If you recall, last year the Conservation Congress went out of its way to push crossbows by manufacturing controversy to fill seats at the spring hearings. Well they have done it again. Its little wonder why people have stopped attending the spring hearings but here is another example of how their system devalues the citizens writing resolutions in such a way as to ask, Why bother dealing with the Conservation Congress?
Last year, a person submitted a resolution in Racine County seeking a lesser weapons change that would allow the use of a crossbow for gun deer season, for bear hunting and for turkey hunting but specifically stated in his resolution that the archery deer season was to remain unchanged. When citizens write a resolution, they do so with very specific wording. Here are the words the resolution writer used in his preamble:
Thus any hunter could use a rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, crossbow or bow under the authority of a gun deer license and a class A bear license, A shotgun crossbow or bow could be used under the authority of a turkey license, And
ONLY a bow could be used under the authority of an archery license unless the person meets the State of Wisconsin requirements of 65 years of age or has a class A,B, or C disabled permit for a crossbow.
He then wrote again in the resolution that:
only a bow could be used under the authority of an archery license unless the person meets the State of Wisconsin requirements of 65 years of age or has a class A,B, or C disabled permit for a crossbow.The writer was very clear with his intentions. His resolution passed in his county so the public supported not changing the archery deer season. Because his resolution was supported it went to the Conservation Congress Legislative study committee. That committee met in August of 2011 and took up his resolution. Here are the meeting minutes from that committee meeting:
Resolution 520711 Lesser Weapon Option for Deer, Bear, Turkey .The resolution was read by ChairmanFahrney and opened up for discussion.
Discussion: Since each license has specific firearms bow or cross bow requirements, this resolution would add the crossbow as an allowed weapon under the deer gun license, class A bear license & turkey license.
Cross Bow is allowed if 65 years old or with the proper disabled hunter permit.Motion by Allen Haase to advance the resolution; 2nd by Larry Meyer. Motion passed on a voice vote.
The committee honored the wishes and intent of the authors resolution and advanced it to the Conservation Congress Executive council which met on Jan 6 2012. The Executive Council knew the author intended to keep the bow season unchanged in regards to crossbows, They knew the Legislative Council honored the wishes of the writer but ignored his specific intent. Here are the meeting minutes for the resolution:
#28: 520711 Lesser weapon option for deer, bear and turkey. Motion made by Shook to advance; second by Wrolstad.
Miller: Opposes based on lessor weapon clause.
Friendly amendments were made to go to a 55-age limit and drop the term lessor weapon. Motion carried.Why do citizens bother to attend the spring hearings and carefully word resolutions if somebody within the congress can bastardize the resolution to change the intent of the author?
It was made clear last year with the manufacturing of crossbow questions that some on the Conservation Congress are hell bent to insert more crossbows into the archery deer season but to take the resolution of a citizen and change it to be something that person specifically worded against is out of line and further proof that citizens are wasting their time attending the spring hearings if this is the result.
What choice do bowhunters in WI have? You are once again faced with protecting the archery deer season from the Conservation Congress. On April 9th go to the conservation congress spring hearings and
VOTE NO on question 62 which now reads as follows:
62. Would you support a legislative change that would allow anyone the use of a rifle, shotgun, handgun, muzzleloader, bow or crossbow under the authority of the Gun Deer License and Class A Bear License; allow anyone the use of a shotgun, bow or crossbow under the authority of a Turkey License;
allow the use of a crossbow under the authority of an Archery License if the person is 55 years of age or older (currently 65) or has a class A, B, or C disabled permit??
If you are inclined to ever write a resolution your county, perhaps it should be required that you insert the following language into your resolution:
To the members of the Conservation Congress,
DO NOT use my resolution for your own personal agenda, either advance my resolution as worded or reject it but you DO NOT have my permission to rewrite it and change it to be something opposite of what was written.
Remember, April 9th, attend your spring hearing and vote no but also tell those in attendance that the conservation congress ought not be modifying citizen resolutions to change the intent of the resolution simply because somebody within the congress likes crossbows.
Here is the author's original resolution
