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New York Senate Bill 7747 would allow youth hunters ages 12-16 and senior hunters ages 55+ to hunt with a crossbow during special archery seasons.
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Why Support New York Senate Bill 7747?
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Support S7747
Please consider joining the NDA in supporting this important legislation. New York S7747 expands opportunities for youth and senior hunters, and it also amends language to keep up with the changes in modern crossbow design and technology. Use the form below to ask your lawmakers to support the bill.
New York Senate Bill 7747 (S7747) would allow youth hunters ages 12-16 and senior hunters ages 55+ to hunt with a crossbow during special archery seasons. The bill also removes current minimum limb width and maximum draw weight restrictions. The National Deer Association (NDA) supports the inclusion of crossbows as a legal method of take for deer and other species within appropriate seasons, wherever practical and possible, and we especially support the use of crossbows if their use positively impacts a deer management program and helps recruit and retain more hunters.
The NDA is dedicated to ensuring the future of wild deer, wildlife habitat and hunting. We are more interested in managing deer and habitat appropriately and protecting our hunting heritage than debating use of specific weapons. However, if the use of crossbows positively impacts a deer management program and helps recruit and retain more hunters, the NDA fully supports their use. New York S7747 expands opportunities for youth and senior hunters, and it also amends language to keep up with the changes in modern crossbow design and technology, allowing hunters to choose from a broader selection of options.
Additionally, S7747 addresses a number of priorities that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has outlined in its Management Plan for White-Tailed Deer in New York State, 2021–2030. These priorities include reducing the minimum age for youth to hunt with a crossbow to a uniform age of 12 and that the restrictions on crossbow size (e.g., minimum limb width) and maximum draw weight be removed from law so that the agency can set more appropriate standards which are effective and humane for deer hunting and consistent with crossbow technology.