunters. And I've yet to hear any of the guys that are against it say they are against the elderly and disabled using them. In fact I hear just the opposite. Your OP was pretty much a total fail!

Great find wooly. Why do you think their coming in, this late with no chew on them?

I would think for the guy who is already an accomplished archer, shooting a crossbow will increase his chances and be a big advantage over a compound..........for the dope who just runs out and gets one because he can, I bet the amount of shots that should never have been taken will increase and recovery rates will suffer, to the uneducated, just picking something up and shouldering it like a gun will give them a false sense of it's capabilities.

this is the only cam (P41) that I haven't had over water the last few weeks. pecker head Tom is acting like he's a big deal.

facts: 1) crossbows are easier to shoot accurately than vertical bows. 2) crossbows can be shot off a rest, in prone position, or off a shooting stick tripod greatly increasing both hold and accuracy. 3) greater accuracy leads to a more efficient means of delivering a projectile to the target. 4) greater efficiency leads to an increase in kill and recovery rates. 5) increased recovery rates are a good thing. 6) most hunters including myself support increased recovery rates. 7) most hunters including myself also support crossbow use.

http://www.eregulations.com/newyork/12nyhd/crossbow-hunting/ those are the old regulations I believe. looks like you just needed a card that you signed. honestly would be a waist of time to add an entire new class. just make it a Bow/crossbow class and include it with the license they covered a lot of the same stuff in the hunter education as they did with the bow if you ask me. both were good don't get me wrong and worth the time.

Cool story to #8, it was the match to a shed that I found in 2012... In October 2012 I found that deer dead, he grew A LOT in one year!!!

I agree. More deer are killed the opening day of muzzleloader than any other day of the season (gun or bow) and more are killed during that week than any other week of the season. I say put the crossbows in archery and muzzleloaders in gun season. Our northern zone archery season is roughly 3 weeks and one of those is also ML.

Looks like an average or below a average sized bobcat to me. Lynx have huge paws and appear taller and bigger than bobcats but are smaller than a bobcat weight wise majority of the time. A good bobcat can go 40+lbs, a good lynx mid 20's. Here's a lynx for reference that was 25lbs Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very nice!

Congrats very nice find

I hear that out west it's the norm to shoot deer and elk out to 50 or even 100 yards with archery tackle......us easterners are selling ourselves short.........

best do a germ test, grab 100 seeds put on top of a damp paper towel on a tray cover with another damp paper towel ..put someplace dark and warm..wait 3-7 days and keep damp..count how many seeds germinate..80 will be 80 % ect. most seed loses 10-30 % germ as year goes by if not stored in a dry cool place. if its below 75% you might consider seeding it heavier than recommended.. much below 50% the cost of ground prep will out weigh the benifit of bad seed.. use as bird food if uncoated or over seed and existing plot with it.

I don't think Belo is done!

I've never shot a crossbow, but it does seem at first glance to remove one vital difficulty and that is drawing in presence of the animal, other than that I can't comment......as long as I'm able to shoot a compound or recurve I will continue to do so, as I can't personally justify the cost to do what I am already capable of doing with my compound, had they given it a separate season there is little doubt I would get one in order to expand my hunting opportunities.....I love to hunt and would use whatever weapon or weapons that expand my chances to do so.

I left one of my Moultrie M-100 out all winter and I just retrieved it today. The batteries were put in it in July 2013. I'm not sure how many pics were actually taken on the batteries, I'm guessing about 1,500. The camera still says 175days of battery life left! Worth every penny!

I am 33 and have shot traditional archery and sidelock muzzleloaders. I have never hunted with either, but I recently bought a recurve and dream of eventually making the switch. In my mind there is something magical about killing a deer with traditional archery and it's at the top of my bucket list.

then I'm definitely getting one.

Button bucks only.

are you sure? none of the other 6 threads mentioned anything about it.....

i bet if you were to ask random people on the street if given the choice to hunt with a x-bow or a compound bow, a vast majority would choose a x-bow. and i bet if you were to ask them why they chose a x-bow, there answer would be because they think its easier, shoots like a gun which 99% of people can figure out. regardless whether its easier or not. plain and simple. to me i would expect more inexperienced "hunters" during archery because they think a x-bow is an easy shoe in into the archery season that you wouldnt normally find them in, because it "shoots just like a gun". the act of physically shooting a x-bow is much more advantageous than a bow, but you still have to get on top of the deer. that at least requires some knowledge of the woods and a little effort. which IMO may discourage some people.

Maybe ban let off too? Lets you draw when the deer can't see you and hold until it gets clear.

Went ahead and pulled the trigger (hehe) on the axiom. I already drive a minivan when i hunt. No way in hell was i adding a pink crossbow to that picture

This is all you need to know........... Fact 1 When comparing a crossbow to a compound bowshot with a release, the only differences between them are: *The crossbow trigger mechanism holds the draw for shooters. *The crossbow’s bow assembly is positioned horizontally. *The crossbow is aimed like a rifle.

when enough of these filter into the state, they will change the legislation to make these illegal. We are not sticking it to Andy. He will just take these away too. UNLESS WE GET RID OF HIM IN NOVEMBER.

