Originally Posted by
DougE
That's true to an extent.However,advances in technology have greatly increased the success rate during archery season.As it is now,most crossbows don't offer any advantage in range.They're still a close range weapon but they don't have to be drawn in the presence of game and they take far less time to become proficient.However,like I stated earlier,crossbow technology is at it's infancy and great strides will be made as demand increases.I've played around with several low to mid range crossbows and I don't feel that they offer much if any advantage,except that they don't have to be drawn in the presence of game.I've also played with some higher end crossbows and the advantage starts to be significant.Last year I shot a scoped scorpyd that shot exactly 350 fps at 125lbs.With a Hawke scope,that was easily a 60 yard weapon.Scorpyd has a 160 lb version this year that shoots over 400 fps and does PSE and bowtech.These weapons are easily effective past 60 yards.When you start increasing the effective range of a weapon by more than 100% with very little need to become proficient,a line needs to be drawn in my opinion.That less experienced hunter that struggled getting a shot at 20 yards now has a significant advantage.
In the end,a dead deer is a dead deer.Harvest are usually controlled by the number of tags issued so for the most part,I could really care less someone used to kill a deer with.However,when you hunt in a state like Pa,with so many hunters,when that harvest takes place is a concern.I'm not against crossbow usage.I just want their use to be monitored.
I think the NYDEC does a pretty good job in managing the deer populations with the generous allotment of doe tags and additional tags for special seasons to account for the decline of hunters and an alleged burgeoning deer population in the southern zone of the state.Its too bad that deer kills are so under-reported for it compounds their management efforts and leaves their data wide open to criticism.
Deer populations and deer kills are cyclical and dependent upon winter mortality and hunter success. The DEC seemingly has this under control. However this begs the question as to why the DEC is in favor of crossbows. Is it for monetary reasons or for additional deer population control. Is the NY deer population out of balance in certain areas of the state (it is in both Suffolk and Westchester Counties.
As far as Pa is concerned,I do not have an opinion. I have read the posts on the Pa forums with great interest and appreciate your concerns but NY is whole different ball of wax. Only time will tell, we have to trust that the state biologists are making the right decisions.