CROSSBOWS in Archery season ?

Crossbows during Archery Season  
Crossbow season to run concurrently with archery season on private land beginning with the
2011-2012 season"
August 18, 2010

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed a new rule during the
September Commission meeting in Pensacola Beach that will extend zonal crossbow seasons
by a month, thereby running concurrently with archery season, beginning July 2011.

The FWC received requests from Florida hunters who want more crossbow-hunting
opportunities - not only more hunting days, but also to be allowed to take deer of either sex,
which is legal in many other states, including Georgia and Alabama.

Because of the request, the FWC checked with Florida's hunters through an online poll, and
more than 70 percent of those who responded supported increasing crossbow opportunities
on private lands.

The new rule adds 30 days to the crossbow season in zones A, B and C, and it adds 33 days in
Zone D, thereby making it coincide with the archery season. Starting with the 2011-2012
hunting season, any hunter with a hunting license, deer permit and crossbow permit will be
able to get in the woods a month early on private lands and use a crossbow (or a bow) to take
deer of either sex.

This rule is intended to give hunters more opportunities and enable youths and others who have
difficulty using a vertical bow to have more hunting days, thereby helping to recruit and retain
more people into the tradition of hunting.


The Florida Bowhunters Council does not consider crossbows to be archery equipment.
Crossbows are not hand held , hand drawn bows and do not meet the definition of archery
equipment by any of the National Archery Associations.
At least by listing the cross bow season as running concurrently with archery season the FWC is not
lumping crossbows with archery gear under their definition of archery tackle. This is a small victory
at best and we need to stay vigilant on this topic.
Bowhunting Issues