As hunter numbers continue to decline overall in the USA and Canada, one bright spot worth noting has been the growth in bowhunting’s popularity in recent years, but only in certain regions. Not every region is experiencing an uptick in bowhunting's popularity.
In Pennsylvania for example there are now well over 300,000 bowhunters who annually take to forest and field, with the vast majority of them purchasing archery licenses primarily to pursue white-tailed deer.
Over the past decade, the number of bowhunters in Pennsylvania has risen steadily, increasing each year from 2007-2008, when 266,841 archery licenses were sold, to 2016-2017, when 341,637 were purchased. In fact, according to Petersen’s Bowhunting, no state in the nation sold more archery hunting licenses in 2016-2017 than Pennsylvania State. The total number of archery participants may actually be even higher since bowhunting privileges are included in the state’s lifetime combination and junior combination licenses, two categories that are not included in overall bow license sales.
Christian Berg, former Hellertown resident and outdoors editor at The Morning Call who’s now the editor of Petersen’s Bowhunting, said the increased interest in bowhunting in Pennsylvania is likely due to a combination of factors. Among these are the state’s relatively short firearms season when compared to many other states coupled with the fact that the archery season is fairly long, the opportunity for archers to hunt during the rut, the relatively mild weather that accompanies the fall portion of bow season and the fact that both crossbows and vertical bows can be used.
“For serious deer hunters, I believe Pennsylvania’s archery season is extremely attractive from both an opportunity and weather-related standpoint,” Berg said. “Add in the fact that PA archery hunters can use crossbows and you have an easy crossover tool available for longtime rifle hunters who want to take advantage of the archery season.
“I think much of the growth Pennsylvania has seen in archery hunting is not necessarily a dramatic influx of new hunters, but rather a shift in hunting activity generally toward more archery hunting and perhaps a bit less effort during the firearms season.”
In regard to bowhunting opportunities, the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania offers a rather liberal season. In Wildlife Management Units 5D and 5C, the latter of which includes much of the Lehigh Valley, there are more than 14 weeks of bowhunting from Sept. 15-Nov. 24 and Dec. 26-Jan. 26. The rest of the state also enjoys more than eight weeks of bowhunting, with the fall segment taking place Sept. 29-Nov. 12 and the winter session running Dec. 26-Jan. 12.
As for the legalization of crossbow hunting, there’s little doubt allowing horizontal bows has had a huge impact on archery hunter participation and deer harvest, with crossbow usage rising steadily since they were legalized for bowhunting statewide in 2009.
According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) 2017 Deer Hunter Participation Survey, a survey sent to more than 6,000 sportsmen who bought hunting licenses for the 2016-17 season, 61 percent of respondents noted they hunted with a crossbow, while 54 percent said they used a vertical bow.
PGC spokesman Travis Lau said that in 2017-’18, crossbows accounted for 61 percent of the overall archery deer harvest, while in 2014-15 they were responsible for only 54 percent of the take. In contrast, annual overall archery harvests in recent years haven’t changed all that much. For example, in the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons, the archery harvest accounted for 34 percent of the overall statewide deer harvest, while in 2014-15, that number was 32 percent.
“I don’t think there is any question the legalization of crossbows for all archery hunters has played the biggest role in increased archery license sales,” Lau said. “Crossbows are taking more of the archery harvest, but the archery harvest [overall] has been more or less consistent.”
When it comes to bowhunting in the Lehigh Valley, where the human population continues to grow and the vast majority of land is privately owned, bowhunting is becoming an increasingly popular tool for helping to manage deer herds.
“I think [the growth in archery hunting’s popularity] has to do with the urban sprawl,” said Joe Filaseta, Bethlehem resident and regional director for the United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania.
According to Filaseta, the region’s abundant deer population, coupled with the fact that the safety zone for bowhunting is 50 yards compared to 150 yards for firearms hunting, makes it easier for bowhunters to access properties in the region.
Berg agreed, noting that for many deer hunters, gaining access to hunt with a bow has proven much more realistic than gaining access to hunt with a rifle, particularly in areas where property sizes tend to be relatively small and deer habitat is fragmented.
“I know from experience that some of the best hunting in the state exists in places such as South Mountain and the suburban woodlots around Bethlehem, and accessing such places with firearms only becomes more difficult as the years go by,” he said. “A similar situation exists around Pittsburgh, where suburban bowhunters have entered numerous bucks into the state record book in recent years.
