Furthermore, NYB is opposed to the creation of any new hunting or fishing season or the extension of any existing season that will decrease the length of the archery only season or displace the season into less favorable dates.

While NYB recognizes and supports the rights of hunters who choose to use other weapons in separate hunting and fishing seasons, we will oppose any effort to establish hunting and fishing seasons where the ultimate aim is inclusion in the archery-only seasons or archery-only areas.

In addition NYB acknowledges the 1995 DEC/ Cornell University deer hunting regulations survey that determined that the vast majority of all big game hunters are opposed to the use of the crossbow during the "regular" firearm's season.

NYB also supports the NY Conservation Officer’s Association in their stance of opposing the use of the crossbow during any hunting or fishing seasons.

NEW YORK CONSERVATION OFFICERS ASSOCIATION
(NYCOA)

NYCOA has had lengthy discussions about this issue at many of our regular membership meetings. The votes indicate that our members are unanimously opposed to the use of the crossbow for any hunting in New York State.

Copies of the Bight page NYCOA crossbow policy document can be obtained by contacting NYCOA Inc. PO Box 527, Cranberry Lake, NY 12927
CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED

There has been an intense effort to permit individuals with disabilities to use a crossbow during the archery-only season. Most of the requests are made by crossbow manufacturers and known crossbow supporters. Bowhunters are very skeptical of such actions since they are just an attempt by crossbow promoters to get a foot in the door for enhanced seasons in the future.

Many bowhunters who are physically challenged use modified archery equipment to successfully take big game. These special hunters include individuals who are blind, wheelchair bound, those with the use of only one arm, people with very little body mobility and many others. Crossbow promoters are saying that physically challenged, seniors, youth, and female hunters need the crossbow to participate in the archery only season. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is just another Trojan horse attempt to invade the archery-only seasons under the disguise of helping the Weak". Women, youth and seniors are currently enjoying all hunting seasons without use of the crossbow. With let-off’s of 85% or more on modem compound bows a person pulling 35 pounds is only holding 5 pounds at full draw. For those few individuals that can not draw a bow there is the "Handicapped Archers Permit" that allows qualified individuals to hunt with a bow equipped with a wide variety of available devices The NYB Physically Challenged Committee has helped many individuals in this regard and will continue to do so.

For more information on available physical changed equipment please contact NYB or DEC, Hunter Education Dept. at 50 Wolf Rd., Albany, NY 12233. An informative video tape titled "ARCHERY: THE SPIRIT IS ALIVE" may be obtained for $21.95 from: The US Archer, 7315 N San Anna Drive, Tucson, AZ 85704.

NATIONAL BOWHUNTER EDUCATION FOUNDATION

The International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) is a program designed and administered by the National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) to train Bowhunters throughout North America and the world.

The IBEP definition of a bow is one that is hand held, hand drawn, and released with nothing attached to the bow that will allow the bow to be mechanically held in a drawn or cocked position. Therefore, the crossbow is not a bow and should not be considered for use in any "bowhunting only" season.

The NBEF does not offer an educational program for any hunting device except the bow and arrow, and recommends that if states and provinces approve the crossbow for hunting that it's use be restricted to the firearms' seasons.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY SURVEY

A 1995 survey titled Evaluation of Proposals For Change In Deer Hunting Regulation conducted by Cornell University at the request of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation concluded that "hunters generally do not support the use of the crossbow."

When deer hunters were asked if they were in support of the use of crossbows during the regular firearms season three quarters of the respondents (75.5%) said their satisfaction would change. Of those a majority (68.2%) said their satisfaction would decrease if the crossbow were allowed and most of the hunters (87.1%) said their satisfaction would greatly decrease.

Copies of the survey can be obtained from the Human Dimensions Research Unit, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853-3001

THE POPE & YOUNG CLUB

The Pope and Young Club (P&Y)was founded to promote bowhunting and to record for posterity the outstanding examples of North American big game animals taken solely with the hunting bow.

A hunting bow is defined as a longbow, recurve, or compound bow that is handheld and hand drawn, and that has no mechanical device to enable the hunter to lock the bow at full or partial draw, other than the energy stored by the drawn bow, no device to propel the arrow will be permitted.

