What gives with this regulation?
Contributors to this thread:West Virginia
From: David Mitchell
04-Dec-16
In today's Sunday sports page there is an article about muzzleloader season this week beginning tomorrow. There is this reference to equipment regulations: "Crossbows may be substituted for muzzle-loading firearms during the season, but conventional compound bows, recurve bows, or longbows may not be." What gives with that? Anyone know?
From: WV Mountaineer
04-Dec-16
If I remember correctly and, I may not, the vertical bows were never allowed in muzzleloader season in counties that has a muzzleloader season.
By allowing crossbows, the law is establishing the crossbow is not a bow. Hence, crossbow having it's own season.
I'm just guessing. God Bless
From: David Mitchell
04-Dec-16
Justin, that is just what I thought--this shows that the crossbow is not a bow and hence it's own season that happens to be concurrent with bow season. I just wonder why you can use a x-bow but not a conventional bow during muzzleloader week.
From: babysaph
04-Dec-16
So is a crossbow a bow or a gun? I remember that debater before they were legal.
From: babysaph
04-Dec-16
Just what I said before. But they are still using a gun then during out bow season.
From: babysaph
04-Dec-16
our bow season
From: David Mitchell
05-Dec-16
So if a crossbow were really a bow, you could not use it during muzzleloader season.
From: Jim Casto Jr
05-Dec-16
"So if a crossbow were really a bow, you could not use it during muzzleloader season."
That's right. IIRC, this not allowing a bow to be substituted for a muzzleloader was a compromise (of something or other) to allow "them" a separate season. Of course, like a lot of other things, since you can concurrently bowhunt during the muzzleloader season it ended up being political mumbo jumbo.
From: Babysaph
05-Dec-16
You can't bowhunt during the mz season if you already killed your limit with the bow. But you can pick up a crossbow and hunt during the mz season. Even if you killed your limit with your bow. Why couldn't a hunter use a bow in the mz season.
From: David Mitchell
06-Dec-16
And what if you already killed your limit with a crossbow in that season? That reasoning doesn't make sense but we are dealing with a gov't agency. :o)
From: Jim Casto Jr
06-Dec-16
" Why couldn't a hunter use a bow in the mz season."
Because of the compromise to give them their own season. :^)
From: babysaph
06-Dec-16
Agreed Jimmy
From: babysaph
06-Dec-16
Lets face it. all the seasons overlap now. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky. We do have a few weeks with no one else hunting.