News Article for Alabama

[Woody Williams]

Crossbows, decoys causing quite a stir

Sunday, August 08, 2004

It was obvious the kid, I'm guessing about 12 years old, was pumped big time, almost like the face you see on Christmas morning.

He was headed out the front door of Quint's Sporting Goods in Saraland with his brand new crossbow. His older brother had one just like it and share his enthusiasm.

This has become a familiar scene at Quint's. There's a buzz in the air about the upcoming hunting seasons that hadn't been there the past few years.

In May, the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board voted to allow the use of crossbows for all hunters regardless of age or physical ability. The board also approved the use of turkey decoys.

"I've been here 16 years, and I've never seen anything like this," said Chuck Nelson, a Quint's employee. "It's the crossbows and the decoys. Everybody is fired up."

Quint's owner Del Williamson said his theory about the crossbow mania is that it opens the outdoors to a lot more people.

"Think about all the 10- to 12-year-old kids who couldn't pull back a 50-60 pound bow that will now get to go hunting with their dads," Williamson said. "And we've had a lot of interest from the women, too, who used to have to sit home with the kids while dad went hunting. Now everybody can go."

A public hearing was held in Montgomery Thursday to discuss the new regulations, and it followed what most people expected.

The Bow Hunters of Alabama (BHA) vehemently opposed crossbows, while the general public was heavily in favor of the new weapon.
Anybody who knows dedicated bowhunters realizes the kind of passion involved. And with that kind of passion, they'll do anything to defend it.

Problem is, when some members of BHA ran out of rational arguments (which happened quickly), they proceeded to attack the integrity of the individuals involved in the process, like Conservation Commissioner Barnett Lawley and Dan Moultrie, chairman of the advisory board.
Frankly, the attacks levied by those BHA members are complete hogwash, a term I'll use because this is a family newspaper. It's a real disappointment to see those members stoop so low.

Meanwhile, the turkey decoy issue was voted on twice, once when Moultrie cast the tie-breaking vote in May, which was called into question.

The board met again on July 28 and overwhelmingly approved the use of decoys, much to the consternation of longtime turkey hunters Tom Kelly of Spanish Fort and Charles Kelley, Alabama game and fish director for more than 40 years.

Kelly -- a noted timber man and author of numerous books, most about hunting turkeys -- holds onto the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory.
"In 1938, Alabama had a spring season," Kelly said. "The only other spring seasons in the country was a two-week season in Mississippi and 2 weeks in Arkansas. We didn't have enough turkeys to count.

"Whatever we have done between now and 1938 has been right, and righter, and righter, and righter. I urge the commissioner to not let the kid pitch. When you've got something going as good as this is, I can't see any reason in the world to change it."

Kelley followed, "It doesn't bother me at all that Alabama is the only state that doesn't have decoys. Doesn't bother me at all."

Fact is, though, that most of the people in the state who either sent a letter or an e-mail to Lawley were in favor of decoys and crossbows.
"It was about 75 percent in favor of decoys," Lawley said. "And it more than that on crossbows.

"I even had one father say his sons wanted a crossbow because they'd seen it in a Harry Potter movie. It has created more interest than we ever imagined, and we have got to reach our young people. It's that simple."

Former Auburn football coach Pat Dye, who has a quail-hunting preserve near Auburn, put the situation in perspective.

"I've got 750 acres and there's probably seven or eight old home places on my property," Dye said. "All those kids that grew up in those homes, they all knew how to hunt, because it was a way of life to them. They killed squirrels. They had a possum dog. People in the state of Alabama, that's the way they were raised.

"Now kids are being raised in the city. I know there's a lot being done through Corky's outfit (Corky Pugh, director of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division) to increase youth hunting and interest in hunting. I know I've got nine grandchildren, and I'm doing everything I can do to make sure they know how to hunt.

"I'll tell you, that's a helluva lot more important than what we're talking about today -- using crossbows and decoys. It's getting our youth and young folks involved."

Dye said if setting out a decoy out provides a better opportunity to generate interest in the sport for a young hunter, he's all for it.

"If Charles (Kelley) wants to go out there and not to have to hunt over a decoy, you don't have to hunt over a decoy," Dye said. "There's not a thing that says you have to use a decoy. But if you want to, have the ability to use one. And there's nobody I've got more respect for than Charles or Tom Kelly."

Dye also doesn't understand why the bowhunters are complaining.

"I listened to the bowhunters," he said. "It appears to me you've got a pretty good deal, and have had a pretty good deal all along with a season that starts in October. It gives you the first shot at that biggest buck. So you've got an advantage over gun hunters already.

"So it appears to me it's a little bit selfish on your part, that you don't want anybody to come out there with a crossbow."

Dye also admonished those who made the personal attacks against the conservation officials.

"I've been knowing Barnett Lawley for a long time, and I've been knowing Dan Moultrie for a long time," Dye said. "I'll guarantee you they're class folks, and they're not going to do anything that not in the best interest of the state of Alabama and our natural resources.

"Don't let this thing be political, about power. Do what's right for the state of Alabama."

Amen, Coach. Amen.

http://www.al.com/search/index.ssf?/bas ... ?csdrainer

[wabi]

The Bow Hunters of Alabama (BHA) vehemently opposed crossbows, while the general public was heavily in favor of the new weapon.

Sounds familiar....

Problem is, when some members of BHA ran out of rational arguments (which happened quickly), they proceeded......

Gotta love it......

Thanks Woody, great article!

[Red Label]

nice to see a reporter with his head wrapped around the facts and not the hype.


