SHORT CASTS

Crossbow Coalition Urges Action

The NYS Crossbow Coalition notes that the NYS Legislature will be in session next week and urges its members and anyone who believes in equal opportunity for crossbows to take action in calling key people.

They want to make sure that these voices are heard. This past year there were over 5300 individually signed letters supporting crossbows as archery equipment and more than 200 current and former bow hunter education instructors who support classifying crossbows as archery equipment and allowing their use during the entire bow season.

Assembly Bill A7627 sponsored by Assemblyman Carrie Woerner and companion Senate Bill S5818 sponsored by Senator Jen Metzger would classify crossbows as archery equipment and allow their use during the entire bow season with the archery privilege instead of the muzzleloader privilege. It would allow youth 12 – 15 to hunt with a crossbow under adult supervision, authorize hunters 55 years or older to hunt during the “special archery season” and make the rules similar.

Contacts are Senate Majority Leader Andrea Steward Cousins (518455-2585), Speaker of the Assembly Carl Heastie (518-455-3791), Assembly Bill sponsor Carrie Woerner (518-455-5404), Senate Bill sponsor Jen Metzger (518-455-2400), Senate Encon ctte. chair Todd Kaminsky (518-4553501), and Assembly Encon ctte Chair Steve Englebrecht (518-455-4804).

All the misconceptions and rumors about crossbow have been proven baseless. There is no reason that crossbows should not be considered legitimate hunting weapons and regulated under the same rules as longbows. It is pure selfishness that some influential longbow hunters oppose any competition in what they think is their “exclusive season.”

For more information contact the crossbow coalition at info@nycrossbowcoalition.com.

Opinion: We Need More Places For Kids To Fish:

In a recent column I vented about some of my concerns or peeves. One of the things that bothers me is a shortage of decent places for kids to fish. Places such as the Cleveland Dock are what we need – only a lot more of them.

For a state that has a lot of waters, decent fish populations, and spends a considerable amount of money on projects, there are a remarkable scarcity of decent places for kids to fish. I am talking about someplace safe, convenient, and where kids have reasonable chance of catching something. Even on public waters there is often cluttered shorelines or shallow water within casting distance of youngsters. Shallow water only contains frogs and kids will wonder why they are not catching anything.

On many waters the only public, open spaces are boat launches. Boat launches! What self respecting fish is going to hang out on a concrete ramp? Any youngsters fishing there represent a hazard or inconvenience by being in the way of boat traffic.

The inevitable tangles of broken fishing line or other debris are a problem for boaters.

A small space such as the handicap access fishing decks with access to deeper water would give kids a reasonable chance of catching something, including panfish, a safe and comfortable place, and room to cast. It would be a more pleasant experience and one that youngsters are more likely to want to repeat.

If we want to encourage future generations to take up fishing we need to give them a pleasant experience and modest success. They don’t have to be as large and expensive as the Cleveland Dock but that is a great start. But we need lots more.