Notice the difference btn this and the email response posted earlier.

This is from UBNJ's site.
http://www.ubnj.org/camp/fire.html

Summer 08 Campfire

My fellow bowhunters as we head away from the cool, mild days of spring into the hot, humid dog days of summer the UBNJ Council has a lot on its plate. Before I delve too deeply into any of that though first let me take a moment to congratulate anyone how was fortunate enough to have harvest a wily gobbler during this past spring turkey season, with special kudos to anyone who managed to do that with their bow. Having just harvested my first longbeard with a bow this past season I know firsthand just what a challenge it is. If you were fortunate enough to taken a nice gobbler with your bow be sure to send us a photo and if your so inclined a little story about your hunt. Kurt Wille our magazine editor will be more than happy to add your adventure to the UBNJ magazine and Pola Galie our webmaster would love to put it up on our website.

The issue that I am going to focus on today is one that is currently occupying a lot of the Council’s time and is that of the crossbow. You may or may not be aware of a push by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Council for the unlimited and unrestricted inclusion of the crossbow into all of New Jersey’s bow seasons. The main justification for this is a survey performed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife that according to their statistical analysis indicates a high level of support for the crossbow inclusion. However, close examination of said survey does not at all confirm those conclusions; as a matter of fact there are several numbers we believe to be misleading to say the least.

In accordance with our mission statement the Council continues to follow the principles laid down in our By-laws which are as follows:

A). To educate the public with respect to using the longbow, recurve, and
compound bow in the hunting of all legal game and to protect, improve
and to advocate the sport of hunting with the bow in an ethical and
sportsmanlike manner.

b). To develop programs dedicated to the conservation and preservation of
game and its natural habitat. To cooperate with local, state and federal
agencies as well as sportsmens and conservation organizations,
dedicated to this purpose.

c). To educate the public on the important role played by bowhunting in
wildlife conservation and management.

d). To foster, expand promote and preserve the practice of safe bowhunting
and archery in the State of New Jersey, as well as nationally and
internationally.

e). To conduct continuous educational programs designed to acquaint the
public and the Bowhunter with the proper, legal and safe use of the bow
and arrow in the hunting of game animals.

f). To cooperate and assist other organizations with similar interests.


Our initial reaction was to stand firmly behind the UBNJ’s crossbow policy (which by the way parallels the current P&Y club standards)opposing the introduction of the crossbow into any bowseason, with the exceptionof those who are disabled, as is the current policy. However, in order to see how our membership felt the UBNJ performed its own survey. The results surprised some of our Council members, indicating that our membership was virtually split down the middle regarding this issue. Unlike the Division of Fish and Wildlife we are not willing to completely disregard the half of ourmembership that is opposed to the crossbow, at the same time we are willing to support the half of our membership that does support the inclusion of the crossbow in some way. The best way to do this is by closely examining the impact that the introduction of the crossbow could have and propose a method of introduction that will allow for said impact to be closely monitored and measured independently from the data being collected on harvests taken with hand-held, hand-drawn archery equipment.

The introduction of the crossbow as currently put forward raises some very serious concerns and completely disregards the views of a vast number of sportsmen. A main priority of the Fish and Game Council and the Division of Fish and Wildlife is supposed to be the welfare of New Jersey’s renewable white-tailed deer resource, as currently proposed the unrestricted, unlimited inclusion of the crossbow blatantly ignores the potential impact that such a weapon could have on the current stability of the deer population as well as the current distribution of the buck harvest per weapon and the potential impact ontherecreational time afield that bowhunters currently enjoy. It seems to us that it would be more appropriate to phase the crossbow in a little at a time, much like the way the muzzleloader had been implemented. A muzzleloader is more like a shotgun than a crossbow is like a bow and yet there is a separate muzzleloader permit, safety course, and rifle permit required to hunt with a muzzleloader in NJ. It is apparent that the crossbow is being pushed forward to avoid any real close look at it or the impact it could have on New Jersey’s white-tailed deer, the balance between New Jersey’s hunting communities, New Jersey’s non-hunting community, as well as any potential future legislative ramifications it could have. Wouldn't thisbe the right thing to do from the very start?

No matter how you slice it the crossbow is not a bow, it is more like a gun. Hand-held, hand-drawn archery equipment is the more primitive weapon and requires a higher level of skill, practice and patience in order to effectively take game animals, it should thereby follow that the UBNJ fight to protect the fall bow season for hand-drawn, hand-held equipment only. The prescient of the lesser weapon being afforded the earliest opportunities is one that the Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish andGame Council has always adhered to and we would expect the crossbow to be no exception and not be considered for inclusion in the fall bow season in any manner.

We are all aware of the difficult financial times that all of the New Jersey governmental departments are facing and we are not insensitive to them, mirroring the crossbow introduction to that of the muzzleloader will give the Division of Fish and Wildlife a much greater financial boost than just trying to lump it in with hand-held, hand –drawn archery equipment. The crossbow should have its own separate definition, crossbow permit, zone hunting permits, and especially a hunter safety course requirement. The financial benefits from this type of introduction are plainly evident and require no in depth assessment, with the end result from the proper ground work being the creation of a 4 weapon hunter. To define the crossbow the same as all other bows is tooverlooka potential windfall that could help stabilize the financial position of the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Attempting to slip the crossbow in as archery gear in New Jersey is merely attempting to slip it past any of the issues or snags that might develop from properly putting in place the necessary requirements to safely hunt with it. The UBNJ Council will be pressing the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and the Fish and Game Council to implement the crossbow in much the same fashion as the muzzleloading rifle was introduced as well as emphasizing the absolute necessity of independently monitoring the effect on New Jersey’s wild resources from harvest taken with hand-held, hand-drawn archery equipment.

You can rest assured that the UBNJ Council will always continue to support, and participate in, improving sound wildlife conservation practices and the wise use of our State's renewable natural resources as well as act in the best interest of our bowhunting heritage, and stands ready to defend our way of life against any threat.

Joe Mills
President
United Bowhunters of New Jersey
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