Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Felons can't own firearms in this country, but now some states ban them from hunting altogether. I urge you to write to these states and urge them to allow felons to be able to bowhunt, especially for non-violent, non-weapon related felonies.

Utah - felons can't bowhunt period.
Nebraska - believe felons can't bowhunt here either.

If you're aware of other states that ban felons from bowhunting, please submit which states those are.

So what are your thoughts? Are you worried about a felon with a bow in the woods?

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

To me this falls under "cruel and unusual punishment" and should not be tolerated....

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

To many variables???? What's the crime????? What's that old saying..... o' yeah...... Don't do the crime if you can't do the time!!....;)

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I don't think someone suffering the consequences of theirfelonious conduct rises to the level of compassion needed for me to write letters. It's not a disease. Not an injury. Not a disability. It's a matter of a choice, or string of choicesthey made, and they knew they were doing wrong when theydid it. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Or suffer the long term loss of social rights and priviledges.

They can go play golf with their lawyers instead! ;)

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

They did the crime, they can do the time!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

While I might tend to agree to some extent, keep this in mind....
Have you ever been involved in a fight??? Have you ever WON a fight??? Have you ever LOST a fight??? Any way you cut it, depending on the lawyer you get, judge you get, etc, a guy who may have defended himself somewhere along the line by fighting back or fighting due to whatever the cause, may potentially be charged with "FELONious assault," and be stripped of his huntin priveleges. As a guy who's been there done that, fortunately not gotten any charge, not even a misdemeanor disorderly, even though I was separated from the other guy, who smacked me with a car door pulling into a parking spot, I know what the potentials are. 19 and dating a 16 year old???? Depending on the state and the desires, a guy/gal may be charged with "Statutory rape!!!!"

I think that if we were to punish criminals appropriately, and let a little common sense rule, some of these would be "NULL" issues altogether!!!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

My point exactly, or in another words. Not the career criminal.....armed robber etc...the 1 time, learned his lesson, may have not known the extent/seriousness of his/her actions. And now can't own a firearm, and now in some states even bowhunt!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Ok where you going to draw the line?

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Where? Firearms seemed far enough. Let's allow everyone to bowhunt.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Aren't bows considered firearms??

I know around here (NY) they are. A friend's brother got a couple DWI's and he had to give all his guns and bow to his brother for awhile.

They also consider a bow under discharging a firearm within city/town/village limits. BB guns as well. If you shoot your neighbor while plinking cans with a BB gun you are in big trouble.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

sorry no sympathy for felons here. i would rather not see them in thre woods.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

That is a new one on me. I have never heard of it and to be honest I dont agree with it.

I know people that have got a felony when they were 19 or whatever and never been in trouble since so I dont see why someone like that shouldnt be allowed to bowhunt. Firearms maybe, but not bows

rick

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

IMO there should be classifications in felony status just as there should be in the sex offenders.

In no way should they classify a murderer and the 18 y.o. kid that has a personal stash of dope in his pocket as both felons.

Nor should a rapist and a guy at the backyard bbq that drank to much, peed in the street and got caught be in the same category as sex offenders.

They classify prisoners, why not classify their crimes.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I think a lot of you are WAY too quick to judge. That's my opinion.

I personally knowthree men who have felony records (that I know of).I have high regards fortwo of them. They made mistakes. They paid for them.

It's in the past. They've (2 of 3) gone on to become people I'm proud to call my friend. This makes me less hasty to judge.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I work in the juvenile corrections field and can tell you that all felonies are not the same. I would rather a "felon" be out in the woods bowhunting rather than carrying a perfectly legal steak knife out in the open in their truck.

My older brother is a "felon". He hasn't been in prison in 15 years, owns his own business, has a great wife and two great kids....helps alot of people out by allowing them to work for him. I don't think he should be banned from bowhunting because he got into a nasty fight 15 years ago.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I got a felony-charge when I was 20. No weapons, nobody injured. It was commercial-burglary charge for stealing cash out of businesses after hours. No property, no unnecessary damage. I was literally living on the street, starving and had noone to help me out. I ended up getting a job with a landscaping company and never stole anything again. I was caught for the crimes 3 weeks afterthey were committed. I was sentenced to 4 years, served 2 and 4 months, including 6 months solitary-confinement. I got out when I was 23 and never looked back. My parole officer was absolutely amazed at how well I did. Every month I'd see him, I had a new success I'd share with him that left him stunned. He told me that over 70% of parolees go back IN THE FIRST YEAR. I had a job lined up before I was released, an apartment under my name in 2 months, and a car in 6 months.


I'm 41 now, I live in my second house, and have an excellent trade. I install custom staircases, and I also do tons of other types of carpentry construction and woodworking. I've been with the same woman for 15 1/2 years now and I run my own little one-man-business doing various types of carpentry. And I've been a bowhunter for 14 years.

