Crossbow Legal in Nebraska
…across the nation there is a pretty good push right now to ease restrictions on hunting deer with a crossbow…proof is in the increased magazine articles, TV shows and commercials showcasing this method…
…take for example the article “Hunting the Horizontal Way” I read this past weekend in the July 2010 issue of Petersens’ Hunting, written by Dave Dolbee…a quote from Dolbee:
“With more and more states opening their forests to crossbows, and more hunters taking horizontal bows to the field, now is the time to set aside any misgivings and try out one for yourself.”
…according to my calculations, only 2 states do not allow the use of crossbows at all (for hunting); 14 states allow crossbows to be used (only) during specified firearm seasons; 22 states that allow crossbows to be used during the archery season (many have very specific restrictions/situations governing their use such as age, specials hunts, late archery seasons, etc.); and 27 states have special regs for individuals with qualifying physical conditions to use crossbows during archery seasons – NE is one such state…FYI: there may be some slight error in these numbers as regs can change quickly and each state handles their hunting opportunities differently…
…the crossbow is a legal method of hunting in Nebraska for everyone during the firearm seasons, as long as the crossbow has a draw weight of 125 lbs or more…so in this state the ability to use a crossbow for hunting already exists; however, it’s the when part that might be getting more and more of the discussion in the very near future – another Dolbee quote:
- “They (crossbows) take their game with a broadhead-tipped arrow, and thus I believe they should rightly be regulated under archery regulations. It simply makes no sense for a weapon with an effective range of , say, 60 yards to be classified as a firearm simply because it has the ability to hold its potential – at full draw - mechanically.”
…so what do you think about opening the archery season to the use of crossbows to those who decide to use them?…if you are a bow hunter are you willing to share the season with a horizontal-bowhunter?…if you are a gun-hunter would you be interested in giving the crossbow a try if you could hunt the archery season?…I am not sure how I feel about this just yet – though I do feel pretty fortunate to be a deer hunter during a time when the deer population (in most areas of NE) is large enough to allow for hunting opportunities from Sept 15 to Jan 15 each year!…what about your thoughts?…
hershy
I use a bow, probably wouldn’t use a crossbow, but it’s not like there aren’t an excess of deer to take in this state. Legalize them!
I’m not an archery hunter, but if I could use a cross bow during archery season, I’d do it! It would expand my time in the field, and maybe eliminate a doe or 2 more from the population.
Time to stop the discrimination. Legalize all archery equipment during archery season!!
The draw is one of the tougher parts of archery hunting. It takes practice and is difficult to do without spooking a deer. The number of hunters during archery would increase dramatically and public hunting areas would be much more crowded, because anyone can pick up a crossbow and use it with very little practice. A crossbow will also be more effective, because you don’t have to draw, so there’s less chance to spook a deer. This will quickly result in a reduction of deer populations and archery seasons. So archers; if you don’t mind losing hunt time and space to the crossbow, then support this.
A cross bow the weight is not hand held so you can put it on some thing like a Bi-Pods, Tri-Pods, Adapters and scopes to hold them steady to aim unlike a bow. Making it easier for people who are bad archers to take game are don’t want to work at being a good bowhunter. If you have a cross bow season like archery and black power your going to see more things come out to make aiming easier, shot farther come out on to the market. It’s what sells. Some one making money is all it’s about not the deer and how it’s hunted. Next we have a spear and sling shot season too. There are two many seasons now for the three or four months of hunting we have and only one month of good deer hunting. “the rut”
I understand we need to harvest more deer to reduce populations in Nebraska. Instead of allowing crossbows during archery season in Nebraska, the NGPC should have been smart and just extended the Antlerless Only seasons! We hunters are constantly reminded that doe harvest is crucial to deer population control! It’s also been proven that harvesting does in the early season provides more food for other deer throughout the rest of the season. More food and less deer later in the season means healthier deer and more nutrients means bucks grow bigger racks, which never hurts for locals or when trying to bring in out of state hunters who pay a premium for their tags! I also feel that Nebraska needs to enforce a regulation that only allows harvesting bucks that have at least one antler with at least 4 tines or more on one side. This regulation is common is a lot of states to help promote better bucks for hunters to hunt which helps increase the number of hunters who will hunt several seasons knowing they may have the chance at a nice buck! The use of crossbows is already legal during all Nebraska rifle seasons and to handicapped people with proper permits so crossbow hunters would benefit from extended Antlerless Only seasons! I don’t have a single problem with crossbow hunting, I’m actually looking at getting one very soon. I do however have a major problem with more hunters being in the woods during archery season. Not because I don’t want more hunters in the world, I want as many hunters as we can get, but because Nebraska has very limited Public hunting ground and that is all myself and many others have to hunt! Anyone who has ever rifle hunted the November rifle season on Public ground(or tried to) knows exactly what I mean. I feel VERY strongly that those hunters who are willing to take on the challenges that vertical bow hunting throws at us should be the ONLY ones allowed during archery season! It’s way harder to learn to shoot a vertical bow, pick the extact perfect time to draw on a deer, and get close enough to make the shot in the first place. Yes crossbow hunting is way easier and will slightly increase deer harvested each year, but extending Anterless Only season will take care of deer population MUCH quicker AND allow crossbow hunters more time in the woods, and there are WAY more rifle hunters in Nebraska than crossbow hunters anyway, DUH! Where I come from that’s called a WIN-WIN situation! Hey NGPC, give us back OUR archery season and in the future start thoroughly thinking things over BEFORE making changes!!!
I Like to bow hunt but i would use a crossbow if i could in some places i hunt in because of space and time in trees we bow hunt in
I live to bow hunt , what’s the point in letting someone use a crossbow durning archery season ? Leave it right where it is durning gun season . You have a bow deadly from 0 to 60 yards , Crossbow is same thing but anyone can do it , Archery takes alot of practice not just few minutes . You want to get herd number down inforce the law that says doe first then buck , alot dont like it but I shot about 8 to 10 doe every year and a nice buck if I see one would rather shot a doe unstead . Lets make shooting a buck with spead of 12 inches or 4 x 4 a law then more does would get shot .
I hunt with a crossbow because I can’t use my compound bow anymore. If I didn’t have the crossbow I wouldn’t get out durning the archery season I don’t think the crossbow is any more effective, The noise is terrible and a deer is much more likely to jump the string, so shots should be kept under 35 yds.
Some of these guys sound like the ones that look down on spin fishermen because they don’t use fly rods.