Jerry,

I don't want to give anyone the impression that I am in support of having crossbows in our regular early archery season. I am not. However, even that stance on my part at times seems to be wavering. I see so many small game hunters, muzzleloader hunters and rifle hunters in the October woods now that throwing crossbows into the mix doesn't appear as unattractive as it once did.

Part of me wants to think that if we add crossbow guys to the archery mix then maybe we will carry more weight when it comes to making decisions regarding the overlap of so many of the seasons. That is probably not the case but it is one of the few thin threads of hope that I still possess.

As for why they would continue to want to push crossbows into the archery season.....from what I have read on some of the other PA sites it would appear that it is for a couple reasons. One, the crossbow manufacturers want a slice of the PA pie and until the crossbow is more widely used in the various seasons they will not rest. Two, some folks have suggested that there is a long term plan that those opposed to archery hunting have been working on for some time. By adding crossbows to the mix the harvest could potentially go up...not just because of the advantages of the weapon but rather because of the increased numbers of hunters in the woods. If that were the case then the archery season would be shortened thus making those opposed to the current length of the season much happier.