minimum legal draw weight

[wingnut]

This hunt is held on Federal land and is under their jurisdiction.  Have you ever dealt with a military MP and had a problem.  We did at McAlester a few years back.  We missed the turn into the shoot and after turning around stopped and took a pic of a MOAB mock up they have.  It was cool until the MPs showed up at the shoot and tried to take the camera.

Mike

[2bird]

Originally posted by wingnut:
This hunt is held on Federal land and is under their jurisdiction.  Have you ever dealt with a military MP and had a problem.  We did at McAlester a few years back.  We missed the turn into the shoot and after turning around stopped and took a pic of a MOAB mock up they have.  It was cool until the MPs showed up at the shoot and tried to take the camera.

Mike

Only dealt with Military Police everyday for 6 years. I think this is being nuked out a little bit. if the op's bow is marked 40@28" OR more how could it be illegal?

[wingnut]

It's not marked 40 @ 28, it's 38 @ 28 and that's the problem.

Mike

[2bird]

Originally posted by wingnut:
It's not marked 40 @ 28, it's 38 @ 28 and that's the problem.

Mike

Mike, i understand that. But if he gets the bow remarked 43@30" then what would the problem be?

[COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE]

Originally posted by 2bird:
 

Originally posted by wingnut:
It's not marked 40 @ 28, it's 38 @ 28 and that's the problem.

Mike

Mike, i understand that. But if he gets the bow remarked 43@30" then what would the problem be? [/b]

I can't speak to OK law, but what the bow draws at 30" is irrelevant if the law states a certain poundage at 28" draw.  Here it's 40 @ 28".  43 @ 30" would be illegal to hunt with if it's drawing 38 @ 28".  The draw weight at 28" must be 40# or more.  Not sure about OK, but that's how it is here.

[Jb Phipps]

I can understand their desire for a simple, easy to enforce rule whether it makes sense to me or not.  After reading all your replies I'm seeing that maybe they simply want to know what the weight is at 28". It's their chosen point of reference.  My draw length is not a factor to them I suppose.  I could mark the bow 43#@30" but they can simply say that doesn't give them the info they want.  It may just be one of those arbitrary laws that I have to live with.

I'll take a heavier bow with me and check out the scene before hunting with my Whip if I think they'll be cool with it.  I actually just ordered a heavier Whip but the delivery will be cutting it very close.  I'm not getting my hopes up.  I specified 50# at 30" but maybe I need to have him mark the 28" weight to be safe.  Should be 45# or so.

Thanks for all your replies!

[The Whittler]

Talking with different game wardens will get you very different answers, it's like asking politicians for an honest answer or a yes or no answer.

I think putting 40#@28" will take care of it.

[Canadian Idle]

Up here it's pretty simple....40# @ 28" for deer, 50# @ 28" for black bear and moose..of course it's converted to METRIC...
 When the Conservation Officer checks your bow, it doesn't matter what it says on it as far as the weight at a certain draw length...it had better be what the regulations state..40# @ 28" etc or more on "HIS" bow scale or else...PAY-UP.

[meatCKR]

In Illinois the rule is "A bow must at least have 40 pounds of draw weight at some point within a 28 inch draw".  So if my bow is marked at least 40# @ 28", I am good.  I don't think the game wardens in Illinois care what my DL is.  They have determined that a bow marked 40# @ 28" is lethal enough for hunting.

Steve

[Wandering Archer]

Originally posted by COMPOUNDLESS IN CONCRETE:
Here in WA, a bow that is 35# @ 28" draw but 40# at 30" draw is illegal.  It matters not what the individual draws the bow to.  If it does not hit 40# at the 28" draw mark, it's illegal to hunt with.

This right here^

I don't know why this is even a discussion. If the law states '40# @ 28"' Then, the bow must pull 40# @ the 28" mark. You might get a level headed warden that lets you go, but just because one says it's ok, doesn't mean he speaks for every LEO out there. LEO opinion doesn't matter, they are often wrong. It is the written law that matters and that is what you will be judged by if you are brought before a judge, or if you fight the ticket before a judge. I'm no lawyer, but I guarantee any lawyer would tell you that it would be illegal regardless if you draw past 28".

Technicalities aside, if you just marked the bow as 43# or 43# @ 28", it is very unlikely that a LEO will take the time to weigh your bow. You might be lying and technically breaking the law, but you would be within the spirit of the law in my mind so I would have a clear conscious, but it depends how your moral compass guides you and if  you're willing to take the risk. After all, if Barney Fife gets all technical and breaks out the scale then you're caught.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Originally posted by wingnut:
Well if it says "40 @ 28" it means just that.  If you are shooting less then that your bow is illegal.

