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Winter Newsletter

Tinlodge

By Tinlodge,
in CrossBow Hunting

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Tinlodge

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New York Crossbow Coalition

New York's Grassroots Crossbow Organization comprised and financed solely by New York Sportsmen and women, Bowhunters, former Bowhunters, State and Local Sportsmen Organizations, County Sportsmen Federations, and New York Archery and Sporting Equipment Retailers.

Hunting seasons are underway, elections are over and the Holidays are approaching fast. This means the 2013 Legislative session is not far away. 2012 was NYCC's inaugural year, and although we did not realize our goal of full inclusion of crossbows for all game during any season archery equipment is permitted, we were able to elevate the crossbow discussion and advance the legislation through the Senate, only to be stalled in the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. An extender bill allowing for continuing crossbow use only during firearms and late muzzleloading seasons for deer and bear was introduced and passed both chambers but it has yet to be delivered to the Governor for his consideration and we do not know when that may happen.

On February 3rd of this year, New York Crossbow Coalition was born as a Facebook group. The idea of a pro crossbow organization had been festering in my mind since June 2010 when I watched, in disbelief and disgust, the video of the Senate Environmental Committee where a member of New York Bowhunters Inc. claimed to represent ALL bowhunters of New York implying ALL bowhunters oppose crossbow use during archery season. Sitting in front of my computer that February evening I pulled the proverbial trigger and created the NYCC Facebook page. Interest in the group quickly blossomed and before we knew it we were preparing a booth at the 3rd Annual Sportsman Appreciation Day in the Well of the Legislative Office Building at the same time we were quickly evolving into a formal organization. In early March we filed incorporation paperwork, and on March 14th, 2012New York Crossbow Coalition, Inc. became a legal entity.

Now here we are, 10 months later, with 656 members, 537 or 82% being current or former bowhunters, all having submitted membership applications. This is a great start but to be successful in 2013 we will need to expand these numbers as well as raise much needed financing.

The decision was made for the final weeks of the last legislative session to hire the services of a government affairs (lobbying) firm to help present our message which proved to be beneficial in seeing Senate Bill S6474A passing on the Senate floor as well as being essential in signing 45 members onto Assembly Bill A9682. Moving into 2013 we will need to double down on our efforts. We are pursuing the services of the government affairs firm for the entire 2013 legislative session and this valuable service is far from free. Contrary to the misinformation spread by crossbow opponents, NYCC is not sponsored or financed by any crossbow manufacturer. To the contrary we are financed solely through memberships and the sale of raffle tickets purchased by our members and others that support our goal of crossbows being classified the same as compound, recurve and longbows and other grassroots fundraising.

Our projected expenditures for 2013 are between $13,000 and $15,000. Yes that is a large sum of money, but we are serious and dedicated to see crossbows expanded, and wish to see this happen this year. We do not want this dragged out year after year. It is time to make the effort to see this through, once and for all.

Lofty goals! Yes, but with the help of those in favor of crossbows becoming a legal hunting implement, and not just for deer and bear, but for all small game, including turkeys as well as for bowfishing this is achievable.

Today we are rolling out a 2013 "Early Bird" Membership campaign. Anyone who join's, renews or upgrades to a Full Membership through January 13th, 2013 will be entered in a drawing to win a Carbon Express X-Force 400 crossbow package donated by Insight Archery, Binghamton, NY. The winner will be drawn on January 13th at the 2013 New York Sportsmen Show in Syracuse. Already paid your 2013 dues, don't worry, you are already entered in the drawing. All 2013 Full Members will receive a membership card and our new window sticker.

