National Bowhunting Summit
Crossbow Letter
April 17-18, 2005 August 5, 2005
To Whom It May Concern,
The representatives of 32 state and provincial-level bowhunting organizations met on April 17-18 in Springfield, Missouri at the first “NATIONAL BOWHUNTING SUMMIT.” The purpose of the summit was to share information and develop strategies to resolve issues of greatest concern, and to establish a permanent communications network of bowhunting organizations that will work together on behalf of bowhunting.
A major issue addressed by the summit attendees was the use of crossbows during archery-only hunting seasons. It was immediately apparent that the attendees were unified as being strongly opposed to the use of crossbows in any bowhunting season.  State and provincial representatives unanimously agreed that crossbows are not bows and should not be allowed in archery-only seasons.
A hunting bow is recognized as a compound, recurve or longbow that is hand-drawn and that has no mechanical device to enable the hunter to lock the bow at full or partial draw. Crossbows, on the other hand, are locked at full draw by a trigger, utilize a rifle-like stock, have rigidly controlled internal ballistics, can readily be shot from a rest and typically use a telescopic sight. A crossbow’s characteristics are so vastly different from those of conventional bows, that summit attendees agreed that crossbows would negatively impact bowhunting seasons if allowed in archery-only seasons.
While the group recognized and supported the rights of hunters who choose to use other legal weapons in separate hunting seasons, they stood unanimously opposed to any effort to establish hunting season regulations where the ultimate aim is the inclusion of crossbows in bowhunting seasons or in archery-only areas.
The below signed organizations and bowhunting-related businesses have joined the National Bowhunting Summit conferees in believing that, in order to preserve the integrity of bowhunting, it is vital that crossbows not be permitted in bow seasons or archery-only hunting areas.
 

Respectfully, Alabama Society of Traditional Bowmen Alaskan Bowhunters Association                     Alberta Bowhunters Association  Alberta Traditional Bowhunters  Archery Big Bucks of Missouri                        Archery Past (OR)                                            Association of Traditional Hunting Archers           Bayou State Bowhunters (LA)  Bob’s  Archery Sales (CO)  Bowhunting Council of Oklahoma Bowhunters of Alabama  Bowhunters of Wyoming  Carolina Traditional Archers Colorado Bowhunters Association Compton Traditional Bowhunters Maine Bowhunters Association Maine Traditional Archers Maryland Bowhunters Society Massachusetts Bowhunters Association Michigan Bow Hunters Association  Michigan Traditional Bowhunters  Minnesota Bowhunters, Inc. Mississippi Bowhunters Association  Missouri Bow Hunters Association  Montana Bowhunters Association  Nebraska Bowhunters Association  Nebraska Traditional Archers  New York Bowhunters, Inc.  North Carolina Bowhunters Association  North Dakota Bowhunters Association  Northern Bowhunters Association (AB) Ohio Bowhunters Association  Oregon Bow Hunters Pennyslvania Association of Traditional Hunting Archers

Pope and Young Club  Professional Bowhunters Society  South Carolina Bowhunters Association  South Dakota Bowhunters, Inc. Suburban Whitetail Management of North Georgia   Suncoast Archers, Inc. (FL) Georgia Bowhunters Association Green Mountain Traditional Bowhunters Horse Creek Traditional Archery Club (FL) Idaho State Bowhunters Idaho Traditional Bowhunters Illinois Bowhunters Society  Virginia Bowhunters Association Indiana Bowhunters Association Wakulla Archery Club (FL) Iowa Bowhunters Association                           Iowa Traditional Bowhunters Society            Washington State Archery Association  Kansas Bowhunters Association                      Tallahassee Bowhunters Association (FL) Traditional Bowhunters of California     Traditional Bowhunter Magazine  Traditional Archers of New Jersey Traditional Archers of Oregon Traditional Bowhunters of Florida Traditional Bowhunters of Georgia Traditional Bowhunters of Washington Traditional Bowhunters of Montana United Bowhunters of Connecticut United Bowhunters of Illinois United Bowhunters of Kentucky United Bowhunters of Missouri United Bowhunters of New Jersey United Bowhunters Pennsylvania Lone Star Bowhunters Association (TX) Washington State Bowhunters West Virginia Bowhunters Association Wisconsin Bowhunters Association