It may not be right but it's what it is.

Mike

X2. In Illinois, it says 40#@28" and that's exactly what the law requires.

[MO Bow]

Simple solution...move to Missouri where there isn't a minimum draw weight.

[monterey]

Colorado has a minimum 35#.  No mention of draw length!  As pertains to CO, you can't rely on the language in the big game brochure.  If you read the actual statute for any of our hunting and fishing brochures you find additional language that may or may not be relevant to your situation.

The bow I'll Hunt with this year exceeds the letter of the law but has no markings on it.  No warden I ever met in the field ever asked questions about my bow.  I doubt if they have any provision in the field to check draw weight.  

Scenario;  warden examines bow in the field.  There are no markings.  Warden produces a scale and checks draw weight then cites hunter for being under.

Hunter goes to court and challenges the accuracy of the scale.  Hunter requests a certificate of accuracy for the scale that precedes the date of the citation.  Hunter requests a demonstration of the accuracy of the scale in court.  Wonder what the outcome would be?

I'm not a hair splitter and not at all adversarial, but you have to consider that those are just a few of the things that the warden and the prosecutor might anticipate and probably serve to discourage attempts to enforce this type of law.

Years back the CO regs said the bow had to be able to cast an arrow a certain minimum distance.  Wouldn't that field check be a hoot!

[TSP]

Establishing minimum limits for archery equipment comes down to game managers trying to ensure that weapons are reasonably adequate for the purpose (clean kills).  Some states also disallow .22 caliber firearms for hunting deer, again in consideration of general adequacy.  Light equipment can kill but sometimes there's a fine line between being adequate and being risky.  State regs walk that line all the time.  

Experienced wardens have seen lots of tricks.  Re-labeling bow's specs (especially if poorly done) might invite suspicion even if intent was to clarify rather than mislead.  Why invite potential trouble?  

If it were me I'd use a heavier bow.

[Chromebuck]

To me this is a mute point as I shoot 53#'s on all my bows.  Certain game has a minimum draw of 50# up here and others have minimum of 45#.

What surprises me, and mind you I have never been check, but I met a Wildlife Trooper here in Alaska that has an unfletched arrow in his truck that is marked from 24" to 32".  In theory he would have you draw the bow back to anchor and take a measurement reading.  Compare that to the specs on your bow and give +/- 2lbs per inch.

Pretty simple to me.  I think it's the most thought out process for determining poundage that I've heard so far.  Granted published weights on bows is a crap shoot in many cases.

Anyway, that's what I got.

[longbow fanatic 1]

Here is Illinois' law. The bow must be drawn to 40# at some point within 28." If you draw beyond 28"  to reach 40#,  it is illegal.

"Legal Archery Equipment
• A long, recurve or compound bow with a minimum pull of 40 pounds at some point within a 28-inch draw."

[Hummer3T]

Phone a CO and ask, they don't bite. locally it changes, in Saskatchewan min. is 40 lbs.

[Jb Phipps]

Well, I emailed Dan Toelke and told him my predicament.  By the end of the day he emailed back and said he got my new bow started early so I'll get it in plenty of time to get it dialed in and get some arrows set up for it before my hunt.  I asked him to label it at 28" (should be about 45#) just to be safe.  That's customer service at its best!  Thanks Dan.

I like the Alaska trooper's method of carrying an arrow to measure your draw length best.  The 40# @ 28" reg is so arbitrary.  My 9 year old son can dray my 38# bow to his 19 inch draw length easily so I know he could draw 2 pounds more.  That means he would be legal with a 40@28 bow even though he is only pulling 15-20 pounds at his length.  I wouldn't let him do it but it demonstrates the absurdity of the regulation.  Sorry to whine, I'm sure somebody put a lot of thought into that law.  It is what it is and Dan's got me fixed up so problem solved.  Thanks again for the replies.

[buckeye_hunter]

In 10 years of bow hunting in Ohio, I have never had anyone check my bow. Actually, I've never even had a conservation officer talk to me while bow hunting.

Gun season.... I've been checked, but never during bow season. No idea why, but I'm guessing it will never be a problem. My bow is well above legal minimum though, so it isn't a worry.

[Sam McMichael]

Question. If the law says 40# at 28" draw, does it address the archer's draw length? If the bow has these specs, and the law does not specifically state that it has to be drawn this distance, an argument can be made that any bow that draws 40# at 28" is legal, based on the language of the law, regardless of the archer's draw length. Any lawyers in the crowd who can speculate on this.