Do people really think I don't 'belong' in the woods? I made a mistake over 20 years ago, driven by hunger and desperation. I broke into the businesses because I didn't want to break into someone's home. That was too personal. And once I found a job, I stopped. I learned my leason, and there's tons of other people out there that have learned theirs as well. It's bad enough that I can't own a shotgun for hunting, or even self-defense. Do you think I don't deserve to defend myself and my family because of a stupiddecision madein my life 20 years ago? It's bad enough that I can't go pheasant, goose or duck hunting with friends because of it. I can never look forward to any type of rifle hunt anywhere because of it. And now I have to worry about loosing the right to bowhunt too? And I see alot of guys here all-in-favor of it.

Jeeze, maybe they should have just shot me when they caught up with me. I'm such a bad person....

How long is long enough to pay for a crime that didn't injure anyone? Hell, you should have seen the lies that those people put on their insurance-claims when I was caught. I would have needed a truck to steal everything one guy said I stole. And I didn't even have a car!

I may regret putting this out there, but what the hell, it's the truth.

BTW folks, the money I stole added up to little over $300.00. It was enough to keep me in a hotel room and fed for about a month. (I had a partner and he paid half.He also went to prison. And he never went back either).

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Bowman....

Case in point.;) I'm damned proud of you. I know people who've taken more......and paid less......or none.

Congrats on making things "right".

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

x2

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

How about this non violent felony. You have a ccw in your home state and legally have your gun in the glovebox of your truck. You happen to have a need to cross the state line and forget to leave the gun at home....BAM! gun related felony!

Are you a dange to society?

How about Bernard Goetz? The guy who saved his own skin by defending himself from 5 scumbags by using his weapon. It was ruled he acted in self defense so no crime right? Wrong! He took a felony hit for the unlicensed gun that saved his life!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Wis. Stat. ?167.31(1)(c) defines firearm as "a weapon that acts by force of gunpowder."
In Wisconsin if you are a convicted felon you can archery hunt but not gun hunt.
But a felon can buy a gun deer tag, but isnt allowed to use it.
Our system is so screwed up we dont know up from down anymore.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I am 46 years old. during my misspent youth, over 20 years ago, I committed a felonious assault. I was convicted, and went to prison. I spent 3 years and 3 months behind bars. I am not the same person today that I was 24 years ago. I don't want anyone's sympathy. If I have to pay for the rest of my life,( and I will), so be it. I made choices back then that have consequences. I can live with them.
If that means there are states that will not allow me to bowhunt, fine, I'll take my bow elsewhere. If someday I'm not allowed to hunt at all I will be brokenhearted. However, again, these are consequences of my choices and actions.
Here in Tx state law allows me to hunt with a primitive muzzleloader as well as a bow. I know, I know, federal law differs and that is a whole 'nother can of worms I don't care to debate right now.
Taking a bow out of the hands of a convicted felon is meaningless in detering future crime. If someone wants to commit an assault or robbery they can do it with a bat or a pipe. They don't need a bow to do it.
No one but me assaulted that man all those years ago. I got what I deserved. Prison was the right sentence. Its where I belonged. Today I am a respected, responsible member of society. I am a father and husband. I am an ethical and responsible hunter. I am in a leadership position in my place of employment. None of that changes the past.
Some of you may lose respect for for me knowing what you now know about me. That is OK, I will still have my self respect.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I normally don't get into the little squables between whats right and whats wrong in other peoples opinions here, cause its just that, your opinion. This here is a cut and dry decision made by your local law makers. My wife is a Probation Officer and I hear the horror stories about it all the time.

Va Bowmen and I have a mutual friend that got into a high school fist fight 17 years ago and is still paying the price by not being able to own a gun, vote for his favorite goverment official, or black powder hunt. He is one of the few cases in our society that made a simple mistake, but must pay for it for as long as these other more dangerous criminals keep screwing up on a consistant basis.

He bowhunts and bass fishes and raises 2 children and isearning a living that only I can hope to have. These are the only pleasures that a man in his situation can do to keep himself sain in this sick society.

So my answer is "NO" I don't think that any state should take away your right to hunt with other means than a firearm. people kill people, not guns or bows. There is a big difference in gun control, and makeing stupid decisions just becouse some law maker is also a anti-hunter.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

And the ones here who have made mistakes in the past, don't feel the need to explain yourself or look for forgiveness in this forum. That is something personal to you and your family, if you learned from your mistakes that is all that matters.

Although some of the stories are interesting......

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I got forgivness from the only one that matters!:)

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I agree 100%.........

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Hey Greg.....

Since you've posted, here.....just know you're one of the two I was speaking of. And...you're also one I'm PROUD to call my friend.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Thank you friend.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I only say this for those who need to hear it. The person assaulted suffers when they cannot forgive. They are still paying for the wrong done them.

