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• Authorization of crossbow hunting, for hunters 14 years of age or older for small game, and for big game throughout firearms seasons and during portions of archery season.
   

• Also in next years proposed State Budget, 2014-2015 are reduced fees for seven-day fishing licenses, from $13 to $12 for residents and $31 to $28 for non-residents; an increase in the number of authorized statewide free fishing days from two to eight.

Now that we know that crossbows have been legalized in the state with a plan to have the hunting tool in place by this fall, it’s time to try and figure out what the restrictions will be – at least for the time being.

A recent contact to the DEC Press Office in Albany gave us most of the information that we needed to move forward for the new season. Not too much has changed with the basic foundation. Minimum overall length will be 24 inches from butt stock to front limbs; limb width will be a minimum of 17 inches. Poundage for peak draw much fall between 100 and 200 pounds and the bolt (arrow) must be at least 14 inches long.

DEC is working on all of the details and eventually it will be up for public review. There is no time frame when the public review will take place yet, but the intent is to have crossbow use available in 2014. As we mentioned earlier, crossbows can be used during the regular and muzzleloader seasons, as well as the last 10 days of the Northern Zone early archery season and the last 14 days of the early Southern Zone season. There will not be a special crossbow tag. “Depending on when the crossbow is used, this will determine which license and privilege are needed,” said Lori Severino with DEC’s Office of Media Relations. The important thing to recognize is that “hunters must possess a muzzleloader hunting privilege to legally hunt with a crossbow during the early archery seasons.” Deer tagged during those early archery seasons must use your muzzleloader tag.

During the other big game hunting options, you may use a crossbow as if it was a firearm – tagging your deer accordingly. This includes your regular season tag, deer management permit, deer management assistance permit or your muzzleloading tag (if taken during the muzzleloader season). In the Northern Zone, this includes the seven day early muzzleloader season.

Anyone hunting with a crossbow must have completed a standard hunter education course on or after April 1, 2014 or reviewed DEC-approved crossbow safety information available online or in the annual hunting regulations guide (the new one will be available around August 1 from now on). You must complete the self-certification form of compliance. Written confirmation must be carried with you when hunting with a crossbow.

By requiring a muzzleloader tag for the crossbow, it effectively eliminates crossbow usage in archery-only areas. Crossbows are not considered archery equipment by the new legislation. As a result, you must be at least 14 years of age to use a crossbow for big game and areas like Westchester County that are archery-only areas will be off limits for crossbows. It sounds like we should be establishing some areas that are crossbow-only. How about the City of North Tonawanda to help them control their burgeoning deer herd? We will have more on the crossbow saga as information is released.

It’s also important to note that crossbows can now be used for small game, too, with turkey season just around the corner. However, you won’t be able to use them this year just yet. And speaking of turkey hunting, the youth hunt this year is set for April 26-27. Get those 12 to 15 year old kids out there – and send me a note with any success stories.

 

Late Monday night, [May 31st 2014] the Senate and Assembly both passed the Budget and this morning Governor Cuomo signed it into law.

Thus, crossbows are now officially a legal hunting implement in New York!

I would like to thank Governor Cuomo for his support for this as well as the members of the Senate and Assembly that were influential in getting the compromise into the final budget. Senators Pat Gallivan, Dave Valesky and Mark Grisanti and especially in the Assembly, Sean Ryan, Aileen Gunther and Donna Lupardo for their leadership in getting the other members of their chambers to come to the table making New York the 28th state that allows crossbows during at least part of the archery seasons.

The crossbow will now be turned over to the DEC to work on setting the regulations within the parameters set forth in the budget. The process will include a Public Comment period where all NY’ers will have the ability to voice their opinions on the use and seasons.

I would also like to thank everyone that took the time to make the contacts with their respective legislators and the leadership in the Assembly and Senate. Without your help and perseverance our grassroots effort would not have been achievable.

Another Thank You goes to all of the Organizations that partnered with our coalition including the Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, The NYS Farm Bureau, New York Conservation Council, NYS Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the 4H NY Shooting Sports to name a few as well as many County Federations, Associations and local sporting clubs.

Today, crossbows have been awarded their proper place in the sporting community and everyone of us should be proud of what we have been able to achieve. As we have said from day one, “Together WE will Succeed”, and with hard work and determination we have.

Thank you and Happy Hunting
Rick McDermott
New York Crossbow Coalition
www.crossbowcoalition.com

Outdoors Niagara Note: Rick McDermott of Oswego County (present leader of the NY Crossbow Coalition) Is an honoree for The New York State Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame and will be inducted at  its annual awards banquet on April 26 2014

Bill Hilts Jr. Comments:

The big news this week came after I finished by column for Sunday. [May 27 2014] After it was all wrapped up, an email from Rick McDermott, leader of the New York Crossbow Coalition, told it all in two words of the subject line: “Great News!”

“I am pleased to report that the 2014-15 NYS Budget – pending approval by the legislature – will make crossbows a legal hunting implement once again in New York State,” said McDermott. While the vote was still pending, it was good news that the crossbow was still part of the overall package.

