Crossbow bill awaits Gov. Paterson's signature

[HuntingNY-News]

Crossbow bill awaits Gov. Paterson's signature1 July 2010, 2:11 pmBoth houses of the state Legislature recently approved a new law that would allow hunting with crossbows in New York. It awaits Gov. David Paterson’s signature. The law — a version of which was sponsored by Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida,...Source: Outdoors Blog

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

Dont sign it

[ny hunter]

I can't see this going anywhere soon.But thats just me.I have no issues with a crossbow or any one using one.Again thats just me.

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

I dont think It relaly bow hunting anymore I want the chanlege in bow hunting.

[SteveB]

I dont think It relaly bow hunting anymore I want the chanlege in bow hunting.

Having another hunter in the field with a crossbow does not lesson what so ever challange you choose for yourself. I'm guessing you shoot a longbow because it is more of a challange then a compound?

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

No Im to young for the longbow era im only 20 I think the first compound bow came out in 1962 i belive. I no it wont take away my game but there just something about the crossbows I dont like.

[SteveB]

My 8 year old nephew shoots a recurve - age has nothing to do with it. 

Pick your challange - for some a longbow, others a compound, others a crossbow.

I choose recurve and care less what someone else chooses - unless they feel theirs is the only right one.

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

My choice is compound i guess then.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I like variety. My current deer arsenal consists of a compound, handgun, rifle and shotgun. A recurve has been on my list of tools to buy and now a crossbow will be added to that list. As long as I can make an ethical kill with it, I want to be able to make the choice to use it.

I have a feeling that in this day and age of budget short comings, they will sign this into law in order to add to the coffers. Im surprised they are adding crossbows to be included in the ML stamp instead of making it have its own stamp.

[SteveB]

My choice is compound i guess then.

And everyone else should only be allowed your choice?

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

No im not saying that they should follow my choice, I have always Veiw bowhunting to be the chanlge of deer hunting anyone or most people can kill an deer with an gun but it takes more skill to kill one with an bow and now that there are crossbows it baically like and gun but it shoots and arrow, there no pre season prep for a cross bow all you have to do is look down the scope aim for the vitals and pull trigget when it 10 to 40 yrds in front of you. you  mind should just get rid of bowhunting you can do that with a rifle and with compound bows you shoot year round to get your aim down.

[SteveB]

No im not saying that they should follow my choice,

Yes you are - you want to deny them their choice of archery weapon because your perception is their way is easier than yours.

At least 1/2 the compound bowhunters (a lot ) don't shoot more then a few arrows the week before and whatever deer they shoot at. I hunt with a recurve and it requires far more work to become and remain hunting proficient. By your reasoning, I would be justified in saying bow season should be limited to recurve/longbow because it is far more challenging and requires far more work then using a compond.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Ask any truly proficient shooter how much time they spend on the range then tell me its a matter of looking through a scope and pulling the trigger.

As far as crossbows go, most of the challenge of bow season is getting close enough to deer to get a shot, make sure there are no branches, etc in the way, get the bow up without the deer seeing (a crossbow is a heck of alot bulkier and not even close to being as maneuverable as a rifle or shotgun) and having an intimate knowledge of how your bow shoots. All of the same things apply to crossbows, you just dont have to practice quite as much. I would never hunt with a crossbow that I dont practice with on a regular basis. I dont hunt with a gun that I dont practice with. I am on the gun range at least once a month shooting.

[BIGHUNTER2700537]

Dont get me wrong steve I know long/recurve bows take a lot of pratice and decation more then a compound but crossbows compared to a long/recurve/compound there are big big differnces between them. And Wny Getting the deer close I have deer walk under my stand all the time so thats no problem your bow all ready pull back unlike compounds you dont have to hold any weight any yes you basically to just aim and shoot and i do spend lot of time at the range there one right down my road and im saying that.

[fasteddie]

  The Future of the Horizontal Bow

From the July 2006 Whitetail Journal Magazine

An interview with Ottie Snyder ( media specialist with Horton Manufacturing )

WJ -- Why have we seen such an increase in the number of states that permit the use of crossbows during bow season or have special crossbow seasons for whitetail hunters ?

Snyder -- Hunter numbers continue to decrease , however the crossbow is fairly easy for even a beginning archer to become extremely proficient with in a very short time . Youngsters , women and people who have never considered shooting a vertical bow can enjoy a crossbow and begin to hunt quickly . Too , older hunters who can’t pull vertical bows any longer have found they can hunt effectively with a crossbow .

WJ -- What’s another reason we’ve seen the crossbow grow in popularity ?

