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Why not crossbows in the Archery season?

1)     It's not a bow.

2)     Archers in general disapprove of it. (!!!!)

3)     With Mississippi's traditional use of SCC, it's a silent poachers tool when shot from the cab of a truck.

4)     Crossbow usage will not encourage new growth in hunting...it will just redistribute former gun hunters into archery seasons.

5)    Archery seasons are already open to all hunters in this state. Not one single license holder is denied to hunt with a bow.

6)    75 plus days already exist for those who want to shoot shouldered, scoped, and triggered weapons. It's called fair and equal season allotments.

7)    Safety Issues...Precocked bows lifted up tree stands and on ATV's, new "archers" with no prior bowhunting experiance with drugged tipped arrows, sliced off fingers caused by wrapping fingers around stock (rifle style) Alabama's newest crossbow sportsmen now have fewer fingers due to string slice.

8)    Economic hardships placed on current archery shops who choose not to sell non-bow equipment.

9)    Provides a steeping stone to introductuion of black powder weapons in formerly archery only seasons. Why?...the technology gap is being narrowed.

10)  Last reason...It's not needed or being asked for by the overwhelming majority of sportsmen in the state. Ultimately, this is about someone making money. Why else the push? If I was a die in the wool rifle hunter I would be fighting mad. This will just result on a much heavier kill in archery seasons before the gun season opens.

You may not agree with all (or none) of what I have said above. But I assure you that if this legislation passes, archery hunting will never be as you rememebred it in this state.

Mark Livingston

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