According to McDermott, the language would allow for use in all big and small game seasons that include firearms. In addition, crossbows can be used the last 14 days of the Southern Zone early archery season, as well as the last 10 days of the Northern Zone early archery season. In addition, the archery set back is changed to 150 feet from a dwelling, 250 feet for crossbows. Suffolk and Westchester counties were not included in the legislation. The last thing remaining was a passing vote from the state’s Assembly and Senate, as well as the blessing of the governor. It was looking pretty good.

It’s about time that this state finally got its act together on crossbows. This is a fight that has been going on for decades. Hopefully, we’ll be able to report on some official announcement next week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Crossbow Regulations explained by DEC ...........April 2014

Crossbow question: Any word on how crossbows will be handled with the new legislation? Trying to find out if there will be a special crossbow license that give hunters the opportunity to harvest a deer (good for the Conservation Fund); what will be the provision with hunter safety training for use of crossbows; will this all be implemented this fall; if there is a special license, what the cost will be? Regulations will be promulgated to allow the use of crossbows. A comment period will begin when the proposed regulations are released for public review. While we do not have a specific time frame for the release of the proposed regulations, we expect to have the rules in place by the fall hunting season. As per the recently signed law, crossbows may only be used during the last 10 days of the northern zone early archery season and the last 14 days of the southern zone early archery season.

There will not be a special crossbow license. Depending on when the crossbow is used, will determine which license and privilege are needed.

Deer taken by crossbow during a season when firearms are allowed may only be tagged with a valid regular season tag, deer management permit (DMP), deer management assistance permit (DMAP), or Bow/MZ tag (if during a muzzleloader season). In other words, you may use the same tags as if the deer was taken with a legal firearm.

Hunters must possess a muzzleloader hunting privilege to legally hunt with a crossbow during the early archery seasons.

Crossbows may also be used to take deer during limited portions of bowhunting seasons (if they possess a muzzleloader hunting privilege), as follows: - During the last 14 days of the early bowhunting season in the Southern Zone; - During the last 10 days of the early bowhunting season in the Northern Zone (this includes the 7-day early muzzleloader season in the Northern Zone).

Deer taken by crossbow during an open portion of the bowhunting season (as specified above) may only be tagged with a Bow/MZ tag, deer management permit (DMP), or deer management assistance permit (DMAP). In other words, you may use the same tags as if the deer was taken with a legal muzzleloader.

Anyone hunting with a crossbow must have: 1) completed a Standard Hunter Education course offered by DEC on or after April 1, 2014; or 2) reviewed DEC-approved crossbow safety information available on-line or in the annual hunting guide, and completed a self-certification form of compliance. Written confirmation of either certification must be carried when going afield with a crossbow.

DEC will begin drafting regulations in the next couple of weeks and plan to have the regulations in effect by late September.
 

Governor Supports Crossbow Initiative; The Fight is On! - January 2014

By Bill Hilts jr.

It started with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, when he included the use of crossbows as an important initiative to pursue in the Empire State. It’s something that’s been pushed for by every major conservation group in the state for years. Finally, it’s drawn the attention of the state’s top politician and he’s pushing to make the crossbow a legal hunting implement in the state, letting the Department of Environmental Conservation to manage the use of the crossbow as they see fit – the way it should be.

The crossbow initiative then appeared in the Governor’s Executive Budget (which was turned in this past week), an important next step to help make this happen. The ball is now in the court of every single sportsman and woman in the state who would like to see the crossbow push happen in New York. It’s important to write those letters, send those emails and make those phone calls to all your elected politicians locally. In addition, you might want to drop the Governor, as well as the heads of the Assembly and Senate, a note to let them know that you stand behind this important initiative. After 25 years, the crossbow may finally be an important hunting tool in the Empire State!

That’s not to say it wasn’t before. A couple of years ago, the crossbow was permitted for two hunting seasons but it was so restrictive that you could only hunt with it during the regular and late muzzleloader seasons – at a time when firearms could be used; at a time when it was cold and the weather was poor. It wasn’t the hunting tool of choice for sure. Prior to that time, there was a provision for a special crossbow permit, but it was so restrictive that only a handful existed in the state. One of the “tests” to see if you qualified was if your finger moved. If it did, then you did NOT. You had to fire the crossbow with your mouth, a “sip and puff” release that was expensive and degrading for someone who might be 90 percent quadriplegic but could still use their finger. Crazy!

In the past, the Senate has supported this type of crossbow initiative pushed by the governor, but the Assembly has fought it tooth and nail in the Environmental Conservation Committee chaired by Assemblyman Robert Sweeney of Long Island. He would not release it out of committee for reasons we can only speculate. We know that at least one group – the New York Bowhunters – have fought long and hard against having the crossbow in New York. You know that letters will be coming from them opposing the Governor’s push, so it’s important to let your voice be heard in the affirmative.

So here’s what happens next (according to Sen. George Maziarz’s office): The Budget proposal actually consists of about 10 different budget bills covering different areas (health, education, etc.). The crossbow provisions are included in the Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation budget bill. After the Governor submits his budget proposal, the Senate and Assembly will review it to determine what they like and don't like. Then, negotiation begins among the Governor, Senate and Assembly. Eventually, an agreement is made on what will stay in the budget, what will be added and what will be removed. The Senate Majority supports the crossbow initiative and now the Governor is supporting it, so the Governor coming on board is helpful in the negotiation stage. The negotiation will continue for the next couple months until an agreement is reached by the budget deadline (April 1). If the crossbow provisions stay in the budget bill, then they will become law if the budget bill passes the Legislature and the Governor signs it. Write and call today!

