Crossbow Issue Update - May 2009

At present the January 2009 crossbow decision is in the process of being revisited. PGC Commissioner Ronald Weaner’s motion at the April 2009 Board of Commissioners Meeting requested that PGC Staff bring proposals to the Commissioners on the following items:

• Maintain the existence of the system through which disabled hunters have obtained special permits allowing them to use crossbows in all big-game archery seasons.  That system essentially was eliminated by the January vote.

• Allow the use of crossbows by everyone only during the first two weeks of the fall archery deer season.  Beyond that, only disabled hunters with the special permits could use crossbows to hunt deer during the archery season.

• Except for hunters with the handicapped permits, recind the use of crossbows during the two day archery bear season in Wildlife Management Units 2C, 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, 3A, 4A, 4B AND 4D.

• Allow crossbows to be used in place of muzzleloaders during the early and late muzzleloading seasons.

It must be recognized that general crossbow use has been approved and, to at least some extent, is not likely to change. But, if Commissioner Weaner and the three other Commissioners supporting his motion are successful general use will be limited until data on harvest and participation are gathered which generally requires a three year period of time.

The UBP supports Commissioner Weaner’s motion and the efforts of three of his fellow Commissioners to put the science back into the general use crossbow decision. We are asking our members to show their support as well by contacting the Commissioners and expressing their support for the motion.

James J. Delaney,Jr, Vice President – PGCDistrict7@aol.com