The Pennsylvania Game Commission, at the urging of Commissioner Russ Schleiden, is investigating the possibility of legalizing the use of crossbows during the archery deer seasons. It should come as no surprise that "traditional" archery hunters are rising up in protest.
I wouldn't be one to run right out and buy a crossbow if they were legal in archery season; grouse and woodcock are on my mind at that time of year, and I have no problem with archery hunters wanting to protect their private time in the woods.
I wouldn't be crazy about having more hunters in the woods at that time of year, either. However, I do feel that the bow hunters have, from what I've seen, been reluctant to state their real objections. These are a few I've seen that, in my opinion, miss the mark:
Argument No.1: A crossbow is not really a bow and is far too effective. However, I'm sure that bow hunters of old would have the same comment about the current crop of compound bows with all their pulleys, balancing rods, sophisticated sights and such. It all depends on where you draw the line with regard to technical innovation.
Argument No. 2: Archery hunting should be difficult; the challenge is what makes bow hunting special. However, you could argue that bow hunting would remain just as challenging for the hunter who decides to continue using a regular bow. For him, nothing would change, except for the possibility of more hunters in the woods.
Argument No. 3: The only people pushing to legalize crossbows are crossbow manufacturers. That seems to be true, but one can't fault manufacturers for trying to open new markets, can one? Seems to me that's what all successful business enterprises do. Does anyone doubt that compound bow manufacturers are constantly looking to expand archery seasons across the nation, thereby opening new markets for their products?
Argument No. 4: If crossbows are legalized during archery season, large numbers of people will buy one and head for the woods during the archery season, making the woods much more crowded. It remains to be seen, but they may very well be right about that one.
Normally I don't like to see hunters fighting against other hunters, but in this case, it's more like hunters fighting equipment manufacturers. There doesn't seem to be great numbers of hunters clamoring to legalize crossbows during archery season.
Which brings us to what I believe are would be valid arguments against the legalization effort:
Argument No. 1: The PGC should be basing its decisions on the desires of actual "stakeholders," which includes hunters, not on the desires of equipment manufacturers.
Argument No. 2: The difficulty of bow hunting, and the skill involved, along with the solitude, make bow hunting a truly special sport deserving a special, exclusive, season of its own. Many bow hunters adopted the sport to escape the crowds of the firearms season. Traditional bow hunters shouldn't be asked to share the woods with the multitude of new hunters the legalization of crossbows might bring.
Argument No. 3: If crossbows were allowed during archery season, would we have to have a special classification in the record books for trophy animals shot with a crossbow, or would it be fair for them to be listed as merely "archery" kills? A complication we don't need.
Archery hunters shouldn't be ashamed to say that they don't care to share the woods with able-bodied crossbow hunters. It may sound selfish to some, but it's the truth.
n Don Steese, of Northumberland, writes a weekly column for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to jdsteese@yahoo.com.
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