People have asked if we are going to offer NYCC merchandise. I am happy to announce we have partnered with Top Stitch Embroidery and Screen Printing in Chittenango, NY and there is now a NYCC online store. (www.topstitch.com/nycc/home). They offer a variety of hats, shirts, hoodies and jackets with the original NYCC logo along with a new graphic logo. All the apparel is embroidered with the exception of the short sleeve tee shirts which are printed. To introduce this store and apparel to our members we are offering a 10% discount on all orders over $50 placed through December 31st. Simply enter promo code NYCC at checkout and the discount will be applied. With the Holidays right around the corner, NYCC apparel will make a great gift that shows your support for NYCC while helping fund our efforts.

In response to requests from sportsmen clubs and federations as well as sporting goods business owners that support crossbow inclusion we have created organizational and business sponsorships at the following levels: $25 for a Supporter, $50 for a Partner, and $100 for an Affiliate. Sponsors will receive a certificate indicating their sponsorship level along with being listed on the NYCC Sponsorship Web Page. If you know of any organization or business that would be interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact me or check the web site for more information.

Heading into 2013 we have commitments from our friends in the legislature to have bills filed when the session opens in January. We need to reach out to all the members of the Assembly and Senate that were recently elected or reelected. This is true for you our membership also. It is not too early for you to reach out to your 2013 representatives in Albany and express your position. The more constituents a legislator hears from in support of our position will not only help us when we visit them, it also helps open the door to some that may be apprehensive of crossbows making them more receptive to the information we present. Any contact you have with them and their offices is helpful, but the most effective is to make an appointment and visit them in their district office. If necessary, make your appointment with a staff member if the legislator is unavailable. An office visit holds the most weight in a legislator's mind as it shows you are personally engaged in the issue. I totally understand if a personal visit is not possible. If that is the case, please consider writing them a letter and sending it through the postal service. Believe me, these 2 forms of contact have the greatest impact on the legislator. Legislators believe it's easy to send an email or make a phone call, but those that take the time to visit and or write letters show their commitment. When you visit, make your points, be concise and most importantly, keep the meeting short. They are busy and they have made time to give you an audience and hear your concerns but be respectful of the amount of things they have to deal with. 5 to 10 minutes is all it should take to make your point. If they ask questions you may be there longer, but let them control that part of the meeting. Don't go into the office expecting to sit down for a half hour and have a lengthy discussion as if you are old high school pals. Don't feel like it was a waste of your time if you don't get more than the 5 or 10 minutes. That brief time sends a very strong message and is valuable to our cause.

Phone calls and emails are also useful. If these are your preferred methods of communication please don't hesitate. Any contact helps, so please make an effort somehow.

2013 is going to be a busy and important year for us. On December 31st the current legislation expires, so future crossbow use is really on the line, we either work hard to secure the crossbows future in New York starting in January, or we face the prospect that we won't even be permitted to use them during the firearms seasons as we presently can.

We are up to the challenge, are you? So what can you do?

1. If you haven't already, join, renew or upgrade to a full membership for 2013 to help with the cost of this endeavor.

2. Give someone a gift of NYCC merchandise or a 2013 full membership for the Holidays.

3. Reach out to your legislators elect before the end of 2012 and ask them to support full inclusion of crossbows as the majority of the sporting community including bowhunters desire, as reflected in the Cornell Statewide Deer Hunter Survey - 2010.

4. Promote a sponsorship of NYCC to your local clubs, federations, businesses and sporting shops.

NYCC is truly a grassroots organization. I am convinced from the feedback I receive there is enough support to achieve our goal of full crossbow inclusion but we need to work together.

Remember Together WE WILL Succeed!

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone that supports what we are doing and thank you for your help. Truly, we cannot make this happen without a strong membership. Here's to a safe hunting season

As we head into the Holidays, please pray for our troops, may God watch over them and return them safely to their loved ones.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to you and your family.

Rick McDermott

President New York Crossbow Coalition

www.nycrossbowcoalition.com

[email protected]

www.topstitch.com/nycc/home (store)

p.s. Some people that gave us an email address are not receiving our emails because we are not on their preferred email list. Please make sure you add [email protected] [email protected] and [email protected] to your preferred senders and address books.

