Light up nocks/ Bow mounted rangefinders

[SDF_CEO]

What's your opinions on certain states making them illegal? I think it's rediculous. Anything to help a hunter know that he/she made an ethical shot and help to decide if you need to let the animal lay over night or you can go in and recover. Not to mention help you locate your arrow. I can't wrap my head around why states don't allow them. They don't pack any more of a punch or add any speed. People who don't hunt and make rules for hunters is a problem. Kinda like the president making laws for people who work. Feel free to comment on the same states not allowing bow mounted rAnge finders. I have a vendetta and love it but I get mixed answers. Some say it's totally fine in Texas and some say it's up to the game warden. They need to state that it's either legal or not.

[Saddle Tramp]

When I got into bow hunting Texas would not let you use a mechanical broad head or release device, things change.
MS. has some weird food plot and baiting laws, its up to people to let their state know what they think and work to change things they don't like. I was there working 2 yrs and never figured out what or why.

[bowhuntntxn]

Here is the funny thing. Usually texas game laws are make by a lot of people who hunt. And they are generally pretty logical, and intended to be easily understood by the lowest common denominator.

Let's talk bow mounted range finder specifically since you asked. In Texas, as in a lot of other states, it is illegal to project light, or an aiming point at game animals. Now the vendetta has an on board laser light that is used for the initial set up, but has no way of being permanently disabled. SO, the lowest common denominator(hunters who might or might not have less than stellar hunting ethics) could use the laser light to aim with to kill the game animal, which would be illegal.

So when it first came out, texas was a NO on allowing it to be used, and the manufacturer still lists texas as a NO state for GAME ANIMALS. Some game wardens have decided how they would persue this issue, and have decided there are more important violations to address. And that is within the scope of thier duties.

It is a lot more difficult to prove a person used the laser to aim with than it is to prove an animal was shot out of season, or violates an antler restriction. So they go for the sure thing. Can't say I blame them one bit.

Honestly if you feel so strongly about this issue, you could contact someone in the game Commission and voice your opinion and get a better ruling of legal versus non legal. That would be more beneficial to everyone.

[Bill]

Some state game regulations prohibit battery-operate electronic devices attached to the bow. Since the arrow attaches to the bow, and the lighted nock is attached to the arrow, it's in violation of the game law as written. In Cali, they had to make a mod to the game laws to clearly allow illuminated pins, during legal hunting hours. Our game laws do not allow any baiting of game animals, and are even more restrictive on baiting for bears- an empty Coleman cooler tossed in a field to attract a black bear is legally baiting. Them's the rules, and it's their game board so to speak.

I have done contract negotiations for 20 years, and work with my and customer legal departments and my usual comment is most people get themselves in trouble with the law by applying logic, common sense or fairness to the American legal system. That's not the way it works.