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Release #029-09
BOARD TAKES STEP TO REVERSE PROHIBITION ON MAGNIFYING SCOPES
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners, in a notational vote, yesterday gave preliminary approval to a regulatory change that would allow hunters to use magnifying scopes on bows or crossbows during the archery deer and archery bear seasons.
At its January meeting, the Board gave final approval to a regulatory change to permit the use of crossbows in archery deer and bear seasons. Prior to that vote, however, the Board accepted an amendment to prohibit the use of magnifying scopes during the archery deer and bear seasons.
“The agency has received significant public comment about that vote, the Board decided it would be appropriate to revisit this aspect of the recently approved use of crossbows in the state’s archery seasons,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “This notational vote will require final adoption at a future meeting of the Board, and we are hoping to have that vote take place at the Board’s scheduled public meeting in April.”
The Board will meeting on April 20 and 21, in the auditorium of the agency's Harrisburg headquarters at 2001 Elmerton Ave., just off the Progress Avenue exit of Interstate 81 in Harrisburg. A copy of the agenda for the upcoming meeting will be posted on the agency's website prior to the meeting.
On Monday, April 20, the Board will gather public comments and hear Game Commission staff reports beginning at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Registration for those interested in offering public testimony - limited to five minutes - also will begin at that time.
On Tuesday, April 21, beginning at 8:30 a.m., the Game Commission will take up its prepared agenda. Among other items on the agenda will be final approval for hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits for 2009-10, as well as antlerless deer license allocations. Doors open at 7:45 a.m. Harvest results from the 2008-09 deer seasons will be announced in mid-March.
PA Game Commission use of magnifying scopes
Things that make you go, WHAT!!!!!!??????
If a weapon is allowed to be used then why would a state not want the hunter to have a clear view of their taget for a clean ethical kill.
Makes no sense to me to make it harder.
If a weapon is allowed to be used then why would a state not want the hunter to have a clear view of their taget for a clean ethical kill.
Makes no sense to me to make it harder.
Scott
http://www.myspace.com/saxman1
Take a kid hunting
They don't remember their best day of watching TV
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http://www.myspace.com/saxman1
Take a kid hunting
They don't remember their best day of watching TV
Excalibur Equinox
TruGlo Red/Green Dot
NGSS Absorber by NewGuy
Custom strings by BOO
Groundpounder Top Mount
ACF Member - 2011
I agree
But now it's time to vote so I can forward this to the PA GAME COMMISSION.
Weather your for powered lenses or not... all I want is a fare vote to send them.
I agree with you 100%.
Plus there alot of people that don't see so good older and younger! Why take a chance wounding a deer or thousands of deer each year if this would help, I say let us use powered lenses.
Weather your for powered lenses or not... all I want is a fare vote to send them.
I agree with you 100%.
Plus there alot of people that don't see so good older and younger! Why take a chance wounding a deer or thousands of deer each year if this would help, I say let us use powered lenses.
Equinox
altough i don't think they will take this canucks opinionScopes
Scopes with magnification will probably be allowed. I just was on the Bowsite PA Forum and have stated my case for crossbows, and how effective they are. Most guys on that forum call them crossguns and many are still angry that PA has allowed full inclusion of crossbows in our archery season. I just smile and say pass the A1 Steaksauce please. It's funny, the backstraps from the doe I shot this past season did'nt taste any different, and I was just as pleased and satisfied when the doe ran off 30yds away and toppled over.
The more hunting is restricted the fewer hunters there will be joining our ranks until, some day, the anti hunters will have their way-- ban all hunting.
Scopes do one thing: enable more precise aiming. That results in fewer wounded deer. Note that most new guns no longer have iron sights. And the deer has never been more numerous. Deer managers should focus on managing the herd, not the equipment by which it's hunted.
