10ptCrossbow

Sunday Hunting, Crossbows and A Number of Other Changes May Get Sidetracked Today

April 16, 2009
[/align]No doubt there was a number of controversial proposals made this year and debated at the public hearings for changes to the hunting regulations but after all the dust settled it seemed a number of them had passed. Legalizing the use of crossbows and the adding of an additional week to the muzzleloader season is what drew the ire of the North Carolina Bowhunters Association and even being organized they could not overcome the support for these proposals by the rank and file hunters across the state. The Wildlife Commissioners adopted these changes based on the public hearings and the public comments so it seemed like too many who had fought for these changes over the years that next year they would happen.
However what has normally been a mere formality in the past today will become a major roadblock and delay the implementation of these rules and possible a number of others. Once the Wildlife Commission approves the rules they are sent to a Rules Review Committee that reviews them and makes sure they fall within the scope of the agency and do not violate the State Constitution if they pass they can be enacted if they don’t they are rejected and sent back to the Commissioners. There is also another scenario that can take place that up until this point has never happened with Wildlife Commission Rules and that is if the committee receives Ten or more letters of opposition to a particular rule or rules then that rule is not enacted and sent to the state legislators for a review. That review will not take place until the next open session of the legislators which is not scheduled until June. There would not enough time to allow the enacting of these rules by the July 1st deadline for the printing of the regulation digest for the 09-10 season.
In addition to the letter writing campaign organized by the North Carolina Bowhunters Association it is believed that a religious group is using the same tactic to block the change to allow hunting on Sunday’s with archery equipment. While I doubt this tactic will prevent these rules from eventually taking place it could delay them for a year and may open a new era of wildlife management where it could take an additional year to pass any changes. I’m sure any group opposed to hunting, trapping or fishing can get ten letters of opposition to any proposed rule changes in the future. Today in Raleigh when the Rules Committee meets we may witness the opening of Pandora’s Box.

http://skinnymoose.com/moosedroppings/2009/04/16/sunday-hunting-crossbows-and-a-number-of-other-changes-may-get-sidetracked-today/

10ptCrossbow

RALEIGH, N.C. (April 22, 2009) – The North Carolina Rules Review Commission has referred a number of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s proposed rules changes to the General Assembly, due to written opposition. This action is required under state law.
As a result, these rules changes will not be implemented until reviewed by the Legislature next year. Legislators have 30 days from the start of the next session to propose a bill disapproving the rule. If no bill is proposed, the rule automatically goes into effect.
“When sufficient written opposition is received, the Rules Review Commission is required to refer proposed changes to the General Assembly for legislative review, in accordance with General Statute 150B-21.3,” said Gordon Myers, Executive Director of the Wildlife Resources Commission. “This process will delay or prevent implementation of certain proposals adopted by the Wildlife Resources Commission last month and intended to become effective July 1, 2009. We will keep our constituents informed of the status of these proposals as the review process proceeds.”
The remaining proposals, adopted March 4 by the Commission, will take effect July 1, 2009.
The rules changes referred to the General Assembly are:
H1) Require persons harvesting deer through the Deer Management Assistance Program to use tags provided by the Commission and report their harvests, whether those deer are antlerless or antlered. Allow harvest of deer on DMAP areas under the big game harvest report card and the bonus antlerless deer harvest report card, where applicable.
H2) Change the description of where bonus antlerless deer harvest report cards may be used from “private lands” to “lands other than those enrolled in the Commission’s Game Land Program” in order to permit the use of these cards on military installations, national wildlife refuges, and other public lands that are NOT game lands.
H3) Remove the daily bag limit for deer.
H4) Allow hunters to use archery equipment to harvest deer during the muzzleloading firearms season on game lands.
H5) Shorten the bow season by one week and open the muzzleloader season one week earlier to create a two week muzzleloader season.
H6) Deer seasons in the Northwestern deer season will be changed so that the regular gun season is extended through January 1. Deer seasons in the Eastern, Central, and Western deer season structures will remain unchanged.
H7) Deer seasons on game lands in the Northwestern deer season will be changed so that the regular gun season is extended through January 1. Deer seasons on game lands in the Eastern, Central, and Western deer season structures will remain unchanged.
H8) Open all private lands in the Eastern, Central, and Northwestern deer seasons to the maximum either-sex deer season.
H9) Assign all of Moore County to the Eastern deer season.
H25) Allow falconry on Sundays, except for migratory game birds.
H26) Allow bow hunting on Sundays on private lands only, except for migratory game birds.
H28) Allow the use of crossbows, without permit, anytime bow and arrows are legal weapons.
H48) Disallow the selling of live foxes and coyotes taken under a depredation permit to controlled hunting preserves.
H50) Allow a landowner with a valid depredation permit to give away the edible portions of deer to anyone. Require the recipient to retain a copy of the depredation permit.
H51) Eliminate the requirement that a landholder must get a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permit for the taking of migratory birds before getting a Commission permit to do so.
For a summary of the Commission’s actions on proposed rules changes at the March 4 Commission meeting, visit WRC Commission Actions on Proposed Changes in Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations for 2009-2010.

rustynobles

any updates on this? i mean i purchased my crossbow and have been shooting it, and it's all tuned in, and it would suck to have to wait another year.

10ptCrossbow

Rusty,
I do not know for certain, but everythig I have seen and read says it will be next year before you can use it. You may want to call your local Senator and see what they have to say. You might try the NC DNR as well.
There are going to be a LOT of people in your shoes that really got the rug pulled out from under them.

rustynobles

[:@]what is wrong with my state? i know the "hardcore" bow hunters are behind this, but i don't know why. you still have basically the same range limitations and the same attention to detail will be required the only difference is the orientation of the bow. with modern compounds and trigger releases, there is no difference between the two. i shoot a vertical bow also, but i was hoping to participate with my crossbow too this year and the amount of disappointment i feel is just imense. why?!?

907Alaska

The people that oppose this are more worried about what weapon you will be using, than the legal right of hunting, people in NC and around the US should wake up, because someday we may not even have the right to hunt with any weapon.

Cossack

Given the pace of legislative process, it's a wonder anything gets done. No Sunday hunting, what's up with that? Separation of church and state, ya right!

rustynobles

I have a happy update if nobody knows. On May 13, the NCWRC passed rule changes H28-61 as a group. By the way H28 reads like this: "Allow the use of crossbows any time archery equipment is legal, without permit" I interpreted it as: you can hunt with your crossbow.

kmtpr

Haven't heard this. Hope it does interpret to mean crossbows will be allowed during archery season. Do you have a link?

rustynobles

http://www.ncwildlife.org