DUMB LAW

[Santamour123]

A couple of years ago I was hunting the northern zone late muzzleloader season.  I decided to take my bow for the challenge.  When I came out of the woods that night I was meet by a DEC officer who asked me what I was hunting.  When I told him that I was deer hunting, he presented me with  ticket.  After furthur discusion with the DEC I aksed the question " You mean to tell me that I am getting a ticket for trying to shoot a doe inside of 40 yrds withmy bow,  but I can leagaly shoot that same doe at 200 yrds with a muzzleloader?"  Yes  How crazy of a law is that?

[WNYBuckHunter]

Its a special late ML only season. It may be silly in your opinion, but it is the law, have to abide by it.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I didn't think NZ had a late muzzleloader season

[covert]

[table][tr][td]   

There is a late NT/MZ in certain units but if you look, it is MZ only and specifically forbids carrying a bow on page 22 of the syllabus.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8305.html

" Hunters shall not have in their possession, or be accompanied by a person who has in his or her possession, a bow or firearm other than the legal muzzleloading firearm."

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  http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html
  

  
  "2010 Deer Hunting Season Dates    [table][tr]  [td]Area[/td]  [td]Regular Season[/td]  [td]Bowhunting[/td]  [td]Muzzleloading[/td]  [td]Special Firearms
  Season[/td][/tr]  [tr]  [td]Northern Zone[/td]  [td]Oct. 23 - Dec. 5[/td]  [td]  Sept. 27 - Oct. 22[/td]  [td]  Oct. 16 - Oct. 22
  [glow=red,2,300]Dec. 6 - Dec. 12 (WMUs 5A, 5G, 5J, 6A, 6C, 6H, 6G only)"[/glow]
  [/td][/tr][/table][/l][/l]
  

[/td][/tr][/table]

[bubba]

like the sz bow hunters, us nz muzzleloaders get a week to ourselves.  The only dumb law is the law that no one pays attention to. They give us a regulations guideline book when you get your license.  Maybe reading it would help.

[Mr VJP]

I know it is the law, but I have to admit I think a bow should be allowed during any open deer season.

If a guy wants to use it during firearm or ML season, he is really handicapping himself and isn't taking advantage of the open season at all.  As long as he has the proper tags, I say let him use the bow.

[SilentStalker]

I think part of it has to do with the wounding of deer and that they (the DEC) does not want wounded and unrecovered deer running around after gun season. I know anyone can wound a deer (gun or bow), but the the percentages are way lower for gun hunters. I dont have a problem with it. I have seen plently of deer in the SZ late ML season that we have killed that had both arrow and bullet wounds and would not have made it through the winter.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Stalker---but following that logic I think tracking for the bow hunter would be easier with a little snow on the ground. I don't see why they don't allow it but if they don't.....we can't

[fasteddie]

I guess it gives the ML guys a week of their own . What's the problem .

We can hunt with a bow from the start of Bow Season , through gun season and late Bow season . Why should we be greedy ?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I agree Eddie----and I hate hunting with a bow in the cold anyway...lol

[Fantail]

I know it is the law, but I have to admit I think a bow should be allowed during any open deer season.

If a guy wants to use it during firearm or ML season, he is really handicapping himself and isn't taking advantage of the open season at all.  As long as he has the proper tags, I say let him use the bow.

I would basicaly agree with that.

Just thinking it's gotta be a job just getting to a stand in the winter - in the zones this MZ late season runs.

[SilentStalker]

Culver, I agree - but my point was for the deer that aren't immediately mortally wounded that would succumb to the elements in part due the superficial wound.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

ok---gotcha. less healing time

[nyantler]

I'm still not getting the dumb law part .. sorry... the law says you can hunt with ML late season in that area.. thats not dumb. The fact that you were hunting with your bow instead.. that obviously was a bit dumber.

[covert]

On the topic of laws, one I always thought was dumb was that you have to buy a small game license to get turkey tags. 

If you're farming you don't need a small game license to hunt on your own land, but if you want to hunt turkeys you still have to buy a small game license.  So if the only place you ever planned to hunt was your own land but you want to hunt turkeys you still have to buy the small game license.  I always thought there ought to be some sort of exemption for farmers.

[fasteddie]

My youngest son wanted to just bow hunt so he took the Archery Safety Course a few years ago and got his certificate . He practiced shooting all summer . A week before bow season , he went to purchase his Archery License but couldn't get one because he didn't have the Gun Safety course certificate . He wasn't going to gun hunt but needed it in order to Bow Hunt .......... :

[bubba]

The reason for the turkey tags is because you have to report your take. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

My youngest son wanted to just bow hunt so he took the Archery Safety Course a few years ago and got his certificate . He practiced shooting all summer . A week before bow season , he went to purchase his Archery License but couldn't get one because he didn't have the Gun Safety course certificate . He wasn't going to gun hunt but needed it in order to Bow Hunt .......... :

You gotta keep in mind that bow season is still considered a special season and add on to the full license.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I believe it is called a hunters safety course.....I am surprised they didn't make it a requirement before the Bow course was taken.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Right. It seems silly that they would not require proof of passing the Hunters safety course before you take the archery class.

[covert]

The reason for the turkey tags is because you have to report your take.

No, I understand the need for the tags.  I just meant an exemption so if you were farming you wouldn't need to buy the small game license to get them, you could just go and buy the turkey tags.

[bubba]

I believe it is called a hunters safety course.....I am surprised they didn't make it a requirement before the Bow course was taken.

Technically, it is called  sportsmans education program gun course. At one tie they talked about combining gun and bow into one class.  With the exception of the implement, the same material is taught in both classes.  Now we have to imtroduce crossbow into the course also

[Culvercreek hunt club]

So there is not requirement for one before the other?

[bubba]

nope

[Culvercreek hunt club]

what are your thoughts on that?...seems silly doesn't it. Probably a lot of kids taking them aroound the same time, arent they?

I know you instruct and I really am not trying to push your buttons  but do the instructors get paid or is it volunteer? I am all for the more safety training the better and it has been a lot of years since I did mine, but if there is a lot of overlap maybe they could remove the over lap and cover more topic.