It's making the sport easier for young hunters and women
TRAVERSE CITY -- Archery shops across Michigan put signs in their stores today because a new law went in to affect for deer hunters. It's making the sport easier for young hunters and women.
Crossbows may not seem too heavy, but after you crank it and get ready to shoot, the pull weight is about 175 lbs.
That isn't a problem for a woman using a crossbow, because the winding mechanism sets the bow for you.
The owner of Gauthier's Archery shop in Traverse City put some different signs in his store windows today because a new law went into affect.
The new law says anyone 10 years and older can hunt with a crossbow. The old law from last year only allowed those with permanent disabilities or 50 years or older to hunt using a crossbow.
"When they implemented the 50 and over crossbow rule, we had over 40,000 new crossbow hunters in the state of Michigan," said Gauthier. "With this new rule they hope to gain at least that or more."
Gauthier says this new law will open up crossbow deer hunting to a whole new, younger generation. It may also get some women to consider deer hunting.
"Physically, a lot of them cannot pull enough weight to shoot a dear with a bow," said Gauthier. "It requires 30 to 50 pounds to shoot with a crossbow... You can cock a 175-pound crossbow with two fingers."
There's another benefit, too. Crossbow hunters will have two seasons to hunt: Oct. 1st - Nov. 14th and Dec. 1st - Jan. 1st. That's more hunting time, and hunters, to keep archery shop's like Gauthier's busy.
The DNRE was worried about the crossbows wiping out deer herds, but the amount of deer killed didn't change substantially allowing the law to go into affect.
