Crossbow Regulations News & Updates

Wildlife Professionals Recognize the Simple Truth

Many state wildlife agencies face the same dilemma. With strained budgets from declining license sales and out-of-control deer populations, they need to find ways to harvest more deer, recruit new hunters, and retain the hunters they already have. As data has become available from crossbow-friendly states, wildlife professionals have become better educated. Most now understand the ballistic similarities between crossbows and vertical bows and have seen how crossbows help manage the resource, improve bowhunter retention, bring retired bowhunters back into the fold, and recruit new hunters. Armed with this new data more of them are moving to incorporate the crossbow into their archery seasons as one way to solve their problems and grow the sport.

Ohio - A Prominent Crossbow Success Story

While states like Georgia, Virginia, Maryland, and Tennessee have positive and credible data regarding the benefits of using crossbows, Ohio has the most expansive body of data. Twenty-six years ago during its 1982-1983 season, Ohio eliminated crossbow restrictions during its entire fourmonth long archery season. At that time, the state had an estimated 82,000 vertical bowhunters and 11,000 crossbow hunters. By 2006, the number of vertical bowhunters grew 183% to 150,000 while the number of crossbow hunters exploded to 175,000, with 8% of all archers - roughly 25,000 - hunting with both weapons.

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