Crossbow allowed for +55

[snapcrackpop]

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hunting/pubin.html

One of the proposals the DNR is leaning towards is allowing anyone 55 and older, to use a crossbow during the bowhunting season. Follow the link above to complete the online survey to tell them what you think.

I do not think we should allow it. The minimum draw weight is now 30 pounds! So if you have a real disability or can't draw 30 pound, then fine get the "Disability Permit". Lots of people over 55 can still bowhunt, my father included, but no need for handing over a crossbow to everyone over 55!

[sticknstring]

I agree. I do not support crossbows in the archery season unless a medical permit is obtained. I think the ultimate goal of this bill is to allow crossbows in the archery season for ALL ages. Don't let this bill get its foot in the door. The archery season is long for a reason. The drawing aspect of a vertical bow while remaining undetected is an extreme challenge. The crossbow eliminates this entirely and should remain open strictly during firearm season.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and voice your opinions on the different proposed regulations.

[koonie]

Lets just keep archery season for those that shoot bows. A crossbow is not archery! Their excuses for allowing this are based on nothing. I'll refer you the the Wells column in the outdoor news.

[deerminator]

I read the ON column and in several spots I thought it made bowhunters look like snobs. And I only bowhunt. In anycase, the whole bow versus crossbow thing amuses me. People seem to get enraged over it for no good reason. I think it would be a good thing to have a crossbow season that overlaps archery and gun seasons. And I would still only bowhunt for a variety of reasons. Your effective range is still roughly the same and while more hunters would be in the woods, it wouldn't be enough to make it like gun season. More opportunities for more hunters to get involved in deer hunting, if you ask me. Of course that might not sit well with the bowhunters who think not everyone should be allowed in the woods during bow season to paraphrase what was said in the column.

Hunters in this state have no problem arguing to be allowed to shoot more deer but suggest being able to use a new weapon to take one and all heck breaks loose. Maybe we want to think about doing away with those nasty muzzleloaders that are interfering with bow season too.

[BLACKJACK]

Disabled hunters can get a permit if needed to shoot a crossbow, 11,000 were given out last year, why do we need to change the regulations any further?? It appears the DNR is just pushing to get more licenses sold.

[Bear55]

It appears the DNR is just pushing to get more licenses sold.

Not to take this into another direction but I agree, you could say the same thing for bonus tags in areas with a questionable deer population.

[fr0sty]

Thanks for posting this. I found the presentation informative. I recommend you all watch it and take the survey.

[rbs]

11,000 permits were issued! Don't need to change anything! If you "need" to hunt with one because of disability they will administer a tag...leave it at that!

[Sunnie]

Let's get back to the basics. If you want it to be a sport again take away the compounds and allow recurve bows only.

[fr0sty]

I prefer we take it even further back, with only two hunting methods allowed. One is for individuals and the other is for party hunting.

"Lone Wolf" hunters can only use sticks sharpened with rocks. Said sticks and rocks can only be taken from your hunting area. Extra points are awarded for ambushing your prey by dropping on them from a suitable tree branch.

Party hunter can only herd animals to a suitable cliff or extra high ledge, causing them to plunge to death on the rocks below.

I don't want to appear elitist, so I will allow hunters the luxury of wearing modern boots and clothes, but be warned... Future regulations, instituted by me, will at some point require hunters to only wear clothes they made from prior year kill skins and items foraged from your chosen hunting area.

Additionally, if you wear contacts or corrective lenses, you shall not be allowed to wear them during the hunt. If you have had corrective laser surgery, you will be required to wear glasses that degrade your eye sight to it's pre-surgery vision.

Let's get back to the basics. If you want it to be a sport again take away the compounds and allow recurve bows only.

[LightningBG]

There is an extensive debate about this going on in the Bowhunting/Archery Forum.

[deerminator]

I have been so close to so many deer 10-15 feet under my stand that I've often wondered if I should try to jump on to their back with a buck knife and just make the kill that way. I wonder, would there be any "buck knife jump" that way? I mean, if you figure they "string jump," if you're jumping out of a tree they'd probably move before you landed on them. Regardless, I say we move that way for more of a challange and do away with bows.

[Musky Buck]

I'm thinking no need for crossbows unless you have a valid medical thing. It isn't just bow hunter numbers dropping off later in life, the same happens to the rifle hunters although I'm guessing most guys still get a tag whether they plan to go much or not so that skews the number some. I want the archery season to be just that, archery. And if these same 55+ want a deer they can rifle or muzzy it or party hunt with their crew the way it has always been. It would be interesting to see after 2-3-4 years of crossbows if the numbers would grow or what. Maybe we're trying to reach a point in license sales where it's 1 to 1. 1 deer per every tag sold in the state. 478,000 rifle, 99,000 bow, 11,000 crossbow, 70,000 muzzy. jk.

[james_walleye]

I was at the Rochester zone 3 meeting last night and this topic was brought up several times. In fact it was talked about almost as much as APR's. The reason given for this proposal was that the numbers show that at age 55 people are giving up archery. On the contrary the numbers showed that the numbers on gun hunting didnt start declining until 65. The majority of the 11,000 licenses sold for crossbows were already to people over 55. Point being that it would just make it easier for the over 55 crowd to hunt with a crossbow and keep more people in the woods beyond 55 years of age. The fear the people at the meeting have is where does the crossbow issue stop? The fear is that this is going to keep creeping until everyone can use one in the woods.

[heat checker]

Did they say WHY they are dropping out more after age 55? Difficulty pulling bow back, don't want to or can't spend the many hours on stand to get a shot? Unless the actual reason is difficulty pulling bow back, I don't see how a crossbow allowance is going to keep them going.

[james_walleye]

I believe this is what the DNR thinks. Otherwise ya, i dont know why it would help.

[Musky Buck]

I actually almost barely care anymore. I just counted up there's 14 deer stands around the 70 acres of cover I hunt in. I have half the land and my neighbor has half. So we have 11 dudes that surround us in the open field or crp field(s). There's roughly 25 deer per season in there, used to be closer to 50, it's a long 70 acres, about 3/4 mile long, figure 2-3 tags per hunter, used to be up to 5, and 25 gun days and wallah, these fringe hunters are blazing everything and anything because there's so much competition around it. One guy said I'd buy it from ya but there's more hunters than deer, now they'll be filled with youths/adults MEA, bow hunted, 9 rifle days, 16 possibly with a scoped muzzy, and 55+er's with crossbows, taxes going up, value going down. So these topics are irrelevant for people in my situation. I do understand pressure is tough for the DNR to gauge, but what's the skinny with so much opportunity, as deer numbers started falling after the 2004 season or so it's we need more chance more days to target what's left. I want to eat these words 3 years from now when we're begging for more antlerless tags as deer number regain strength.