“Considering that a large percentage of hunters will come from the areas where a large percentage of our state population resides, I would anticipate that archery hunting will continue to be an ever more attractive option for serious deer hunters who want to access some of the best opportunities our state has to offer.”
While bowhunting’s popularity continues to climb in Pennsylvania, that upward trend isn’t always reflected across the nation. According to data from the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service report issued every five years, the overall number of hunters declined 16 percent between 2016 and 2011, from 13.7 million to 11.5 million. During that same period, the total number of bowhunters dropped 19 percent, from 4.47 million to 3.63 million.
Berg noted changing demographics are presenting a big challenge to the future of hunting right now.
“As the Baby Boomer generation ages out of hunting, we are simply not recruiting nearly enough new, younger hunters to replace the older hunters who are no longer physically able to get into the field,” he said. “This is a particular issue for archery hunting, in my opinion, because many older hunters are likely able to hunt a number of additional seasons with a firearm beyond the point where they are no longer physically able to handle the challenges/mechanics of archery tackle.
“If archery hunting is to remain strong going forward, we - the archery industry, conservation groups and archery hunting community - need to do a better job collectively of recruiting new bowhunters and retaining them as part of our community.”
Learn more about archery in Toronto by visiting archerytoronto.ca, or the Toronto Public Archery Range Facebook page
or by joining the Canadian Toxophilite Society.
Friday, September 21, 2018
Thursday, July 5, 2018
July Promo Code for Archery Lessons in Toronto
Get 10% off your first archery lesson from Cardio Trek with JULY2018PROMOCODE.
Offer expires at the end of July 2018. Offer is good for 1 discounted archery lesson, otherwise standard rates apply.
See Cardio Trek's archery rates at http://www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html
Offer expires at the end of July 2018. Offer is good for 1 discounted archery lesson, otherwise standard rates apply.
See Cardio Trek's archery rates at http://www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html
Thursday, June 21, 2018
The 2018 Seton Archery Competition
Note
Very important. Show up on time if you want to take part in this competition. Latecomers will have to spectate.
DUE TO RAIN ON BOTH THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THE ABOVE COMPETITION HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY, JULY 29TH.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Where to Sell or Buy Used Archery Equipment in Toronto
Do you have used archery equipment you no longer use and would like to sell?
Are you looking to buy used archery equipment?
Well, here is a list of places you might look if you live in Toronto:
#1. The Toronto Archery Club on Facebook
Simply join the Facebook group and then post the item you are looking to sell. When it sells you can mark in the comments that it has already been sold. Or alternatively, just delete the posting after it is sold.
If you are looking to buy, you simply arrange to meet the seller, see what you are buying, bring cash, and make a final decision as to whether to buy the bow or archery equipment in question. Try not to waste their time unless you are serious about buying in the first place.
Also it is considered bad form to haggle last minute. If you want to haggle, do it online before you meet in person.
Never buy anything that isn't exactly what the person promised they were selling. eg. If they say the bow is in perfect condition, and it is evidently not in perfect condition because it has a giant crack in the riser, then definitely do not buy it.
And sellers, don't bother trying to sell something you know is damaged. Or if it is damaged, you should advertise the fact that it is damaged and describe how it is damaged so any potential buyers know what to expect.
#2. Online Classifieds
Craigslist and Kijiji both operate classifieds for Toronto and the GTA. Posting on there is free.
More or less the same advice as above.
#3. eBay.ca
You can also put your archery equipment up for sale for a specific price (buyout) on eBay.ca or you can let people bid on the item. There is a fee involved, and you will need to determine the cost of shipping the archery equipment. This is why selling locally via a club or classifieds is cheaper and easier, but you can potentially get a better price on eBay.ca if you are selling something that is highly desirable and/or rare.
If you are looking to buy antique or vintage archery equipment, eBay is one of the best places to go because there is a lot of selection. Be forewarned however, the bidding can be pretty fierce and other bidders can "snipe" an item during the last minute of bidding in an effort to get a deal. So you need to be prepared to lose a few auctions.
eBay's selection isn't limited to bows either, as many types of other archery equipment and historical items can also be found on there. Old magazines, antique arrows, old manuals/books, arrowheads, equipment that isn't sold in stores any more, etc.
eBay also has a lot of cheap knockoffs and counterfeits you should be wary of - usually new equipment built in China. So while that does mean you can get a cheap bow on eBay, the bow in question probably won't last as long as you were hoping.
