Rebel Hog

State Representative Cy Thao has introduced a bill that will remove the restrictions against the crossbow and make it eligable to be used by anyone during the archery season. I emailed him and he asked me to share the email with the entire committee. I did and here is what ensued.

----- Original Message -----
From: DJH
To: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; MN Rep. Tony Cornish ; [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 10:21 AM
Subject: MN House Bill HF 1241
Dear Game, Fish and Forestry Division Committee Members,

What wonderful news about the proposal to allow crossbows during the archery season. Minnesota needs this ,legislation not only to assist in the recruitment of new bowhunters, but also to aid in the retention of older hunters. I am a member of the Minnesota Association of Crossbow Hunters (MACH) and we have over 225 members who support this legislation. There are far more hunters in Minnesota that support the addition of the crossbow than oppose it. If there is anything that I can do to assist in this legislative action please feel free to contact me at your convenience. Our membership will be happy to send representatives to testify and support your efforts in this action. Again thank you for doing what is right for our state bowhunters.

Daniel James Hendricks
POB 251, 20 NE 9th Ave
Glenwood, MN 56334
320-634-3660
Email: [email protected]
Web Site: www.horizontalbowhunter.com

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands
ONE NATION, UNDER GOD
indivisible with liberty
and justice FOR ALL.
* * * * *


----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Cornish
To: [email protected] ; Aaron Peterson ; Dean Simpson ; Denny McNamara ; Frank Moe ; Jean Wagenius ; Joe Hoppe ; Karla Bigham ; Kate Knuth ; Rick Hansen ; Terry Morrow ; Tom Hackbarth
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 11:19 AM
Subject: State Rep Tony Cornish

Dear Members,

You have received bogus information from the member of the Crossbow Hunters Assoc. There are not more members in support of this legislation than oppose it. As a Conservation Officer for 22 years I can tell you there is a reason that crossbows aren't allowed in Minnesota except by disabled people with permits. They are an efficient poaching weapon. The mainstream archery clubs have long opposed this. Crossbow manufacturers once came to Camp Ripley Minnesota and tried to
sell Conservation Officers on this idea of crossbows being allowed in regular season. It did not work. This is naturally a great deal for someone who wants to take an easy deer or someone who doesn't want to have to pull a bow back when the deer approches and a great deal for manufacturers.

Recruiting more archery hunters is not necessarily a good thing. This is a "cross gun" not archery. It has a tendancy to fill the woods with Sunday hunters that don't want to go thru the rigor of getting a deer the old way.

Please oppose this legislation.

Tony


DJH Response

Dear Mr. Cornish - It would seem that it is you that is misinformed. I wrote that there are more MN hunters, not members, that are in favor of the crossbow. With less than 500 members in the State Bowhunting Organization and 80,000 bowhunters in the state, all that can be said for this organization is that it represents less than 1% of the Minnesota bowhunters. Two years ago there was a questionnaire put forth to the members at the annual banquet and a large number of those asked supported the use of the crossbow in the general season. My statement is based on personal contact with the hunting public, petitions signed by those hunters that desire to use a crossbow and by the contacts that are made with the Minnesota Association of Crossbow Hunters.

As a hunter of 46 years and a bowhunter of 34 years I am aware that in the states (Ohio, Arkansas, Wyoming) where crossbows have been a legal option for the deer hunter for decades, based on actual poaching violations the crossbow has less violations that any other weapon used in this vile crime. The claim that the crossbow is a poachers weapon is an invalid argument that has been used by the uninformed to discredit the crossbow and cloud the good that it has done for game management agencies and hunting in general where it has been legal for decades. As a conservation officer of twenty-two years, I would think that you would be more aware of the facts and less likely to spread incorrect information when there are documented statistics to prove the falsehood of the "poacher's weapon" claim. Please see attached document prepared by C. J. Winand, Big Game Biologist for the State of Maryland and Biologist Columnist for Bowhunter Magazine.

Respectfully,
Daniel James Hendricks


----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Cornish
To: [email protected] ; Aaron Peterson ; Dean Simpson ; Denny McNamara ; Frank Moe ; Jean Wagenius ; Joe Hoppe ; Karla Bigham ; Kate Knuth ; Rick Hansen ; Terry Morrow ; Tom Hackbarth
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 2:03 PM
Subject: State Rep Tony Cornish

Surveys from other states and magazines that carry heavy paid ads by manufacturers aren't very convincing. I've taken deer and bear for many years with the bow and talked to many hunters. I disagree. Thanks, Tony


From: DJH
To: Tony Cornish ; Aaron Peterson ; Dean Simpson ; Denny McNamara ; Frank Moe ; Jean Wagenius ; Joe Hoppe ; Karla Bigham ; Kate Knuth ; Rick Hansen ; Terry Morrow ; Tom Hackbarth
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 3:01 PM
Subject: RE: State Rep Tony Cornish

I am not writing about surveys or magazines with heavily paid ads, Tony, I am talking about documented statistics from the Wildlife Management Agencies of those states which disprove the statements that have been used to slander the crossbow for years. When considering a question that is so important, it is paramount that the decision makers look at facts and not emotional conjecture.
You stated in your first message that "Recruiting more archery hunters is not necessarily a good thing". That comes closer to the underlying truth in the anti-crossbow camp.
"If we legalize the crossbow, there will be more hunters in OUR woods, during OUR season, killing OUR deer.

In the past decade we have lost 1.7 million hunters nation wide and organizations like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States work to eliminate all forms of hunting. It is a very sad state of affairs when such a small, vocal segment of our own kind works so hard spreading misinformation to keep the woods for themselves. Most of our MACH membership is older and has been hunting for decades forgetting more about bowhunting than the younger hunters know. To besmirch them by calling them "Sunday Hunters" and there weapon of choice a "crossgun" is disappointing to see. They deserve better.

Daniel James Hendricks
_________________
It's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not!

Daniel James Hendricks
POB 251
Glenwood, MN 56334
320-634-3660
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.horizontalbowhunter.com

ranger56528

Thanks Reb for the post.....

Dnk

Reb used to work in the sitcom called Thrid Rock From the Sun. Does anyone know what rank of the character Reb played???? Hmmmmmmmmm? LOL!!!1
Well, lets have a guess guys!

shewe

well done guys.

awshucks

I have to relate the following to ya'll in light of the retired game wardens claims about xbows and poaching. I've been trading letters, phone calls, and then e-mails w/ DJH for sometime. Finally got to meet him on the hunt at Rio. You have to picture the following, but here were 4-5 hunters in old beat up 4 wh drive Chevy Suburbans travelling over some of the absolute roughest terrain you could possibly imagine. A few times he and I rode in the middle seat together, both clutching xbows trying not to limb gig each other and whoever was adjacent to one of us. He was using a Horton wheel bow on this hunt, much handier than my Excal, which I often would hold or help load/unload in or out of the vehicle. To even think about shooting a crossbow from inside a vehicle is laughable, and the irony of this subject coming up so close to that experience brings a smile to my face!! Good job, Daniel!!