Traditional Archery Season?

[Archer Dave]

I was curious if there is a traditional archery deer season where you guys live? Seems like I had seen that somewhere.

Does anyone know how you would go about getting such a season added? We have a long wheel bow season, but it would be nice if there was a traditional no sights season where we got to go out before the wheel bows do. No different really then having a dedicated muzzleloading season.

I have actually seen traditional muzzleloading seasons that exclude optics and in-lines from hunting to give the traditional guys more chance.

So is there such a thing as traditional archery season where you live?

Thanks
Dave

No such thing here in TX!

Bisch

[fnshtr]

Not in West Virginia. This year, for the first time, crossbows are permitted in our "archery season".    

[**DONOTDELETE**]

In Oregon we have some area that have traditional archery gear only requirements, but no special season.

[Cory Mattson]

If traditional bowhunters can remain true and stay strong Traditional bow seasons may return if DNRs need to reform "bow" seasons. We have had many years now with only a few voices holding our ground. Bow seasons were created for the tackle acceptable to tradgang. I doubt it will happen in my lifetime - But?

Oh and by the way today was this new kids day to whack a deer with a rifle during "bow" season. We can start there by getting rifle kids OUT and give the kids opening day of gun season if anyone believes this will recruit a new generation of hunters.

Cory<><
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[danbow]

We have a four month archery season in Ohio, I see no need to specify Traditional only season.

[Red Beastmaster]

The whole thing would backfire. Rather than the intended purpose of true trad die hards having the woods to themselves you would end up with compounders hunting with stickbows and no clue what they were doing.

We have the same thing here in PA during our winter flintlock season.

[TOEJAMMER]

Not in Colorado but they do in Idaho or so I was told.

[ChuckC]

At one time there was, when I lived in Illinois, back in the 60's. . . . .

Course, they didn't call it that back then, it was just archery season.
ChuckC

[Tajue17]

not here in New England we just have an archery season,, but I would think PA that has a flintlock season should include traditional bows only and call it everything primitive, but then you'd have to include non let off crossbows I guess so maybe just leave it all be.

[tomsm44]

Be careful what you wish for.  Here in Louisiana, we have a basic liscense you have to have for any type of hunting.  Then a big game license if you want to hunt deer.  Then muzzleloader and archery licenses that you have to get on top of the others.  I can just see them tacking a traditional license on top of the existing archery license just to hunt one additional week.  Not saying it wouldn't be cool to have a trad only season, but I know the government won't give it to us just for the joy of seeing us happy.  I do believe that crossbows shouldn't be allowed during archery except for special circumstances.

[Sam McMichael]

Our archery season encompasses all legal archery equipment.

[reddogge]

We have a 4 1/2 month archery season here. What part of that would you carve out for "traditional archery season"?

Or would you just rather hunt with traditional bow for 4 1/2 months along with compounds and crossbows? I know I would.

[warpedarrow]

We start our archery season the first weekend in October.  It is still summer here for a good part of October which means the rattlesnakes are still active, you have to find refrigeration quickly when you make a kill, and the the politicians have the clock rigged so that sun doesn't come up until 7:15.  That doesn't work for me.  There isn't a suitable time frame to carve out a trad only season here and there are not enough trad hunters to compete with the big dollars spent by gun hunters.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I cannot imagine them hacking our season up any more, as it is, I feel like we only have 2 weeks to hunt archery uninterrupted by any other season.

I think for NY, its more important to get Archery season back before we think about chopping it up.

[Bowwild]

Our archery season starts 1st Saturday of September and ends on MLK day in mid-January. No need for traditional-only season and the black-eye those of us who prefer recurves and longbows would receive by voicing for one would be horrendous.

Don't forget, some of those compound folks used to shoot recurves and some of them will again. Some of them are your and my best friends, sons, or daughters.

How would one justify such a cut out?  That's what it would be in most places, such a proposal would tell compound fellows to stay home while we go out with our recurves?  It would be very difficult to make a science case for such exclusive access.

Would one say the resource can't stand compound pressure? Would one say the recurve or recurve user is inferior to the compound or compound user?  Would one claim we are somehow "special" enough to simply deserve time alone? If such a push occurred in my state I would go to the Commission with recurve in hand and oppose it.

I'm not sure how to "say" this, but...

Among other hunters and FW policy makers, the recurve/LB user is still seen in a positive light for choosing more challenge, being more experienced, and one who gets more enjoyment out of the "hunt" than the taking of game.  There are many in our ranks who are known for having given back to the sport many times over.  

However, we are not seen in as positive light as we were in the 60's and 70's. To some we tend to come across more as us against them, elitist, and self-centered.

Having written all this, I do think it is neat that there are some areas (Oklahoma and others?) that have always been highly favorable (exclusive) to recurves and longbows. It is often ok to add opportunity but taking it away to give to another is another matter.  In my state I wouldn't want to pit the less than 10,000 against the more than 100,000.

[Michael Arnette]

I think the time is coming when a traditional only season will be able to be added. For instance, Oklahoma could have offered several weeks of season with traditional equipment but they legalized crossbows instead.
In fact, I would wager that hand drawn bows here in OK could have enjoyed a season extension if they hadn't have legalized them.

[DaveT1963]

Since they now allow crossbows in so many archery seasons I am all for a trad only season - even if I have to buy a separate tag.  Sorry, but I am sick of all the crossbows in archery season and since they have mass marketed them the woods are getting just as bad during archery season as they are during rifle season.  I will bet hunting accident rates will increase and we will have to wear blaze orange before long during archery season.

[Tajue17]

I agree with you about the blaze orange once people start getting shot because they are walking out 50yds from a scoped crossbow that is not set up for low light and doesn't see its a human then mandatory Blaze orange will prevail for public safety,,,, OR they will wake up and put the crossbows with the firearm seasons.      

as for the crossbow itself the only advantage I get from it is the people who use them tag out quick and then are gone until gun season starts leaving the woods far less trampled.

[Kevin Dill]

Sporting legislation for seasons, weapons, game management etc is largely centered around opportunities. That's why here in Ohio you can hunt deer with shotguns, handguns, centerfire rifles, flintlocks, percussion locks, in-lines, crossbows, compound bows, recurves, longbows and probably something I've missed. Seasons for youth are old news. Late muzzleloader season forever. It's all designed to put more people in the field yearly, generate money (many directions), manage the deer herd, and keep the train rolling ahead.

I don't see a ghost of a chance for a traditional archery big game season here, or ever restricting the higher technology weapons so long as there is adequate game statewide. Even if the game numbers decline, I believe the state(s) will simply make a myriad of other choices and adjustments as opposed to removing or severely restricting a class of weapons. Primitive weapons seasons once filled a large gap of time, mainly because their success rates were very low. Those time gaps don't exist here anymore...you can hunt deer from late September until early February with more weapons than Fort Knox.

I also cringe to think what a traditional-only season would look like here. Trust me...guys would figure ways to make it (and us) look like the world's worst bowhunters are carrying stickbows. There wouldn't be anything traditional about it. Guys would be stuffing their plastic quivers with mech heads and basically using every last piece of tech possible to help them manage a $179 recurve bought at Dick's Sporting Goods.

You can't legislate ethics, desire, lifestyle or commitment...what we have.