Minnesota has a pretty decent deer population. Yet, until this yr there have been restrictions on the size of cartridges one can use, which excluded the .223 caliber. It has been noticed that for every 3 deer hunters that retire from hunting only 1 starts hunting deer. It's also been noted that unless kinds start to hunt by 10 yrs old they are unlikely to do so. No doubt with their own future employment in mind, DNR changed that to allow (all) 22 centerfire cartridges. Will lower recoiling guns cause more youth to start and continue hunting? Only time will tell. But it's a step in the right direction. So is allowing magnifying scopes.
Scopes do one thing: enable more precise aiming. That results in fewer wounded deer. Note that most new guns no longer have iron sights. And the deer has never been more numerous. Deer managers should focus on managing the herd, not the equipment by which it's hunted.
Minnesota has a pretty decent deer population. Yet, until this yr there have been restrictions on the size of cartridges one can use, which excluded the .223 caliber. It has been noticed that for every 3 deer hunters that retire from hunting only 1 starts hunting deer. It's also been noted that unless kinds start to hunt by 10 yrs old they are unlikely to do so. No doubt with their own future employment in mind, DNR changed that to allow (all) 22 centerfire cartridges. Will lower recoiling guns cause more youth to start and continue hunting? Only time will tell. But it's a step in the right direction. So is allowing magnifying scopes.
If the technology is there use it.
They must work for the PA Game Commission. But I know there will be some die hard bow hunters who don't like crossbows, but look what happend with recurves when compounds came out. How Many people still use recurves maybe 2% is my guess. If the technology is there use it.
Stacky
Stacky
Equinox
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theoldarcher
- Posts: 520
- Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 8:31 pm
- Location: Summerville, Georgia
Maybe it’s that I am just dense and don’t get the argument that bow hunters have against crossbows! They say that crossbows are an unfair advantage because they are more like guns than bows? I have shot a recurve bow almost my whole life but, even when I did shoot compounds I always shot instinctive and have never used sights. If they really want to level the playing field and make it a fair for everyone then lets do away with all sights on bows and let everyone hunt instinctive.
Most bow hunters who have hunted for years rely on some improvised mechanical device to aim and shoot with and couldn’t hit the broadside of a south bound mule without them. It’s no different with a crossbow than it is with a vertical bow. You have a sighting system that gets your arrow down range as accurately as possible and with the same reason in mind which is a clean ethical kill.
Most likely the real reason they don’t want crossbow hunters in the woods the same time they are is because of selfish reasons and do not want more hunters in “their woods” while they are hunting. Deer hunters are extremely territorial and perceive more hunters being allowed to hunt with other than vertical bows in the woods as a threat on their staked out property. I mean really can’t we all just get along and concentrate on hunting.
Most bow hunters who have hunted for years rely on some improvised mechanical device to aim and shoot with and couldn’t hit the broadside of a south bound mule without them. It’s no different with a crossbow than it is with a vertical bow. You have a sighting system that gets your arrow down range as accurately as possible and with the same reason in mind which is a clean ethical kill.
Most likely the real reason they don’t want crossbow hunters in the woods the same time they are is because of selfish reasons and do not want more hunters in “their woods” while they are hunting. Deer hunters are extremely territorial and perceive more hunters being allowed to hunt with other than vertical bows in the woods as a threat on their staked out property. I mean really can’t we all just get along and concentrate on hunting.
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Grizzly Adam
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- Location: Decatur County, Indiana
No doubt.bstout wrote:What cracks me up is none of them have the nads to admit it.
I'd just once like to hear one of 'em say something like this:
"The truth of it is that statistically there aren't too many hunters in the woods during bow season and I feel like that gives me a better chance ... so I don't want more hunters coming in during MY SEASON."
They aren't men enough (or women enough) to say so, it seems ... at least, I've never heard one say it. Instead, it's the usual "We don't want rednecks in the woods, wounded deer, decimated herd numbers, slob hunters who don't want to practice."
Bull!
Grizz
theoldarcher Summed it all up
theoldarcher summed it all up. I could not off said it better myself.
Equinox