Special traditional archery season

[Michael Arnette]

Hey guys, what are the chances of a special traditional type archery season set aside from modern archery?  I've been thinking about this for a few years nowespecially after watching how the Oklahoma legalization of crossbows went down.
Basically, it was quite simple. Crossbow company's sporting good stores and a few avid crossbow men petitioned the wildlife department to legalize crossbows based on additional revenue. As a result the wildlife department has sold an extra 20 to 30,000 archery tags each season and local archery shops are selling crossbows to folks who would never be using archery equipment.
In areas with large deer numbers I could really see a traditional season with out the use of any cams or release mechanisms to be quite a reasonable option. I think you could happen if the right people got behind it and the wildlife department could see the extra money they could make on it.
There would definitely be a need for some education on the limitations of traditional equipment as well as its effectiveness for close range hunting. This could be done on a highlighted page within our printed hunting guide or on the departments website and would hopefully prevent a lot of the inevitable bad PR that could result from arrow slinging and poor judgment. With the same token, maybe now is not the time. Maybe traditional archery needs to grow up a bit before this is best. After all, the cozy community of hunters who enjoy the extra challenge and have very similar ideals is a special thing right now.

What are your thoughts? BTW sorry for any editing errors I posted this from my iPhone

[newhouse114]

We have a couple of them here in Oregon. One or two are traditional only for the first week of season, and one is a drawing hunt that is traditional only for the whole season.

[Michael Arnette]

Good to know! Can nonresidents draw :-)
I would be interested to see how these turn out! As a Whitetail hunter I feel that the compound and crossbows long-range effectiveness really probably makes a much bigger difference out west where longer shots are often the norm.
In the end this probably results in shorter seasons... it has to!

[huntnmuleys]

im going to do that Oregon hunt one day. ive heard some good things about it!

[monkeyball]

Here in Pa. we really do not have much of an"Archery Season" anymore. About the first two weeks then all the "Special Seasons" start.

  Early Muzzleloader,capped off with senior/junior regular firearms is just ending this weekend. Flo. Org required if you go out with your bow.

 Small game starts this Sat. followed by Turkey season the following week. Right in time to kick off the rut.


  I personally would like to see all the "early seasons" combined with the crossbows and let them have the first week then the rest of the season be "Archery Only."

                                        Good Hunting,
                                                         Craig

[newhouse114]

The draw hunt actually has an unlimited number of permits (Trout Creek Mts) but it is a very low success rate hunt, only about 12%. Very open country, not much cover, and bucks that come out of their beds like a shotgun blast and don't stop. A friend of mine has hunted it 12 times and killed 4 bucks. My son and I hunted it this season and struck the mother lode. We only saw 7 bucks in 6 hard days of hunting, but brought two of them home.

[Jerry Jeffer]

There should just be one big season and use weapon of choice.

[Jayrod]

Originally posted by monkeyball:
Here in Pa. we really do not have much of an"Archery Season" anymore. About the first two weeks then all the "Special Seasons" start.

  Early Muzzleloader,capped off with senior/junior regular firearms is just ending this weekend. Flo. Org required if you go out with your bow.

 Small game starts this Sat. followed by Turkey season the following week. Right in time to kick off the rut.

  I personally would like to see all the "early seasons" combined with the crossbows and let them have the first week then the rest of the season be "Archery Only."

                                        Good Hunting,
                                                         Craig

My thoughts  exactly Craig  couldn't said it any better myself!!

[killinstuff]

I only shoot a longbow so every day of of the legal season small game and deer is "trad" only for me.  I don't see this as a team sport  and hunt my way unconcerned about how others want to hunt. They don't bother me I don't bother them. I don't see the need to have a season just for me.

[Possum Head]

Our seasons are generous in Mississippi as I can bow hunt from Oct 1 thru Feb 15. Ou problem is squirrel guns blast during this time. Never can one bowhunt without shotgun blast.

