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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Gary Haluska |
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Crossbows will be legal for upcoming archery deer and bear seasons
HARRISBURG, Sept. 22 – State Rep. Gary Haluska, D-Cambria, said a recent vote by the state Board of Game Commissioners will allow for the use of crossbows by all Pennsylvania hunters during the 2009-10 archery deer and archery bear seasons, as well as turkey seasons and the two-week firearms deer seasons.
The Game Commission had proposed placing restrictions on crossbow use this year, and a preliminary 4-3 vote in favor of those restrictions resulted in them being published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin in August. However, on Sept. 3, the board's final vote on the restrictions was 4-4, not sufficient to place them in effect.
"That means the previously approved regulations covering the use of crossbows in the 2009-10 hunting seasons will be in effect," Haluska said. "Those regulations are outlined correctly in the 2009-10 Digest, and are also available on the Game Commission Web site."
The Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site is at www.pgc.state.pa.us.
Haluska said expanded crossbow use will be in effect until at least June 30, 2012. To extend crossbow use for all hunters beyond that, the board would have to take another vote prior to that date.
Haluska said he believes all hunters in Pennsylvania should be permitted to use crossbows to hunt during archery seasons and other seasons when conventional bows are permitted. He has introduced legislation (H.B. 965) that would place that change permanently in state law, eliminating the need for the Game Commission to vote on it. The legislation has been approved by the House Game and Fisheries Committee and is awaiting action by the full House.
"I support allowing crossbow use for several reasons," Haluska said. "A significant number of hunters with disabilities were already permitted to use crossbows in Pennsylvania. Denying the use of this weapon to certain segments of our hunting population doesn't make sense.
"In addition, crossbow use is a great way to introduce young people and female hunters, who often have trouble using a conventional bow, to the challenge and strategy of bow hunting," he said. "It also allows senior citizen hunters to continue to participate in archery season longer."
Haluska's bill would include the crossbow under the definition of "bow" in the state Game Code, and permanently eliminate the requirement for a hunter to obtain a disability permit for crossbow use in Pennsylvania.
Archery deer season in Pennsylvania begins Oct. 3.