By Glen Wunderlich Outdoor Columnist Member Professional Outdoor Media Association
In June I covered possible changes being considered by the Natural Resources Commission regarding Michigan’s burgeoning use of crossbows. I’ll cover some of the highlights here (lowlights, if you are a cantankerous member of the vertical bow-only fraternity). The complete list of approved changes can be viewed at an August 17th post on my blog, thinkingafield.blogspot.com.
The minimum age for crossbow use has been lowered from 12 to 10 years of age statewide. Those that choose to grumble over kids afield and crossbows in general, will have more reasons to hate life; as for me, this change has the most potential for the good of the herd, if ushered in properly.
Since adults must accompany youngsters afield, it’s up to them to see that young hunters are ready for the challenge of ethical hunting. If their children are not ready for whatever reason, they should be held back until they are. It’s the adults’ call. This was already the case to be sure, but now more responsible youngsters will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their ability afield.
Granted, 10-year olds were already permitted to hunt deer with vertical bows, but let’s face it, few have the strength to pull back and hold a bow with the power to be ethical. With cocking devices, or an adult to cock a crossbow, these physical limitations are overcome. No longer must strength be the deciding factor for a young adult to have a legitimate chance to fill the family freezer with protein-laden, low-fat table fare.
Before, if a youngster wanted to hunt deer with archery equipment, which was his/her only option at the younger ages, wimpy vertical bows were the only choice – not always the best from an ethical standpoint. Expensive equipment would be outgrown quickly, thus limiting youth hunting to a select few. Since crossbows fit everyone, parents can share in their use when the “owners” might be in school.
One final point regarding youths and crossbows is in order. It would behoove us adults to instill a better sense of deer management in our youth contingent. While I can understand the misdirected bragging rights of killing a buck, a vast majority of youngsters take yearlings, which are 1 1/2-year old deer. (Of course, many adults have this same perverted condition.) These deer are typically uneducated in the ways of the woods and are often easy prey – much more so than a mature doe – and, this mentality is the precise reason that Michigan’s doe to buck ratio is so out of whack! By encouraging young adults to take does and only more mature bucks, we will help our children toward the development of a stronger and healthier herd in the years to come. It’s a worthwhile sacrifice for us all.
Another significant change eliminates a provision that limited the maximum bolt velocity for crossbows. The 350-feet-per-second speed limit has been lifted. Although that’s fast in the archery world, there are crossbows that are faster, but until now, could not be marketed for use in Michigan. The speed limit never made sense to me; heck, no such provision applies to vertical bows, muzzleloaders, shotguns, or centerfire rifles, so why did our lawmakers pick on crossbow users? I guess they’ve come to their senses.
With the practice of high ethical standards, these new crossbow regulations have the potential to not only help our economy in several ways, but they can provide us with better tools to manage the imbalance in our deer herd. While some may argue to the contrary, it’s up to us to show them wrong.