Just ordered 100 aluminum in yellow from Voss Signs with name/address with tax, ship for $119 TMD.

Banquet is 10 days away

well i have a neighbors barn 350' off my property and the hedge row that is the line is a great place for a stand( the hedge row is mine) the neighbors lawn is mowed right up to it. so the deer travel the hedge on my side to cross the road, and get to the food plot 200 feet on my property. I've always got along with my neighbor but i got a big deer he had seen so now i must be an evil tresspasser cause i got "his deer".. i have all the food he doesnt so i couldnt hunt the hedge legally for a few years..the deer have never died on his property as i shoot back into my property and the plot is far enough for a well place arrow to drop a deer before i can get back to hedge. its a good law, although i agre with Doc that people will be dumb and situations will arise. but that being said they do now at 500' and with many anti or un informed people buying recreational property many that are just shooting their bows for practice in their garage are actually in violation 500' is a long way in suburbia. if lots are 60'wide its 8 houses either side of where you are shooting, 100'lots is 5 houses, 150 is still 3 houses either side and not to mention houses across the street, and behind... lot of people to get permission to shoot in your garage at a 10yard range. Not all of us can live far enough away from people to legally shoot. and even in the country with a 500' lot the house across the street is still closer than 500' as is probably the neighbors houses either side of your home. I am lucky enough to own both sides of the road and have over 2000' frontage..but for those with smaller camps this is great!

The whole purpose of universal background checks is to create a database of gun ownership. Any gun currently owned, that was not registered and never had a NICS check done on it, is unknown to the authorities. This law was written mainly to enable the state to create a database of gun owners in NY. The 2nd purpose of the law is to snag any seller who doesn't use an FFL for the transfer. That is now a felony, and when convicted, ALL of your guns will be taken. There never was any intention of a 3rd purpose, which would be to stop crime, since none of these provisions can. People need to see through the smoke and mirrors and realize gun owners have been officially designated as criminals in NY state. They are writing more laws, with more restrictions on gun sales and ownership, as I write this, none of which are designed to affect criminals at all, since they don't buy their guns legally anyway. Mandatory gun safe storage, trigger locks and 1 handgun a month rules are currently on the table, along with a 10 day waiting period on top of the background check. See the plan now?

bows are treated as "fire arms" with in city limits. 500 foot rule applies just as firing a gun, not sure what the cops will do, but if your neighbor presses charges then thats different. I HAVE shot my bow in my back yard before, but I dont like to do it for this very reason. Better to join a range, or go find some state land to practice. I'm not too sure what you can do, maybe go talk to your neighbor face to face, and calmly tell him or her that your very sorry, you'll pay for it, and you wont shoot in your yard again.

Most durable option is to order aluminum signs from Voss sign. They go on sale for $100 per 100. Mine have been up for a decade and still look new. If you are lucky you will get a year or two out of paper/4-5yr out of plastic. Once I changed to metal I will never change back. Do it once and be done

I decided to do my own European mount on my deer. Not only was it fun, but I really enjoyed all that was involved in prepping boiling, mounting. It was much easier than I thought, just time consuming but very worthwhile I am so satisfied with how it came out and wanted to share, it kept me in hunting mode as I did it, and also got me thinking about this upcoming season.

3-17-14 Hey guys, remember me! It's been a really bad winter for antlers here. Every time I think we're gonna get a break, we get buried again. Today I finally got out to do some hiking despite still having too much snow to be too serious about finding anything. I hit a stand of pines along a corn field edge just because it was sunny out.... I at least needed to try. Not far into the pines I spotted tines, and it looked like it was gonna be a good one from what I could see of it! This thing was a pig, with some wicked long main beams! I don't find antlers like this every day! I was freakin' pumped, but a little pissed the antler rats had got to it so quick even though it was still covered up pretty good. I shot up and down the trails looking for the mate but couldn't find it on any of those paths. I circled around and did a run along the edge of the corn, but didn't find anything besides a friendly fox that posed for a few pics. I admired my sweet find for the day and decided to start heading out. Along the way I cut over to another hemlock island when I saw something odd. It didn't look like an antler.... more like a leg bone, but I went over to check it out any ways. Son of a gun! It was an antler and turns out to be the mate to my 1'st antler of the day! Those friggin antler rats chewed the base completely off this one already. Man, was I pissed when I saw this. I couldn't believe all the squirrels I was seeing in here. Few shots of #3 + #4 together! Calling for 40's for the rest of the week, so maybe that will help knock a little bit more of this snow back. Adding another dead buck and 3 more dead antlerless to the totals as well. Antlers- 4 Sets- 1 Dead bucks- 4 Dead doe/fawns- 8