READ THE HISTORY OF THIS LEGISLATION IN THE ARTICLES BELOW:
 

It’s official. Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoed the legislation that would have reestablished the use of crossbows for another two years, as well as eliminated the youth hunt that was started up this year – at least the allowing of any kinds of firearms in the early archery season.

It’s been a bit confusing for some of you that have been trying to follow these issues through second and third hand reports from fellow sportsmen and women. That’s one of the reasons why this column insisted on joining a club and/or subscribing to publications like New York Outdoor News or Lake Ontario Outdoors for up-to-date information.

Two years ago, legislation was passed that allowed for crossbow usage during the big game season. The original bill called for the use of crossbows during the early archery season on private land. If you owned your own land and you wanted to hunt with a crossbow, why shouldn’t you? There were more relaxed standards for physically challenged, too. At the last minute, that was all removed underhandedly and the legislation that came out was not what we asked for. Crossbows could only be used during the regular (firearms) seasons and the late muzzleloader season in the Southern Zone.

This time around, the anti-crossbow proponents were up to some of their tricks once again. They thought that by pushing the same legislation again it would give them another two years to have the woods to themselves. One fly in the ointment, though, was the fact that a youth deer hunt popped up during Columbus Day weekend. The same people opposing crossbows didn’t like that either, so they managed to slip in an amendment that would have essentially eliminated the youth hunt and make it archery only, which wouldn’t stop any of the regular bow benders from hunting. After a decent amount of opposition, Gov. Cuomo vetoed the bill and sent legislators back to the drawing board. Or did they?

After it was announced that the bill was vetoed, Assemblymen Sean Ryan and Pat Gallivan reintroduced their bills from last year (A283) that very simply did was should have been done from the start – make the crossbow a legal hunting tool in the state and allow for the DEC to manage its use accordingly as the wildlife managers of the Empire State. Plain and simple. Let’s get the deer hunting management out of Albany (which is really New York City and Long Island) and into the hands of the state agency charged with handling wildlife issues. We’ll pass along the corresponding Senate bill when we get it.

Crossbows have a place in New York. We would be better off reevaluating all of our hunting seasons then to fight so hard to keep the crossbows out of the woods. Many groups have supported the use of crossbows over the years. From the New York State Conservation Council to the Conservation Fund Advisory Board, they have looked to the crossbow as a way of injecting new money into the wildlife programs in the state. It would also help out groups like senior and junior hunters, physically challenged sportsmen and women who are starting to enter the big game ranks. And it’s not just big game either. Crossbows could also be an option for turkey hunting as but one example.

Crossbow Update – JANUARY 2013
The bill that’s in both the Senate and the Assembly is currently being considered. Assemblyman Sean Ryan’s A283 crossbow bill, with a companion bill of S1699 sponsored by Senator Pat Gallivan, allows the crossbow to become a legal hunting implement and lets DEC manage its use accordingly – not the governing bodies out of Albany. Drop your legislative representative a note and let them know that you support these pieces of legislation.

 

The above is from the NYS DEC Website. Follow this link to read rules and definitions completely: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/68802.html

More information can be found at these websites - Click the logos

NY OUTDOOR NEWS   for October
TAKING AIM COLUMN         

CROSSBOW LEGALIZATION STILL A SEA OF CONTROVERSY

By Will Elliott

Now that the crossbow has become a legal hunting device in New York State, New York Bowhunters (NYB) leadership has raised their sails and cheered what they deem another successful voyage.

To sustain this seafaring metaphor, it looks as though the NYB anti-crossbow advocates are acting like a boat load of Ahabs.

Since NYB was formed in 1991, a powerful faction of members serving as officers, directors, and committee leaders, has likened their distain for crossbows with an obsession akin to Herman Melville’s Captain Ahab in the classic sea tale “Moby Dick.” Ahab’s whaling ship, Pequod, became the stage for the captain’s fixation on killing this white whale he had encountered earlier. During that encounter, the whale destroyed Ahab’s ship and bit off his leg.

For the NYB organization, the anti-crossbow faction has had a fixation to kill any New York State legislation that would allow crossbow use while hunting in this state.

Well, for NYB lobbyists, the evil, leg-biting crossbow (Moby Dick) has just tapped the hull of NYB’s Pequod. Yet the NYB establishment considers its anti-crossbow efforts a complete success.

Previously, this anti faction had successfully alienated New York State outdoor writers who chose to discuss anything favorable about crossbow use. Previous NYB president Kevin Armstrong once wrote that anyone with a typewriter/keyboard can become an outdoor writer. Current NYB president Gary Socola has echoed that sentiment.

If so, why has not Armstrong and Socola become the next Melville or Ernest Hemingway?

Perhaps their obsession with stopping crossbows has curbed their literary output. But Socola waxed widely after NYB lobbying altered the initial Francine DelMonte and George Maziarz crossbow legalization bills.

In its final legislative form, the crossbow bill serves all purposes of the NYB antis – not the general will of hunters statewide.

