Letter to the Editor - Allow disabled hunters to use crossbows

Editor:

Senate Bill 298 is a bill allowing disabled hunters to use crossbows in archery season.

There is adaptive equipment available but does not fit all people. SB 298 would allow disabled Montanans to spend family time in the warmer weather for many disabled people have impaired circulation, putting us at disadvantage during colder weather. I cannot hold a bow horizontally nor for any length of time. Nineteen surgeries on my back and arms makes shooting regular bow impossible.

The number of Montanans who would qualify is very small and SB 298 would not impact herd populations or opportunities for healthy hunters. Forty-eight states allow crossbows for disabled hunters in archery season with no adverse effects. Modern bows can easily shoot 100-plus yards and weighs 9-plus pounds. Crossbows cannot outshoot these.

Both compassion and common sense call for allowing disabled hunters to access Montana in warm weather with a chance of making meat. We are asking to hunt animals with weapon we can shoot accurately in weather that won’t endanger our health. Passing SB 298 will eliminate the discrimination, by any definition, that now legally prevents disabled hunters to hunt in warm weather. Please encourage your legislators to vote yes on SB 298.

Thank you,

Steve Yapuncich

Wyola