NY 2025 - crossbows now archery implements for deer/bear hunting

[Erict]

Just recently, NY law was passed that makes a crossbow an archery implement (added to longbow, recurve and compound). This means that one can hunt the entire archery season with a crossbow as long as they have an archery license (and to get that license, you need proof of bowhunter education). Most of the details can be found HERE, and most of the hunting season maps can be found HERE.

For those wondering, for many years now, crossbows could be used to hunt during the "gun" deer seasons, and also during the last two weeks of the archery season, but only if you purchased a MUZZLELOADER privilege. Lots of politics involved with that initial decision.

NR hunting licenses in NY are OTC. NY issues a buck tag when purchasing a $100 NR hunting license (included buck tag, bear tag, most small game hunting), and you get an additional buck tag if you purchase a $30 archery or $30 muzzleloader privilege that are good for those seasons. Time will tell if this leads to any significant changes to deer take, pressure, license sales, etc.

Being that it was a late change, thought maybe you NR may find this info useful. Good luck.

 

[dtrkyman]

Illinois did it years ago now, soooo many guys using them. I managed properties for a group of guys, they all switched immediately and their success rate went way up!

These guys were not bowhunters though, just guys with money that liked to deer hunt.

A lot of my former guide friends working for outfitters have seen the same and they are saying the quality of their clients hunting abilities has fallen way off!

 

[Swamp Fox]

okay, i'll say it ---

there goes the neighborhood.

 

[craigrh13]

Look at Ohio. 75% of all archery hunters use arrow guns now. It's sad, but it's society now days.

 

[Fetty Wapiti]

They will cause less damage to archery hunting than modern compounds have already done.

 

[Swamp Fox]

They will cause less damage to archery hunting than modern compounds have already done.

 

[CMF]

They will cause less damage to archery hunting than modern compounds have already done.

I tend to agree, looking at MS, but I'm sure it depends on the state/region.

Mississippi made them legal years ago, and I heard alot of guys going out to get them when it was new; nearly all of them were gun hunters and didn't have a bow previously. After a couple of years, I know very few people who hunt with a crossbow. My fil has two sitting up untouched for the last 5yrs at least. Most of them still don't hunt the archery seasons for the same reasons they didn't before, It's warm during archery, snakes and mosquitoes are out, brush is thick, the rut is during gun season, etc.

I can definitely see it being different in states like KS, where the rut is in archery season and weather is better. My son just shot a doe here on public in KS yesterday with a crossbow. We've only seen a couple of hunters so far, and they had compound bows.

 

[coyoteman]

They will cause less damage to archery hunting than modern compounds have already done.

Haha time to put down the crack pipe, brotha