I recently stumbled across an article on Mlive.com, from the Grand Rapids Press, that contained some startling information.  Apparently, up to this point, Michigan hunters are really taking advantage of the new crossbow regulations in the state.  I had a feeling that allowing crossbows to be used by more of the hunting population would get more hunters in the woods, but I honestly had no idea that the DNR would issue 45,000 crossbow stamps in the first year.

I honestly consider this a win in two ways, though:  It allows for more hunters to get back into hunting – who maybe didn’t have the desire before – which increases our hunting population (a good thing in today’s hunting downtrend); and it allows our local sporting goods stores to make a little money while riding the crossbow bandwagon – Bob’s Gun and Tackle in Hastings has sold more than 250 already this year.

The big question I still have, though, and one of the questions that prominently featured in the crossbow debate, is whether allowing crossbows significantly increased the number of deer harvested during the archery season.  Many hunters were apprehensive about crossbows being used, because they felt it would increase the number of hunters in the woods, and thus increase the number of deer being killed.  With the deer population we have in Zone 3, though, I figure killing a few more deer in that area was a good thing.  Only time will tell, though, if these particular hunters’ fears were warranted, and that allowing more hunters in the woods actually transpired into a significantly larger number of deer being killed.

I will be scouring over the deer harvest reports once the end of the hunting season is upon us, and I will be checking to see if the deer harvest numbers have significantly increased from 2008.  I honestly have a feeling that we won’t see much change in the deer harvest numbers.  The only thing that will have increased is the amount of hunters in the woods.

I realize that many Michigan hunters don’t want to see an increase in hunting numbers – we already have about 7 hunters per square mile.  But I’m the type of guy who wants to see our hunting heritage stick around for years to come, and if crossbows encourage more people to get out and hunt, I’m all for it.

For now, we’ll just have to wait and see if the 45,000 crossbow permits issued up to this point were detrimental to the deer population.  I have a feeling that that is not the case.

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