Mike

[striper]

Woody: Now that is more like what I saw and heard at the hearing in Montgomery. I think the reporter from Tuscaloosa must have gotten a BHA member to take notes for him. Striper

[Guest]

It seems as though Tom Kelly is against using decoys for turkey because the turkey numbers have increased since 1938. I guess he feels that it is because no one was allowed to hunt with decoys that the numbers have gone up. I'm sure it has nothing to do with sound game management, climate changes, increased agriculture(food sources).

Damn decoys are killin' everything! How come "everyones" decoy has killed a turkey except for mine? Is there some new fandangled robo-turkey-decoy that lures them in and then grabs a hold of there feet so they can't fly away?

[chris4570]

Sorry, above post was from moi.

[Fur & Feathers]

Great article. I like how he noted the BHA ran out of logical arguments quick. They are the minority on this issue & they can't stand it. Bravo.

[Woody Williams]

The biggie that will go a long way in getting this passed is - " Fact is, though, that most of the people in the state who either sent a letter or an e-mail to Lawley were in favor of decoys and crossbows. "It was about 75 percent in favor of decoys," Lawley said. "And it more than that on crossbows."

The BHA kept saying their was no grass roots or groundswell for crossbows. Maybe there wasn't any orgainized attempts, but when push came to shove the pro-crossbow people showed up.

Good for the people of Alabama

[Woody Williams]

Compromise may be on the table for contentious crossbow issue

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Huntsville Times

Just looking around ... Hunters expecting a resolution on the crossbow and turkey decoy issues following last Thursday's public hearing in Montgomery will have to wait.

Both proposals are in the hands of the Legislative Review Committee, which in the next month can modify or accept the recommendations to allow crossbows for deer hunting beginning Oct. 15 and turkey decoys in the spring season. If the committee doesn't address them, they automatically go to Conservation commissioner Barnett Lawley for his decision.

About 30-35 people showed up to voice their opinion, a testament to their passions and our right to free speech. Some speakers probably hurt their cause by rambling or spewing inane comments, but they had their moment.

I've been told a possible compromise is being considered that would give the bowhunters three weeks of archery-only hunting. Then crossbows would be allowed to come in with the week-long muzzleloader season, followed by modern gun season on Nov. 20.

That was the original recommendation of the Conservation Advisory Board's deer managment subcommittee. But it never made a presentation at the March board meeting following board member Jim Porter's dressing-down of Ted DeVos, who presented the subcommittee's proposal on buck limits.

The recommendation was ignored when the proposal was unexpectedly made at the May meeting in Gulf Shores.

Perhaps someone - legislators or Conservation officials - will do the right thing, give the bowhunters three weeks of woodsy solitude and put this issue to rest.

As for turkey decoys, they'll be legal as far as I can tell.

There is no biological reason not to give hunters the choice to stick a plastic bird in the ground to possibly attract a turkey.

No one is forcing anyone to use a decoy, or a crossbow, for that matter.

- One argument presented by anti-crossbow hunters is you can just walk into a store, buy a crossbow and go hunting without any training.

But you can do the same thing with a compound bow. Or a gun. It would be ignorant to do that, but it's possible. That argument doesn't hold water.

- One guy I was thoroughly impressed with Thursday was Marty Tucker of Moulton, who made a brief and well-prepared presentation. He spoke with a clear sincerity from the heart, showing an obvious respect and loyalty to hunting and his family.

- Waterfowl recommendations have been made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but state officials still are mulling whether to run the 60-day season "straight and late" or have a split and put a few days around the Thanksgiving holiday.

Personally, I'd rather see the 60-day run with no break. Unless we have cold weather up north early to push down birds, the holiday split is worthless and a loss of days.

Early seasons will be Sept. 8-26 for teal, with a daily bag of four, and Sept. 1-15 for Canada geese.

The bag limit on those is five a day.

Season dates should be finalized within another week or so.

Contact outdoors editor Alan Clemons at [email protected] or 532-4435.

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http://www.al.com/outdoors/huntsvilleti ... 178240.xml

[wabi]

Is there some new fandangled robo-turkey-decoy that lures them in and then grabs a hold of there feet so they can't fly away?

Now that wouldn't be completely sportin' - but I want one

[Delta]

I live in Alabama and will soon be one of the evil xbow owners. The oponents of crossbows are exactly as coach Dye said...selfish. I posted on a local forum about the reasons I would buy a crossbow and one of the BHA members accused me of being a crossbow rep....What? They are angry and can't stand it but I do think the vast majority of hunters approve of it. Anyway, just found this site and will be asking opinions on which xbow to purchase.

Thanks

[Woody Williams]

Welcome Delta.

There are several other Alabamians on here. More to follow I'm sure.

Ask away. These guys are good on here and they will make you an expert crossbower in no time.

But don't feel like the Lone Ranger being accused of being a crossbow rep. I was even called a crosbow pimp. Ain't that a hoot?

They dont seem to understand that other hunters can feel passionate about their own hunting tool, just like a bowhunter can feel passionate about their bow.

I guess they've been brainwashing each other so long that everyone who speaks up for crossbows is the devil's spawn.

Too bad any hunter fels that way about any other hunter...

[Marmot]

Woody:

Woody:

I started shooting a vertical bow again this year. Due to rotator cuff damage, I had not touched a vertical bow for almost twenty years. After undergoing shoulder repair surgery and rehabilitation, coupled with rowing a kayak all summer (don't laugh, it is a low stress way to rebuild shoulder strength), I can now draw a vertical bow.

With that said, I was able to gain a reasonable level of proficiency with a modern compound bow within an hour of picking it up. However, re-learning to shoot my old recurve, instinctively, is completely different story. I still consider myself lucky to hit my target (a "Carbon Tuff" Block from Bass Pro) with my old stickbow. The difference between shooting a modern compound bow and a crossbow is minimal. The difference between shooting a modern compound bow and a stickbow is enormous.