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Guns&ReligionCop Newbie

Guns&ReligionCop

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Never been a fan of crossbows and still don't really like them but after having 4 shoulder surgeries I realize the day that I will no longer be able to hunt in a traditional archery fashion is rapidly approaching and something needs to be done to allow the use of a crossbow in NY. If you don't like them don't use them. Someone else using them doesn't take away from your hunting experience but provides the oppurtunity for others who can no longer use a bow.

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Five Seasons Grand Master

Five Seasons

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Here we go again with this clown.

Belo - For someone who is 29 years old and supposedly is married with a kid, and supposedly has a great job, you are pretty immature.

i would have hoped it was painfully obvious by now that I'm just having fun. Crossbows will not ruin my life. I'm not in agreement with them, and like I said a few other times as well, I like to debate them and in turn I tend to use some internet humor that ruffles some feathers here.

I92yP.jpg

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BizCT Grand Master

BizCT

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someday, someone is going to make your face look like your avatar.

Might already look like that. Usually people who don't show their faces are pretty ugly.

I can't imagine being from Tully and being ugly. YIKES!

Edited by Biz-R-OWorld
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growalot Newbie

growalot

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All I know is...they are really a royal PITA.........for anyone use to using a regular bow ...just so front heavy...bulky...loud...fun option if your freezer is full...and your in a blind...or stalking...But ...I don't get the disabled or elderly use....mine is 175#'s and I don't have a problem cocking it with the rope ...but someone older than I and with a shoulder injury...they'd need a crank...definitely would need a rest of some kind....

I just want to see them in small game...now turkey hunting would be fun...and wood chuck....I really wanted to take out a squirrel or two while I froze this morning...

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Five Seasons Grand Master

Five Seasons

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someday, someone is going to make your face look like your avatar.

why? who did I attack personally? You'd resort to violence if someone disagreed with your opinion? Do you teach your children that violence is the answer too?

Might already look like that. Usually people who don't show their faces are pretty ugly.

I can't imagine being from Tully and being ugly. YIKES!

my pics were posted. you saw them. I took them off because you all obviously take this too serious. And who's from Tully that you're insulting?

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BizCT Grand Master

BizCT

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Belo I don't see calling something gay or dumb as any kind of debate and therefore I find it useless. This is the second time you have started crap and then ran for cover when the crap comes back on you. Grow up or stop posting useless crap.

+1. If you want to debate, come with reasoning, and not because you think they are "gay".

If you think Crossbows are too loud, too heavy, etc. than you should be cool with them in archery.

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Five Seasons Grand Master

Five Seasons

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+1. If you want to debate, come with reasoning, and not because you think they are "gay".

If you think Crossbows are too loud, too heavy, etc. than you should be cool with them in archery.

never called anyone gay. gay means happy and joyous does it not? :) and I never once directed it at any individual unlike you all do with me.

anyhow...

I feel that the certain mechanics of archery involve pulling back a string, aiming and releasing. While a compound is not the same as a recurve, it does offer the same principal but only includes some cams to make it "easier". An xbow is a whole new idea and drastically different. In medieval times those that shot longbows or recurves were call archers. those that used xbows were referred to as crossbow men. I don't believe it takes nearly as much skill (but yes it still takes talent) and I don't believe they should be allowed in pope and young and if you believe someone wont shoot a deer with an xbow and claim it was compound i think you're foolish. Look at the dork from watertown who shot a farm deer as an example of the debauchery that takes place with record books.

I've stated my reasons before and I also linked to the NYSBH website on why they feel the same and it was very obvious that many of you disagree and resorted to name calling. the thread is still there if you'd like to reread. And I did state twice that I am for xbow use for disabled and elderly.

So i though i'd just resort to having harmless fun in this thread and much as I expected you all got very serious and upset again, even wishing for my face to be smashed in...

I told a mod I'd lay off the xbow stuff so i will not post again in this section. Happy hunting.

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