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TenPoint Staff
Posts: 2112
 
Location: Suffield, OH | If you are interested in IL having a crossbow season, then you should give these Senators and Representatives a call or fax this morning. HB 4819 goes in front of committee at 1:30 TODAY[/U]! The IL Bowhunters are flooding the phone lines with calls against this bill, so if you want a season, you need to call.
Name Address City State Zip Code Office # Office Fax #
Sen. John O. Jones, 103D State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-0471 #217-782-4079
Sen. John Sullivan, 417 State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-2479 #217-558-0168
Sen. Bradley Burzynski, M103D State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-1977 #217-782-9586
Sen. Michael Frerichs 118 State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-2507 #217-782-2331
Sen. David Luechtefeld 103B State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8137 #217-782-4079
Rep. Keith Farnham 249-E Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8020 #217-558-4553
Rep. Michael Fortner 200-4N Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-1653 #217-7821336
Rep. Jack Franks 239-E Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-1717 #217-557-2118
Rep. Jehan Gordon 200-8S Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-3186 #217-558-4552
Rep. Julie Hamos Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8052 #217-557-7204
Rep. Kay Hatcher 240-W Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-1486 #217-558-1068
Rep. Tom Holbrook 267-S Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-0104 #217-782-1333
Rep. Eddie Jackson, Sr. 200-7S Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-5951 #217-782-8794
Rep. Kevin Joyce Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8200 #217-782-0945
Rep. Renee Kosel 219-N Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-0424 #217-782-9903
Rep. David Leitch 314 State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8108 #217-557-3047
Rep. Joseph Lyons 229-E Stratton Bldg Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-8400 #217-557-1934
Speaker Michael Madigan 300 State House Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-5350 #217-524-1794
Rep. Sidney Mathias 200-1N Stratton Bldg. Springfield IL 62706 #217-782-1664 #217-782-1275 |
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TenPoint Staff
Posts: 2112
Location: Suffield, OH | Sorry this got a little scrambled, but in a nutshell, if you want a crossbow season in IL, you need to call this morning. |
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Posts: 108
Location: Washington IL. | Crossbow Legislation Dead for 2012
Tue, May 01, 2012
In an interesting twist of fate, HB4819 failed to make it out of the Senate Ag & Conservation Committee at its hearing today. I’ll do my best to explain how things went down. Sorry if this gets kind of long.
I attended the hearing this afternoon and opposed the bill. I volunteered to give verbal comments, and focused on a few key points which I’ll get to in a minute.
A DNR legislative liaison and Senator Forby were there supporting the bill and spoke first. Their reasons for support were that women and children who couldn’t pull 40 pounds would have a chance to hunt in the archery season. And DNR stated that the “only” reason they supported the bill was because they don’t have the manpower to process the estimated 5000 permits applications for a temporary disabled permit (also passed by recent legislation). Interestingly, almost all of the committee members asked some difficult, pointed questions to the pair.
United Bowhunters of Illinois president Brad Jansen joined me in speaking next. Since we had so many people in attendance who opposed the bill, they asked us to limit our speakers to two or three people. In the end, Lynn Wilcox, Illinois Bowhunters Society president, was also able to speak from the audience as well and offered some insight.
First off we talked about the way the bill was handled in the House. Proponents who pushed it through knew of the opposition, but quickly pushed it through anyway. Second was the DNR’s own data that shows that 60-70% of IL deer hunters opposing crossbow use. After one Senator asked the DNR representative if the data I quoted was true (and he confirmed that it was true), I could see some Senators wondering why they were being asked to support something that their constituents opposed. We also talked about the history of crossbow legislation, and how hunters have always been asked to compromise while crossbows slowly worked their way in more and more.
And most importantly was the fact that we don’t buy into the DNR argument that this would have no biological impact. Again, DNR data suggests that as many as 130,000 gun hunters don’t bowhunt. This could open the door to tens of thousands more people entering a 3.5 month season with a weapon that’s more efficient than current archery tackle. To just assume that there would be NO biological impact is very short-sighted. We didn’t feel it was worth the risk to move forward so fast at the possible detriment to the resource at a time when hunters are already displeased with current management practices.
We also talked about harvest trends, and the DNR agreed that they had already reached their harvest goals and that it now takes thousands more permits to reach harvest goals (or fall just short). While the DNR offered examples of other states who have allowed crossbows into their archery seasons, we countered with data from states like Iowa who are listening to their constituents and are actually looking at ways to decrease their deer harvest due to hunter concern.
After 45-50 minutes of Brad and I talking and answering questions, Senator Forby was sure he had enough votes to carry the bill out of committee and wanted to move forward. But even a few of his fellow democrat Senators didn’t like the bill as-is, that put crossbows in the entire archery season.
Here’s how things happened with the vote. Since the bill originated in the House, they had a deadline of this Friday to pass the bill out of committee. A couple of democrat Senators on the committee suggested that Senator Forby work WITH the bowhunters on a compromise because they didn’t like the inclusion of crossbows in the full archery season. With the deadline fast approaching, the committee would have to make a risky move that would allow the bill to pass out of committee as-is, with the understanding that Senator Forby would NOT move forward with the bill until an amendment was made. At that time, if an agreement was reached, the bill would then have to go back to the House to approve the Senate amendment. I asked the committee to let the bill die and we’d come back to the table NEXT year with something that was more agreeable to everyone. That would allow us enough time to actually accomplish something and not rush it through yet again.