[woodchucker]

Personaly... I don't have a problem sharing the woods with "gun hunters". Small Game season runs from Oct.1st - Feb. 28th, and we see VERY FEW of them!

Primative is Primative... Modern is Modern. As much as we hate to admit it, simple human nature dictates that we strive to "improve" everything.

What I would like to see, would be a combined "Primative" hunting season, from Oct. 1st to the Gun Season opener. This would be for Traditional Bows AND Muzzleloaders.(sidelocks ONLY) Then, after the Gun Season, A "modern" Archery/Muzzleloader season.(including compounds, crossbows, in-lines)Running untill Dec. 31st.

IMHO, The Game Commissions are only concerned with 3 things... MONEY, "Hunter Satisfaction", and knocking the snot out of our deer herd!!!

This would give the chance for Traditional style hunters, to get out and enjoy an early season. Then, after the gun hunters finish, the "modern" hunters could come in and knock off the rest!!!

That should make them happy.....

Just one old fart's oppinion!

[Possum Head]

I hear ya in Mississippi a primitive weapon is any shoulder fired arm with or without a scope. I know no one who uses the side locks anymore.

[dbd870]

We are archery only (includes xbows) Oct1 - roughly mid Nov. (then we have firearm, ML, and late doe only) I'm OK leaving it as is.

[Sam McMichael]

We have a decent archery season in my area. I have no issue with compound shooters in the woods. Even during gun season, I hunt with the longbow. What bothers the hell out of me is the number of people in the area who consider the beginning of bow season to be the general opening of deer season. I hear a good deal of shooting during bow season.

[longbowman]

I read a report from the PA Game commission the other day on the deer hunting.  They said since the legalization of the crossbow the success rate stayed basically the same in archery season ranging from 11% to 13% but that 80% of the buck taken are now taken with the crossbow.  Something doesn't add up there.

[Michael Arnette]

I think that's about right, crossbows have not necessarily raised success rates in my opinion but they have certainly added to the number of hunters during bow season. I'm not necessarily against him, I just think traditional gear is in a different category not unlike muzzleloader versus standard firearms.

[jonsimoneau]

Personally, I would rather see bow seasons go back to the way they were intended which meant hunting with an actual bow. Let the modern equipment guys hunt during the gun season. I know it ruffles feathers but I think if you want to bowhunt, you should have to use a bow. It will never happen I know but it doesn't hurt to dream!

[Ron Vought]

When we had the Pennsylvania Association of Traditional Hunting Traditional Archers (PATHA) active there wasn't much interest for a traditional only season here in PA. I think at the time we didn't have all the gun intrusions and that was the reason for lack of interest. I just wonder now how these same people would feel with all the gun intrusions in the archery season.

There is no reason why PA can't have a October- January traditional only archery season however due to the increase in crossgun kills that is no longer likely to occur.  Matter of fact I see no extended opportunity for bowhunters in PA. We let the guns in the season including the crossguns now we have to deal with it....

Ron

[jackdaw]

The muzzleloading  crowd in Pennsylvania is limited to does only in the early season. As far as deer hunting is concerned in the state of Pennsylvania, Our archers get the first crack at the bucks.... it is the crossbow gang who are the biggest issue with me. They are not really true archers.... a lot of them had never hunted archery prior to this.... just looking for the quickest, laziest way to go shoot the deer in the early season.... it is the same thing they did in muzzleloading one that allowed the in lines...

[Ron Vought]

The inlines and rifles during archery season were deployed as part of the deer management plan to reduce doe prior to the rut.... At least that was the messaging. Crossguns were to generate additional revenue and a huge push from archery dealers and manufactures. My biggest fear is that we the bowhunters exceed the allowable harvest no more time is allocated for bowhunters or worst case the existing season is shortened. All I hear is we are all hunters so why separate the ranks...I think most people don't have a clue including some in our own ranks.