A new era in big game archery hunting will begin Oct. 1 in the Southern Zone of New York State. Crossbows now will be included as legal archery equipment. In a historic move by the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S6360A/Assembly Bill A8330A into law on Aug. 26. It is in effect for this year.
While it is good news that’s been a long time coming, hunters using crossbows this fall will be required to have a bowhunting privilege in addition to their regular hunting license. Completion of a bowhunter education training course is required to purchase a bowhunting privilege. Both online and in-person courses will be accepted. Previously, a muzzle-loading privilege was needed for crossbow use. That has changed.
The new legislation redefines “long bow” to include crossbows, allowing crossbows for big game hunting where longbows are permitted. It also removes restrictions on crossbow designs such as draw weight (now 100 pounds minimum and no maximum), no minimum limb width and no restrictions on overall length. It’s certainly an exciting time.
Jeff Pippard of Niagara Outdoors in North Tonawanda is a respected archery shop. He passes along some tips if you are purchasing a crossbow:
“Think metal,” Pippard said. “Plastic slips into production for high-volume runs for cost and weight savings. Plastic is great when used on the correct parts like stocks, forearm assemblies and quiver parts. However, the important parts should be machined out of metal – the flight rail, the trigger box, scope base and bridge along the cams and risers. It’s important to have a quality rig you can depend on.”
One of the big questions that Pippard asks people shopping for a crossbow is do you need one with all the mechanical bells and whistles?
“The more you add things to your crossbow, the more chance of having mechanical issues arise,” he said. “Keep that in mind.
“You can purchase a crossbow from many sources, but consider your local pro shop before you head to a big box store or order it online,” Pippard added. “For starters, you can touch and feel the crossbow to ensure it has balance. It gets rid of the surprise factor when opening a box from an online purchase. In addition, most pro shops can offer special services to help you get to your end goal a bit faster and more successfully.”
Pippard says to make sure you read the manual. Put on your safety glasses and respect it like any piece of equipment. Sighting-in should start at 20 yards and pay special attention to maintenance and operating procedure. Become intimately familiar with operating this unique equipment because many times you may be operating in the dark or low light conditions while on a hunt.
My first experience with crossbows was 35 years ago in southeast Ohio. My father, Bill Sr., and I were invited to attend a media opportunity hunting whitetail deer in the Buckeye State. Our hunting implement was a crossbow. Are they really hunting tools that could be used safely and efficiently? We had never shot one before but even before we pulled a “trigger,” we had a negative perception. It took one shot to change our minds, and we couldn’t wait to climb into a tree stand (or a ground blind in my dad’s case) to hunt for big game.
Ottie Snyder, former editor of Great Lakes Fisherman magazine and charter captain on Lake Erie, was the public relations director for Horton Crossbows and he lit the fire in us when it came to these horizontal bows. We knew Snyder as a straight shooter (quite literally) and he brought credibility to the crossbow cause. The quest to create a better awareness for crossbows in New York had begun.
For more than a decade, we gave talks to sportsmen’s clubs, gave demonstrations on how crossbows operated, cocked and re-cocked crossbows time and again to let people shoot them, and let people ask the same questions repeatedly. We also allowed sporting leaders to make the trek to Ohio to sample the crossbow for a big game hunt.
There were members of the New York State Conservation Council, members of the Conservation Fund Advisory Board and members of Fish and Wildlife Management Act Board, decision-makers who needed to see firsthand how this archery equipment worked. And, yes, we considered it archery equipment.
Key media people were included in the promotional efforts, both at the camp and at outdoor writer gatherings. At one meeting of the NYS Outdoor Writers Association in Steuben County, Snyder put on a demonstration that I will always remember. He set up a target at 60 yards and proceeded to shoot an arrow from his Horton crossbow. We watched in amazement as we saw the arrow drop 72 inches at that distance. He managed to hit the target, but he was aiming at a balloon that was floating well above that target. The short power stroke did not allow for long-range shooting.
We could see that one of the biggest hurdles was going to be dealing with the state Legislature, especially in the Assembly. Key politicians were in place to keep crossbow legislation in committee.
Enter the New York Crossbow Coalition and the late Rick McDermott. The group was formed in 2012 and, by 2014, they were instrumental in developing crossbow wording in the executive budget. However, when the Assembly failed to support it, a compromise was reached to allow for the state’s first crossbow season. The foot was in the door.
McDermott was the force behind NYCC and he led the charge for more than a decade. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident with his wife in 2023.
McDermott deserves much of the credit that will allow the crossbow cause to make it across the goal line. It was because of his unselfish attitude and dedication that we now have full inclusion of crossbows during archery season. It’s a shame that he couldn’t see his dream come true.
By the same token, if it wasn’t for Bill Hilts Sr. and his push for crossbows in the Empire State (the first time it finally surfaced as an issue was in 2002), we might not be where we are today. It’s a shame that he passed on to the happy hunting grounds in 2022, just six days short of his 91st birthday.
Get out there and see what crossbows are all about. You just might be surprised.
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Bill Hilts Jr.
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