Fishbonker
Life Member
Copy and paste from a link on NDA.
Hunters are increasingly turning to crossbows as their equipment of choice for Wisconsin's bow deer hunting seasons, according to 2015 license sales information from the Department of Natural Resources.
Through the first weekend of the season, crossbow license sales accounted for 32% of bow licenses sold, up from 26% at the same time last year, according to data released Tuesday.
The data also reveal a troubling statistic for the agency: total bow license sales of 132,897 were 4% lower than at the same time in 2014. Deer hunting license sales are the biggest source of hunting program revenue for the DNR.
The report showed 42,245 total crossbow licenses sold through last Sunday, up 16% from the same time in 2014, and 90,652 total archery licenses sold, down 11%. The archery licenses are for users of vertical bows, including compounds, recurves and stick bows.
Starting with the 2014 Wisconsin hunting season, all legally licensed hunters could use a crossbow to hunt deer.
Before last fall, crossbows could only be used to hunt deer by people age 65 and over and those with disabilities.
A 2013 state law created a Wisconsin crossbow license and crossbow season. The crossbow season runs concurrent with the archery season.
The law also created "upgrades" that allow a hunter the option of using both types of bows. Through Sunday, 8,347 crossbow upgrades and 2,746 archery upgrades were purchased. Both figures include sales to residents and nonresidents.
The trend toward increasing crossbow use was expected by most hunters, wildlife managers and industry observers.
In Michigan, for example, crossbow use went from 19% of archers in 2009 (the first year the equipment was legal for all hunters) to 37% in 2011 to 49% in 2013.
The Wisconsin license sales figures will change through the coming weeks and likely increase in all categories.
While crossbows are popular with an increasing number of hunters, the data raise doubts whether expanded crossbow opportunities can result in a net positive to hunter recruitment and retention in Wisconsin.
Crossbow proponents had touted the equipment as a tool to help shore up declines in hunter participation.
Last year, 47,449 hunters purchased crossbow authority for the full season.
As a formatting note, copy and paste did not include paragraph breaks so I tried to add them where appropriate.
Hunters are increasingly turning to crossbows as their equipment of choice for Wisconsin's bow deer hunting seasons, according to 2015 license sales information from the Department of Natural Resources.
Through the first weekend of the season, crossbow license sales accounted for 32% of bow licenses sold, up from 26% at the same time last year, according to data released Tuesday.
The data also reveal a troubling statistic for the agency: total bow license sales of 132,897 were 4% lower than at the same time in 2014. Deer hunting license sales are the biggest source of hunting program revenue for the DNR.
The report showed 42,245 total crossbow licenses sold through last Sunday, up 16% from the same time in 2014, and 90,652 total archery licenses sold, down 11%. The archery licenses are for users of vertical bows, including compounds, recurves and stick bows.
Starting with the 2014 Wisconsin hunting season, all legally licensed hunters could use a crossbow to hunt deer.
Before last fall, crossbows could only be used to hunt deer by people age 65 and over and those with disabilities.
A 2013 state law created a Wisconsin crossbow license and crossbow season. The crossbow season runs concurrent with the archery season.
The law also created "upgrades" that allow a hunter the option of using both types of bows. Through Sunday, 8,347 crossbow upgrades and 2,746 archery upgrades were purchased. Both figures include sales to residents and nonresidents.
The trend toward increasing crossbow use was expected by most hunters, wildlife managers and industry observers.
In Michigan, for example, crossbow use went from 19% of archers in 2009 (the first year the equipment was legal for all hunters) to 37% in 2011 to 49% in 2013.
The Wisconsin license sales figures will change through the coming weeks and likely increase in all categories.
While crossbows are popular with an increasing number of hunters, the data raise doubts whether expanded crossbow opportunities can result in a net positive to hunter recruitment and retention in Wisconsin.
Crossbow proponents had touted the equipment as a tool to help shore up declines in hunter participation.
Last year, 47,449 hunters purchased crossbow authority for the full season.
As a formatting note, copy and paste did not include paragraph breaks so I tried to add them where appropriate.