The P&Y Club does not consider the crossbow to be a hunting bow and will not accept any trophies collected by crossbow hunters. Furthermore, the club considers the use of the crossbow during bowhunting seasons to be a serious threat to the future of bowhunting.

Therefore the club recommends that the crossbow not be considered for use in any bowhunting only season. The club strongly recommends that crossbow hunting be abolished from all existing bowhunting only seasons and the use of the crossbow for hunting be restricted to firearms' seasons.

For more information contact the Pope & Young Club, 6471 Richard Avenue, Placerville, California 95667

THE PROFESSIONAL BOWHUNTERS SOCIETY

The Professional Bowhunters Society (PBS) is opposed to the use of any weapon, other than those bows drawn, held and released by hand, in any archery-only season.

Furthermore, PBS is opposed to the creation of any new hunting season or the extension of any existing hunting season which will decrease the length of the archery-only hunting season or displace the archery-only season into less favorable dates. While PBS recognizes and supports the rights of hunters who choose to use other weapons in separate hunting seasons, we will oppose any efforts to establish hunting seasons where the ultimate aim is inclusion in the archery-only season.

Bowhunting was meant to be, and is a difficult and demanding sport. It requires a high level of dedication from its participants. Today's modem compound bows, coupled with sight pins and mechanical releases, have done much to make it easier for archers to reach and maintain levels of proficiency necessary for hunting. Unfortunately, there are still those sportsmen and women who are not willing to put forth the time and effort to learn to shoot archery equipment proficiently. The crossbow is the answer for today's opportunistic hunter who lacks the dedication and commitment required to be a bowhunter. The crossbow is simply a superior weapon that is much easier to use than archery equipment.

For more information contact the Professional Bowhunters Society, P. O. Box 246 Terrell, NC 28682

THE MULLANEY REPORT

Mr. Norb Mullaney, a professional engineer, is recognized as the leading authority on the physics of bows and endows. He states that "The hand held bow has one characteristic that distinguishes it from a crossbow or any type of firearm. The internal ballistics are a function of the shooter, his or her physical geometry and capabilities, shooting form, consistency and reaction to stress and trauma. In the crossbow and firearms, the internal ballistics are fixed. The action of the shooter in triggering a release of energy does nothing more than initiate a process that is consistent and repetitive. The hand held bow is different. Every action of the shooter contributes something either positive or negative to the interior ballistic process. As the interior ballistics vary, so do the exterior ballistics. Shooting the hand held bow and arrow is much more complicated than aiming a fixed system of ballistics and touching off the energy discharge. The total energy to draw, hold and release the bow must come directly and unassisted from the shooter's muscle power."

Copies of the Mullaney Report can be obtained from Mr. Mullaney, Engineer, Writer, 8425 North Greenvale Rd. Milwaukee W/ 53217

THE MARLOW REPORT

The technical information on equipment, contained in the "Marrow Report" was compiled by Roy S. Marlow and associates; titled "The Modem Hunting Crossbow-- A Study of it's Effectiveness Compared to the Hand Held Bow, 1 989".

Roy S. Marlow's areas of expertise are in design, theoretical analysis, and experimental evaluation of structural and mechanical systems. He holds a BS degree in aerospace engineering, an MS degree in mechanical engineering, and an MBA degree in management with a concentration in the management of research and development activities. He is a member of several national engineering societies and scholastic fraternities, is active on industrial committees, and task groups, and has written widely on technical subjects. In 1984 he received the Eugene W. Jacobs Award, which is awarded annually by the American Mechanical Engineers for technical excellence.

The Marlow Report concludes that the crossbow is technically superior to the modem hand held bow in almost every category of comparison. Further, the report concludes that the crossbow is more similar to a fireman than a hand held bow and that crossbows should not be considered as archery equipment. The crossbow which is always cocked, shoulder held, shot from a rest, fired by a trigger and has over twice the effective range of a bow is closer to being a firearm than a hand held bow.

Copy's of the Marrow Report can be obtained from RS Marlow & Associates, 12503 Chapel Bell, San Antonio, TX 78230