BenfromVa

I worked for the hunting program for 9 years here in VA on a local Military base. This base is 19 miles from Washington DC and is an Archery Only Base.
We have almost always required 2 things.
1. You must have had an IBEP class or equivilent, Hunter Ed does not count
2. You must qualify every year, qualification consists of shooting 2 out of 3 , 9 inch circles from 20 yards, 3 seperate circles shooting at circle 1 first, whether you hit it or not you must shoot for circle 2 and so on, shooting for # 3 if needed.
then you remove your arrows and step back to 30 yards and repeat.
16 years old and younger only need to qualify from 20 yards.
you must shoot broadheads or what ever your hunting set up, if mechanicals are used they MUST open when impacted or that shot does not count as a hit, even if inside the circle.

This test I gave Tues and Wed of each week prior to bow season and continued to the opening of fire arms season.
It was given at an Indoor range on the base with 12 lanes and no more than 3 shooters at a time. The targets were 3 , 3 feet tall by 16 feet long and 2 feet thick stacked on top of each other.

I thought it was a awesome idea, after qualifying more than a few thousand people over the years, you'd be surprised at the number of people that could not even hit a 9 feet high 16 feet wide blocks of foam. there are still broadheads burried in the wooden frames that hold the foam blocks.

BIGSHANE05

QUALIFICATION,GREAT IDEA,IF YOU ARE NOT PROFICIENT ENOUGH WITH ANY HUNTING WEAPON YOU HAVE NO BUISNESS HUNTING PERIOD!!!!

davidmil

It's a federal reservation thing. Every one I know of makes you qualify in much the same manner.

BenfromVa

David,
I think for the most part that may be a correct statement.
Or atleast based on location and closeness to the gereral public. I know at Quantico Marine Corps. Base, you must "Qualify" to hunt "Main Side" where the housing and most activity takes palce, If you hunt off "Main Side" (Alot more land) where there is very little activity other than the training that they will close an area for, you do NOT have to qualify with a bow.

Bukmastr

Sounds like some thing the anti's dreamed up to discourage more youngsters from taking up bowhunting, I could understand, if the quarry was dangerous game such as Brown bears... But I would still disagree.

KoBear

i dont think the anti's dreamed this up. i think it is a GREAT idea. i think it was an idea dreamed up by the ethnical people who dont want a bunch of deer running around injured. i stand by the rule that you should be able to shoot proficiently at 20 yards. 35 seems excessive. i wont shoot past 30 yards normally at a deer and i shoot every day in my backyard. so the real question to be asked is "why 35 yards?"

davidmil

KOBer... exactly the reason most people are against it. Arbitrary distances by arbitrary people. Put an anti in charge of that little section and he'll change it to 100 yards and no one will qualify. Most states etc DO NOT require marksmanship to get a license... only that you pass a hunter safety class and act responsible on the ranges. Heck, they even have people in the military who can't shoot worth a hoot fighting wars.[&:] People see it as an infringement on their pursuit of the outdoors. Who is to say who is good enough in an arbitrary system. Heck, even a hit or miss system. I know an Olympic Gold Medalist(girl) who took 7 years to get her first deer. She MISSED MANY times before she connected. All the stress management on the range didn't carry over to the woods. Next we'd have a law... if you miss a deer you can't hunt.

BenfromVa

Like I said, at Quantico, you must "Qualify" to hunt main side. This is a heavy populated area, in the way of people.
The other Base I mentioned is not far from DC, it is very heavily populated with Military and civilians. I think based on those conditions it is a fine idea. I am aware of situations where our Game Warden would get called because there was a deer limping through a parking lot outside a building on Base, bleeding with an arrow sticking out of it. Poor shot? maybe, but it does not matter to a fence sitter. They see this poor animal out in daylight, at their office with an arrow in it. Automatically it a bad stroke for archers. There is alot of Base housing on the Main Side of Quantico and all over the other base. It would not be uncommon for a deer to "come to rest" right in the back yard of one of these houses that backs to woods. Take into concideration that Col. Joe Blows, or even worse Gen. John Does wife and kids are sitting there watching a few does out the back window when a buck runs up with a arrow sticking out of him and expires right in front of them, Col, or Gen. so and so is gonna cause a good stink if they are not hunting people, they may still do it due to the "trama" the kids will think they suffered even if they are hunting folks.

etw

For MANY years the local Corp of Engineers controlled property around lake Georgetown has required hunter safety and an ANNUAL ARCHERY TEST. This year they required a $10 fee to take the test. The $10, I was told covered all of the costs associated with the archery hunting program. The test, is two shots at each of 5 3D deer targets in the woods. The walk tru course is done with groups of four. Passing grade is 8 of 10 shots. If successful your name is thrown in 3 pots (10's, 9, 8) and 120 archers are drawn. The $10 fee I can handle, but on top of this there is a $90 fee if your name is drawn. The $90 goes into the "general fund" in Waco, TX. In our group of 4, two of us passed the test. IMO the test is a fair way of reducing the numer of names in the pot, but the $90 is unfair.
P.S. The guys who failed to qualify were shooting Matthews, FYI

Poplar ridge

Do you think it could cause more poaching? if someone can not qualify on a range with their bow or gun in order the receive their hunting tag they will hunt without it. I feel it's a good idea, but could cause more poaching problems...