Most Alaska bowhunters are required to take a proficiency shooting exam to be able to hunt any area restricted to archery only in the state. If you already have an IBEP or NBEF card from another state, you do not need to pass the proficiency shooting exam. I have talked to people that are on both sides of the fence on this one. All make valid points, but when it all boils down, it gets to be downright discriminitory against bowhunters to have to "prove" themselves before they can take their weapon into the woods to be able to perform a God's given right, hunt. I am all for education, ethics, knowledge of your weapon, be it a gun or bow, and all for new people to begin hunting themselves. I am against new restrictions, new laws, requirements and baseline standards to be set however. If proficiency exams are going to be required, I feel it should be accross the board for all weapons, not just archery. I've heard time and time again from hunters, biologists and enforcement agents say that just as many, if not more animals are wounded due to firearms than archery. Why isn't this a large issue with gun hunters then?

I think AK has valid points, but then again, any new regulation or requirement is not going to make everybody happy. I don't see why a proficiency test would be bad think under any of his reasons.

Case #1, if that person can effectively and routinely shoot out to 15 yards at wild game, what would restrict him from hitting a target in a set up situation even out to 30 yards? It might make him upset, he might have to practice some to get proficient out to that range, but if that standard is set, he is going to be one of the people that is effected and has to deal with it.

Case #2, there is no way to regulate ethics. This type of hunter is our black eye, but is no excuse to eliminate a program that would help teach the majority.

Case #3, The course could be set up to use legal archery equipment for hunting. People buy and sell bows all the time, people have different bows for different types of hunting. We aren't checking equipment, we are checking an individuals proficiency, and I think it should be done with a bow that is set up to legally hunt with. Once again, the handfull of people that would do that is not the majority of the hunters.

I see no reason to not enact shooting proficiency's for all types of hunting. I would not gripe at the fact of having to take it, but could see why many people, even the best of shooters, would. It's a standard set by Joe Schmoe that will tell you if you are good enough or not, according to his rules, to hunt. The reality is though, that there is an issue to be delt with, and I think education is a great start. If people aren't going to take the education, then maybe we have to require it.
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