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July 23, 2008 |
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Our archery seasons in Pennsylvania are once again, quite possibly in serious jeopardy.
The crossbow industry and the various and numerous trade and commerce associations which support them, long recognizing a potential market share in Pennsylvania worth multiple millions of dollars, has finally succeeded in convincing at least 55 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives that by merely ‘legally’ changing the Title 34 definition of ‘bow’, currently defined as hand held, hand drawn and held in place by hand or with a hand held mechanical trigger to now also include the crossbow in that definition of what is a bow. This legislation changes the definition of a bow from a hand held, hand drawn, in the presence of game hunting implement, to ‘include’ a device that is hand held, but actually in the condition of and as a fully loaded, locked, and cocked device, requiring no concern for physical movement or mental training to accomplish the task at hand, much like a firearm; the crossbow.
If this legislation that will re-define the legal definition of what constitutes a vertical bow and that of a crossbow to be one and the same, all existing and future archery seasons would be understood to include the crossbow.
There is little data available to either substantiate or disprove the crossbow industry’s documented claims that there will be no significant biological impact on the deer management plan in Pennsylvania, or any possible effect on the duration of the presently long-existing and well-tested successful archery seasons in the state. There is; only rampant commercial speculation as to how many crossbows may be sold in Pennsylvania if the Legislation passes. There has been no consideration by either the crossbow industry’s commercial interests nor the 55 members of the House of Representatives currently signed as co-sponsors to House Bill 2653, for the possibly significant social ramifications on the already severely stressed relationships between Pennsylvania’s already existing many special interest hunting factions. There is, or was also, no consideration by either party, of the extremely difficult to predict overall effects to wildlife management in a state that historically fielded nearly a million sportsmen per year, or for that matter, in a state which has more acres of public lands shared by more varied outdoor enthusiasts than nearly any other state in the nation.
The crossbow industry has somehow decided that the UBP does not speak for all the bowhunters in Pennsylvania. They have taken upon themselves to determine there is no difference between hunting with a hand held, hand drawn…in the presence of game “ bow”, and a different instrument that is always loaded, locked, cocked, and ready to go.
It is up to each of you, to tell your State Representative the crossbow industry does not speak for you, and they, as your legislators need to listen to their constituents, and to what YOU have to say, as they promised to do, and not instead speak for a commercial interest which best serves their own personal interests.
Suggestions to help you reach your Representative are on following
pages.
Just enter your zipcode at the top right of that page
Click here for contact info of other Legislators in MS Word
Click here for contact info of other Legislators in Plain Text
If you, as a concerned bowhunter, wish to add your voice to those of
other PA hunters this page will offer some suggestions as to a course of
action using time tested response guidelines. If you have questions regarding
any of this information, do not hesitate to call a UBP representative to
answer them
.
1) The United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania is asking that you (preferably)
write one letter, hand written or typed, to your own district member of
the House of Representatives, in your own words. You may use email, but
handwritten letters carry more weight. Phone calls are recommended only
in addition to letters or emails. Make sure you include a request to confirm
receipt of your letter or email. UBP will provide addresses to your Representative
in the following pages. If you do use email, please cc: a copy of your
email to the following email address. StatLawco@yahoo.com
2) We ask the you additionally send one hand written or typed
letter addressed to the Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee
asking him to notify the entire House Game and Fisheries Committee of the
receipt of your letter. Tell him you are looking forward to his comments.
.
3) DO NOT write or contact the PGC Board of Commissioners or the
PGC!!! This is not a regulatory issue, it is a legislative issue
at this time.
4) Use your own wording, by all means, and please be polite and professional.
Date ______________
Representatives address
Your address
Dear Representative ______________________,
I am a voting constituent of your district and an avid PA sportsman. I have recently become aware of House Bill 2653 and I am adamantly opposed to the PGC being legislatively forced to initiate crossbow use into all archery seasons by simply changing the long standing definitions of bow and crossbow, with no possible regard for either the impact on scientific wildlife management practices or social impact factors. I ask that you not support HB 2653, and if your name is on the sponsor list to please remove it. To my knowledge and in my opinion, there has been no significant appeal from any significant user group for crossbow use, and the legislature is promoting both personal agenda and commercial venture that does not benefit Pennsylvania.
Thank you for your attention to my concerns. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Date ___________________
Honorable Edward G. Staback
225 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202115
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2115
Your Address
Dear Representative Staback,
I am an avid PA sportsman. I have recently become aware of House Bill 2653 and I am adamantly opposed to the PGC being legislatively forced to initiate crossbow use into all archery seasons by simply changing the long standing definitions of bow and crossbow, with no possible regard for either the impact on scientific wildlife management practices or social impact factors. I ask that you not support HB 2653 and that in your capacity as Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries Committee you advise members of the committee and also members of the House of Representatives of my position on HB 2653. To my knowledge 55 members of the House have taken upon themselves to co-sponsor legislation that affects all sportsmen in the entire Commonwealth, and as such they should be advised of my concerns whether or not I am a constituent of their own District
Additionally, to my knowledge and in my opinion, there has been no significant
appeal from any significant user group for crossbow use, and the legislature
is simply promoting both personal agenda and speculative commercial venture
that does not benefit Pennsylvania.
