CrumPetree

The better way to look at this is, a crossbow becoming a legal device in an state archery deer season. Most game biologists look at the harvest data, and concern themselves only with that data against their desired goal for the time of year the season encompasses. They don't care what legal device killed the deer

Pa has a week long antlerless muzzleloader season in October. 3 days at the end of that season, they allow Sr and Jr hunters to use centerfire if they so wish. That week is highly unpopular with archery hunters.

The inclusion of crossbows in PA archery has allowed more people to stay in the archery deer hunting game. We heard very much the same debating points as NY hunters are hashing out in the moment. The PA archery buck harvest has increased, but not because crossbows changed the success ratio. There are just more archery hunters. Inclusion has not caused a season reduction. Instead they increased the deer season length by one week.