In doing so, NYB not only assailed members of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA), the anti faction further incurred the ire of the NYS Conservation Council. While doing so, they added the Safari Club International (SCI) and the DEC.

As for outdoor writers, NYB critics like to say that the pro-crossbow sentiment comes mainly from a few writers in Western New York. However, during the latest round of debates, NYB experts attacked outdoor writer Bill Connors when he correctly cited statistics on crossbow dynamics in the state of Georgia.

Curiously, Connors is not a member of NYSOWA and he writes columns for the Poughkeepsie Journal in southeastern New York.

In fact, many of this state’s writers have written favorably about crossbow use, but their production is prompted by their own preferences – or assignments of editors.

As a past president of NYSOWA, I can affirm that this writers group does not support or oppose proposed legislation – or political candidates, appointments, product items, or reality-show contestants. 

As for NRA support of crossbows, NYB officials took exception to this NRA stance. President Socola wrote an interjection: “”(not sure how being pro-crossbow is protecting my firearms right)…”

Ironically, NYB crossbow critics during the tenure of the past three presidents delight in referring to this device as a “cross-gun.”

As for rights, disallowing crossbow access during the regular archery season to thousands of prospective users can be seen as denying hunting rights.

The NYB attack on the DEC is two-fold. Socola questions why the DEC would hold meetings and spend our tax dollars on a Cornell survey. Socola goes on to state: “…our DEC knows nothing about crossbows.”

The DEC has access to records and reports from 48 states that have previously legalized this device, and DEC officials conducted public meetings and enlisted Cornell to conduct a study – yet NYB critics discredit the DEC’s knowledge.

Curiously, the NYB Web site featured for more than a decade a Cornell study done showing the statewide preference for crossbow use was slightly less than 50 percent. Somehow, a 1994 study is valid but current preferences should not be accepted.

Clearly, support for crossbow legalization for all throughout all open hunting seasons has come from individual hunters and private and professional organizations statewide and nationally.

The problem is that this support is not shown in solid numbers when legislators deliberate crossbow concerns. NYB vice-president Martin Seeley, when thanking members for hammering legislators with phone calls, e-mails, and faxes, posed the question: “Are they really out there?”

The answer, of course, is they – hunters and shooters favoring or not opposed to crossbow use – are “out” there. That is, they are not in Albany hounding key legislators every time crossbow legislation hits assembly and senate floors. One regional director praised a member who spent a full month in Albany pushing legislators away from crossbows.

In the next breath, NYB appeals to members for support money to further the positive –not anti-crossbow – programs such as archery in schools, handicapped shooter, overseas outreach, and other efforts that might not be as easily heard during Environmental Conservation Committee meetings.

Eventually, crossbows will become legal in all seasons, as it has become accepted in many other states. And, as in those other states, vertical bow hunters will continue to log most record kills.

We can only hope that after all this crossbow contention has ended, NYB doesn’t become a sunken Pequod.

Watered-downed Crossbow Bill Passes Both Houses

Some form of crossbow legislation passed both houses – Senate and Assembly – earlier this week. We’re still trying to figure out what we ended up with as of this writing due to some last minute amendments that came through to muddy the waters up. It started with a phone call from my brother at 6:45 a.m. last Wednesday letting me know that Sen. George Maziarz was just on WLVL Radio in Lockport announcing the passage of the crossbow bill from both the Senate and Assembly. Something that we’ve been fighting for since 1990 when we first experienced these hunting tools while on an outdoor adventure in Ohio. Twenty years later, it appears that our pleas have been heard. But to what extent? At first glance, it appears as though changes were made to the legislation due to pressure from the New York Bowhunters. I looked at a video of a presentation made by a NYB representative at a committee meeting of the Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee and my first question was is it legal to misrepresent the truth and state untruths before such a committee? Al (I couldn’t hear this last name) from NYB claimed that their organization represented ALL the bowhunters of New York State. I’m a bowhunter from New York. So are my brothers. So are many of my friends. They didn’t represent us, yet they were claiming they were. A membership of somewhere between two and three thousand members, they claim to be the voice of all 172,000 bow hunters in the state. At least that was the last number for 2009-2010 from the DEC website. In 2008-09, there were over 204,000 archery tag holders in New York. It sounds like they should be more concerned about retention and recruitment rather than keeping people out of the woods.

He went on to state they these crossbow are deadly – being able to shoot “accurately out to 100 yards out of the box.” He also claimed that “many” handicapped permits are currently available in the state right now. So what constitutes “many?” Something like 33 permits have been issued for physically challenged hunters. However, if you can move your trigger finger – that’s right, just move it – you don’t qualify. You must use this bow by using a mouth release only – sip and puff. Their attitude, and they’ve stated it publicly on “many” occasions, is that some time you have to admit you can’t pull the bow back and hang it up – you shouldn’t be out there.

