Why It Matters: As states look to appeal to new hunters, offering methods of take that are beginner-friendly can positively impact hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts. With the growing popularity of crossbows, hunters have the opportunity to pursue our time-honored traditions in an exciting manner while expanding access to novice and seasoned hunters alike who may not be physically able to use traditional archery equipment.
Highlights:
- Crossbows, much like other types of archery equipment, can be an effective tool for managing game populations, especially in urban and suburban areas where the use of firearms may be prohibited.
- Some states, such as Kentucky, offer crossbow seasons that provide additional opportunities for hunters to get afield while others (29 states) allow unrestricted crossbow use during archery seasons. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) continues to advocate for the full inclusion of crossbows in archery seasons across the country.
- While crossbows are an effective means of take that provide an additional opportunity for folks to get afield, they are also a valuable tool for certain age demographics or individuals with disabilities to participate in our time-honored traditions.
While many hunters are now reminiscing of stories from the quickly fading fall hunting seasons, individuals that live in a state that provides crossbow hunting opportunities may still be planning their late fall or early winter hunting trips thanks to expanded seasons catered to crossbow and traditional archery hunters. In many instances, crossbow seasons provide additional hunting opportunities outside of the more popular and limited firearms seasons.
Crossbows are unique in the fact that, with their growing popularity, they can be relatively inexpensive and easy to find on store shelves. Additionally, as suburban and urban communities around the country face growing populations of deer, crossbows offer an effective means of controlling game populations, especially when paired with urban archery seasons.
In 2019, Kentucky expanded its crossbow season by nearly fifty days while still maintaining a two-week vertical bow season. Five years later, Kentucky has seen archery harvest rates remain stable despite many hunters arguing that expanding crossbow use would significantly reduce traditional archery participation. During the 2018-2019 Kentucky deer season (one season before the crossbow expansion), 13% of total deer harvested were with traditional archery equipment. Fast forward to the 2023-2024 Kentucky deer season (following the 2019 crossbow expansion), 11% of total deer harvested were with traditional archery equipment. Furthermore, Kentucky saw a 6% increase in deer harvested with a crossbow while still maintaining a steady archery harvest rate when comparing the 2018-2019 season with the 2023-2024 season.
CSF will continue to advocate for the expansion of crossbow hunting seasons to better provide sportsmen and women with additional opportunities to pursue our time-honored traditions.
