Ask a CO: do crossbows need to be encased, uncocked, and unloaded in the field?

[MeghanOOD]

https://oodmag.com/ask-a-co-do-cross...hooting-times/

This reader enlists the knowledge of Conservation Officers to question when crossbows need to be encased in the woods.

[kokes]

I personally dont see why bows and crossbows need to be encased before / after dark - treat me like an adult, give me the benefit of the doubt and let me leave it uncased.. HOWEVER if you catch me with an arrow knocked before/after dark please make the fine astronomical along with a few year hunting ban...

[DanE]

I personally dont see why bows and crossbows need to be encased before / after dark - treat me like an adult, give me the benefit of the doubt and let me leave it uncased.. HOWEVER if you catch me with an arrow knocked before/after dark please make the fine astronomical along with a few year hunting ban...

I'm with you on this
I'm a compund shooter and your not even allowed to use a bow sling/bat to transport your bow outside of legal hours. I don't even have my release on when walking into the stand and pulling 75lbs with fingers would be oh so fun

[Marker]

I hunt public land, its no guarantee, but I dont want to end up like this guy:


https://ssqq.com/archive/stupidity%20arrowhead.htm

[FishHog]

I personally dont see why bows and crossbows need to be encased before / after dark - treat me like an adult, give me the benefit of the doubt and let me leave it uncased.. HOWEVER if you catch me with an arrow knocked before/after dark please make the fine astronomical along with a few year hunting ban...

well why wouldn't the same go for guns? As long as its not loaded, what is the issue.
Its a bit of a slippery slope, so I get why they have the law as they do, but it is inconvenient at times.

[Sam Menard]

This is an antiquated law and presumes that hunters can’t help themselves so need to encase their firearms. It helps CO’s tell who might be night hunters but isn’t a safety law.

[trimmer21]

Anyone who thinks a case will stop some dummy from night hunting has rocks in their head. It's always been a stupid law. It goes back to the "nanny state" nonsense. Believe me,you haven't lived until you've been stalked by a Coyote pack or a PO'd Bear on the way back to a vehicle or camp.

[Gilroy]

This is an antiquated law and presumes that hunters can’t help themselves so need to encase their firearms. It helps CO’s tell who might be night hunters but isn’t a safety law.

I believe this is one of the most frequently laid charge year after year. From a revenue point alone it will be left on the books, the fact that there is no noise from the discharge and some folks who cannot obtain a PAL license (for various reasons) use crossbows, very important law to keep some folks honest.

[Species8472]

Anyone who thinks a case will stop some dummy from night hunting has rocks in their head. It's always been a stupid law. It goes back to the "nanny state" nonsense. Believe me,you haven't lived until you've been stalked by a Coyote pack or a PO'd Bear on the way back to a vehicle or camp.

^^This. F@#%'n nanny state - I hate it. Sucks to suck but until/if the law changes we are stuck with it. Got checked at my camp back in October - first time ever a CO has come on the property to my knowledge ( I have owned the place for 15 years now). Crossbow was cased so no issues.

[gbk]

Some Provinces could not care less about this......and many more similar contarversial rules.

I think we shall learn from them.

Example-Alberta has no "encase"law and no hunting orange law.
Yet-they have a very vise and "life like",and IMHO very honest : No use of ATV for hunting law -since No one can have firearm on an ATV until noon!Go figure the wisdom behind it-You can use your ATV for game retrieval(after noon)but You can not go "hunting"with it.Sportsman like ,if asking me.

With their vast hunt able(therefore in a "need "to control) land available ,and sparse population(harder to "keep eye" on everyone) the authorities "still" do not see need for these kind of rules.

I think them people there making rules actually know thing or two about real life.

And-hey,we are both in Canada-both set of rules are set to control Canadians(similar behavior by heritage)-go figure.