So where did we go with this legislation? First, kudos to Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte who led the charge in the Assembly; as well as Sen. Dave Valesky and Sen. George Maziarz in the Senate. Without their support, we never would have gotten as far as we did. At the very least, we are further than we ever have been before. As far as the legislation, it looks like one thing is for sure – you can use a crossbow during the regular firearms and muzzleloading seasons in the state. That isn’t going to generate any special license sales for sure. One clause that was included in the original bill was that the crossbow could be used during any season on private land. Why not? NYB pushed to have that removed and they succeeded. Another portion of the bill addressed physically-challenged hunters. If you had a doctors slip showing that you couldn’t pull a compound or recurve bow back, you could obtain a special use permit and be able to use them during the archery season. NYB pushed to have this removed, too, and it appears that they were successful. Physically-challenged sportsmen need to be allowed to hunt in warmer weather and the early archery season should be when these sportsmen can hunt with a crossbow. How about an Oct. 1 start to an early season just for handicapped sportsmen until the start of the regular archery season? When are people going to realize that NYB want to keep people out of the woods to have the resource for themselves, ultimately controlling how you and I hunt? If anyone wonders why the bill is what it is, now you know. There is still one more hurdle for this round. We still need Governor Paterson’s signature. Be sure to drop him a note or give him a phone call to let him know that the crossbow bill needs to be signed (A.924-E/S.6793-B). And be sure to drop a note to these legislative supporters of the crossbow as we continue to move forward on this important issue. Let them know you are not happy with the final version. There is a sunset clause in this legislation that allows for this to come up for review in two years. And it doesn’t go into effect until Oct. 1, 2011.

Press Release June 30 2010

Assemblywoman DelMonte's bill to legalize crossbow hunting passes both houses -
Bill to be sent to governor for his signature

A bill introduced by Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte (D-Lewiston) passed both the Assembly and Senate that lays the groundwork for legalized crossbow hunting in New York State (A.924-E/S.6793- B). Current law only allows longbows to be used for bow hunting while crossbows are solely permitted for certain physically disabled hunters; however, that limits certain hunters - such as seniors and veterans with disabilities - from bow hunting because longbows can be prohibitively heavy. "Hunting is an important recreational activity and wildlife management tool and we should be expanding the opportunities for those who wish to hunt but are physically limited from doing so," said DelMonte. "Denying certain hunters a tool that can allow them to continue a beloved pastime just doesn't make sense to me, and that's why I believe the state should legalize crossbow hunting."

DelMonte's legislation requires acceptable crossbows to use 14-inch and longer arrows and include a working safety. The bill would also empower the state Department of Environmental Conservation to establish a crossbow hunting season to coincide with rifle hunting season and allow crossbow use on private property during any deer-hunting season. She said states that embrace crossbow hunting, including Georgia, Michigan and Ohio, appear to benefit from the activity's merits, as it's an environmentally sound recruitment and retention tool for hunters.

Only two states ban crossbow hunting - New York and Oregon. "It has been more than 20 years in the making, but finally New York State has joined with 48 other states and legalized the modern crossbow," said Bill Hilts Sr., president NYS Crossbow Hunters Assn. "Thanks to the determined efforts of Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte and Senator David Valesky, New York residents can enjoy the challenges of using a crossbow, if they so wish. The horizontal bow will be most welcomed by the youth, women, elderly and physically challenged of our state. The crossbow is just another safe way to hunt!"

"Hunting brings nearly $1 billion annually to New York and is a critical contributor to our economy and culture," DelMonte continued. "This bill maintains safety while catering to a wider array of hunters. Hunting access will improve, and a broader variety of hunters will only improve appeal, helping generate needed revenue while attracting tourists to the Niagara region." DelMonte recently held a press conference in Albany to urge for the bill's passage. She was joined by a bipartisan group of legislators, the Safari Club, the NYS Conservation Council, the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Councils and SCOPE.

The bill is the latest in a long line of sportsmen-minded measures DelMonte has supported in recent years, including: o Ch. 344 of 2008 - a law granting big-game hunting privileges to 14- and 15-year-olds in New York State as long as they're supervised by an experienced hunter; o Ch. 600 of 2005 - a law allowing sportsmen to use rifles to hunt deer and bear in 11 upstate counties; and o A.3270 of 2010 (passed the Assembly) - a bill that would create the Empire State Fishing Trail program to capitalize on the state's emergence as a top bass fishing destination.

SENATE NEWS RELEASE ON WEDNESDAY JUNE 30 2010

FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Wednesday, June 30, 2010
CONTACT: Adam Tabelski, (716) 731-8740

SENATE GIVES FINAL PASSAGE TO CROSSBOW HUNTING LEGISLATION

Senator George Maziarz (R-C, Newfane) is pleased to announce that the State Senate has given final passage to legislation (S.6793-B) he co-sponsored to allow for hunting with crossbows in New York State.

“Normally I’m forced to spend a lot of time in Albany fighting against new laws that infringe on sportsmen’s rights,” Senator Maziarz said. “Today, I’m very pleased that we’re doing something positive for the hunting community. By incorporating the use of crossbows, we are opening up more hunting opportunities for a variety of New Yorkers, including seniors and the disabled. This is a step in the right direction that is long overdue.”

Senator Maziarz has been working to get a crossbow bill passed into law for a number of years. He first introduced legislation in 2003 to direct the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to promulgate rules and regulations for hunting with a crossbow. His predecessor, Senator John Daly, had advocated for similar legislation in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

“Opening the door to crossbows is good for the sportsmen community as a whole,” Senator Maziarz added. “Getting more people involved can only be a good thing for preserving and expanding sportsmen’s rights in Albany.”

