LEGAL BOW WEIGHT ???

[Jim now in Kentucky]

Kentucky is "Any draw weight (no minimum"

Guess the prehistoric folks here had nothing to worry about--except staying alive.

Jim

They did away with minimum draw weight in Texas a year or two ago.

I don't know how this law would be enforced where there are minimum draw weights but I would imagine that the intent of the law is to have a hunter using X number of pounds of draw weight. That would mean that if say the minimum was 40# and you were shooting a 39@28 bow but pulling it 29 you SHOULD be legal. If you were pulling a 41@28 and only drawing 27 you SHOULD be illegal.

Bisch

[gobblegrunter]

35# here in PA

[bawana bowman]

Florida regulations state: "all bows, Longbow, recurve, compound, and crossbow must have a minimum draw weight of 35#.
Can you imagine, 35# with 80% let off, holding an astonishing 7#! You really have to stay in shape to shoot that kind of weight...........  

[AdamH]

Thank goodness I hunt Md. not that I need to worry about draw wt# but aint seen a warden in 15+ years !!! They really don't like to leave their trucks, and I dont hunt close to the road ...

[LoweBow]

Kentucky did away with minimum draw weight also as it limits hunter numbers and sets up just one more hurdle in getting kids involved in the outdoors...  With todays technologies and compound bows there is no reason you can not kill a deer w/ 25# draw weight....I've actually seen 24# by a 9 yo....broadhead came out the other side of the deer about 2".  I was WAY impressed

[Pegg]

Here in Mn it is #30. Does not matter how far back. What ever your full draw is has to be #30. Right I have never have a CO carry a scale. But with my sons compound the lowest it says it will go is #30. When we carry our trad bows one of his is #35@28" and the other is #40@28". He has about a 24" draw. So I am really close with both bows.

[Cherokee Scout]

I was faced with the same question a couple of years ago. I emailed the Ohio Fish and game, there answer was whatever the bow is marked at is how the game warden will enforce it.
My bow was marked at 39# but I draw 29". I was pulling 42#. They said I was not legal.
So I spray painted over the gold writing, it was on the black part of the limb. Then I used a gold colored pen to relabel the bow 42# @ 29". After the hunt, I removed the paint and it was back to original writing on bow.

[jcar315]

Maryland "Hunting and Trapping 2010 2011" regulations as follows.

 Vertical Bow Regulations: for hunting deer and bear, the vertical bow shall have a full draw and pull of not less than 30 pounds.

To answer the initial question: Yes, that would be illegal at worst (less than ethical at least) in my view.

What sort of room for mis-interpretation is there when the rules list a minimum draw weight? I must say that some of these responses that seem to skirt both the letter and or the spirit of the law is somewhat surprising. Why would any of us knowingly break a game law? Is that what our level of "sportsmanship" has come to?

[Butch L]

RI Hunting Abstract states:
"archery equipment consisting of a longbow
(straight limb, reflex, recurve and compound bow) of not less than
forty (40) pounds pull."

Butch L

[KEG]

From the California regulations: No bow or crossbow may be used which will not cast a legal hunting arrow, except flu-flu arrows, a horizontal distance of 130 yards.

[motorhead7963]

well you beat me too it KEG, and I thought only calif. was going to have this type of rating Guess Not!!! it's good to know that we are not the only ones!! could you imagine hunting a Mulie with a 35lb bow???

No minimums in Iowa, it is the hunters responsibility, which makes sense to me.

[americanhunter7]

Indiana Laws for Legal archery equipment

Legal equipment includes long bows, compound bows or recurve bows and arrows. The bow must have a pull of at least 35 pounds. Arrows must be tipped with broadheads that are metal, metal-edged, or napped flint, chert or obsidian. Poisoned or exploding arrows are illegal.

Bows drawn, held or released by means other than by hand or hand-held releases may not be used. No portion of the bow’s riser or any track, trough, channel, arrow rest or other device that attaches to the bow’s riser can guide the arrow from a point back beyond the bow’s brace height. The common overdraw is still allowed as long as it does not extend beyond the string when the bow is relaxed.

It is illegal to possess firearms while hunting deer with a bow and arrow, except for a handgun that is possessed under a personal protection permit. A bow may be possessed in the field before and after legal shooting hours only if the nock of the arrow is not placed on the bow string.

[stringstretcher]

Va law is that the broadhead must be 7/8 " wide and the bow be able to propel and arrow 125 yards.  A 25lb bow could do that if you aim at the moon I guess.

[bucksdown]

i live in ohio also, they kind of keep it simple stupid. most off the shelf bows are made on a 28" draw. they don't want to make it to comlicated for themselves. i personally can't figure these guys out. our buck to doe ratio is getting way out of whack. i like the one buck limit, it allows them to get bigger, but they continue to raise the doe limit, which would have been ok except they changed the law a few years back saying all deer meat that is given to a food bank has to be processed by a butcher, which are never FDA approved. i'm sorry but most people can't afford 60 to 80 dollars a deer to give it away. i don't have a butcher assembly line and am very picky about the cleanliness, and don't grind up hair and what ever else might fall into it. i'm sorry if i got off track, there are people that can use the food, and ohio law makers always care more about the dollar than the people.

[Dry Creek]

There is no minimum draw weight here in MS.

[Bowwild]

There is no need for a state wildlife agency to regulate draw weights, it just complicates regulations and is rarely checked or enforced.   We did away with them in KY in 1997 -- no problems.  Bowhunters want to be successful.  There are far too many regulations on the books in many states that have no impact because they are unenforceable from a practical standpoint.  They will educate themselves (and the reg. guide isn't their education material) enough to have a chance for success. Frankly, (while it would be silly and unenforceable)it would make more sense to regulate agains quartering forward, running, and shots beyond a person's effective range.

Such regulations (min.draw weights, cast, broadhead widths, etc.)reflect opinions and biases of small numbers of people influencing a game commission that doesn't know better.  

Do I think a bowhunter should be thoughtful and take care not to be under-equipped in the field?  Absolutely! Personally, I'd be glad to walk the isles of the sporting goods store and throw several broadheads to the floor -- but all of them have and will continue to kill critters.  If a person isn't at least 75% confident (very low) of shots at certain distances on targets, they have no business taking such shots on game -- but those are my preferences and ethics and I wouldn't expect others to conform to me.
 
I don't mean to be ill towards anyone here, especially not archery organizations or game commissions. I'm a life member of one, measurer for another, and have worked game commissions for 30 years in four states.

[Widowbender]

Originally posted by LeverActionman:
North Carolina says 40# for longbow and recurve and 35# for compound.My question is would a longbow or recurve at 35# with a 500 grain arrow not out penetrate a 35# compound with a 300 grain arrow?

I'm just glad they finally changed it...used to be 45# for all bows...

[jcar315]

The rules are the rules until someone changes them.