HB 1393 (2011) - Crossbows legal during the gun season

probably be alot more bow tags filled during regular gun season if they do that. No thanks.

LKN4170 Said:
NO! NO! NO!  A crossbow makes it way to easy for anybody to do it.  You think public land is overhunted now, just wait if they pass this bill. 

BringingThePAIN Said:

LKN4170 Said:
NO! NO! NO!  A crossbow makes it way to easy for anybody to do it.  You think public land is overhunted now, just wait if they pass this bill. 

It's only for gun season, not bow.

nd_bowhunter Said:
Crossbows in any season will do nothing but destroy hunting as we now know it. Gauranteed!

Is a crossbow some type of new invention?  No, been around since the cavemen quit throwing rocks at each other.

Is a crossbow easy to shoot? Is it accurate? Absolutely, anybody could shoot one with great success. Your Grandma could fire a crossbow with consistant results without any previous training. For example, the new PSE TAC 15 is marketed as being able to fire 1 hole groups at 100 yds! I am certain all the other crossbow manufacturers are designing their own version of this thing.

Why will they destroy hunting as we know it? Introducing crossbows, even in the "any weapon season" will certainly alter the number of coveted tags available. Allowing the use of these things in the regular season opens the door to allowing their use in the archery season.
Who cares? you say. This is what will happen. It has been proven in every other state that has allowed crossbows. Once they are allowed in a archery season, there will be an influx of new hunters into the archery season, who were not bowhunters before, because they can now use a crossbow. These new numbers along with a significant increase in harvest rate will have a drastic effect on the management goals set by our state biologists. This will result in losing our current ability to purchase archery tags over the counter and moving to a lottery system. You think it's hard to get a deer tag now. This will only make it worse.

So, quit wondering what tag you will be able to use and stand up and say NO! Let's keep these things out of any of our seasons and let's preserve the future of hunting in North Dakota!

kdm Said:
nd_bowhunter, hunter numbers are dwindling and with that, the number of possible votes needed to hold off anti-hunting legislation.  I don't disagree with the fact that it is easier to use a crossbow than traditional archery equipment, but we all see the continued attacks on hunting.  I myself try to consider hunting as a whole, not divided into slices with distinct agendas.  IMO hunting needs membership.  If I have to give up a tag one year out of 5 to keep hunting alive, then so be it.   

Personally, I'd love to see inline muzzy's not allowed during the muzzy season, crossbows not allowed during the archery season, and even COMPOUND bows not allowed during the archery season. I do hunt with a compound bow, but I'd gladly give it up if it helped keep the other crap out. Hell, I'd even like to see wood bats only during softball season! However, I'm not an idiot and I know money talks and all of the above are huge businesses. Sooner or later crossbows will make their way into our ND archery season, but I say keep them out as long as possible. Unfortunately, anything that makes something easier eventually wins out in our FAT ASS LAZY ASS society.

The only exceptions to any of these things should be those who are physically handicapped due to illness, injury, age, etc. They should always be provided with exceptions to allow them to hunt and fish and enjoy other activities.