The legislation approved today specifies that crossbows shall be authorized for any big game season when the shotgun or muzzle loader is permitted. Crossbows for hunting deer and bear must have a fourteen inch bolt, a seventeen inch width, a twenty-four inch length, a draw weight of between one hundred and two hundred pounds, and a trigger safety. Training on the safe use of crossbows will also become part of the curriculum of basic hunter education courses.

Incorporating crossbow hunting in New York State has been supported in the past by groups such as Disabled Sportsmen of America, Safari Club, New York State Conservation Council, the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs, and the Shooters’ Committee on Political Education (SCOPE).

The bill also eases the requirements for physically disabled persons to obtain permission to use a longbow modified with a mechanical device to help draw, hold, and release the long bow.

Senator Maziarz has encouraged Governor David Paterson to sign the bill into

Bill to give the DEC crossbow control

The beat and heat goes on between the pro-and anti-crossbow factions.

The New York Bowhunters (NYB) remain chief among the anti-crossbow crowd. When founded in 1991, NYB posited banning crossbows in New York State as one of its leading efforts.

Since then, NYB has gone on to sponsor many worthwhile youth, veteran and handicapped programs. But the NYB leadership remains adamantly opposed to crossbows.

NYB often refers to the crossbow as a “crossgun,” implying that it is more of a firearm than an archery device. Also, NYB spokesmen consider the skill level needed to use a crossbow to be well below that required of an archer shooting and hunting with a vertical bow handheld at full draw.

Over the years, NYB has taken exception to crossbow supporters, particularly outdoor writers who have used the crossbow and written columns favoring its legalization in New York State as a hunting device.

For nearly two decades, NYB officers and crossbow advocates have tangled bow strings around crossbow issues.

Former NYB President Kevin Armstrong commented that anyone with a typewriter could be an outdoor writer. Current NYB head Gary Socola referred to Bill Hilts Sr., American Crossbow Association official, as “Hitler” when it comes to passing crossbow legalization in New York.

In his latest appeal to NYB members to block pending legislation, Socola decried media reliability after Bill Connors, outdoor columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal, discredited Socola’s data on crossbow dynamics in Georgia six years after it was legalized in that state.

Connors pointed out that Georgia state officials had placed all hunting devices under one license category, which voided any statistics, including those used by Socola, on crossbow use decline or increase.

Socola cites Hilts and Region 9 (far Western New York) factions as the main source of self-serving support for crossbow legalization, but appeals statewide have shown support for its use as a hunting device.

Assemblywoman Francine Delmonte (D-Niagara Falls) has sponsored bill A924, which is moving forward to give the Department of Environmental Conservation powers to regulate crossbow use throughout the hunting season.

DEC officials, once reluctant to comment on crossbow issues, have begun to see it as a viable hunting option. Patricia Riexinger, DEC Director of the Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, wrote: “I view X-bows as an important tool for managing deer populations. I also believe that they are a legitimate implement for enabling people to hunt a little longer.”

Delmonte has scheduled a press conference at 10 a. m. Wednesday in Albany on the crossbow legislation. Harold Palmer, New York State Conservation Council legislative vice president, is making arrangements for groups and individuals to attend this meeting. For details, call Palmer at (315) 894-3302.

"Mark - Great to see a crossbow page on your site. I have attached the last editorial from the Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine. Perhaps you can use it, perhaps not. You have my blessings if you decide it is printable. I would like to help with more if you are interested. Thank you."

Daniel James Hendricks Crossbow Advocate
POB 251, 20 NE 9th Ave
Glenwood, MN 56334 320-634-3660
Email: [email protected]
Web Site1: www.horizontalbowhunter.com
Web Site2: www.crossbowhunting.net
Web Site3: www.uffdaclub.com

Daniel James Hendricks, Crossbow Advocate

Following is a story of crossbow hunting in general. Daniel James Hendricks is the publisher of Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine

PUBLISHER’S PERSPECTIVE
Daniel James Hendricks 

THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

The lack of hunter unification is something that we can all do something about.

An AP article by David Crary entitled “Numbers of Hunters Fall, Worrying Some” serves as the proverbial handwriting on the wall and should stir even the most callous hearted of contemporary hunters. We are all in trouble!

Reasons given by experts for declining hunter numbers include the loss of hunting land to urbanization, prohibitive costs of modern hunting, land access, and lack of hunter unification.

As a hunter that just recently lost another chunk of his sacred suburban bowhunting ground to the clearing of lots for a commercial housing project, I can identify with the first point. Even in expanding rural communities, more and more good chunks of hunting land are being chopped up and put on the sales block in the name of profit and progress.

Bowhunters watch helplessly as the price of basic equipment rises, not to mention the cost of all the accessories that are quickly becoming necessities for the savvy archer. It is becoming a rich man’s sport and therefore prohibitive to citizens in the lower income brackets. Tack on the theft that is taking place by the oil companies for petroleum products, which taxes every trip into and out of the field and now you are talking about a passion that is capable of consuming large chunks of a family’s disposable income.

As more prime hunting land is removed from the local hunter’s access through group buy-offs by out-of-towners and private leasing, it is becoming even harder for the locals to find good private ground. This naturally increases traffic and hunting pressure on the parcels of the public land that are available. All of these reasons are cause for serious concern, however, the last point listed in Crary’s article is inexcusable.