A vote was called to pass the bill out of committee, pending Senator Forby working with us on an amendment. The vote went along party lines with the democrats voting to pass the bill and the republicans voting no. Since one democrat committee member was absent, the bill couldn’t garner the needed 6 votes to move it out of committee, therefore, the bill died for this year.
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Posts: 548
 
Location: Southwestern Indiana | Thanks for your input and insight…
Now…..
Please give a cite to the “60-70% of IL deer hunters opposing crossbow use.”
Be very, very careful in managing game by majority rules. Since there are more gun hunters than bow hunters the gun hunters might just want a bigger turn at the rut that is enjoyed by the bowhunters.
Biological impact - The DNR is correct. Please show me one state that has had a negative biological impact from the introduction of crossbows into the archery season time frame.
Just one.. please.
I have been at the crossbow legalization game for 9 years now and I have yet to see any negative effect on the game or hunting in any state that crossbows have been legalized or their season extended. If you have one I’d sure like to see it.
If you don’t buy into the “no biological impact”, please give us your reasoning.
More hunters - Are you opposed to more hunters in the deer woods? If all of a sudden “tens of thousands” of Illinois residents/gun hunters went out and bought a vertical bow and wanted to hunt the archery season would you object? Or is only because someone might want to shoot and hunt with a horizontal bow instead of what you and the organized bowhunting groups consider to be “a real bow?
Harvest trends - Several years ago there was an appointed “Illinois Deer Study Group” in your state. The conclusion reached is that there were way too many deer. Are you and the DNR now saying that it was so highly successful that no further reduction is needed?
I hunt three different counties in Illinois and I can readily assure you that there is no shortage of deer in any of the properties I hunt. I can see more deer in a single sitting that I can in a week in Indiana.
Illinois is one state that I drive the speed limit and it is not just because of your overzealous LEOs. Driving back and forth to hunt I have deer encounters along the highway quite frequently.
Agreement - Who exactly is doing this agreement about crossbow hunting? Is there anyone from the crossbow community being included in any agreement meetings? Or will this be the ram it through like Kentucky did where the bowhunters and some anti-crossbow media personality were listened to and absolutely no crossbowers in attendance? How will a compromise be made if there is only one side being in the “compromising meeting?” Will it be the bowhunters tossing us crossbowers a small bone and then go about their business?
Basically you all are just like any other groups that oppose crossbows. You are doing it on emotions and political pull. As I stated earlier there has been absolutely zero negative impact on the resource or hunting in general in any state that has legalized crossbows. License sales are up and so is recruitment of the young, the women and retaining the elderly.
Sorry, but I have to call selfishness when I see it. You all seem to be no different. You want it all for yourselves.
I’m a moderator here, but I am posting this as a member.
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Posts: 463
| Woody, DO NOT make excuses for posting the utter truth, and exposing the obvious hypocricy
Thank You Sir!
GILBERT |
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TenPoint Staff
Posts: 2112
Location: Suffield, OH | The Bill actually has another hearing this afternoon at 2pm and still has a chance of getting out of committee and passing on the floor to take effect this fall. |
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Posts: 548
Location: Southwestern Indiana | Keeps us informed please... |
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Posts: 108
Location: Washington IL. | Easy Woody..........Those are not my opinions or beliefs, it is something I came accross and copied and pasted for all to see |
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Posts: 548
Location: Southwestern Indiana | chance - 5/8/2012 10:55 PM
Easy Woody..........Those are not my opinions or beliefs, it is something I came accross and copied and pasted for all to see[/QUOTE]
Suggestion then...when you do that, state that up front. As I read it this appeared to me that you were the one that attended the meeting and was here sharing that with us.
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Posts: 108
Location: Washington IL. | Woody - 5/9/2012 8:17 AM
chance - 5/8/2012 10:55 PM
Easy Woody..........Those are not my opinions or beliefs, it is something I came accross and copied and pasted for all to see[/QUOTE]
Suggestion then...when you do that, state that up front. As I read it this appeared to me that you were the one that attended the meeting and was here sharing that with us.
[/QUOTE]
Apoligies!........... guess prhaps that would have been better! Never even thought about any one being anti cross bow would belong to this forum. |
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TenPoint Staff
Posts: 2112
Location: Suffield, OH | This Bill is supposed to hit the Senate floor this week or next. There is supposed to be a compromise, but I have not seen it in writing yet. |
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Posts: 548
Location: Southwestern Indiana | Not sure about here, but on some sites we get daily drive by posts from the anti-crossbow fraction..
Randy,
Do keep us informed.
Sounds like the Illinois bowhunters want to keep the crown jewell...the rut... all to themselves.
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Posts: 463
| Woody - 5/10/2012 3:38 PM
Not sure about here, but on some sites we get daily drive by posts from the anti-crossbow fraction..
Randy,
Do keep us informed.
Sounds like the Illinois bowhunters want to keep the crown jewell...the rut... all to themselves.
[/QUOTE]
YEP! it happened here.
GILBERT |
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IL HB4819
