In April, there will be a question on the spring hearing ballot that will be of interest to WI bowhunters and gun deer hunters. The question deals with allowing anyone holding a WI archery deer license to use a crossbow during the archery deer season. This not about crossbows but WHY the question is coming back (see the video link below) and to correct some bogus info printed in the papers. This question was asked in WI in 2005 and rejected by 70% of voters. It was rejected in 94% of WI counties. It was asked again by the DNR within the bowhunter mail-in survey they conduct every 4 years. Both times, the concept was rejected by the majority. If you read the recent Wisconsin outdoor news story you will remember a mention of the last DNR mail survey but they got the numbers wrong.
The paper listed the results of the DNR survey as 52% opposed and 48% in favor. This is of course an error. The results were 59% opposed and 41% in favor. The results are available on the DNR web site which makes me wonder why they would print false data that is easy to review. The crossbow question has been asked multiple time and the opinions are widely known but this thread is not so much about crossbows as it about WHY the question is being brought back again.
This thread is for information purposes meant to inform WI hunters on how we got here and why you should turn out on April 11. This story cant be told without explaining what happened and how and why but I DID NOT create this thread to bash anybody. To understand why the question is being asked again, view the you-tube video at this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHBDlrmkBEoAfter viewing the video, you will realize that it was done to manufacture controversy to boost attendance. When this situation was created, there was some concern by those in the room. This is reflected in the meeting minutes (see the last page)
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/minutes/2010/Big%20Game%20Meeting%20Minutes.pdfThis is meant to inform, WI deer hunters of WHY the question is coming back another time. After reviewing the video, you will understand why the question is coming back and it has nothing to do with crossbows. It was done to manufacture controversy for the sake of boosting attendance at the hearings. For those planning to attend the hearings, here is a list of locations by county.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/nrboard/congress/spring_hearings/2011/2011Locations.pdf
