Bowhunters unite to abolish 40 lb draw weight

[BustedAssRanch]

It would be interesting to see if your (Cotton) site gets any more traffic..but then again if they are out hunting with 25# bows with mechanicals heads I doubt they would know who to contact for dogs

[Buff]

The majority of Texas bowhunters spoke and the state DID NOT listen. It is just another case of folks wanting instant satifaction. The "I want it now" attitude we be the end of us all. It seems folks are willing to remove any goal or bench mark that requires someone to have to reach a point to be able to participated. I'm old and fat but I want to run the Boston marathon. They need to change it to a hundred yard so I can enter. With the new laws a 9 year old can hunt by his self with a 12 pound bow. When PETA wants to do static on whether a bow is a lethal weopon they can use a MINI Genies to do their testing with. every poll I saw ran about 80% against removing the minimum draw weight. So where they keep coming up with everybody wanted to do away with it is beyond me.....

I'm heart broke over it. I was all for lowering it to 30 BUT My 4 year old grandon shoots a 7# Longbow. He shoots it quite well out to 10 yards. I will video him shootind a doe this year with a 2' CUT mechanical broadhead. I will post the video so y'all can be proud you help kill Bowhunting in Texas

[Right_wing]

I wish I had not waited so long to weigh in on this one.

Question for LSBA... How did you decide on your position on this issue? Did you decide based on poll data of the people? or did the executive council vote? Or, is there something in our "code or ethics" that decided?


I have a 13 yr old that has been shooting a bow since he was 6. I never had any desire to let him hunt deer with his bow until he could pull 40 pounds. He still had plenty of fun shooting rabbits and things during his early years. It also gave him some time to develop mentally as well as physically. Ethical bowhunting takes composure and at young ages, composure has not always developed. I think it was good for him to wait because it gave him something to look forward to and something to try and achieve.

Now, for some older or smaller framed folks that will never be able to pull 40 pounds I feel a little different. I think 30 or 35 pounds shooting a straight arrow out of a tuned bow and at reasonable distances is probably effective under most circumstances.

So, I think I might propose for the next vote. No draw limit for persons of a certain age. And no, I don't know what age.

Sorry Tink. I love ya like a brother, but disagree on this one.

[kfd82]

They need to change it to a hundred yard so I can enter. With the new laws a 9 year old can hunt by his self with a 12 pound bow. When PETA wants to do static on whether a bow is a lethal weopon they can use a MINI Genies to do their testing with.

I'm heart broke over it. I was all for lowering it to 30 BUT My 4 year old grandon shoots a 7# Longbow. He shoots it quite well out to 10 yards.

What about all the other states that have no min weights? I'm sorry I dont have the names of them, but some are listed in this thread.
I have NEVER heard of a hunter no matter what the age hunting with a 10 # bow for deer in any state. (not saying it didnt happen just that I never heard of it. If it were an issue it would be very public knowledge)

I think we HAVE to think that some sense will be used by the hunters and parents. The kids who hunt have parents, or uncles, grandparents or older siblings who hunt to teach them. Why do any of you think that will change? The kids that hunt who dont have those familial influences are often members of programs that teach them rules and ethics. Like 4-h, ffa, local clubs, and the archery in schools program.

My other thought is, who is going to know about this rule change? The only people who know the rules are hunters. We are the ones who read the little book, not people who have no intrest in hunting.
I feel this rule was changed to allow kids, wives, and elderly or injured members of the hunting community to begin/continue to hunt.

I just dont see TPWD putting out commercials saying "hey we have no min draw weight to bow hunt, so all you kids out there get on over to walmart and buy a 30 dollar toy bow and get in the woods!!"

[Rabidbowhunter]

I think we HAVE to think that some sense will be used by the hunters and parents.

I dont think we should HAVE or should think that. Working in an archery shop has taught me there are a lot of good people who follow the rules but if their kids really want it they usually get it. So for me the fact is now when ever the kids wants to shoot something and there are no legal things holding them back they will let them use what ever it takes. And if this thing does turn out bad and people start just wounding deer that looks bad for everyone and in turn will burn us.
Just my thoughts on this I know there are some people who liked the change for various reasons but to me there are just to many ways this can go south.
I hope Im wrong.

Jake

[kfd82]

And if this thing does turn out bad and people start just wounding deer that looks bad for everyone and in turn will burn us.

This seems to be a pretty common thought on this thread. My question is :

Why are we not hearing horror stories from the other states that have no min weight?

Do yall think that Texans are not as smart, or not as good at teaching kids to hunt as other states?

I personally feel that 99% of the negative reaction on this is fear. Fear of change and the unknown. A small thought, like "I wonder if some 9 y/o kid will be running around the woods with a 10# bow", keeps rolling around in our heads. Eventually it manafestists into a full blown fear/belief that on Sept 1st there will be 1000's of 9 y/o's with 10 # bows all over the state.

Guys Texas IS NOT the first state to have this rule.

[AZ&F'sDaddy]

What you doom-and-gloomers are saying will happen in Texas has apparently not happened in other states where the weight requirement has been reduced or removed. If the removal of the weight requirement in the other states was a bad thing, then please just present the evidence. In fairness, you should also present the good that has resulted from the rule changes.

Just - present - the - evidence. That's all you have to do.

If you have no evidence, or, in fact, if the evidence is against what you are claiming (which, apparently, it is), then it seems to me that you guys just enjoy being cynical.

[Mudslinger]

I don't think that I am being cynical when I realize that ANY BOW that is on this planet is now legal to hunt with in the state of TX. Not to say that it will ever happen, but if it does and it gets into the hands of the wrong people, media and such, then it is going to be a blackeye on the bowhunters in TX. I am glad that it will possibly allow a lot more bowhunters to take part during hunting season on game animals, I hope the statictics show this, I am just leary of what might happen.

[Jaspro]

I could have sworn this thread was closed the other day.