Thank you for your attention to my concerns. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
These suggestions SHOULD NOT replace or supercede writing 2 letters as suggested above!!!
In addition to writing the two letters as suggested above, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to call or email your own District Representative’s office, the Chairman of the House Game and Fisheries office, and any or all of the fifty five co-sponsors listed presently on the Bill. And doing it often would be most beneficial
Additional Sample letters to be sent to your State Representative are contained in the following pages. The letters are intended for specific Representatives as follows:
Letter 1: To your local Representative.
Letter 2: To any Representative
Letter 3: To Representative Staback, Chairman of the House Game and
Fisheries Committee.
Please remember to include your signature, address and phone number.
Please remember to send a cc: of your letters to the UBP office ubofpa@yahoo.com , and/or cc:s of your emails to StatLawco@yahoo.com
Note: Nothing is more recognized by legislators than hand written or typed and signed letter. It would be best if you kept your letter short at not more than two paragraphs. Although the above sample letters can be used it is also best that they have some individuality, which can be accomplished by including some of the talking points in the link at the end of the Sample Letters.
There is a “cc” at the bottom of each letter, and to help ensure that receipt of the letter is not denied we suggest that you make a second copy of your letters and send them to the person listed after the Cc designation in the appropriate sample letter.
Dear Representative ____________,
As a constituent of yours, as well as a concerned sportsman, I am opposed to House Bill 2653 which would re-define the crossbow as a bow; and further that this bill would also legalize the crossbow for use in the general archery season presently reserved for bows only. By a definition that has stood for centuries the crossbow is not a bow, and re-defining it will not change that. It is a weapon more suited to, and to be used by, those individuals familiar with firearms.
There is little support for the crossbow by sportsmen in general, and even less from those who purchase an archery license. What support there is comes from crossbow manufacturers and dealers. I am asking you to please oppose House Bill 2653 and help keep the general archery season a season for those who wish to preserve the challenge of drawing our bows in the presence of game.
I am respectfully requesting acknowledgement of receipt of my
letter.
Sincerely,
Cc: Honorable Edward G. Staback, Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee
Room 225 Irvis Office Bldg
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2115
Dear Representative _______________,
I am a bowhunter and a resident of your district, and I oppose the crossbow being legalized for use in the archery only season. This is a season for bows, not crossbows, and the Game Code definition of the bow does not apply to crossbows. Changing that definition so that the crossbow fits the definition of the bow is at best ludicrous and at worst an outright abuse of power by those who drafted and support House Bill 2653.
Please oppose House Bill 2653. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Cc: Honorable Edward G. Staback, Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee
Room 225 Irvis Office Bldg
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2115
Honorable Edward G. Staback, Majority Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee
Dear Representative Staback,
After reading House Bill 2653, introduced by Representative Haluska, I was quite upset to see that in order to legalize crossbows for use in the general archery season that a legislator would go so far as to alter the definition of a crossbow just to satisfy the desires of a distinct minority. The definition of a crossbow has stood for the hundreds of years since its development, and it is not that of the bow which was developed thousands of years earlier.
Bowhunters are proud of the challenge associated with our style of hunting, and although some of the equipment which we utilize may be more modern than those carried by our more traditional compatriots, it is still hand held, and hand drawn in the presence of game. Pennsylvania already has issued over 50,000 crossbow permits to the physically limited and handicapped, and crossbows are already permitted in the Special Regulations Deer Hunting Areas, so why allow the challenge of general archery season to be sullied by a weapon more suited to rifle hunting than bowhunting?
I respectfully request that you remove your sponsorship from
House Bill 2653, and that you encourage the other sponsors of the bill
to do likewise. In addition I would ask that you share my letter with the
other members of the HG&FC. I am looking forward to hearing from
you.
Sincerely;
Cc, Honorable Samuel Rohrer, Minority Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee.
Dear Representative ____________,
As a constituent of yours, as well as a concerned sportsman, I am opposed to House Bill 2653 which would re-define the crossbow as a bow; and further that this bill would also legalize the crossbow for use in the general archery season presently reserved for bows only. By a definition that has stood for centuries the crossbow is not a bow, and re-defining it will not change that. It is a weapon more suited to, and to be used by, those individuals familiar with firearms.
There is little support for the crossbow by sportsmen in general, and even less from those who purchase an archery license. What support there is comes from crossbow manufacturers and dealers. I am asking you to please oppose House Bill 2653 and help keep the general archery season a season for those who wish to preserve the challenge of drawing our bows in the presence of game.
I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Cc: Honorable Edward G. Staback, Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee
Room 225 Irvis Office Bldg
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2115
Dear Representative _______________,
I am a bowhunter and a resident of your district, and I oppose the crossbow being legalized for use in the archery only season. This is a season for bows, not crossbows, and the Game Code definition of the bow does not apply to crossbows. Changing that definition so that the crossbow fits the definition of the bow is at best ludicrous and at worst an outright abuse of power by those who drafted and support House Bill 2653.
Please oppose House Bill 2653, and please let me know that you
have received my letter. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Cc: Honorable Edward G. Staback, Chairman
House Game & Fisheries Committee
Room 225 Irvis Office Bldg
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2115
The links below have documents in Adobe PDF format which can be printed
out
to distribute to other bowhunters.