Set Backs Help Bowhunters (BB1)

The setback in Albany about the requirements for firing an arrow near homes will be good news for bow hunters in New York State. DEC wildlife biologists who have lobbied for the loosened restrictions may be even happier as they grapple with managing growing deer numbers in urban areas. The recently approved New York state budget reduces the setback requirement for firing an arrow from 500 feet down to 150 feet, a move DEC officials say will open thousands of additional acres to hunting. The budget also calls for a 250 setback requirement for crossbows, which will be allowed for hunting in portions of the Northern and Southern zone deer seasons. This will open up a lot of woods that hunters can now hunt that the deer have now moved into.  DEC wildlife biologist Jeremy Hurst said last year that while bow hunters can play a critical role in helping manage the deer population in developed areas, “one of the primary hurdles has been the discharge setback requirement of 500 feet, which includes bow hunters.”  The 500 foot setback will remain intact for hunters using firearms. DEC officials have called the 500 foot restriction “a prudent and appropriate safety measure for firearms but not for longbows and crossbows.” The reduced setback is seen as a major step in addressing high deer numbers in some areas of Erie, Albany, Monroe, Westchester and Suffolk counties. DEC’s deer management plan said those counties “have expressed increased interest in the use of archery hunting as a tool for controlling deer numbers.” Officials dismissed safety concerns with the 150 foot setback, noting that arrows have a much shorter range than shots from a firearm. This new requirement will have a lot of new benefits for bow hunters. I think you will see a major increase in the numbers of the deer killed this next up and coming deer season.