The lack of hunter unification is something that we can all do something about. Solving that problem starts with the person that stares back at you from the bathroom mirror each morning. When we are continually informed by a multitude of knowledgeable and professional sources that we must all work together to guarantee our pursuit of the wild and the bounty and beauty it provides, it staggers my mind that so many of us still spend our time, our energy and our financial resources on mortal combat against our hunting brothers and sisters.

All of us that are supportive of the crossbow hunting opportunity know exactly what I’m talking about. When radical groups, which represent a vocal minority of bowhunters make a statement like “the crossbow is the most serious threat to bowhunting today”, we can put our finger directly on the type of thoughtless, selfish cancer that is threatening the future of all hunting. In all fairness, this is perhaps the most prevalent example of blatant hunter cannibalism, but it is not the only violation that is currently taking place. There are skirmishes in the black powder community, conflicts over shooting preserves as well as many other struggles that keep hunter’s attention directed away from the real threats that are methodically dooming us all.

In my travels, I am heartened to discover that more and more people are grasping the big picture. Hunters are quickly realizing that personal greed and selfishness are not the ways to abet our very real struggle for survival. If we are to preserve our heritage, we must recruit new members of all ages and both sexes. The only thing that is more important than numbers, however, is uniting those numbers into a single voice that speaks for the rights and freedom of all hunters.

If you do not approve of someone else’s method of hunting, don’t try to kill it by going to war against it, that is the action of an anti-hunter. It’s really that simple! If you don’t like it, then don’t do it! When and if each of us learns to live and let live with our hunting brethren, then perhaps we will have a chance to protect what is so near and dear to us all. Undeniably, if hunters continue to tear away at one another like a pack of rabid dogs, the future of all hunting will be dark and predictably short.

Good hunting and please take care, be well and God bless.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: If you have an interest in hunting with or shooting a crossbow, please visit our websites horizontalbowhunter.com  crossbowhunting.com  to learn more about the American Crossbow Federation, Inc. (ACF), The ACF is dedicated to promoting and preserving all forms of legal hunting with all legal weapons, especially the crossbow.

One of the greatest benefits of belonging to the ACF is that you will receive the quarterly publication, the Horizontal Bowhunter Magazine, an International Quarterly dedicated to informing, educating and entertaining the modern crossbow hunter and perpetuating the crossbow hunting opportunity for everyone that chooses to use one.

 I got a late start on this week's column - not because I didn't know what I wanted to write about, but because I couldn't quite figure out how I was going to write it.

      The "it" is the opening of archery season for deer. This year, archers will start going afield on Oct. 17 here in the Southern Zone. You would naturally assume it should be a happy occasion. You would be wrong.

      Yet another archery season will come and go, and still folks who can no longer pull a bow back will not be able to hunt again this year because a small but vocal group of bow hunters refuses to get out of the road and let the Legislature legalize crossbows.

      Actually, the Legislature doesn't need permission to make the crossbow a legal hunting instrument here in New York, as many other states have already done. But just as they allow themselves to be bullied on so many other issues, they have not yet figured out how to ignore the ranting of little more than a handful of archers and make it possible for thousands of hunters to use an implement that has been in use for hundreds of years.

      There are persistent rumors that the lead organization in the effort to keep the number of bow hunters down - New York Bowhunters - has fewer members since they started their campaign against the use of crossbows. I suspect there is at least a modicum of truth to the rumors. I also suspect they will say I'm wrong. Show me.

       In the meantime, they continue to argue that the crossbow shouldn't be legal, but if it is, it should be used only during the regular gun season because there is something "un-pure" about it. In truth, it is no less pure than the compound bows that 99.9 percent of them already use.

      If the bowhunters were actually worried about the purity of their sport, they would be shooting bareback bows. That is longbows of the days of old, minus any trappings of modern technology. The longbow has been in use for thousands of years. It is pure. Compound bows didn't surface until 1967, thanks to the ingenuity of one Wilbur Allen of Allen Compound Bows.

      Allen, and a bow maker by the name of Jennings, started producing compounds in 1968. The technology has continued to advance to the point that due to the cams on the typical compound bow today - while it may take 55 or 60 pounds to pull the string back, the "let-off" created by the cams drops the energy required to hold the bow string back by as much as 90 percent or more - doesn't sound pure to me.

       Unfortunately the 90-percent let-off created by the cams does nothing for someone who can't pull the bow back to begin with. Yes, there are devices and gimmicks to help, but a crossbow for most people solves the problem.

      This is a turf war, pure and simple. Legalization of the crossbow and its allowed use during the archery-only season will put more hunters in the woods. When that happens - and I do mean when - New York Bowhunters will have to implement a counseling hotline.

       They do not want the number of hunters in the woods during archery season to grow. The mere thought that it could happen has them placing calls to Albany just to make sure that the chairman of the Environmental Conservation Committee, Carl Marcellino, still hasn't figured out that there is no plausible excuse for not letting the legislation come to the floor of the Senate.

       That having someone hunting a few hundred feet or a few hundred yards from you using a crossbow will somehow impact the quality of your hunt is absurd. If two hunters are more than just a few yards away from each other, they probably wouldn't know that the other has even released an arrow. They don't seem to care that the other hunter could be 61 years old and suffering from limitations imposed by shoulder surgery.

