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

[wind gypsy]

I would love temps in the 30-70. Thats a cold rifle season for us. A 30 degree day is stay at home the roads and schools are closed weather.

I could see how guys would get upset with more hunters pressuring deer during the nice times to hunt.

Particularly in states where firearm season occur in late Nov after peak rut which has traditionally allowed more bucks to reach maturity, crossbow use effectively adds a lot of rifle hunters into peak rut hunting during archery season.

I'm not saying one party is more entitled to something than another but I'd definitely prefer season structures that give ample opportunity but also facilitate more bucks surviving to maturity.

 

[MallardSX2]

Someone else is now out there hunting who wasn’t doing it before.

And, just like him, they are using a modernized piece of ancient technology. It has slightly different strengths and weaknesses. That’s all.

His complaint is about the same level of legitimacy as it is for a little kid playing on the public playground and not wanting other little kids to use it at the same time.

You stating that a crossbow is just another piece of ancient technology with only slightly different strengths and weaknesses has got to be one of the most pathetic statements that I’ve ever read regarding crossbows. Lol

 

[MallardSX2]

A 30 degree day is stay at home the roads and schools are closed weather.

That explains why they had to legalize crossbows for you guys.....

Does it take 2 of you guys to run the little hand crank thing to cock it?

 

[SloppyJ]

For as long as I've been hunting, crossbows have been a legal means of take in any open archery season. It's not the end of the world and I bet there's less of a wound rate with them. Not to mention the people that can actually benefit from one like kids or people with disabilities.

You don't know what a person has gone through and why they may be hunting with one. We're all out there trying to do the same thing. Drop the elitist compound bow BS.

 

[MallardSX2]

Yup, might as well be a recurve!

 

[BigDewberry]

That explains why they had to legalize crossbows for you guys.....

Does it take 2 of you guys to run the little hand crank thing to cock it?

You don't have a guy that comes and does it for you? Man you guys take this primitive methods stuff seriously.

 

[Jethro]

Only negative from crossbows in PA is that many guys are now always pissed off.

 

[rtkbowhunter]

For those that say there is no impact... For the first time last year, the 2024 PA's archery buck harvest exceeded that of rifle season. It was 87,400. The rifle buck kill was 86,300. In 2009 the archery buck kill was 33,400. The same year xbows were legalized for archery.

 

[Yoder]

PA did the same thing a few years ago. Guess what happened? Nothing. All the pearl clutching is unnecessary. Still seeing a bunch of deer. There aren't as many hunters as there used to be.

 

[rtkbowhunter]

PA did the same thing a few years ago. Guess what happened? Nothing. All the pearl clutching is unnecessary. Still seeing a bunch of deer. There aren't as many hunters as there used to be.

Yes and no. While overall hunter numbers dropped we added approximately 150K bowhunters. Rifle hunters attracted by a weapon they were already familar with.