LeeinVa1

in a way this got the the point of being funny. I am 68 years old, been bow hunting since i was 12, hunted NY, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee. I went to apply for a bow license thisyear in new york and they told me even tho i had a hunter safety course for new york, i needed a seperate one for bow hunting. you have to be kidding me. I think new york must be the only state that requires this. anyways, i changed my travel plans, will go instead for blackpowder and the first three days of gun season.

SteveBNy

Lots of states require the bowhunter certificate or an archery lisence from another state.

I had to show my archery lisence to get one in Maine.

Steve

Bowtech 360

i think its a great class to take even as an expierenced hunter

nybowhunter

It's a waste of time! 12 hours for gun and then another 12 for bow...they are pleasing the liberals in this state. I went through it myself, then with my now 19 y/o son and my 12 y/o will be going through it this year. Personnaly, I think 12 hours could be 4-6 because they learn most of it during the gun course.

TRACKER

They passed that law requiring a course to be taken for bow hunting at least 16 or more years ago .
Unless you already had a NY bow license .

nyorange

Definitely ridiculous. The point of it is allegedlysafety yet you are deemed safe enough to carry ahigh powered rifle which can cause far more danger at a much greater range than any bow/crossbow etc. Just another hurdle to barr the entry of new people into the varioushunting sports. Put enough hurdles and wait enough time and these sports will be dead. Sad thing is you get all of the idiotssaying its a good thing. Maybe a good thing if your an idiot but there is no way they can even link it to actual safety.More of a political correctness class than a safety class. If it was truly safety, than simply offer the examination to anyone who wants to take it and only require the class for those who fail and haveproven they areunsafe/uneducated on safety. It would accomplish the same thing and prove much less of a hassle to all but then you wouldn't get the pc re-education they feel is so neccesary.When they are spenidng time in class to teach that you shouldn't carry a dead deer on the hood of a car cuz it might offend non hunters you know its a crock of****.They can call it whatever theywant but don't pretend the bow coursehas anything to do with real safety.

Keep singing its praises as your sport slowly dies. Proving your P.C won't save it, only increasing our numbers will and this is definitely a hurdle. I have at least 6 people who WANT togo hunting with me for a weekend and see what it is like but to tell someone who can shoot a gun that he has to take a idiot class that anyone with a pulse could pass with 16 yo for two weekends before he can come out , even to shoot a bow at a deer, is just too much. I should be able to speak to them or give them a book to read and then they can take a quick 15 minute exam to get a license. This education crap is killing the sport.

RuLzU

I agree with you NYORGANGE 100%. Ive been rifle hunting 12 years now, and last year i wanted to get bow license. I work in a restaurant, family owned so weekends/days is impossible for me. i work from 2pm till 2am when i close the rest. i couldnt find any class that wasnt on a weekend. so last year i couldnt take it so this year i was finaly able to take the class, after getting home from closing the rest at 3am the class was at 8am, so i pretty much got 4 hours sleep, then went straight from the class to work till 2 am. yeah.. .. seriously.. so GAY that class. waste of time. coulda been 4 hours.. more than enough. finally got that stupid class over with.
-CK

Steve863

Education is killing the sport?? Hunting is dying for other reasons, like lack of interest by the young and finding private land to hunt. A little education has absolutely nothing to do with it. Maybe a 12 hour course might be a little excessive for some but it also might prevent some bubba who only THINKS he knows everything about guns and safety from going afield. We all know there are plenty of these types in the hunting world. If a class would eliminate these types from the sport I would be all for a 2 week class because they are the types that get landowners to not allow anyone to hunt on their land. It takes only a few bad apples and it spoils it for everyone. I will agree that a lot of hunting safety is common sense, as is safety with driving, using power tools, or having casual s-e-x, but to totally rely on EVERYONES common sense these days is not exactly wise. A little education cannot hurt.

StraightArrowNY

Wow,never have more ignorant words been typed....

SteveBNy

Check out this thread above.
http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=3047144

If having new hunters spend some time learning and demonstrating knowledge of gameanatomy, safety, the LAWS, equipment capabilities AND limitatations, etc will keep some yahoo's out of the woods, it is a good thing.

Frankly if someone does not have a few hours to take the classes and demonstrate some common sense, they pr obably lack the commitment needed to become a safe, ethical hunter. We are not shooting at game boy charactatures, but live , flesh and blood animals. Demonstrate a willingness to be prepared or go to the arcade.

Steve