You should also be wary of any seller with a bad reputation, and only buy a bow where they have posted photographs of every angle of the bow. If they only post 1 photo and it is blurry, that is not a good bow to be buying.
So for example if they are showing an image of a young woman holding a bow upside down and is holding both the bow and gripping the bow string in the wrong manner... Do not buy that bow! Because clearly the seller has no clue what they are doing, just like the model in the photograph has no clue what they are doing.
Buying on eBay (or anywhere else online) is Buyer Beware. Buying in person is always best.
Are you looking to buy used archery equipment?
Well, here is a list of places you might look if you live in Toronto:
#1. The Toronto Archery Club on Facebook
Simply join the Facebook group and then post the item you are looking to sell. When it sells you can mark in the comments that it has already been sold. Or alternatively, just delete the posting after it is sold.
If you are looking to buy, you simply arrange to meet the seller, see what you are buying, bring cash, and make a final decision as to whether to buy the bow or archery equipment in question. Try not to waste their time unless you are serious about buying in the first place.
Also it is considered bad form to haggle last minute. If you want to haggle, do it online before you meet in person.
Never buy anything that isn't exactly what the person promised they were selling. eg. If they say the bow is in perfect condition, and it is evidently not in perfect condition because it has a giant crack in the riser, then definitely do not buy it.
And sellers, don't bother trying to sell something you know is damaged. Or if it is damaged, you should advertise the fact that it is damaged and describe how it is damaged so any potential buyers know what to expect.
#2. Online Classifieds
Craigslist and Kijiji both operate classifieds for Toronto and the GTA. Posting on there is free.
More or less the same advice as above.
#3. eBay.ca
You can also put your archery equipment up for sale for a specific price (buyout) on eBay.ca or you can let people bid on the item. There is a fee involved, and you will need to determine the cost of shipping the archery equipment. This is why selling locally via a club or classifieds is cheaper and easier, but you can potentially get a better price on eBay.ca if you are selling something that is highly desirable and/or rare.
If you are looking to buy antique or vintage archery equipment, eBay is one of the best places to go because there is a lot of selection. Be forewarned however, the bidding can be pretty fierce and other bidders can "snipe" an item during the last minute of bidding in an effort to get a deal. So you need to be prepared to lose a few auctions.
eBay's selection isn't limited to bows either, as many types of other archery equipment and historical items can also be found on there. Old magazines, antique arrows, old manuals/books, arrowheads, equipment that isn't sold in stores any more, etc.
eBay also has a lot of cheap knockoffs and counterfeits you should be wary of - usually new equipment built in China. So while that does mean you can get a cheap bow on eBay, the bow in question probably won't last as long as you were hoping.
You should also be wary of any seller with a bad reputation, and only buy a bow where they have posted photographs of every angle of the bow. If they only post 1 photo and it is blurry, that is not a good bow to be buying.
So for example if they are showing an image of a young woman holding a bow upside down and is holding both the bow and gripping the bow string in the wrong manner... Do not buy that bow! Because clearly the seller has no clue what they are doing, just like the model in the photograph has no clue what they are doing.
Buying on eBay (or anywhere else online) is Buyer Beware. Buying in person is always best.
Friday, May 4, 2018
New Robin Hood movie trailer, 2018
Below is the new Robin Hood movie trailer... and if you are like us and despise the horrid Russell Crowe film, then you know that is past time someone came out with a good Robin Hood movie.
We haven't seen a decent Robin Hood film since 1991 when not one, but two films came out. One starring Kevin Costner and the other starring Patrick Bergin.
The Kevin Costner film has 87% Likeability on Google.
The Patrick Bergin film has 71% Likeability.
Will this new film be good? Maybe. Maybe not... the actor is using 4 fingers to draw that bowstring. Arg!
We haven't seen a decent Robin Hood film since 1991 when not one, but two films came out. One starring Kevin Costner and the other starring Patrick Bergin.
The Kevin Costner film has 87% Likeability on Google.
The Patrick Bergin film has 71% Likeability.
Will this new film be good? Maybe. Maybe not... the actor is using 4 fingers to draw that bowstring. Arg!
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