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Crossbows

Is James Bond headed for Virginia's hunting woods?

Anyone familiar with the fictional super spy knows he's got a soft spot for crossbows, often using the weapons to pick off distant adversaries.

Now the Virginia General Assembly is considering legislation that would pave the way for hunters to use crossbows during Virginia's archery seasons.

Based on the happenings in other states that have recently considered legalizing crossbows, lively debate is sure to ensue.

"I believe some of our good friends in the traditional archery community aren't going to embrace this," said Bob Duncan, director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' wildlife division.

Alabama, which recently legalized crossbows for archery hunting, received several thousand public comments during the process.

The proposed Virginia legislation, House Bill 2200, would give the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries the authority to allow crossbows during archery seasons, shaping the seasons and regulations as the department sees fit.

Currently, only disabled hunters may seek special permission to use crossbows during Virginia's archery seasons.

Some crossbow critics argue that the weapons violate the spirit of archery seasons originally created for hunters who chose "primitive" hunting methods. Others simply don't like the idea of sharing the woods with more hunters.

Still others worry that new crossbow hunters won't fully understand the limitations of their gear and will take poor shots and wound too many animals.

"If people think they're going to go out there and shoot a deer at 100 yards, well, they're wrong," said Darnell Harvey of Floyd, a longbow hunter who does not oppose crossbows.

Crossbow supporters argue that the public perception of the weapons, a perception largely shaped by Hollywood, is all wrong.

The effective range of a crossbow is similar to a compound bow, the weapon of choice of most bowhunters.

"A crossbow is not a substitute for a shotgun, a muzzleloader or a firearm of any type," said Johnny Grace of Parker Compound Bows, a Mint Springs company that sells four crossbow models, in addition to a wide selection of compound bows. "It's just a bow held sideways.

"There's nothing magic about it."

Paul Peditto, director of the Wildlife Service division of the Maryland Department of Natural Resource, said crossbows wouldn't be used for illegal shooting, as some critics argue.

"Someone who is inclined to use a crossbow illegally is not going to wait for the government to legalize them," said Peditto, who heard the argument a lot when Maryland was setting up its new crossbow seasons recently.

Because crossbows don't require a hunter to draw and hold the string, they can be a good choice for hunters with physical limitations, including women and aging hunters. And while they require practice, they are generally easier to shoot reasonably well than compound bows.

"You can learn to shoot a crossbow in a couple of hours," Duncan said. "It's not as demanding and I think it will appeal to a lot of people."

Data from states that have recently approved crossbow seasons would seem to support that theory.

In Georgia, more than 17,000 of the state's nearly 100,000 bowhunters used crossbows in the 2002-03 season, the first during which the weapons were legal. The total number of bowhunters jumped to nearly 112,000 the next season. That increase included 5,000 more crossbow hunters - and 7,000 new regular bow hunters.

That trend helped win over one avid bowhunter.

"Thirty years ago I would have never supported crossbows," said Jim Crumley of Buchanan. "But nowadays we need to do everything we can to keep people involved in hunting."

Crumley's wife, Sherry, is also a crossbow supporter. She invited Grace and Parker founder Bob Errett to demonstrate their products this past summer at a meeting of the game department's board of directors, on which she serves.

Crumley said she became intrigued with crossbows during a special event for women hunters.

"Within two hours I was shooting very well and having a lot of fun," said Crumley, who said she had never been able to shoot compound bows well.

Duncan said the game department doesn't have an official stance on crossbows, but he said he personally doesn't see a reason to oppose them, should the legislation pass.

"It's more of a recreational opportunity," Duncan said.

Duncan said he didn't think legalizing crossbows would have a big impact on the state's annual deer kill, which has averaged over 200,000 in recent years.

"Most people won't hunt any more days or kill any more deer," he said. "From a resource perspective, it's immaterial."

Should the General Assembly and Gov. Mark Warner approve the legislation, proponents and opponents of crossbows will have plenty of time to weigh in on the subject.

New crossbow regulations could be part of proposed hunting law changes the game department will announce this spring. The department will hold a series of public meetings before the department's board votes on the proposals in October.

The new rules will be in place starting with the fall 2006 hunting seasons.