Hunters should be allowed to hunt with a crossbow the whole archery season as its projectile is an ARROW not a BULLET powered by gun powder. It would also as well as give opportunities for the disabled and those 65+ that cannot use a standard compound or re-curve bow and that cannot qualify for the Modified Crossbow Permit (in order to get it you must be permanently physically unable to hold or draw a legal bow or to fire a legal bow that has been modified to hold and release the string. If you can pull the trigger on a gun, you will not qualify) which is very ridiculously restricted to enjoy the full season of archery not just the last 14 days of the archery season (Southern Zone) 10 days (Northern Zone) and during the very short muzzle-loader season.

Twenty Six states already allow Crossbows to be used during the entire archery season for any hunter (including Pennsylvania and Ohio), and in Six other states crossbows can be used by any physically challenged hunters via permit during the entire archery season.

We believe it is time for New York to follow suite and allow all hunters the opportunity to use crossbows the whole season and also give all the disabled hunters and 65+ that can't operate a standard bow the opportunity to hunt the full archery season with a crossbow.

We believe this will allow more people to get out in the woods to hunt as well as help further control the deer population.

We are in full support of legislative bills A479 & S1386