The old hunter quietly sat in his makeshift ground blind; his trusty old recurve laid gingerly across his lap.  As he watched over the trail crossing the creek bed as it led from the big woods to the adjacent farmers’ field he hoped tonight would be his lucky night because the first of three long firearms seasons started tomorrow.  He could be off the ground if earlier this fall he had not procrastinated and fixed the wooden platform in the tree behind him.  Instead, he had planned to buy a metal ladder stand before the two-week bow season had begun.  Unfortunately the firearm hunters had snatched up the few stands the stores in his area carried.  The longer his vigil went, the more his thoughts wandered.

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It’s been less than one year since the Game Commission legalized crossbows here in Pennsylvania. Since that time the Pennsylvania Crossbow Federation has been rallying and leading an unstoppable movement throughout the commonwealth. For the first time crossbow hunters in Pennsylvania have a united voice to represent them at the state capitol. Since its inception the Pennsylvania Crossbow Federation has sent delegates to every Board of Commissioners meeting to testify on behalf of the grass roots crossbow hunters in the state.

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    I’ve killed a fair amount of pheasants and quail in my day, having grown up in Kansas. The memories of those hunts are forever burned into my mind. The birds are really the small part of what I remember. I lost a good hunting buddy recently, and he is a big part of all those memories. He is also a factor in what I now do for a living and who I am.

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Oh Man, what a good article and very thought provoking to say the least!  My compliments to Mr. Boeh for his interesting take on the subject.  I have never been real far to the left in the pew, tending to lean more to the right.  Now, I'm kind of in the middle and its getting a little crowded, but there's plenty of room. Stay well, Doug Gray – CO

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 Once again, the State legislature chose to shelve the crossbow bills for another year.  This time, however, it was primarily because of the upheaval in the State senate. The resulting rule and procedure changes that have evolved from that struggle for control, should actually improve the chances of our crossbow bills, by making the process more transparent and extending greater influence to the individual senators.

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Daniel - My name is Aaron Ott and I stumbled across your name and email address while searching for information on the Scorpyd crossbow.  I am wondering if you have any further information regarding the Scorpyd crossbow.  I am very interested in this crossbow, but it is so new that I cannot find much information about it.

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In the still morning, just as the first shafts of sunlight began to filter through the heavy canopy of the thick forest, I sensed a sneeze coming on.  I tried to fight it, and then muffle it, but still the release of the building pressure shattered the silence around my treestand.  The explosive sound that was created was a cross between a sharp snort and a burst of the raspberries.

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Dear HBM – It is Don Lindh, touching base with you again.  I read this article supporting crossbows in the NRA’s American Hunter Magazine.  I was glad the NRA printed it and was pleased with their supportive response.  The guy that sent in the letter is so far off base I thought you might like to see the NRA’s response.

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 Hi Daniel - It occurs to me that the ACF has reached a crossroads, which in fact was the motivation for my recent editorial.  The message I was trying to convey may have gotten lost in my attempt to be diplomatic.  Which way are we going to go, I wonder.  Is the focus on money or mission?  Crossbow manufacturers are motivated by profit, as any commercial entity should be.

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Back when we were still communicating with wet blankets over a wood fire at the tops of hills, I had a journalism professor that said, writers block is akin to a surgeon having cutting block. If you are trained to write, you simply write. Hell, that makes this column, when I have no idea of what I’m about to write about, a piece of cake, or maybe I’ll just do surgery on myself.

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 Greetings Daniel – It’s been a while since my last e-mail, but I just returned from my first ever black bear hunt in Canada and what a blast it was!  I started working on this trip after meeting Jeff and Annette Smith of Kutawagan Outfitters at the Richmond, Virginia hunting show last August.

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 The “dark ages” of crossbow hunting, starting in the latter half of the nineteenth century, lasted around a hundred years.  The final straw that ended their limited use for small game hunting in Europe was the advent of cheap rimfire rifles. 

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About 10 years ago, Paul injured his left arm during S.W.A.T. training classes. Paul could pull his vertical bow back, but doing so resulted in a weeks of pain. He continued to hunt with a vertical bow in NJ, but because of his inability to practice, his shots were limited to 20-yards or less and his confidence lagged. He applied for a New Jersey Handicap permit, but was denied, so turned to PA for a crossbow permit under their more liberal requirements for a handicap. He still wanted to hunt in New Jersey with a crossbow, however.

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