Stealthy, Yes, crossbows date back many centuries. That still doesn't make them ARCHERY equipment. While I make my own wooden hunting bows and arrows, I certainly don't expect every bowhunter to do the same. Nor do I expect bowhunters to use only manufactured, glass-laminated longbows or recurves. I DO, however, expect bowhunters to use hand drawn, hand held BOWS in the ARCHERY season. If nothing else, the movement and physical effort required to pull a bow shot off at game is a critical point as to whether or not the hunter spooks the game.

As to more hunters being a good thing... In reality, allowing crossbows will likely not generate many NEW hunters. Allowing crossbows in the ARCHERY season does stand to generate an enormous amount of existing rifle hunters to 2-season crossbow converts however. In a state of 1,000,000 hunters and 250,000 bowhunters, there is the potential for 750,000 additonal converts to find their way into the ARCHERY season. Bowhunters are already limited to a 6-week fall and 2-week winter ARCHERY seasons, with a one buck limit and up to 3 doe tags in most of the state. (Though realistically, most counties sell out of their alloted doe tags after the first or second round of tag issuance, leaving the hunter with 1 buck and 1 or 2 doe tags.) Add to that mix that we have game commissioners who openly declare their desire to shorten the bow season, and there exists a very real danger of the ARCHERY season becoming shortened if deer kills rise in the ARCHERY season.

Bowhunters wanting to preserve the integrity and heritage of a season set aside for them to use more difficult equipment is hardly selfish. Non-bowhunters trying to intrude their advanced weapons into such a season is. Pennsylvania has at least disallowed the use of draw-lock devices from the archery season...though typical of game commission logic, has allowed the limited use of crossbows for use in the ARCHERY season in special regulation areas only. In PA, flintlock hunters are also battling the cap 'n ball and in-line shooters trying to squeeze their way into the winter flintlock season under similar guises. I feel for them as well.

Crossbow hunters should at least have the guts to admit that crossbows are what they are, and to either use them in the general big game seasons or stand up and fight for their own season if they truely want one. Though I suppose in a society where education has been "dumbed down" to make it easier for students to pass classes, where infant pre-birth murder is condoned to eliminate unwanted responsibilities of parenthood, where instant gratification has become the norm, we should only expect that trivial things like ARCHERY hunting seasons are made to make "easier" to accomodate those who lack inclination to face even recreational challenge.