Sports

TOM VENESKY

I think next year’s archery season should be shortened.

Drastically.

If the Pennsylvania Game Commission board gives final approval to a measure allowing crossbows to be used during archery season, six weeks is far too long to hunt with a weapon that is basically the same as a rifle as far as accuracy is concerned.

During its October meeting, the PGC board voted 5-2 to give preliminary approval to the use of crossbows during archery season. Commissioners Jay Delaney, who represents the northeast, and Tom Boop voted against the measure, which needs final approval at the January meeting.

Hopefully, by then, the other five commissioners who voted in favor of the motion will have second thoughts.

A crossbow is similar to a rifle in shape, accessories and the manner in which it is shot.

Ever hold a crossbow and shoot it? You hold it just like a rifle – put the butt against your shoulder and one hand on the stock. To release the bolt (like an arrow, but shorter and heavier), all it takes is the squeeze of a trigger.

And to perfect your aim, a scope can easily be mounted on top.

A crossbow is nothing more than a bow mounted on a rifle stock, but it is more closely related to a rifle than a compound bow. There is no string to pull back and hold, there are no sight pins, no release and, compared to a bow, not much challenge.

They are accurate and deadly, and to allow crossbows to be used for an entire archery season would not be fair to the hundreds of thousands of rifle hunters who patiently wait their turn for the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

It also wouldn’t be fair to the 250,000 archery hunters in this state who spend days in their stands passing up deer waiting for the perfect shot with their compound or recurve bow.

But more importantly, it would not be fair to the resource.

If crossbows do become legal for archery season, there’s no reason any of us shouldn’t go out and buy one.

Why wait for rifle season to roll around when we could hunt for six weeks with a weapon that possesses similar accuracy and killing power?

Well, in reality, think for a moment of what the move would do to our traditional rifle season. I have a feeling that after six weeks of hunting with crossbows, there will be a lot less bucks, and deer overall, left in the woods by the time rifle season opens.

And what about the bucks that aren’t legal under antler restrictions? Sure, they’ll be passed up in rifle season and those hunting with crossbows next archery season will have first crack at them.

Someone needs to speak up for the state’s rifle hunters in this crossbow mess.

But more importantly, we all need to remember the resource.

And that’s why crossbows shouldn’t be allowed.

It’s excessive. It will remove more large bucks from the population before the rut starts, allowing inferior bucks to breed.

And it’s simply not needed.

I’m sure there are hunters in favor of crossbows that will argue that it’s only fair they have a chance to use their weapon of choice.

I understand, so here’s a compromise that I think is fair.

Go ahead and use crossbows all you want. Just do it during rifle season and hunt and compete with everyone else.

And leave archery season to those who have to pull a string rather than squeeze a trigger.

Tom Venesky writes about hunting, fishing, trapping and the outdoors for The Times Leader. He can be reached at tvenesky@timesleader.com or 829-7230.