I killed a moose in ID with 48lbs in the early 90s. It's more about shot selection than poundage.
Also, remember if you increase poundage you start taking youth hunters out of the equation.
40lbs is enough to kill NA big game if right shot selection is taken.
There's a ton of research done on poundage and arrow weight that should be considered when establishing mins.
I know you are trying to make it "simpler" but to your point I would actually research to see what the real minimum should be for deer/antelope/bear vs. Elk/Moose. Not so much for adults but for kids.
Understanding how much a 5lb drop (for example) could do in adding kids to the pool may be worth it.
Just a few things to think about.
I'm from MA so here's our info:
Bows used for hunting purposes shall have a minimum pull of 40 lbs. at 28 in. draw, provided that compound bows and recurved bows shall have a minimum pull of 40 lbs. at peak draw.
No arrow weight restrictions.
12 is min. age limit.
WA requires 40 lbs draw weight, arrow greater than 20 inches, min arrow weight 300 grains with broadhead attached, and must have 6 grains per pound of draw weight.
Broadheads must be 7/8 inches in diamter, cannot be barbed or retractable blades. No minimum weight.
I would do it by species (deer size vs. moose size). If you raise the draw weights for everyone because of moose hunting you are going to shoot yourselves in the foot.
The lower draw weights are more for women and kids.
You should see if you could get stats from other states who have 45lb restrictions and look at the number of kids and women vs. general population.
Then compare those numbers against states with lower draw weights and see if the lower draw weight states have more women and kids hunting.
All bows must have a minimum draw weight of 35 pounds at the archer’s draw length, except compounds, which must have a minimum peak draw weight of 35 pounds and crossbows which must have a minimum draw weight of 75 pounds. Crossbows must have a minimum stock length of 25 inches. See crossbow safety tips on this page. Crossbows are not legal for bowfishing. Crossbows are now permitted for hunting migratory birds. See below for restrictions when taking game birds in flight. All arrows used for hunting deer, turkey, coyote, fox or woodchuck must be fitted with an edged head of well-sharpened metal and a minimum width of ¾ inches. Arrows fitted with heads other than specified for deer, turkey, coyote, fox or woodchuck may be carried in the woods and fields during the small game season or other seasons which overlap with the bow and arrow deer season except that for taking game birds in flight, arrows equipped with an edged head are prohibited. Also, flu flu arrows are required for taking game birds in flight because the arrow is designed to fly only a short distance. For the purpose of discharging a crossbow, hunters may carry judo points, target points or blunts. Canada geese and turkeys which are not in flight may be taken with standard fletched arrows and an edged head as described above. Sunday bowhunting for deer is now legal only on private land and state wildlife management areas. It is unlawful to: • use or possess a poison arrow or one with an explosive tip • use an edged head for taking game birds in flight • use a bow one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise during any hunting season • use a bow and arrow from any vehicle, moving or stationary • have both a firearm and bow in possession or under control while hunting • transport in a vehicle a crossbow in the cocked position
In all my years of hunting in NM, I've never seen any reason to make the law more complicated than that. Folks tend to want to hunt with equipment that is capable of killing what they are hunting, and nearly all youths are accompanied by an adult with that same mentality, so the unwritten "law" polices itself from what I can tell.
When it comes to archery, anybody who doesn't know whether or not their equipment is adequate for the game they are hunting will not be magically "fixed" by a minimum poundage law, so what is the point in adding yet another useless law which is still pretty hard to enforce??
Archery?
?Broadhead blades must be fixed, unbarbed and at least 7/8” wide (except for western gray squirrel). It is illegal to hunt with or possess mechanical or moveable blade broadheads when hunting game mammals except western gray squirrel.
??No device secured to or supported by a bow may be used to maintain the bow at full draw.
??No electronic devices may be attached to bow or arrow.
??No device that supports or guides the arrow from a point rearward of the bow string when the bow is at rest (undrawn) may be secured to or supported by a bow’s riser. Overdraws meeting this restriction are legal during archery seasons.
If a gun season has a minimum caliber, centerfire, etc, I can see no reason why archery should be any different.
When we were working with the then DOW on establishing our restrictions, we were considering 40# minimum until right near the end. 35# was settled on, I think mostly to help accommodate young hunters. Back then we weren't really concerned with moose. But really, moose are not any more substantial than elk, and no kid is going to draw a moose tag anyway.
I don't know any instances where draw weight has been an issue. Not because 35# is necessarily adequate, but because most bowhunters take every consideration into account, and choose their equipment appropriately for the game being hunted. I don't think any responsible adult would encourage a kid to shoot an elk with a 35# bow. You sure don't want his first experiences to end badly. Better to start him on smaller critters until he can handle more bow.
Dropping everything to 40# would make it simpler and I doubt would have any negative effects as it won't change what most folks use and 40# really is enough if used correctly.
Might as well go ahead and cross out crossbows as long as your suggesting changes :^)
No draw weight restrictions in Iowa- Would'nt want to discriminate don't ya know!
If used while hunting deer, bows must have a draw weight of 30 pounds or greater, and metal broadheads must be at least 7/8” wide and kept sharp. • Crossbows must have a minimum draw of 100 pounds, a working safety, and use at least 14-inch long bolts or arrows equipped with broadheads.
(http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/docs/rules/bgInfo.pdf)
Archery Equipment
In any hunt, including general any-weapon seasons and shortrange hunts, it is unlawful to pursue or kill big game animals:
• With arrows or bolts having broadheads measuring less than 7/8 inch in width and having a primary cutting edge less than 0.015 inch thick.
• With any bow having a peak draw weight of less than 40 pounds up to or at a draw of 28 inches.
• With an arrow or bolt wherein the broadhead does not precede shaft and nock.
• With any chemicals or explosives attached to the arrow or bolt.
• With arrows or bolts having expanding broadheads.
• With arrows or bolts having barbed broadheads, which is a broadhead with any portion of which forms an angle less than 90 degrees with the shaft or ferrule.
• With any electronic or tritium-powered device attached to an arrow, bolt or bow. Except disabled archery permit holders may use a nonmagnifying sight with battery powered or tritium lighted reticles.
• With any bow capable of shooting more than one arrow ata time.
• With any compound bow set at more than 85 percent letoff.
• With an arrow or bolt, and broadhead with a combined total weight of less than 300 grains.
• With an arrow less than 24 inches from broadhead to nock inclusive.
• With a bolt (crossbow) less than 12 inches from broadhead to nock inclusive.