I Hate NY.......you give them an inch, they take a mile

[Tom Phillips]

The Airbow video clip I saw this past winter the contraption was very noisy !!!

[Bowwild]

I had thought, for most of my adult life and 22 years of state wildlife agency employment, that most bowhunters opposed the crossbow. My opposition of the device had been vehement because of my perception. In fact, in the 1980's I evaluated a NJ crossbow study for the Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources and we opposed it then.

Then about 12 years ago we did a deer hunter survey in Kentucky (KDFWR).  The survey was about much more than the crossbow but we added a couple of attitudinal questions.

We found:
- about 20% of bowhunters were against the crossbow
- about 20% were in favor of the crossbow'
- about 60% didn't care one way or the other.

It was a paradigm changing moment for me. I had been in the minority and didn't realize it.

The crossbow has been legal for most of the archery season in Kentucky now for about 10 years (not allowed the first month of bow season in September (we open 1st Sept. Saturday). I hunt tightly controlled private land.  I can say my bowhunting has been impacted zero by the crossbow.

I still don't consider it "bowhunting". But, I  have a best friend (cancer survivor) and brother (shoulder injury) that would not be hunting except in 16-day gun seasons if not for the crossbow.  However, both these guys could have obtained crossbow exemptions before the law was expanded anyway.

My biggest objection to the crossbow these days is how it was "sold" to the FW agencies and those who made it more widely legal.  They said deer harvest would grow and that older folks and  youth would be encouraged by the crossbow.  Deer harvest simply shifts as some firearms hunters expand their season and some compound folks added the crossbow or replaced their compound with the compound.  

The crossbow isn't a safe device for youth unless a mentor is sitting beside the young hunter, just like (or more so) with a rifle.

The season expansion does give the parent some warmer weather days to introduce their kids to hunting.  The crossbow also makes it easier (no exemption paperwork or doctor's visits) for the injured older archer to stay or return to the field.

Our season length and bag limits are not threatened by the crossbow.

In may opinion the worst outcome of the crossbow debate in Ky was the damage it did to the United Bowhunters of Kentucky of which I'm a life member (honorary). The organization has barely half the membership it had before the crossbow debate.

[Bwhntr247]

I don't even know where to start on NY messed up seasons. I feel that rifle season is too long and should be shorter. Same start date an end the following Sunday, total of nine days.
I feel they should still run muzzleloader to the the 3rd Tues in December and they could allow crossbows in any of those two seasons. They should not be allowed during regular archery season except for medical reasons.
I don't feel that legalizing them at any time would change how a poacher or someone who doesn't abide by the law would use them or the new arrow-gun thingy. I'm all for hunting with whatever you choose but everything has its place. Just my 2¢.