Snyder -- White-tailed deer numbers continue to increase nationwide , especially in Urban areas where hunting isn’t permitted . We’re seeing more deer/car accidents and landscapes like expensive shrubs being eaten by deer . Where gun hunting is unacceptable in suburbs , both bow and crossbow hunting can be safely used to help reduce deer numbers even in the most populated areas .

WJ -- What seems to be the largest section of the hunting population that’s starting to utilize the crossbow ?

Snyder -- So far , it looks to be youth and women . But we’re also seeing a number of Urban upper -echelon management hunters who spend five or six days a week at the office and have had to give up archery because they’re so busy and don’t have enough practice time to be proficient with vertical bows . But , a hunter can zero in a crossbow in 30 minutes and then be ready to hunt , without having to practice for hours like he or she will with a longbow . Today , people are so busy that when they have the opportunity to go hunting , even if they havn’t had time to practice to be proficient , the crossbow will still meet their needs .

[Larry]

I think Fasteddie is right. i have the time to shoot 30 arrows a day. i would rather see someone shoots a x-bow good then someone who shoots a bow like crap in the woods Here is the definition of a Cross Bow. This definition is out of the Webster’s Dictionary & Thesaurus copy rite 1999.  Cross – Bow: A weapon consisting chiefly of a bow mounted crosswise near the end of a wooden stock. seems like it a bow

[Doewhacker]

How about a balanced state budget instead? Oh wait its NY and thats not a priority in our Govt.

I am not impressed with crossbows at all... poorer performance, noisy, terrible penetration down range, less accurate, heavy..like double the weight heavy.....yea thats something I'm gonna run out and buy : 

I no longer care what any one hunts with, go ahead pick up some grenades, I will still be here in the woods killing deer with what ever I want to use. Why? because I am good at it. A cross bow is not a magic cure all for those that can't get it done now. I have said it before and I will say it again.. it is all about the money that will come in, not just from tags sold but from tax revenue from all of the accesories you will buy for that cross bow...

There I give you my blessing cross bow guys! Good luck getting it through the rest of the way.

[Doc]

Quote: "the crossbow is fairly easy for even a beginning archer to become extremely proficient with in a very short time."

Quote: "a hunter can zero in a crossbow in 30 minutes and then be ready to hunt , without having to practice for hours like he or she will with a longbow."

------------------------------------------------------------

Ok now those are the words of the Horton media specialist. So let's not be hearing anymore nonsense about how the crossbow is the same as any other kind of bowhunting and how the compound has made the difference between crossbows and real bows insignficant. Obviusly, anyone who knows what they'r talking about does not agree with that. Furthermore, he is not the only person of knowledge that has said the same thing. In fact coincidently, I watched a program on the outdoor channel where another one of the usual hunter-heroes said exactly the same thing ..... exactly. So even though this whole debate is rather moot now at least this article posted by fasteddie has brought out the truth about that one point and in the words of someone who really ought to know.

Now, I guess we are supposed to believe that all those who have previously forsaken even picking up a gun (a real gender an age neutral weapon), are now going to flock to inflate the hunter numbers since they can use a crossbow. Yeah .... right .... that's going to happen. I want to see the numbers on that when it happens ..... lol.

At any rate, it appears that these kinds of discussions are a bit moot. However, the above quotes just happened to catch my eye and kind of fell in line behind my understanding from other sources as well as a certain basic level of logic even though we have seen countless pages of forum comments devoted to trying to convince us that the ease of crossbow marksmanship were being exaggerated. 

Doc

[jpcon]

cross bows with scopes just give outlaws more reason to stay in the stand and shoot deer after hours out of the tree stand or the back of the truck ,but i do think that people over 50 or people with health problems should be ok. if you are healthy and cant shoot a bow the you dont bow hunt this season gives us bowhunters some qiet time . it will just be like rifle season for 2 months say good by to early season no preasure. jr hunters should not be able to use cross bows it will not teach them the same skills to be a better shot or real hunter this is the problem ,we are always making it easier for the youth of tommorow ,this is our problem. my son had to kill 2 deer with his bow before i let him hunt with a gun. and he did it his 2nd year at age 11

[WNYBuckHunter]

cross bows with scopes just give outlaws more reason to stay in the stand and shoot deer after hours out of the tree stand or the back of the truck ,but i do think that people over 50 or people with health problems should be ok. if you are healthy and cant shoot a bow the you dont bow hunt this season gives us bowhunters some qiet time . it will just be like rifle season for 2 months say good by to early season no preasure. jr hunters should not be able to use cross bows it will not teach them the same skills to be a better shot or real hunter this is the problem ,we are always making it easier for the youth of tommorow ,this is our problem. my son had to kill 2 deer with his bow before i let him hunt with a gun. and he did it his 2nd year at age 11

Care to back those accusations up with facts?