RWK, So far your posts have been write your a reps so I can hunt with a crossbow and write your reps so kids can't have a Youth hunt.

I'm still against a Crossbow bill and have written my assemblyman to tell him that. Now I'm writing a letter telling him I'm in favor of both lowering the age for bow and gun hunting.Thanking them for the oppurtunity to take my son out next weekend on the Youth hunt for Turkey and explaining that they need to get more active promoting hunting to kids.I feel a youth hunt at 16-17 isn't a youth hunt. it should be for 14-15 yr olds.

Rwk, I made a post of this on 4/8! Plus I believe I've seen this word for word on NY Bowhunters website!!!!!!

Catny, Man I'd like to know where you used to bowhunt, that you guarentee a deer with a bow from a treestand that early in a hunt! Personally I've been bowhunting for almost 20yrs, and I've NEVER found archery season to be easier then gun season. Sure the deer are not as spooked during archery. But yet you have to pattern their movements, and make your setups so get that deer to pass within 30yds for a possible shot. Then just becasue you do get that deer within range, doesn't always mean you'll get a shot. I've harvested alot more deer during regular seasons, then archery seasons. I'm also wondering why you gave up bowhunting? If you found it so easy from a treestand, and admit ground hunting with a bow is more difficult. Was that bowhunting challenge too difficult for you to pursue. Ever try still hunting-stalking with a bow? My preference is to bowhunt from a treestand. But I also enjoy a variety of bowhunting ways. I'll also ground blind, and still hunt with a bow. If we get some fresh snow in archery season. I'm off tracking down a deer. In fact some of the most fun I've had bowhunting is tracking a buck through the woods for several hrs.
But as I wrote in my post on the youth hunt. I'm not for it, becasue I can't understand why the DEC couldn't have purposed the wknd as the wknd just before the Monday opener. I fail to understand the DEC's reasoning. I'm more for lowering the age limit, and I've sent letters out on this issue in support of lowering the age limits. I'd much rather see youth in the woods bowhunting. Learning how deer are under a more natural state. Learning 1 shot 1 kill. Then starting out in gun season waiting for some other hunter to push a deer his way! I believe archers are the most ethical hunters in the woods, and teaching ethics is a must!

RWK in response to the post starting this thread....

Boy you sure hit the ground running! Joined 2 or so weeks ago and come out with a pro-crossbow thread followed by an anti-youth hunt thread.

Looking for quotes to feed the anti hunting groups propaganda machine perhaps?

Buck Alley, I'm not lying to you. I believe bowhunting from a tree is simpler than gun hunting. I stopped bowhunting because I was scared silly hunting from a tree. When I tried hunting from a ground, I couldn't do it. I'm just not that good of a hunter to bowhunt from a ground. But, when I was up in a tree, I passed up several several easy shots because mostly I would not shoot a doe or a button buck. This was several years ago when killing a doe was a no-no. I'm going to try bowhunting again and force myself up a tree. Personally, I know several bowhunters that tell me that, from a tree, if you're not afraid to get up there, is easier that gun hunting (shotgun where I am from in NY).

Cat, must be the deer in my woods are more educated then yours! I've been busted out of treestands more times then I care to recall. I've had to take extra special precautions to hide well in my treestand setups. I've had more deer walking around, and if they catch a single hint of trouble, they are looking up! I've also encountered several string jumpers in the past several yrs also. You should get back into it, nothing wrong with filling a doe tag, and putting meat in the freezer!

16 and 17 year olds don't make it a youth hunt. i say lower the age to 14 and 15 with licensed adult, and make it like the third weekend of rifle season.

That just doesn't even make sense--even after re-reading this and the previous post. Everything is the same except the weapon. And if you do a search under the bowhunting forum, you'll see that nearly every bowhunter limits there shots to 40 yards--most limit themselves to 30 or less. Most responsible gun hunters can easily kill a deer at twice that range and further. So how does the shorter range weapon make it easier? Remember, all the other factors are the same.

And yes, I'm a bowhunter.

DaveH, I was assuming that what made it simpler was that the deer were still in their natural habits and less spooked. Where I live, when gun season starts, all the deer congregate to the sanctuaries that are not hunted much (like Posted land). It is a lot simpler to hunt around the end of October when the deer are not spooked and in full rut than it is with a gun with more hunters chasing the deer around. I believe most bowhunters will admit they see more deer end of October than they do during gun season. I would agree hunting with bow during firearm season is a lot lot more difficult. Take care fellow Hunter.

Anyone who has a LITTLE TIME can learn to accurately and consistently shoot a compound bow with sites "WITH VERY LITTLE PRACTICE"

You mean to tell me I can just pick up my bow and what ever arrows I have on OCT 14 shoot a couple of times and say good enough and hunt.
Maybe that's what you do with your gun, But all the bow hunters I know practice all year so when that big buck comes under his treestand he can make a quick clean humane kill.
CATTNY do you have that dedication? Maybe that is why gun hunting is so hard for you. I really doubt you have what it takes to be a bow hunter that is why you are so jellous of us!