A friend in law enforcemnet told me just last night of a friend who was shot several times trying to stop a fleeing bank robber. He forgave the guy after some time and said that until he did, his life was a wreck. He even ran for governer to pardon the guy he was now good friends with. Both had found forgiveness in the One you talk about. He had to leave the force because he viewed everyone as a threat to his life before forgiving the guy.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Forgive the sinner, hate the sin....

In Colorado, felons may hunt with a muzzleloader. A bow is off limits. I'm not sure of any state which completely bans felons from hunting?

I am not an Attorney (that word has crossed my lips twice in a week-ecks!), But isn't there a process which would allow convicted, upstanding and productive, felons the opportuntiy to seal their criminal record? I definitely see a difference, and I am willing to give a guy another chance-especially if he's proven himself worthy.

My two cents...

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Sounds a little short sighted. I think there are many very good people who've made mistakes in their lives, and deserve another chance. Teddy Kennedy would be convicted felon, for vehicular homicide if the laws were applied fairly in this country, but since he's a Kennedy, we was above the LAW then.

Think any of us would have gotten a nice little 2 month jail sentence??? Ever been in a fight??? As I said on pg. 1, a simple fist fight CAN turn into a FELONIOUS ASSAULT, and put a man or woman on that list!!! I'd agree if we are discussing a gang murderor, however, there are more than rapists and murderors on the Felony List. In all honesty, I believe that once a felon had done his/her time, and is finished with parole, they need to be given the same rights as anyone else, not have that tag held above them. If a man has paid his time for his crime, then he needs to be released and given a fair chance in life, make that mistake TWICE though, I then have much less mercy for you!!!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Felons should always be able to bowhunt PERIOD whats next there gonna tell them they cant fish cause it involves a fishing pole or cant use a steak knive to cut there steak to many people whining about to much stuff out there like the gun hunters verse the bow hunters issue when will people grow up its stupid

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

and Jesus said, "let the first one cast astone who is not a sinner"

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I have been attacked several times and literally knocked people unconscious in the process, hurting some of them badly. If I were convicted of a felonious assault in that scenario, should I be able to bowhunt? Guys, I have seen kids injuvenile corrections that were around a group of people that chose to assault another youth and they get charged with mob assault....and they didn't even lay a hand on the person assaulted, they just happened to be standing around the fight. Obviously I am against certain people having weapons...ie: murderers, rapists, etc....but alot of people need to be given another chance.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Being in law enforcement I have personally seen some pretty bad scumbags come back to be great human beings. And then some that just keep going down the road because all they know is jail or prison and need the structure that jail and prison give them. This is a double edge sword no matter how you slice it, and I would have to agree that I think there should be a waiting period and if you show that you can function in the public and behave then you should be able to earn back your prevledge's. Walt

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Alright these are all great turn around stories. Although hunting is a privlidge (sp) not a right! So what you want is to break all fellonys into catagories so some law breakers can hunt. Im sorry I disagree. I have a uncle that got drunk and beat the snot out of my aunt a year ago. He will never hunt again, he was a big waterfowl hunter. He never comited a crime for his first 55 years of life should he be able tohunt this fall?

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Awww… you guys should kiss!

Just kidding dudes!

All kidding aside, I’m pretty sure I’d become a felon if someone took my hunting privileges away!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Allot of people would be surprised if they actually knew the criminal history of the everyday folks that they interact with. I for one could care less about the felony thing, I have friends who are felons and most of these felons I know I'd trust them with my kid any day of the week! There not all bad people, there's a pile of people in this world and I'm sure there's a few on this forum that could of easily been charged with felony's themselves if they would of been caught doing what they were doing. One screw up in life shouldn't hinder you the rest of your life, people make mistakes, they do there time! If the same person keeps screwing up, the hell with that person then, he or she made his bed so now he can lay in it!!

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

I work as a correctional officer at a Federal Prison. Most of these guys come in young. They grow up, get an education, and a trade. Yes there is a 80% turn arround, 90% all drug related though. Not to many Bow hunters are going to get all coke, cracked, or methed up. These people get punished for there crime in Prison. Getting your fire arm privilage taken for life is enough. And besides that, Gun or Bow or knife or baseball batt, or hands, if a person wants to harm another person they will, fellon or not.

Bowman15 Congrats on your success, you shall never lay down your Bow and quiver. And I know people that hunt birds with there bow and I am thinking of taking it up as well.

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Welkom to the Peoples Republik of Wiskonsin

don't feel bad, the capital on WI is one of the most liberal towns in the midwest (in cluding chicago), it's no real surprise of some of the crap that comes out of that cesspool...

RE: Felons banned from bowhunting?
 

Schultzy, you mean guys like Micheal Vick??? HaHa!!:D