      That bowhunters think there is something pure about using a modern compound is amazing. Just comparing a 1967 Allen compound to those manufactured today is like trying to compare a washboard to a front-loading washer. They both get the clothes clean, but they sure don't do it the same way.

      So why not allow the use of crossbows? We need additional hunters out there, and that might help get them there.

Bill Conners of the Federation of Dutchess County Fish and Game Clubs writes on outdoors news, notes and issues every Thursday in Players. He can be reached via e-mail at [email protected], or by calling the Players Hot Line at 845-437-4848.
 

      New York State, on the other hand, still insists for anyone to use a crossbow they must be a paraplegic without the use of any limbs or fingers. This disgusting and shameful requirement was enacted with the blessing of the New York Bowhunters who for years claimed the compound bow was a “traditional” weapon. Neither, the crossbow nor compound bow, are traditional. They are both the result of intensive experimentation and development by engineers over the years. If truth were known the crossbow of today looks more like its predecessor than the compound compares to the six-foot, lemon wood bow of yore. The primary difference between compound and crossbow is one is fired horizontally, the other, vertically. Other than that they both have wheels and pulleys to make life easier for the shooter. As soon as Senator Carl Marcellino, the one holding up the vote to legalize the crossbow and pet of NYB, is out of office the bow hunters of New York might be given the opportunity to decide for themselves what they want to use. The world as we know it will not end if the crossbow is allowed in the state.

Joe Ognibene Outdoor Scene Sunday October 7  2007
NOTE: This article is left here indefinitely in honor of this Niagara Gazette columnist and personal friend who passed away recently.            

         On Saturday the archery deer season opened and, sad to say, we still are not allowed the use of a crossbow to take deer. For many who at one time enjoyed waiting in a tree stand for a deer to come by day has lost all meaning because the ravages of time or infirmity has robbed them of the ability to pull a bowstring. Recently Bill Conners, outdoor columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal, wrote that the “turf war over crossbows is just plain silly.”

        Most outdoor writers, and he too, mention that those who can no longer pull a bowstring are forced out of bow hunting because a “small but vocal group of bow hunters refuses to get out of the way and let the Legislature legalize the crossbow.” That small but vocal group Conners refers to is New York Bowhunters. Whenever it appears legalization of the crossbow might come about they organize a flurry of telephone calls to Senator Carl Marcellino, the one holding up voting on legalization by not allowing it to come to a vote. It is obvious NYB is well organized and proves Adolph Hitler was right when he wrote, “a well organized minority will always defeat the disorganized majority.”

        In this ongoing fight over legalizing the crossbow the disorganized majority must realize the most important issue is the right to choose what you want to use to hunt deer and then demand it. I like using a 12-gauge, semi-automatic shot gun for deer hunting. That does not give me the right to deny you using a pump 16-gauge shotgun simply because I like the 12-gauge semi-autoloader. Conners goes on to write, “they, NYB, do not want the numbers of hunters in the woods during archery season to grow.” “That having someone hunting a few hundred feet or a few hundred yards from you using a crossbow will somehow impact the quality of your hunt is absurd. If two hunters are more than a few yards away from each other, they probably wouldn’t know that the other fellow has even released an arrow.”

        In his column Conners mentions what this column has many times, that a modern compound bow is a not a “traditional” bow. It never has been or ever will be. The same is true of the crossbow. The hue and cry against the crossbow is the same that was heard back in the mid 60s when compound bow first arrived on the scene. When the crossbow is legalized, and it will be, many thousands disabled or elderly former archers will gladly pick one up and rejoin the sport. When that time comes, and it will, members of NYB might have to have counseling to get over the shock of having to hunt at the same time with those who disagree with their selfishness.

Read Connors whole column here above

Obviously Young O'Brien is dismembered and a crossbow
is his only means to enjoy the sport. 
It is well deserved but for now a special
 "handicap" permit is needed in New York State.

Thank You Senator Maziarz and
Assemblywoman Francine DelMonte for your efforts

The use of crossbows in New York State is again on the table with considerable angst from both sides. The proposed legislation comes after neighboring states already allow crossbows and other states across the country are making similar moves. Some sportsmen are wondering if the bill could become a reality this time around.

The bill calls for the DEC to develop standards for crossbow hunting by July 9, 2009. It would be up to the DEC to establish season lengths and address issues such as whether crossbows would be allowed during the regular archery hunting seasons or the gun season.

The bulk of the opposition to crossbows comes from New York Bowhunters, Inc., the statewide group representing thousands of archery hunters. NYB always has been against any type of weapon that isn't a conventional bow that is drawn and held by hand during the archery season.

Right now, the only ones who can use the crossbow are the physically challenged.

I don't see any reason why the crossbow should not be allowed during the gun season. Over the past 20 years, the number of gun hunters has dropped considerably, allowing for growth in the number of hunters during that time of the season.

To create a separate season for crossbows would only cut back time from archery or gun seasons. Bow-hunters in New York already got the short end of the stick by the move to a Saturday opener for the regular firearms deer season, which is usually the beginning of the rut and used to offer some of the best whitetail hunting of the archery season.